1998 Ford F-350

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.

EA05-005 IS CLOSED WITH FORD?S ACTIONS IN RECALLS 05V-017, 05V-388, AND 06V-286, RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 6.7 MILLION VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH TEXAS INSTRUMENTS SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCHES (SCDS).THE BRAKE SYSTEMS IN THESE RECALLED VEHICLES GENERATE A VACUUM THAT CAN POTENTIALLY CAUSE THE SCDS TO FAIL AND, IN CERTAIN SWITCH INSTALLATION ORIENTATIONS, CATCH FIRE.FORD IS ALSO INCLUDING THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF 1998 EXPLORERS.FORD HAS INFORMED ODI THAT TESTING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURES IN THE 1998 EXPLORERS WILL CONTINUE AFTER THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.ODI BELIEVES THAT THE VEHICLES EXHIBITING THE FACTORS CAUSING SCDS FAILURE DESCRIBED IN THIS REPORT CORRELATE WELL WITH THE OBSERVED FAILURE RATES ON THESE VEHICLES BY MODEL AND MODEL YEAR.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST IN THE NON-RECALLED VEHICLES MANUFACTURED WITH SCDS THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN FORD?S RECALLS.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE NON-RECALLED POPULATION FOR INCIDENCE OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.SEE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT FOR DETAILS.

WE SOLD A CUSTOMER SOME 35-13.50-20 MICKEY THOMPSON ATZ TIRES BACK IN 2007 CUSTOMER BROUGHT BACK THE TIRES IN MAY OF 2010 FOR CRACKING AROUND THE SIDEWALL AND LUGS CONTACTED MICKEY THOMPSON ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THAT RECEIVED A RGA BUT WAS NOT TOLD WHERE TO SEND THEM CALLED REPEATEDLY BUT WITH NO ANSWER. THIS SAME TIRE WAS RECALLED IN 2006 FOR HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WAS TOLD THAT THE CUSTOMER WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO SHIP THEM BACK TO MICKEY AND IF THEY WERE IN FACT DEFECTIVE THEY WOULD ISSUE A PRORATED WARRANTY ON THEM IF NOT WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO SHIP THEM BACK ALSO I DO HAVE PHOTOS OF THE CRACKING ALL FOUR TIRE ARE DOING THE EXACT SAME THING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10333942

Incident

May 4, 2010

TL*- THE CONTACT HAS A 1999 FORD F-350 AND NOTICED THAT THE OIL TANK WAS LEAKING. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WAS STALLING OUT ON THE ROAD. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THE CONTACT FOUND OUT THAT FORD WAS SPRAYING THE INNER-LINER OF THE TANK CAUSING IT TO MIX WITH THE FUEL AND CLOG THE FILTERS. THE CONTACT HAS REPLACED THE FILTER TWICE SINCE 10-26-06. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT REIMBURSE HER FOR THE PARTS THAT SHE REPLACED, BUT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE PART IF NEEDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000. AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

NHTSA ID

10185502

Incident

Oct 26, 2006

Mileage

85,000 mi

THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL SHEARED OFF 1998 FORD F350 CAUSING IT TO STRIKE GUARD RAIL (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *TS *NM

NHTSA ID

10146436

Incident

May 24, 2005

WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY TREAD SEPARATED FROM RIGHT REAR TIRE. CONSUMER HAD NOT STRUCK ANYTHING, AND TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE, AND EXAMINED WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE TIRE. HE REALIZED THAT ALL THE TREAD WAS GONE BUT SIDEWALL WAS STILL INTACT. IT WAS A WIDE TRACK BAJA A/S, LT245/75R16.*AK THE ROAD WAS CLEAR AND DRY. TEN MINUTES PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE CONSUMER FELT VIBRATION SHUDDERING THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE. TIRE HAD APPROX. 35,000 MILES ON IT. CONSUMER HAS ONE OF THE FAILED TIRES, HE REPLACED AND DISCARDED THE OTHER THREE. *PH *NLM

NHTSA ID

10040459

Incident

Sep 23, 2003

Mileage

65,315 mi

RIGHT REAR DUAL TIRE BLOWOUT AND TREAD SEPARATION AT 40 MPH, RESULTING IN APPROX $300.00 DAMAGE TO UNDERSIDE OF RV.*AK (TIRESIZE: LT225 R16E)

NHTSA ID

748573

Incident

Jul 12, 2001

NEW TIRES FIRST YEAR OF USE - JUST SHREDDED WHILE DRIVING - DIDNT GO FLAT - JUST EXPLODED AND WERE UNABLE TO BE REPAIRED. (TIRESIZE: 225/75R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 225/75R16 )

NHTSA ID

733460

Incident

Oct 1, 1998

WHEN CONSUMER DRIVES HE SMELLS DIESEL FUMES. HEADLIGHT AND INTERIOR LIGHTS HESITATE WHEN THEY ARE FIRST TURNED ON. TRANSMISSION DOESN'T SHIFT CORRECTLY. DRIVELINE HAS TOO MUCH SLACK. DOORS RATTLE. RUBBER TRIM AROUND BACK DOOR IS COMING OFF. HEATER SWITCH IS BAD. LOUD EXHAUST LEAK AFTER STARTING THE TRUCK IN THE MORNING. ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO THE DEALER. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID

855502

Incident

Jan 1, 2000

SEAT BELT RECTRACTORS DO NOT WORK PROPERLY CAUSING THE SEAT BELT TO BE LOOSE AND THE PASSENGER TO MANUALLY FED IT INTO RETRACTOR.

NHTSA ID

543520

ROUGH IDLE AND ENGINE MISS DUE TO INJECTOR BORE SCUFFING AT GREEN ENGINE BREAK-IN. *TT

SUBJECT REGARDING CONTAMINATION FROM PRIOR TRANSMISSION CONCERNS OR EXCESS WEAR MAY BE TRAPPED IN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID COOLING SYSTEM. *TT

OIL LEAK FROM THE FRONT OR REAR CYLINDER HEAD OIL SUPPLY RAIL END PLUGS. *TT

TRANSMISSION- E40D/4R100-1989-99-MAIN CONTROLS, SEPARATOR PLATES AND SEPARATOR PLATE GASKETS USAGE CHART. YD

SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE AXLE WIND UP AND / OR CLUNKING, POPPING, RATCHETING TYPE NOISES WHEN MAKING CORNERING MANEUVERS ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A FOUR WHEEL DRIVE HI OR LOW RANGE MODE. *TT

SERVICE TIPS FOR IDENTIFYING INJECTOR DRIVER MODULE (IDM) FAILURE WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1298. *TT