2000 Ford Ford Truck

WHILE DRIVING THE EXCURSION AT A SPEED AROUND 35 MPH, HEARD A VERY LOAD POP NOISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND LOST POWER FROM THE ENGINE AND THE VEHICLE ROLLED TO A STOP. HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP FOR TROUBLE SHOOTING PURPOSE. THEY TOLD ME THE NUMBER 7 SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT FROM THE HEAD. THE FIX WAS EITHER A HELI-COIL OR A NEW HEAD. THE HELICOIL COST WAS 900 DOLLARS AND THE HEAD WAS 4500 DOLLARS. READING THIS SITE AND MANY MORE THERE IS A SERIOUS ISSUE WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF SIZES FROM FORD MOTORS WITH THE SPARK PLUG BLOWING OUT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WILL TAKE FOR A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. I GUESSNOTHING GETS DONE UNTIL SOMEBODY IS KILLED. *TR

OUR RV SEEMED SLUGGISH ON GOING UP ON HILLS, THEN SUDDEN ENGINE FAILURE WHILE GOING UPHILL ON HWY 77 IN WV. TOWED TO A LARGE AAA REPAIR CENTRE, WHERE THEY LOOKED INTO SOME SPARK PLUGS AND PULLED 5 OUT, ONE OF WHICH WAS SO BADLY DAMAGED, FLATTENED WITH TWISTED THREADS, THEY DETERMINED IT NEEDS A NEW ENGINE. HAD IT TOWED AGAIN DEC. 26 TO AN AUTHORIZED FORD DEALER. THEY INSPECTED THE ENGINE AND FOUND A HOLE IN ONE OF THE PISTONS. REPAIR WOULD BE NEW ENGINE ASSEBLY. NOT ONE THAT HAS SEEN THE SPARK PLUG AND KNOW THE MILES (29,500) ON THIS RV BELIEVE THAT THIS COULD OR SHOULD HAPPEN. IT NEEDS TO BE TOWED AGAIN TO A CAPABLE REPAIR SHOP, WHICH SEEMS TO BE EXTREMELY HARD TO FIND. FORDS MOTOR COMPANY ANSWER IS THAT WARRANTY TIME IS OVER, FIX IT AND PAY FOR IT. APPRX. ESTIMATES ARE $6000.00 - 7000.00. THIS JUST HAPPENING BEFORE CHRISTMAS INVOLVES SO MANY PERSONAL HARDSHIPS, INCLUDING 19 HOUR BUS TRIP GOING NORTH, CANCELLATIONS OF SO MANY RESERVATIONS, INCLUDING AIRLINE TICKETS. THIS IS FAR FROM BEING OVER, AND THE REPAIR COSTS ARE UNBELIEVABLE AND WE ARE NOT READY FOR AND WE HAVE NO IDEA WHERE IT IS GOING TO BE REPAIRED. EVERYONE SEEMS TO THINK THAT IT MUST BE AN ORIGINAL MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT THERE IS NO OTHER ANSWER TO HAVE A HOLE IN AT LEAST ONE PISTON AND HAVE THAT LOSE METAL PIECE SOMEWHERE IN THE ENGINE MAYBE CAUSING MORE DAMAGE IF THE WHOLE ENGINE IS NOT CHANGED. WE ARE HELPLESS AND FAR AWAY FROM OUR RV. *TR

I OWN A '00 FORD LIGHTNING AND IT RECENTLY LAUNCHED A PLUG OUT OF THE HEAD. I AM OUTSIDE OF THE FACTORY WARRANTY, SO I AM FORCED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OUT OF POCKET. THIS FAILURE IS DUE TO A FAULTY MECHANICAL DESIGN OF THE 5.4L ALUMINUM HEADS THAT FORD PUTS ON IT'S 5.4L V8 TRUCKS. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM ONLY ON LIGHTNINGS, IT IS INHERRENT TO ALL OF THE 5.4L HEADS. I AM A MEMBER OF SEVERAL MESSAGE BOARDS AND HAVE INCREASINGLY HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM WITH LIGHTNINGS AS WELL AS REGULAR F150'S. THE DESIGN OF THE HEAD IS FATALLY FLAWED. IT IS AN ALUMINUM HEAD, SO IT EXPANDS/CONTRACTS WITH HEAT, NOT TO MENTION THE SPARK PLUGS ARE STEEL THAT SCREW INTO THESE HEADS. THE BIGGEST FLAW ABOUT THEM IS THAT THEY ONLY HAVE3-4 THREADS TO HOLD IN THE SPARK PLUG(WHICH HAS 8-9 THREADS). THE SPARK PLUGS BASICALLY WORK THEIR WAY LOOSE AND EJECT FROM THE HOLE, RIPPING OUT THE REMAINING 2-3 THREADS, THUS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE INOPERABLE AND RENDERING THE HEAD USELESS AND IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. TO THIS DAY FORD REFUSES TO OFFICIALLY ADMIT THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS, EVEN THOUGH I COULD GO ONLINE AND FIND 50 INSTANCES OF THIS ISSUE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. I PERSONALLY KNOW OF 4 OTHERS WITHIN 30 MILES OF ME THAT HAVE SUFFERED THIS SAME ISSUE. FORD DOES KNOW THE ISSUE EXISTS, BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEY HAVE COME OUT WITH A REVISED HEAD THAT HAS THE MORE APPROPRIATE 8-9 THREADS. THEY CAME OUT WITH THIS IN LATE NOV '02. IT'S NICE THAT THE FUTURE 5.4L ENGINES WONT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS ISSUE, HOWEVER THIS DOES LITTLE FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE ALREADY SHOT OUT A SPARK PLUG OR WILL IN THE NEAR FUTURE BECAUSE OF THIS FAULTY DESIGN. WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE THIS VERY WELL KNOWN ISSUE (AT LEAST INSIDE THE COMMUNITY) ABOUT THESE HEADS, BETTER KNOWN TO SOMEONE WHO COULD POSSIBLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. WE WOULD LIKE FORD TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND REPLACE THE FAULTY HEADS THAT HAVE SHOT OUT A PLUG AT THEIR EXPENSE UNDER WARRANTY.