2002 Ford Expedition engine and engine cooling problems

“I HAVE HAD SIX OCCURRENCES OF A SPARK PLUG BLOWING OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. EACH TIME, IT BLEW THE COIL OFF ALSO. THE DANGEROUS POPPING AND VAPORS THAT BLOW FROM THE NOW OPEN HEAD ARE A SERIOUS IGNITION HAZARD IN THE ENGINE BAY. IT IS NOT ALWAYS THE SAME PLUG THAT HAS BLOWN OUT. THREE TIMES THIS HAS HAPPENED, THE THREADS THAT THE PLUG GOES INTO ARE STRIPPED. THROUGH RESEARCH, IT APPEARS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND ALTHOUGH I DID NOT ENCOUNTER A FIRE DUE TO THE VAPORS UNDER THE HOOD, IT HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS BEFORE. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT THE MANUFACTURER KNOWS ABOUT AND IS UNWILLING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT. EACH TIME THE REPAIR IS EXPENSIVE AND THE UNCERTAINTY OF IF/WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN IS UNACCEPTABLE. *TR”

“I'M NOT SURE THIS IS GOING TO DO ANY GOOD, BECAUSE I AM NOT THE FIRST TO LODGE THIS COMPLAINT. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR. THIS IS THE 5TH TIME THAT THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED TO ME. THE MOST RECENT WAS YESTERDAY 2/29/2012. I AM VERY GRATEFUL THAT I WAS DRIVING EACH TIME AND NOT MY WIFE OR KIDS. I HAVE A 2002 FORD EXPEDITION AND ON 5 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE SPARK PLUGS HAVE BLOWN OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEADS. IT HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN THE SAME PLUG. ON 3 OF THE OCCASIONS THE COILS BROKE OFF. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY ME OR ANYONE ELSE AS CONSUMERS HAS TO PAY FOR THE MISTAKES OF FORD'S POOR DESIGN FLAWS. THERE IS NO REASON WHY THIS HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ITEM. IT IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE. IF THEY CAN RECALL A RUNNING BOARD LIGHT, THEN WHY HAVE THEY NOT BEEN FORCED TO RECALL THIS ITEM? I HOPE THAT IT DOESN'T COME DOWN TO SOMEONE LOSING THEIR LIVES, BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE. *TR”

“WHILE ENTERING A HIGHWAY (I-75) HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A SHOP, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ONE OF THE SPARK PLUGS HAD BLOWN OUT OF THE ENGINE. IN JANUARY 2012 THE SAME THING HAPPENED AT START UP AGAIN IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN OUT OF THE ENGINE. FEBRUARY 2012 (TODAY) APPARENTLY THE SAME HAS OCCURRED WHILE ENTERING A HIGHWAY (I-75), I HAVE NOT HAD A SHOP LOOK AT IT YET. I BELIEVE THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE FUEL VAPORS COULD LEAK OUT OF THE SPARK PLUG HOLE AND CAUSE A FIRE OR EXPLOSION. *TR”

“# 3 SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF HEAD. I WAS TOLD MY FORD DEALER ITS COMMON AND FORD WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL. TRITON ENGINES ARE FAULTY AND FORD KNEW THEY SOLD A BAD ENGINE FOR YEARS, THE GOVERNMENT MUST STEP IN. I NEED A REFUND. *TR”

“STARTED VEHICLE AND BEGAN TO DRIVE WHEN SPARK PLUG FLEW OUT OF ENGINE AGAIN. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED AND FORD WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEY CLAIM THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM WHEN HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS HAPPENED. VERY COSTLY, TIME CONSUMING, AND STRESSFUL. THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AND FORD SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *TR”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT WAS ACCELERATING FROM A STOP WHEN THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT A FIRE HAD STARTED IN THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE AND DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. THE CONTACT FOUND THAT A SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN AND CAUSED THE ENGINE FIRE. THE SPARK PLUG WAS REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES AND EACH TIME, THE SPARK PLUG WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. A COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 149,000.”