2001 Ford F-150 Engine

MOTOR EJECTED #3SPARK PLUG ON PASSENGER SIDE. *TR

WE HAVE A FORD F150 CREW CAB WITH A 5.4 TRITON MOTOR. I WAS PUTTING IT IN REVERSE TO DRIVE AWAY AND THERE WAS A STRANGE POPPING SOUND. I INSTANTLY SHUT IT OFF AND OPENED THE HOOD. MY FATHER EXAMINED IT FOR ME AND STATED THE NUMBER 3 SPARK PLUG HAD EJECTED ITSELF, CRACKING THE COIL AS WELL. WE HAD TO HAVE A HELICOIL KIT INSTALLED IN ORDER TO HAVE THREADS FOR THE NEW PLUG. THE TRUCK STILL IS NOT RUNNING PROPERLY. THIS HAS COST APPROXIMATELY $300 SO FAR, AND THERE IS MORE WORK THAT WILL HAVE TO BE DONE SINCE IT STILL SPUTTERS AND RUNS ROUGH. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP, AS I HAVE RESEARCHED IT ON THE INTERNET BUT FORD REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE POORLY MANUFACTURED TRITON MOTOR. FIRES CAN START WHEN THEY POP OUT AS WELL. THIS IS A DIS-SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC WHO HAVE UNKNOWINGLY BOUGHT THESE VEHICLES AND GET STUCK WITH HUGE REPAIRS DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE MOTOR. I AM DISGUSTED THAT THERE IS NOT A RECALL. FORD MUST BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THESE REPAIRS! THERE IS A HUGE INJUSTICE HAPPENING BY ALLOWING FORD TO WALK AWAY FROM THE RESPONSIBILITY. A RECALL BEFORE DEATHS HAPPEN WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO! LEMON LAWS SHOULD APPLY TO THE TRITON MOTORS BY FORD! IF I HAD KNOWN THIS WAS HAPPENING WE WOULD NEVER EVER HAVE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE! SHAME ON THE FORD COMPANY!!! GET THE RECALL SET INTO MOTION TO COMPENSATE ALL THE PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT THESE DANGEROUS PIECES OF CRAP! *TR

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND MOTOR WAS OFF. VEHICLE CATCH ON FIRE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS HAD TO GO TURN IT OFF BUT WE COULD NOT SAVE ANYTHING FROM THIS TRUCK IT GOT VERY DAMAGED. *TR

THE PLUGS BLEW!! THIS HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY AND AS OF NOW(7-2-2014) ALL HAVE BEEN REPLACED. IM SURE THAT WILL START AGAIN BUT THIS IS QUITE AN EXPENSIVE PROBLEM. MY TRUCK HAD 8 PLUGS...THANK GOD THEY DON'T ALL BLOW AT ONCE!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AS THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE BOLT ON THE ENGINE HEAD WAS RUSTED AND BECAME CORRODED. IN ADDITION, THE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED AND LEAKING CARBON DIOXIDE DUE TO THE CORROSION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

TURNED INTO A GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT AND TRUCK STARTED TO SMOKE. I THOUGHT IT WAS OVER HEATING BUT WHEN I PARKED I GOT OUT AND THE TRUCK STARTED HAVING BLACK SMOKE THEN FLAMES CAME FROM THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE HOOD OVER THE TIRE. I CALLED 911. WHEN THE FIRE TRUCKS ARRIVED THE HOOD WAS IN FLAMES AND THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK WAS BURNED. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE TRUCK AND HAVE TOOK VERY GOOD CARE OF IT. SOMEONE THAT WORKS WITH MY SON HAD AN F150 THAT BURNED 6 MONTHS AGO. AFTER WE LOOKED UP THE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS I FOUND OUT THIS HAS HAPPENED ALOT. I ALSO FOUND A RECALL ON A PART FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL BUT I WAS NEVER INFORMED OF THIS. HOW ARE PEOPLE INFORMED OF RECALLS? I LIVED A THE SAME ADDRESS FOR 7 YEARS AND HAD THE SAME PHONE NUMBER. THE DEALER I BOUGHT THE TRUCK FROM PALMETTO FORD IN CHARLESTON SC HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I WAS NOT INFORMED. IF I HAD NOT GOT OUT I WOULD HAVE BURNED WITH THE TRUCK. IS IT THE OWNER RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK FOR RECALLS. I WOULD UNDERSTAND IF I WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER BUT I AM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2001 FORD F150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM UNDER THE HOOD AREA AND EXPLODED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT'S HOME ALSO CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM THE VEHICLE FIRE. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT AND A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. A RESIDENT SUFFERED FRO SMOKE INHALATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED AND REMAINED PARKED AT THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 164,800.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD F-150 TRITON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR STATE INSPECTION WHEN THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE, ENGINE MANIFOLD AND BOLTS WERE CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 71,000. UPDATED 05/21/12 *BF THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE MATERIAL USED WERE DEFECTIVE.

I WAS GETTING ON THE INTERSTATE THIS AM AND HEARD A NOISE, THE TRUCK LOST POWER AND STARTED RUNNING EXTREMELY ROUGH. I TURNED AROUND AND BARELY MADE IT HOME (ONLY A FEW MILES). WHEN I RAISED THE HOOD, A SPARK PLUG WAS LAYING ON TOP OF THE ENGINE. THE COIL PACK WAS ALSO BROKEN WHEN THE SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT. THERE WAS A VERY STRONG SMELL OF GAS. I RESEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH FORD ENGINES BUILT FROM 1997 - 2003. IF I HAD BEEN IN A CENTER OR LEFT LANE, BEING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR WRECK. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED AND SHOULD BECOME A RECALL FOR FORD. *TR

PULLED OUT OF SIDE ROAD ONTO MAJOR HIGHWAY AND SUDDENLY A LOUD FLAPPING NOISE FROM ENGINE WAS HEARD. IMMEDIATELY PULLED TO SHOULDER OF ROAD AND TURN VEHICLE OFF AND CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE. WAS TOLD THAT A SPARK PLUG WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND THAT IT SHOULD BE A EASY FIX, THIS WAS NOT THE CASE BECAUSE THE HEAD HAD TO BE REMOVED TO EXTRACTED TO DAMAGED PLUG. OUR FIX IS COSTING UPWARDS OF $700. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD F-150. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. AFTER OPENING THE HOOD THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE MANIFOLD AND THE WIRING HARNESS WAS ON FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SHUT OFF AND HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN PRIOR TO THE FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS OR REPAIRS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000.

I'M IN THE LARGE GROWING NUMBER OF OWNERS THAT HAVE HAD A SPARKPLUG BLOW OUT. FORD KNOWS THIS IS A PROBLEM AND HAVE COME UP WITH A SPECIAL TOOL TO HELP IN THE REPAIR OF THIS. IT RETHREADS THE HOLE THEN THEY HAVE AN INSERT THAT GOES IN IT. THE PROBLEM IS THERE'S NOT ENOUGH THREADS TO HOLD THE PLUG. THE THING IS, IF THEY DON'T WANT TO DO A TOTAL RECALL THEN THEY SHOULD AT LEAST COVER THE EXPENSE WHEN IT HAPPENS. I GUESS LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY BEFORE THEY WILL STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND DO THE RIGHT THING. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 FORD PICKUP WITH 116,000 MILES THAT I HAVE BABIED SINCE I PURCHASED IT JUST THIS WEEK I HAD A SPARK PLUG BLOW OUT OF THE HEAD, JUST SO HAPPENED I WAS 45 MILES AWAY FROM HOME, SO A WRECKER CHARGE WAS DUE, TOOK MY TRUCK TO MY USUAL REPAIR SHOP BUT THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. SO I THEN HAD TO FIND SOMEONE ELSE, ANOTHE WRECKER CHARGE. FORD MUST KNOW FROM ALL THE COMPLAINTS THAT THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM AND VERY COSTLY. FORD SHOULD RECALL ALL VEHICLES WITH ALUMINUM HEADS AND INSTALL A STEEL SLEEVE IN ALL SPARK PLUGS TO TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM, THEY ARE SAVING TONS OF MONEY WITH THIS TYPE OF FAULTY ENGINE. I HAD CONSIDERED BUYING A NEW FORD PICKUP, BUT THIS JUST MIGHT HAVE CHANGED MY MIND. THE PRICE OF VEHICLES THESE DAYS, MANY PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF HAVE TO DRIVE THEIR VEHICLES SERVERAL YEARS, WE CAN'T AFFORD A NEW VEHICLE WITH THE PRICE OF GAS. THE POOR MIDDLE CLASS IS ALMOST A THING OF THE PAST, IF YOU'RE NOT MAKING 100,000 A YEAR YOU'RE HARD PRESSED TO KEEP YOUR HEAD ABOVE WATER. SOMEONE NEEDS TO STOP THE THINGS THAT RAGAN STARTED WITH HIS TRICKLE DOWN POLICIES AND FIX THE PROBLEM. KEEP THE REPUBLICANS OUT OF OFFICE AND LET SOME GOOD PEOPLE WORK FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS FOR ONCE.

SPARK PLUG BLOW OUT CAUSED EXCESSIVE DAMAGE TO ENGINE. ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $6200.00. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR 1999 TO 2005 ENGINES. *TR

ATTEMPTED TO START A 2001 FORD F-150 SUPER CREW THAT HAS A 5.4LITER ENGINE AND ONLY 80,500 AND HEARD A BANG. ENGINE STARTED BUT MADE A LOT OF NOISE. I SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND CHECKED UNDER HOOD. ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF ENGINE FOUND A PLUG WIRE AND COIL DESTROYED WHICH INDICATED A SPARK PLUG EXPLODED OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. REPAIR SHOP SAID DO NOT DRIVE IT AS FUEL WILL SPRAY ON HOT MANIFOLD AND WILL CAUSE A FIRE. THEY SAID I WAS LUCKY ENGINE WAS NOT HOT. THESE WERE THE FACTORY INSTALLED PLUGS AS ORIGINAL WINDOW STICKER SAYS 100K MILE TUNE-UPS. ESTIMATE OF REPAIR IS $4,000. FORD ACCRONIM APPLIES HERE "FOUND ON ROAD DEAD OR, FIX OR REPAIR DAILY." UPON INTERNET SEARCH THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON OCCURANCE AND NEITHER FORD OR NHITSA ARE DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. FORD HAS EVEN PUT OUT A TSB07-15-2 AUTHORIZING A SPECIFIC TOOL AND REPAIR PROCEDURE FOR ALUMINUM HEADS FOR THE 5.4 1997 TO 2004 FSERIES. FORD KNOWS IT IS AN ENGINEERING DEFECT AND NHITSA KNOWS IT IS A FIRE HAZARD AS SOME VEHICLES HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *TR

SPARK PLUG FOR # 3 CYLINDER BLEW OUT, DAMAGING HEAD THREADS AND IGNITION COIL. THIS SPARK PLUG WAS ORIGINAL FROM THE FORD FACTORY, NOT A REPLACEMENT. DEALER IN MY AREA QUOTED $800 TO INSTALL A HELI COIL AND NEW IGNITION COIL; BUT ADVISED THAT NEW HEADS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS THE OTHER 7 CYLINDERS COULD ALSO BE SUBJECT TO THE SAME FAILURE. DEALER ALSO INDICATED THIS WAS AN APPARENT DESIGN FLAW BY FORD, WHICH IS NOT CURRENTLY BEING ADDRESSED. NEW CYLINDER HEADS AT THE DEALER WERE QUOTED OUT AT $5,000 INSTALLED. HAD THIS FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING, A FIRE MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY FUEL BEING PUMPED OUT OF THE #3 CYLINDER AND COLLECTING ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2001 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR A FEW DAYS WHEN IT SUDDENLY CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED TO THE GROUND. THE CONTACT SUFFERED MINOR BURN INJURIES AS A RESULT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 249,000.

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND HEARD A LOUD POP AND STOPPED THE TRUCK AND CALLED THE TOW TRUCK. THE MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT A SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF THE HEAD OF THE ENGINE AND IT WAS GOING TO COST $550.00 TO FIX, HE ALSO SAID THAT IT WOULD BE A TEMPORARY FIX AND THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGE. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME WITH THESE ENGINES BECAUSE OF THE ALUMINUM HEADS AND THERE WERE ONLY 3-4 THREADS ACTUALLY HOLDING THE SPARK PLUG. A FORD MOTOR CO. WARRANTY INSPECTOR SAYS THE FORD TRITON V-8 ENGINES ARE "DROPPING LIKE FLIES" BECAUSE OF BLOWN SPARK PLUGS. I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE FORD SPARK PLUG BLOWOUT ISSUE. FORD TRITON ENGINES FROM 1997 TO 2003 HAD A PROBLEM WHERE SPARK PLUGS WOULD RANDOMLY FLY OUT THE CYLINDER HEAD. THIS APPEARS TO BE DUE TO A FEW ISSUES (ENGINEERING DESIGN FLAW), FIRST THERE ARE INSUFFICIENT THREADS (3-4) IN THE HEAD TO PROPERLY HOLD THE SPARK PLUG. SECOND THE THREADS IN THE HEAD ARE NOT INSERTED, IN OTHER WORDS THE THREADS ARE IN THE ALUMINUM AND ARE NOT VERY STRONG. SPARK PLUG EJECTION IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE FUEL VAPOR STARTS COMING OUT THE SPARK PLUG HOLE, WHICH IS CLEARLY A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE FUEL VAPOR CAN BE IGNITED BY THE LOOSE SPARK PLUG - AND IN FACT THERE HAVE BEEN A SMALL NUMBER OF CASES REPORTED OF ENGINE FIRES DUE TO SPARK PLUG EJECTION/BLOWOUT. FORD NEEDS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS OF SPARK PLUG BLOW OUT AND SHOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTY REGARDLESS OF AGE ON THE SPARK PLUG BLOW OUT ISSUE, THEY ALSO SHOULD BE FORCED TO PAY A FAIR AMOUNT OF LABOR TIME, BECAUSE MOST OF THE REPAIRS COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. FORD HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS SERIOUS ISSUE OF AN ENGINEERING-DESIGN FLAW AND NEEDS TO RECALL 17 MILLION VEHICLES FROM 1997-2003. *TR

SPARK PLUG BLOWN OUT OF ENGINE TWICE. FIRST TIME CHEAP FIX SECOND TIME IT WAS OVER $700. SEEMS TO BE A PRETTY COMMON PROBLEM. NEEDS A RECALL DONE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2001 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED AN ABNORMALLY LOUD KNOCKING NOISE FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED UNDER THE HOOD AND NOTICED THAT THE SPARK PLUG LOCATED NEAREST TO THE DRIVER SIDE HAD DISENGAGED FROM THE COIL HEAD WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE A COIL KIT WAS INSTALLED. A FEW MONTHS LATER, THE SAME FAILURE RECURRED AND THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000. CONSUMER IS STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ALUMINUM HEAD. UPDATED 11/10/2011 *LN *TR

FIRE UNDER THE HOOD OF A FORD F-150 SUPERCREW IN OUR PARKING LOT BURNED THIS VEHICLE AND CAUSED FIRE DAMAGE TO FOUR OTHER VEHICLES PARKED ADJACENT TO IT. *KB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD F-150. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND SHUT OFF WHEN A FIRE BEGAN ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MOVED FROM THE LOCATION AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 209,000.

2001 FORD F-150. THE TRUCK HAD AN UNDER HOOD FIRE WHILE IT WAS IN A PARKING LOT. THE BUSINESS OWNER FOUND ME AFTER THE FIRE WAS STARTED AND PUT OUT. THE TRUCK WAS TOTALED. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 FORD F150 5.4 LITER V8 TRITON THAT THE SPARK PLUG EJECTED AND RUINED THE THREADS THE DEALER WANTS $500 TO FIX I KNOW A FEW PEOPLE THAT THIS HAPPENED TO. *KB

SPARK PLUGS KEEP POPPING OUT OF CYLINDER HEAD. HAS HAPPENED FIVE TIMES SO FAR. I KNOW OF SEVEN OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM! *TR