1999 Ford E-Series

ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR THE DEALER REPAIRING THE VEHICLE, REPORTED THAT A SPARK PLUG DETACHED FROM THE CYLINDER AND/OR EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE.AS OF DECEMBER 8, 2005, ODI IS NOT AWARE OF ANY ALLEGATIONS WHERE THE ALLEGED DEFECT RESULTED IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, A CRASH, AN INJURY, OR A FATALITY IN ANY OF THE 10,319,810 SUBJECT VEHICLES.IN ADDITION, ODI IS AWARE OF ONLY TWO INCIDENTS WHERE THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT RESTART.INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE ODI CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND OBTAINED FROM 72 TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS WITH COMPLAINANTS SHOWED THE FOLLOWING:(1) 99% OF THE COMPLAINTS WERE ON MY 1997 TO 2002 SUBJECT VEHICLES.(2) MOST THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED HEARING A LOUD POP WHILE DRIVING OR UPON STARTING UP THE VEHICLE FOLLOWED BY A LOUD, REPETITIVE CLICKING OR POPPING SOUND.(3) MANY OF THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THE POPPING SOUND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY SOME LOSS OF VEHICLE POWER; HOWEVER, IN 99% OF THE INCIDENTS REPORTED, THE VEHICLE DID NOT STALL.IN THE VERY FEW INCIDENTS WHERE THE VEHICLE DID STALL, MOST VEHICLES COULD BE RESTARTED.(4) ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE COMPLAINANTS CITED THAT THEY SMELLED GAS OR A SLIGHT BURNING SMELL WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED.(5) IN ALL BUT A VERY FEW INCIDENTS, VEHICLE DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE ENGINE.IN ONE INCIDENT, THE COMPLAINT REPORTED THAT THE FUEL RAIL WAS DAMAGED AND REPLACED AFTER ONE OF THE SPARK PLUGS EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE; HOWEVER, THE COMPLAINANT REPORTED THAT THE DAMAGE DID NOT RESULT IN ANY TYPE OF FUEL LEAK OR FIRE.IN ANOTHER INCIDENT, THE ONLY INCIDENT WHERE A FIRE WAS ALLEGED, THE COMPLAINANT REPORTED THAT NO FLUID LEAK WAS OBSERVED, BUT THAT A FIRE RESULTED AFTER THE SPARK PLUG HAD EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE AND HE HAD RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DRIVEN TO ANOTHER LOCATION.NONE OF THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED ANY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE HOOD.(6) ONLY TWO COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THEY OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE SOME DROPS OF FUEL COMING FROM THE CYLINDER WHERE THE SPARK PLUG HAD FAILED OR ON THE SPARK PLUG ITSELF; HOWEVER, EACH OF THESE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO SMOKE OR FLAMES AS A RESULT OF HIS INCIDENT.AS THE PETITIONER NOTED, AND ODI?S ANALYSIS SHOWED, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A SPARK PLUG TO DETACH FROM THE ENGINE CYLINDER THREADS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.HOWEVER, ODI?S ANALYSIS OF 474 COMPLAINTS DESCRIBING SUCH INCIDENTS FOUND ONLY A VERY FEW ALLEGED ANY SAFETY-RELATED CONSEQUENCES.NONE OF THESE SHOWED ANY EVIDENCE OF A SERIOUS SAFETY CONSEQUENCE.GIVEN THE LARGE POPULATION AND RELATIVELY LONG EXPOSURE TIME OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, THE COMPLAINT ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT THE RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY FROM THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS VERY LOW.IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN THE PETITION.THEREFORE, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE NHTSA?S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY?S SAFETY MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED.

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BLEW A SPARK PLUG OUT OF ENGINE 2ND ONE THAT HAS HAPPEN AND IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME WITH THIS ENGINE

NHTSA ID

10817714

Incident

Jan 4, 2016

Mileage

199,000 mi

SPARK PLUG BLOWOUT ON 1999 FORD EXPEDITION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10326961

Incident

Apr 19, 2010

Mileage

195,000 mi

I OWN A 1999 FORD E-150 VAN. THE GAS TANK HAS SPLIT AND IS LEAKING GAS. THIS VAN IS TO NEW TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM!!!!*AK

NHTSA ID

10058217

Incident

Feb 16, 2004

Mileage

134,000 mi

MY FIRESTONE STEELTEX R4S II LT225/75R16 E FROM THE OUTSIDE REAR PASSENGER TIRE HAD SEPARATED IN ONE BIG CHUNK, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE BASEMENT COMPARTMENTS. I BROUGHT THE DAMAGED TIRES TO FIRESTONE DEALER IN HAYWARD FOR INSPECTION SINCE THIS IS THE 3RD TIME I HAD A TREAD SEPARATION ON THE R4S STEELTEX TIRES. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS TIRES ARE GOOD AND THAT THEY HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANY COMPLAINTS. HAVE SINCE REPLACED ALL OF MY TIRES (7 TOTAL) WITH A BRAND NEW STEELTEX R4S TIRES SINCE IT WAS DETERMINED BY FIRESTONE THAT MY TIRES WAS MANUFACTURED ON THE 36TH MONTH OF 1998, EVEN THOUGH THE TREAD WAS STILL LOOKS GOOD, I ONLY HAVE 16K MILES ON MY RV. I WAS TOLD THAT THE LIFE SPAN OF THE TIRES IS 6 YEARS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT IS THE OUTCOME OF THIS INVESTIGATION. SINCERELY, CESAR CALARA. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10021021

Incident

May 24, 2003

Mileage

16,000 mi

FORD: THE BLOWER MOTOR ON SOME VEHICLES ARE OPERATING EITHER INCORRECTLY OR NOT OPERATING OR JUST FUNCTIONING ON ONE SPEED. *PE

SOME 1997-2008 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 4.6L 2V, 5.4L 2V, OR 6.8L 2V ENGINE--SPARK PLUG THREAD REPAIR PROCEDURE--NOT COVERED UNDER NEW VEHICLE LIMITED WARRANTY. *NJ THIS INCLUDES F-53 MOTORHOME CHASSIS. UPDATED 2/23/10. *PE

FUEL CONDITIONER. LOW POWER, POOR FUEL ECONOMY, FUEL GELLING IN COLD WEATHER, EXCESSIVE WHITE SMOKE ON COLD START, HARD START, OR COKING OF COMPONENTS EXPOSED TO EXHAUST. *TT

WDS COP KIT DIAGNOSTIC TIP - COIL ON PLUG (COP) IGNITION SYSTEMS - ENGINE MISFIRE OR ROUGH RUNNING. *TT

GUIDANCE FOR CNG TANK INSPECTION FOR VEHICLES PRODUCED AFTER DECEMBER 2, 1996. *TT UPDATE. *TT

USE OF STAINLESS STEEL EXHAUST STUDS IN SERVICE FOR 5.4L 2V ENGINE. *TT