2000 Ford Econoline

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.

2000 FORD ECONOLINE VAN INCLUDED IN A RECALL BUT THE VEHICLE WAS ALREADY BURNED DUE TO THE DEFECT. *KB

NHTSA ID

10302808

Incident

Jan 1, 1901

REC'D NOTIFICATION OF A SAFETY RECALL DATED AUGUST 2007, RECALL # 0S28 I HAVE CALLED REPEATEDLY REGARDING THIS REPAIR, BUT THEY STATE THE REQUIRED PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. AS OF TODAY I WAS INFORMED THAT IT WILL BE AT LEAST JUNE 2008 WHEN THIS CAN BE DONE. A 10 MONTH WAIT FOR REPLACEMENT PARTS ON A SAFETY RECALL SEEMS RATHER OUT OF THE ORDINARY. FORD 2000 ECONOLINE VAN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10223394

Incident

Aug 25, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 ECONOLINE VAN. SHE RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL IN AUGUST 2007. SHE NOTIFIED THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND THEY ADVISED HER TO CALL PERIODICALLY TO SEE IF THE PART WAS AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL SWITCH WAS NOT DISCONNECTED; HOWEVER, SHE IS AWARE THAT IT CAN CAUSE A FIRE. THERE ARE NO FAILURES AT THIS TIME. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS JUNE 2000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

NHTSA ID

10221463

Incident

Aug 15, 2007

Mileage

50,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD ECONOLINE 150. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL IN AUGUST OF 2007. THE DEALERS IN HIS STATE ADVISED HIM THAT THE PARTS WOULD BE UNAVAILABLE UNTIL THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2008; HOWEVER, THEY ONLY HAVE PARTS TO REDO THE PREVIOUS REPAIR. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103,450. UPDATE 04-02-08 *BF

NHTSA ID

10220609

Incident

Aug 17, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD ECONOLINE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL IN AUGUST OF 2007. SINCE THAT TIME, HE HAS BEEN CALLING FORD EVERY SINCE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PARTS WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL MARCH OF 2008. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE PURCHASE DATE AND RECALL NUMBER WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,000. UPDATED 01-29-08. *KB UPDATED 01/29/08 *TR

NHTSA ID

10213673

Incident

Aug 16, 2007

RECALL ON SCDS FORD MTR CO. AUGUST 2007. AS OF TODATE THIS PART IS STILL NOT AVAILBLE. *CN

NHTSA ID

10213549

Incident

Jan 3, 2008

2000 FORD ECONOLINE WITH RECALL FOR SPEED CONTROL SWITCH. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DEALER TOLD HIM THE PARTS WERE BACK ORDERED. HE KEPT CALLING BACK AND WAS FINALLY TOLD THE PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN APRIL 2008. *KB

NHTSA ID

10213913

Incident

Jan 1, 1901

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 FORD ECONOLINE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN JULY OF 2007 FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL. SHE RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL NOTICE IN DECEMBER STATING THAT THE PARTS WERE STILL UNAVAILABLE. THE DEALER HAS NOT OFFERED ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FORD RECALL NUMBER WAS 05S28. THERE IS NO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER AVAILABLE. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 106,000.

NHTSA ID

10210814

Incident

Jul 1, 2007

This SKU is a front upper ball joint. The Customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for ball studs with excessive rotational friction in the ball joint assembly. Excessive friction in the ball joint assembly may cause a perceptible increase in steering effort.

MERLIN MULTIPLEX SYSTEM WHEN A PROER/GROUND LUG IS NOT CORRECTLY TIGHTENED OR BECOMES LOOSE FOR ANY REASON; ERRATIC SYSTEM OPERATION IS POSSIBLE.

ENGINE OR FUEL SYSTEM CONCERNS WHEN USING FUEL WITH GREATER THAN 5% BIODIESEL CONCENTRATION. *TT

MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ILLUMINATED - SYSTEM LEAN DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC'S) - SERVICE TIPS. VARIOUS MODELS INCLUDING 2004 F-SERIES. *TT

LOW POWER, POOR FUEL ECONOMY, FUEL GELLING COLD, EXCESSIVE WHITE SMOKE COLD, OR HARD START. *MJ THIS OASIS UPDATES PREVIOUS OASIS DATED 12/01/03. *TT

EMISSION RECALL 04E10: COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (CNG) VEHICLES - FITTING CONNECTOR REPLACEMENT. *MJ