2008 Ford F-150

ON TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2016, WHILE DRIVING 45 MILES PER HOUR, ON A 2 LANE, BACK COUNTRY, ROAD MY FORD F150, THAT HAD 114,376 MILES BEGAN TO CLANK AND RUMBLE UP UNDER THE HOOD. THE NOISE MADE THE VEHICLE VIBRATE AS THE NOISE GOT LOUDER SO I PULLED OFF OF THE ROAD AND POPPED THE HOOD. THERE WAS SMOKE, CLICKING AND CLANKING ON TOP OF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE SO I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. I CALLED MY INSURANCE AND ASKED TO BE TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP 5 MILES AWAY. THE TRUCK WAS STILL DRIVE-ABLE BUT SMOKING AND CLANKING. THE NEXT MORNING I LEARNED #2 SPARK PLUG HAD LOOSE STRIPPING THREADS IN THE CYLINDER HEAD AND THE COIL CRACKED FROM THE PLUG BLOWING OUT. THE PLUG AND BOOTS HAD TO BE REPLACED. REPLACED THE #2 COIL AND THE DEALER HAD TO EXTRACT THE BROKEN SPARK PLUG CYLINDER #2. THE PARTS, SUPPLY, AND LABOR COST WAS $1292.24. I HAVE HAD LARGE V8 ENGINE, VEHICLES ALL OF MY LIFE WITH 200,000 MILES OR MORE ON THE ENGINE BUT NEVER ANY SPARK PLUG ISSUES WITH HIGH MILEAGE ON BOTH SPARK PLUG AND OTHER VEHICLE ENGINE PARTS. IF I HAD CONTINUED TO DRIVE MY TRUCK IT SURELY WOULD HAVE IGNITED CAUSING MORE DAMAGE OR INJURY. THE SPARK PLUG ISSUES WITH FORD NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK IN DECEMBER 2013 WITH 81,160 AND HAD NO PROBLEMS FOR 2 YEARS, 4 MONTHS. AT NO TIME SHOULD SPARK PLUGS BLOW UP OR OUT UNLESS THEY ARE DEFECTIVE PARTS OR PLUGS NOT SUITABLE TO BE TRANSFIXED INTO THE CYLINDER OR ENGINE. DRIVER SAFETY IS AT RISK.

ON APRIL 5, 2016, WHILE DRIVING MY 2008, F150, TRITON, 4.6, ABOUT 45 MPH, ON A TWO LANE, BACK COUNTRY ROAD, A SUDDEN RATTLING AND POPPING NOISE OCCURRED. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER, POPPED THE HOOD, WHEREAS SMOKE AND THE RATTLING NOISE CONTINUED. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP 5 MILES AWAY. I HAVE 113,600 MILES ON MY VEHICLE AND PURCHASED IT FROM A CARMAX DEALER IN DECEMBER 2013, WITH 81,160 MILES, HAVING EXPERIENCED (NO PROBLEMS THUS FAR). I WAS TOLD BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP THAT MY #3 SPARKPLUG HAD CAUSED THE MECHANICAL ISSUE AND ALL PLUGS NEEDED REPLACING. ADDITIONALLY REPLACEMENT OF RIGHT SIDE ENGINE ISSUES RESULTED FROM NOT HAVING DONE THE 100000 MILE TUNE UP (BULL). IT HAD BEEN TUNED UP PREVIOUS TO BEING SOLD. AFTER USING CHOICE WORDS TOWARDS THE DEALER AND ADVISING HIM OF MY OWNERSHIP OF 3, LARGER V8 ENGINES, NO SPARKPLUG EXPLOSIONS HAD EVER OCCURRED IN MY LIFE. ALL MY FORMER VEHICLES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MY 2008 F150 HAD NEVER EXPERIENCE SUCH SPARKPLUG EXPLOSION ISSUES AND THESE VEHICLES REACHED CLOSE AND OVER 200,000 MILES. MY VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY BUT DOES NOT COVER THIS ISSUE, NOR WAS THE FORD MANUFACTURE HELPFUL IN ASSISTING WITH THIS MATTER. THE TOTAL COST FOR REPAIRS IS $1295.00, AND MY FIGHT WITH FORD HAS JUST BEGUN.

VEHICLE UNEXPECTANTLY STALLED WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH CAUSING PARTIAL LOSS OF CONTROL OF STEERING AND BRAKING ABILITY. I WAS ABLE TO PULL VEHICLE TO SIDE OF ROAD. FAILED TO RESTART VEHICLE INITIALLY. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, VEHICLE RESTARTED. WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO DEALER ONE BLOCK AWAY WITH SEVERAL STALLS, RESTARTS. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. LOCHEN FORD IN NEWBURG, WI DIAGNOSED A FAILED FUEL DRIVER MODULE. REPLACED AT A COST OF $350 ON 3/29/16. AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE, THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON FAILURE WITH THIS VEHICLE. FAILURE OF PART IS DUE TO ACCELERATED CORROSION OF PART ITSELF DUE TO POOR DESIGN AND MOUNTING. MODIFICATIONS HAVE SINCE BEEN MADE TO LESSEN THE CHANCE OF FAILURE. THIS IS CERTAINLY OF CONCERN SINCE STALLING OF THE ENGINE AT ALL SPEEDS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I SUSPECT THOUSANDS, IF NOT MILLIONS OF THESE POPULAR TRUCKS ARE AFFECTED. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED BY FORD, BUT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, HAS NOT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE RIM FRACTURED. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE RIMS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE RIMS FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE BRAKES TO MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000.

MY VEHICLE HAS A BAD MISS IN MOTOR, HAVE HAD ALL PLUGS/WIRES REPLACED TO NO AVAIL. DATA LINK STILL SAYS MISFIRE ON #3. HAVE TO DRIVE SLOW UP HILLS IF DRIVE AT NORMAL SPEED CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS UP. NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHATS WRONG, EVEN MAJOR DEALERSHIPS. NEED HELP ON THIS, HAVE TALKED TO MULTIPLE PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVINT THE SAME ISSUE. I HAVE ALERTED FORD TO THIS AND THEY HAVE BEEN NO HELP AT ALL. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL. IT HAPPENS MOSTLY WHEN DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEEDS GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. SOMETIMES IT MISSES SITTING STILL. IT IS A FX4 AS WELL.

WIFE IS AT THE NCHA EASTERN NATIONAL FINALS IN JACKSON, MS. THIS IS A BIG HORSE EVEN WHICH BRINGS IN A LOT OF FORD F350, 450, AND 550 TO THE SHOW. PEOPLE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON THESE VEHICLES OVER 60,000 DOLLARS. THIS VEHICLE BEING AS NICE AS IT IS, HAS A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW. THEY ARE TOO EASY TO BREAK INTO. HORSE SHOW IS FROM MARCH 7 - 19. AS OF MARCH 13, 2016 IN JACKSON, MS. THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 300 FORD F SERIES PICKUP TRUCKS BROKEN INTO BY WAY OF THE DOOR HANDLE ON THE DRIVE SIDE. THE THIEFS EITHER TAKE A SCREW DRIVE AND PRY THE PLASTIC DOOR HANDLE OFF AND HAVE ACCESS TO THE INSIDE THE DOOR AND UNLOCK. OR THEY DRILL RIGHT BELOW THE PLASTIC AND UPWARD TO HIT THE MECHANICAL DEVICE THAT UNLOCKS THE DOOR AND THEY ARE IN. LESS THAN A MINUTE FOR THEM TO GAIN ACCESS. THEY CAN DO THE SAME THING TO THE REAR DOOR BY PRYING THE PLASTIC OFF AND ACCESS THE INSIDE. FORD NEEDS TO REDESIGN THIS AND GET RID OF THE CHEAP PLASTIC DOOR HANDLES. NEED TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR ALL FORD F SERIES PICKUPS AND INSTALL JIMMIE JAMMERS SO THIEVES CANNOT ACCESS THE DEVICE TO UNLOCK THE DOOR. WITH THE JIMMIE JAMMER, YOU CAN NOT USE A FLATHEAD SCREW DRIVER IN THE KEYLOCK AND TURN IT TO FORCE IT TO UNLOCK. IN FACT, FORD JUST NEEDS TO GET RID OF THE KEYLOCK ALL TOGETHER. YOU HAVE TWO WAYS OF UNLOCKING THE DOORS. KEYPAD OR KEYFOB. WHY DO YOU NEED TO DOOR LOCK.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE FAILURE. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED, THE ABS ACTIVATED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO PULSATE AND THE CONTACT TO LOSE CONTROL. THE DEALER REPLACED THE FRONT ROTORS, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DRAINED THE FRONT BRAKES; HOWEVER, THE BRAKE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.