1997 Ford E-150 Engine Problems

WHILE TRAVELING ON VACATION 600 MILES FROM HOME I EXPERIENCED A WELL KNOWN FAILURE TO FORD TRITON ENGINE OWNERS KNOWN AS A SPARK PLUG EJECTION FAILURE. I WAS TRAVELING @ 65 MPH AND UP TO THE FAILURE THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING NORMAL THERE WERE NO ABNORMAL SOUNDS. AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE IT SOUNDED AS IF THE EXHAUST OR THE INTAKE WAS COMING APART. I PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND REMOVED THE DOGHOUSE AT THE REAR OF THE ENGINE TO DISCOVER THE RIGHT BANK AND 2ND CYLINDER FROM THE REAR HAD EJECTED THE SPARK PLUG AND DESTROYED THE IGNITION COIL. I UNPLUGGED THE IGNITION COIL AND THE POWER CABLE FROM THE FUEL INJECTOR FROM THAT CYLINDER AND NURSED THE VAN TO A FRIENDS HOUSE 40 MILES AWAY WHICH TOOK OVER 3 HOURS. I CALLED SEVERAL FORD DEALERS TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED AND THEY FINISHED THE STORY FOR ME, THEY SAID THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL HUNDRED TIMES AND THE FIX WOULD COST $1000.00 PER CYLINDER NEEDING REPAIRED. THIS IS A KNOWN FORD TRITON FLAW AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY FORD WITH A RECALL. THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE WHEN THE SPARK PLUG LET GO THERE WAS A EXTREME LOSS OF POWER IF IN HEAVY TRAFFIC THIS COULD CAUSE A ACCIDENT, AND THE RAW FUEL COMING FROM THE CYLINDER ALONG WITH SPARK FROM A LIVE IGNITION COIL IS A FIRE HAZARD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10465105

Incident

Jul 7, 2012

Mileage

125,000 mi

HAVE 1997 F-150,WENT ON VACATION, TRUCK RAN FINE. CAME BACK AND WENT TO PICK UP DOG FROM KENNEL, AND BOOM, HYDRO-LOCK. *TR

NHTSA ID

10213213

Incident

Jun 25, 2007

Mileage

13,500 mi

I EXPERIENCED THE SAME SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED IN THE CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR RECALL WHICH AFFECTS E-SERIES VANS. ON 05NOV07 MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND MY ENGINE BEGAN TO HESITATE, AS IF IT WOULD STALL. I TOOK THE VAN TO THE FORD DEALER ON 06NOV07. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THEY RESET THE CODES AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF. ON 09NOV07 THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN SLUGGISHLY. I DID NOT DRIVE THE VAN OVER THE WEEKEND BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID IT WOULD STALL WHILE I WAS DRIVING. ON 12NOV07 THE DEALER REPLACED THE DPFE SENSOR AT A COST TO ME OF $364.04. I CONTACTED FORD CORPORATION ON 06DEC07 REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIR. MY REQUEST WAS DENIED. FAILURE OF DPFE SENSOR HAS THE SAME RESULTS AND THE SAME SAFETY IMPLICATIONS AS THE FAILURE OF THE CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. FORD SHOULD INCLUDE THIS FAILURE IN THE RECALL AS WELL, OR SOMEONE WILL BE HURT EVENTUALLY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10211135

Incident

Nov 5, 2007

Mileage

135,039 mi

ENGINE HYDRO-LOCK. I OWN A 1997 E-150 CONVERSION VAN. IT HAS THE 4.2L V-6 ENGINE. I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACED ALONG WITH THE WATER PUMP AND GASKET AND ALSO TIMING GEAR GASKET. ALL DUE TO A FAULTY INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. FORD REPLACED THIS IN THE V-8 MODEL CARS DUE TO READING A LAWSUIT ABOUT IT ON THEIR SITE. I HAVE READ IN MANY FORUMS THAT I'M NOT ALONE IN THIS COSTLY REPAIR. I CONTACTED FORD TO BE TOLD THAT THE LAWSUIT DID NOT PERTAIN TO MY VAN. SINCE I'M NOT ALONE, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IF ANYTHING CAN I DO? HTTP://WWW.FORDMANIFOLDSETTLEMENT.COM/INDEX.HTML HTTP://FORUMS.TREEMEDIA.COM/FB/ARCHIVE/INDEX.PHP/T-224.HTML

NHTSA ID

10185463

Incident

Dec 7, 2005

Mileage

48,008 mi

SPARK PLUG BLOW OUT IN A 1997 FORD F 150 PICK UP TRUCK WITH A 5.4 V8. *JB

NHTSA ID

10184117

Incident

Mar 3, 2007

Mileage

131,000 mi

ENGINE COOLANT LEAKED INTO CYLINDER DUE TO GASKET FAILURE CAUSING PISTON ROD TO BEND. I HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS IS ALL TO COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1997 4.2 V6. I AM UNABLE TO HAVE MY TRUCK REPAIRED AT THIS TIME .THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED $4,000.00. *JB

NHTSA ID

10168587

Incident

Aug 11, 2006

Mileage

144,000 mi

MY 97 FORD E150 HAS THE 5.4 MOTOR IN IT. THE PROBLEM I AM HAVING IS SPARK PLUG BLOW OUTS. THIS IS MY SECOND IN A YEARS TIME. THIS COULD CAUSE A FIRE DUE TO RAW FUEL COMING OUT OF THE SPARK PLUG HOLE AND THE COIL LAND ON THE HEAD COULD CASE A SPARK AND BOOM BAD FIRE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10161255

Incident

Jul 2, 2006

Mileage

125,946 mi

FORD MOTOR CO. HAD KNOWLEDGE OF FAILURE OF THE FRONT COVER GASKET AND LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET IN 97 & 98 E-150 AND F-150 VEHICLES. FAILURE OF ANY ONE OF THE ABOVE ITEMS WILL END THE LIFE OF A ENGINE. FORD WILL NOT ACKKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH NUMEROUS TSB'S HAVE BEEN PUT OUT. THIS IS SUCH A PROBLEM THAT A WEB SITE IS DEDICATED TO IT. (LEAKINGFORDS.COM) ANOTHER SITE THAT HAS MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS IS HTTP://FORUMS.TREEMEDIA.COM/FB/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=224&PAGE=4&PP=15 PEOPLE THAT HAVE THIS FAILURE END UP NEEDING A ENGINE REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10110247

Incident

Feb 8, 2005

Mileage

47,800 mi

1) ENGINE BEGINS TO RUNS ROUGH. ) EGR PORTS BECOME CLOGGED 3) INTAKE HAS TO BE REMOVED AND PORTS CLEANED AND INJECTORS FLUSHED. WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT THIS IS A KNOWN DESIGN FLAW WITH THE FORD 6 CYL. ENGINE, AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT IT. IT WILL HAVE TO BE DONE AGAIN PERIODICALLY. *AK

NHTSA ID

10086783

Incident

Jul 14, 2004

Mileage

76,099 mi

I DROPPED A ROD TODAY IN MY 1997 FORD-F150 WITH 77,000 MILES. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SEEMS TO COME ON EVERY 1000 MILES. HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT I WOULD NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER FORD PRODUCT. MAYBE 1997 MODEL WAS A PROBLEM WITH FORD ACKNOWLEDGING PROBLEM. *NM

NHTSA ID

10064486

Incident

Apr 3, 2004

Mileage

77,123 mi

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WOULD NOT GAIN SPEED, DEALER DETERMINED THAT CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAD MELTED ON ONE SIDE, AND MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR WAS REPLACED.*AK

NHTSA ID

8014229

Incident

Jul 12, 2002

EXHAUST IS SMOKING BAD, SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED, DEALER STATES ENGINE NEEDS REPLACED, CONSUMER STATES THERE IS A TSB REGARDING THIS, TSB 99-20-7. *SLC

NHTSA ID

566461

Incident

Oct 16, 2001

VEHICLE IS STALLING WHEN BACKING UP AND COMING TO A STOP. THIS BECAME PROGRESSIVLY WORSE. DEALER CANNOT REMEDY PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILLE PULLING OUT INTO THE INCOMING TRAFFIC. VEHICLE WAS HOOKED UP TO A MONITORING DEVICE WHICH HAD DETECTED A FAULTY E DPFE SENSOR (PROBLEM STILL OCCURS, EVEN THREE WEEKS LATER). CONSUMER WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAKE VEHICLE BACK THE FOLLOWING WEEK (AUG 19TH). *SCC

NHTSA ID

8012872

Incident

Aug 30, 2000

I WAS INFORMED BY A CERTIFIED FORD MECHANIC, THE PROBLEM THAT I HAD EXPERIENCED WITH MY VEHICHLE IS A COMMON DEFECT WITH THE FORD 4.2L V-6 ENGINES. THE SEAL FOR THE INTAKE OF THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM CRACKS AND CAUSES COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE CYLINDERS. A CYLINDER WILL EVANTUALLY CONTAIN SO MUCH COOLANT THAT ON START UP OF THE ENGINE THE PUSH ROD OR MAIN BEARING FOR THE PISTON WILL BREAK. THE REASON BEING, COOLANT CAN NOT COMBUST , CAUSING SO MUCH PRESSURE IN THE CYLINDER IT BREAKS EITHER THE PUSH ROD OR MAIN BEARING. I HAD ALSO TALKED TO OTHER INDEPENDENT MECHANICS AND HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT MANY OF THE 4.2L V-6 ENGINES IN THESE VANS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED OR REPLACED FOR THE SAME REASON.*AK

NHTSA ID

754637

Incident

Oct 25, 2001

COOLANT LEVEL DROPPED, CONSUMER FOUND TIMING COVER LEAKING, ALLOWING COOLANT TO LEAK IN OIL.*AK *JB

NHTSA ID

887681

Incident

Apr 5, 2001

NOTIFIED BY AUFFENBERG FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT TIMING COVER SEAL ALLOWED MOISTURE INTO ENGINE BLOCK RESULTING IN BLOWN ENGINE. ADVISED BY SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THIS IS A RECALL PROBLEM WITH THE 4.2 LITER ENGINES ON THE F-150 WHICH IS ALSO THE SAME ENGINE INSTALLED ON THE E-150 VAN SERIES. CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY DENIED ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE VANS. IT IS DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT A VEHICLE MAINTAINED AS WELL AS THIS ONE WAS WOULD DEVELOPE THIS TYPE OF A MAJOR PROBLEM AT THIS LOW MILEAGE. A SYNTHETIC BLEND WAS USED FOR THE OIL WHICH WAS CHANGED AT THE RECOMMENDED INTERVALS AND MONTHLY DURING THE WINTERS. AFTER TALKING TO SEVERAL SERVICE DEALERS IN THE AREA, I WAS LEFT WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM OF DEFECTIVE PARTS INSTALLED BY FORD MOTOR CO.. TWO OF THE LOCAL INDEPENDANT SERVICE CENTERS INDICATED THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM RECENTLY ON THE E-150'S WITH FORD DENYING ANY PROBLEMS. *AK

NHTSA ID

737899

Incident

Dec 3, 2000

FAULTY ENGINE (NEW) REPLACED WITH REMANUFACTURED ENGINE( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 255/70-15 )

NHTSA ID

731838

VEHICLE HAS A VIBRATION PROBLEM, MOST NOTICABLE AT BETWEEN 58 AND 65 MPH. THE DEALER HAS MADE EIGHT ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AND I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT THE VEHICLE FOR OVER 30 DAYS. I MET WITH A MANUFACTURE REP AT FLAGLER FORD WHO TOLD ME THEY WERE GOING TO GIVE ME BACK ALL OF THE MONEY PAID ON THIS VEHICLE EXCEPT FOR $700.00 FOR MILAGE USED PROVIDING I BOUGHT ANOTHER FORD VEHICLE. DURING MY SEARCH I TEST DROVE THREE OTHER FORD VANS, ALL OF WHICH HAD SIMILAR VIBRATION PROBLEMS. I FINALLY FOUND ONE THAT I WAS WILLING TO ACCEPT, AND WHEN THE MANUFACTURERS REP WAS CONTACTED, SHE DID NOT LIVE UP TO HER COMMITTMENT. I AM NOW ASKING FOR ARBITRATION AND RELIEF UNDER THE LEMON LAW.

NHTSA ID

712839

AT 29,000 MILES ENGINE HEAD GASKET HAS PREMATURLEY BLEW OUT, CAUSING COOLANT LEAK, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

NHTSA ID

836387

Incident

Mar 19, 1999

MOTOR ACTS LIKE IT IS CHOKING AND WON'T TAKE GAS. IT SOMETIMES DIES AND HAVE TO RESTART. VEHICLE SOMETIMES DIES WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO TURN AT INTERSECTION,CAUSING YOU TO STOP IN MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. BRAKES ARE NOT GOOD. WHEN APPLIED HARD THEY VIBRATE VERY BAD.

NHTSA ID

701085

Incident

Jul 9, 1998

ENGINE NOISE COMING FROM VEHICLE IS VERY LOUD.

NHTSA ID

527947

Incident

May 28, 1997