Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Ford F Series submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY A SPARK PLUG CAME OUT OF THE ENGINE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SHAKE AND LOOSE POWER. THE DEALER AND A SHOP I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO STATED THAT THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE. *TR
WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 35 MPH AND HEARD A POP THEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. TOOK TO THE MECHANIC SAID THAT I HAD A BLOWN SPARK PLUG. *TR
A SPARK PLUG EJECTED FROM THE RIGHT SIDE HEAD OF THE ENGINE HEAD WHILE RUNNING DOWN THE HWY AT 60 MPH. THE HEAD MIGHT BE DAMAGED. I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO GET IT FIXED. BEEN A FORD TRUCK GUY ALL MY LIFE & I CAN'T BELIEVE FORD HASN'T ACCEPTED ANY RESPONSIBILITY OF ANY PORTION OR KIND FOR THIS. MY ESTIMATED EXPENSE TO REPAIR THIS IS $1,000 TO $3,000 DEPENDING ON ANY DAMAGE TO THE HEAD ETC.. I PAID $4200 FOR THE TRUCK IN APRIL OF 2013...IT IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION & TO GOOD TO JUNK IN MY OPINION. BESIDES I CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER TRUCK SO I HAVE TO TRY TO FIX IT. THIS IS BEYOND DISAPPOINTING, IT IS A MAJOR BLOW TO THE BUDGET ETC. ETC. ETC...... *TR
SPARK PLUG EJECTED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGH WAY. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME A PLUG HAS EJECTED. THE FIRST TIME THE TRUCK HAD 39000 MILES, ORIGINAL FACTORY TORQUED SPARK PLUGS. *TR
SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF ENGINE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN A YEAR ON TWO DIFFERENT PLUGS. THESE ARE THE ORIGINAL PLUGS. *TR
DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 30 MPH AND #3 SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT . *TR
BLEW SPARK PLUG OUT OF HEAD WHILE ACCELERATING TO GET ON HIGHWAY. HAD GAS SPILL ON MOTOR. IT HAS THE 5.4 TRITON MOTOR. *TR
MY TRUCK THREW A SPARK PLUG WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAS DONE THIS AND THE SAME EXACT ONE AS BEFORE. *TR
SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF ENGINE WHILE DRIVING. *TR
I BOUGHT MY TRUCK UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT I WOULDN'T NEED TO DO A MAJOR TUNEUP UNTIL 100,000 MILES. PRIOR TO THAT, I HAD TO GET ONE AT 60,000 MILES, 3-5 MONTHS AFTER THAT ONE OF MY SPARK PLUGS SHOT OUT OF THE MOTOR, LEADING TO HAVING TO HAVE THE HEAD REPLACE. I RECEIVED NO REASONABLE EXPLANATION ON WHAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THAT OR WHY WOULD IT HAPPENED. THE DEALERSHIP AND FORD WANTED TO CHARGE ME 3,600 DOLLARS TO FIX IT. I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH A FORD F150 OR HAD THERE BEEN SOME KIND OF RECALL? IF SO, IS THERE SOME KIND OF LEGAL ACTION I CAN TAKE AGAINST FORD FOR THIS . *TR
2002 FORD F150 5.4 LITER ENGINE 2 MONTHS AGO I HAD A SPARK PLUG THREAD FAILURE ON MY F150. IT COST 400.00 TO REPR THE VEHICLE SO THAT IT COULD BE DRIVEN. 1500 MILES LATER I HAVE ANOTHER THREAD FAILURE CAUSING ANOTHER PLUG TO BE SPIT OUT OF MY6 CYLINDER HEAD. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY DEALERSHIPS AND MECHANICS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT I CAN REPLACE THE HEADS WITH NEW ONES BUT THAT THEY CAN NOT GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. OR I CAN HAVE BOTH HEADS REMOVED AND HAVE INSERTS MACHINED INTO THE HEADS TO PREVENT ANYTHING FROM FAILING AGAIN. THE COST OF THIS PROCESS IS 2200.00. I HAVE NOW SPENT 2600.00 ON THE ENGINE IN 2 MONTHS TIME DUE TO A IMPROPER MANUFACTURING OF THE HEADS THAT WERE MADE FOR THIS ENGINE. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A DEFECT RECALL MADE ON THE HEADS AND POSSIBLY BE REIMBURSED FOR SOME OF THE EXPENSE. *TR
I WOKE UP LAST WEEK TO THE SOUND OF A CAR ALARM. I LOOKED OUTSIDE AND THE FRONT OF MY FORD F 150 WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. IT WAS SO HOT THE TIRES MELTED INTO THE DRIVEWAY. WE HAD NOT DRIVEN THE TRUCK IN SEVERAL DAYS. IT APPEARS THE FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE AS THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE IS INCINERATED. *TR
FORD TRITON V8 SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF HEAD 2002 F250. *NM
EXCESSIVE EXHAUST SMOKE. POOR PERFORMANCE.
TRUCK EXPERIENCES A "ROUGH IDLE" AT ALL CONDITIONS WHERE ENGINE IS IDLING.
I MADE A TRIP TO CALIFORNIA AND RIGHT BEFORE I LEFT I HAD THE OILS CHANGED ON MY TRUCK. MY TRUCK HAD ABOUT 15,000 MILES ON IT. THE TRIP WAS 1,000 MILES ROUND TRIP AND IT USED 2 1/2 QUARTS OF OIL. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NORMAL TO USE THAT MUCH OIL. AND THEY CHANGED THE OIL TO A DIFFERENT WEIGHT TO DO A TEST ON OIL CONSUMPTION. IT STILL USES OIL AND NOW THE MOTOR SMOKES WHEN YOU FIRST START IT UP. AND IF IT SITS FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS IT WILL KNOW LOUD WHEN YOU START IT. THE FOR D DEALER SAID THIS IS NORMAL. *NLM
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .