2002 FORD F-150 Complaints

I HAVE A 5.4L ENGINE IN MY FORD TRUCK AND IT KEEPS STRIPPING OUT SPARK PLUGS. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. THERE ARE HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE POSTED THE SAME PROBLEM ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS REPORT .COM. ONE GUYS TRUCK BURNT TO THE GROUND IN 12 MINUTES AND COULDN'T EVEN GET HIS NAVIGATION SYSTEM OUT OF HIS VEHICLE. FLAMES WERE SHOOTING OUT OF THE DASH TOWARDS HIM. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD WITH THE MATTER AND THEY STATE THAT IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE AND YOU ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO RECALL IT. I WOULD SAY THAT IF YOUR VEHICLE CAN BURN TO THE GROUND IN A MATTER OF MINUTES, IT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND IT KEEPS HAPPENING TO PEOPLE ALL OVER AND THEY ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE CALLED ON THESE ENGINES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED OR HURT IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE VEHICLE BREAKING DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGHWAY. IT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED, NOT AFTER. *TR

STARTED OFF FROM STOP SIGN AND AROUND 30-35 MPH, HEARD A LOUD POPPING SOUND AND PULLED OVER TO FIND #3 CYLINDER HAD BLOWN SPARK PLUG OUT. COIL WAS DAMAGED ALSO. HAD TRUCK TOWED TO NEAREST SHOP 40 MILES AWAY. *TR

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION AND THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH. I PULLED OVER AND OPENED THE HOOD. THE EXPLOSION HAD DENTED THE INSIDE OF THE HOOD. I FOUND A BROKEN COIL LAYING ON TOP OF THE ENGINE, AND THE CORRESPONDING SPARK PLUG LAYING BENEATH THE ENGINE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, WHO RE-THREADED THE SPARK PLUG HOLE AND INSTALLED A NEW SPARK PLUG. THE VEHICLE PERFORMED AS USUAL FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS, AND THEN THE SAME EXACT SITUATION OCCURRED, INVOLVING THE SAME EXACT SPARK PLUG. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE, THE PLUG AND COIL WERE SO DAMAGED THAT THE HEAD COULD NOT BE RE-THREADED AND REPAIRED. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I FOUND THAT DOZENS OF OTHER OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM, WHICH IS DUE TO AN ENGINE AND/OR PISTON DEFECT. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE REQUIRED DRILLING OUT THE AFFECTED HEAD, TAPPING IT, AND INSTALLING A HELICOIL BEFORE THE SPARK PLUG COULD BE REPLACED. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ISSUE, SINCE IN ADDITION TO THE EXPENSE AND INCONVENIENCE THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT HAS CAUSED ME, IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS WELL. WHILE I HAVE NOT HAD AN ENGINE FIRE, OTHER OWNERS OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL HAVE REPORTED ENGINE FIRES. *TR

MY FORD F-150 GOT ON FIRE BECAUSE FORD FAILED TO SEND ME A RECALL LETTER. I ONLY RECEIVED A LETTER IN MARCH/08 TELLING ME THAT THE PARTS TO BE REPLACED WOULD BE AVAILABLE ON MAY/08. *TR

070508 DISCOVERED FLAT TIRE ON TRUCK PARKED IN DRIVEWAY OF HOME. DETERMINED FLAT WAS CAUSED BY VALVE STEM CRACK. HAD VALVE STEM REPLACED AT TIRE SHOP. DIFFERENT TIRE, SAME BRAND, WENT FLAT WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE, 082608. HAD ROAD SERVICE REPLACE WITH SPARE TIRE TO DRIVE HOME. INSPECTED TIRE AT HOME AND DETERMINED ANOTHER VALVE STEM CRACK/DEFECT. NO ACCIDENT OR VEHICLE DAMAGE OCCURRED, ALTHOUGH THE INTERSTATE FLAT MAY HAVE BEEN BUT I WAS NOTIFIED BY PASSING MOTORISTS THAT TIRE WAS GOING FLAT. WILL TAKE LATEST FLAT TIRE TO TIRE SHOP THIS WEEKEND TO HAVE ANOTHER VALVE STEM REPLACEMENT. CONCERNED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES ARE SAME MAKE AND BRAND, BOUGHT AT SAME TIME, AND I HAVE HAD TWO VALVE STEM FAILURES IN TWO MONTHS. *TR

I HAVE A '02 FORD F150 WITH 51,581 MILES ON IT. YESTERDAY, CYLINDER #3 DECIDED TO BLOW THE SPARK PLUG RIGHT OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY. AFTER READING MANY OTHER FRUSTRATED CUSTOMERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE, I FOUND OUT THAT I WAS QUITE LUCKY THAT THE ENGINE DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY ERUPT IN FLAMES. FORD REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS ANY ISSUE WITH THIS DESIGN EVEN THOUGH IT'S WELL DOCUMENTED. FORD EXPECTS IT'S CUSTOMER TO REPLACE THE HEAD TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM AT THE CUSTOMER'S EXPENSE. MINE $3,322.96. NOW THE BETTER PART. BECAUSE IT APPEARS THE DESIGN HAS NOT CHANGED, EVEN BY REPLACING THE HEAD THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE AT 36 MPH ON A PAVED STREET THE LEFT OTTER TIE ROD END BROKE . CAR WAS CLOSE TO BEING OUT OF CONTROL BUT WAS SAFELY BROUGHT TO A STOP. REPLACED ALL TIE ROD ENDS, PITMAN ARM AND CENTER LINK. (SHOP THAT DID THE ALIGNMENT SAID I WAS THE SECOND CAR THAT HAD BROKEN A TIE ROD. THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS A 2001 F150). *TR

MY 2002 FORD F150 5.4 SPARK PLUG BLOW OUT OF THE MOTOR WITH ONLY 42000. MILES ON IT. $ 890.00 TO REPAIR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD F-150. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE SPARK PLUGS STRIPPED OUT OF THE ENGINE BLOCK. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. INSTEAD, HE SIMPLY NOTICED THE SPARK PLUG STICKING OUT FROM THE TOP OF THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE IS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN, BUT IT RIDES VERY ROUGHLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 148,000.

I HAVE HAD THE 02' F150 SINCE DECEMBER 07' AND HAVE HAD MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDSHIELD LEAKING. I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH IN THE 97' TO 03' F150 MODELS VIA FORD FORUMS AND OTHER INTERNET SITES AS WELL AS THE LOCAL FORD DEALER REPAIR SHOP WHO WORKED ON MY TRUCK. THIS LEAK SHORTS OUT THE FUSE PANEL IN THE CAB THAT CAUSES THE LOSS OF POWER TO EQUIPMENT INCLUDING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER. THE LEAK ALSO TENDS TO SHORT OUT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CAUSING THE COMPUTER TO BE UNABLE TO READ WHAT GEAR THE TRUCK IS IN. THIS CAUSES THE TRUCK TO NOT START AND EVEN SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING WHICH AGAIN IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHILE DRIVING IN ANY CONDITION. THIS LEAK COST ME $1500 DOLLARS IN REPAIRS DUE TO DAMAGE TO THE STARTER, RELAY, ALTERNATOR, COMPUTER, FUSE PANEL, AND HAVING TO REPLACING THE WINDSHIELD. I WAS TOLD BY FORD THAT THIS LEAK WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE AND HAVE ONLY ISSUED A SPECIAL SERVICE BULLETIN! I CAN NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE WINDSHIELD LEAK IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE YET A RECALL CAN BE ISSUED FOR FADING PAINT? *TR