1999 Ford F-150 engine and engine cooling problems

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD STARTED BREAKING AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE BOLTS HOLDING THE MANIFOLD IN PLACE HAD RUSTED AND BROKEN OFF. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 291,000.”

“I'VE HAD TWO PLUGS BLOW OUT ON MY 99 F150. IT HAS LESS THAN 100,000 ON IT. IF THEY KNOW ITS A DEFECT WHY NOT STEP UP AND FIX THE PROBLEM? IT COST $300 A PLUG!!!! LEFT ME STRANDED AT NIGHT WITH MY FAMILY ALONG THE ROAD!! MAKES ME WONDER IF I WANT TO STAY WITH FORD OR GO ELSEWHERE. *TR”

“IN MAY WAS AT A STOP LIGHT WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I ACCELERATED AND THE PLUG BLEW AT SECONDS LATER I GOT IT TOWED TO THE SHOP FIXED IT WITH THE HELI-COIL KIT DAYS LATER AS I WAS GOING UP A STEEP HILL HEARD A POPPING SOUND BROUGHT IT RIGHT TO THE SHOP ANOTHER PLUG WAS READY TO EJECT THEY PULLED ALL PLUGS ANTI SEIZED THEM GOOD FOR A COUPLE MONTHS NOW IN SEPT IT IS READY TO LOSE ANOTHER PLUG. MY TRUCK IS A 1999 FORD F-150 TRITON. *TR”

“I PURCHASED MY 1999 FORD F-150 4X 4 WITH A TRITON 5.4 V-8 ENGINE USED. THE ENGINE HAD APPROXIMATELY 140,000 WHEN I PURCHASED IT. I ONLY DRIVE IT TO AND FROM WORK IN LAS VEGAS, NV (APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES ROUND TRIP) AT SPEEDS BELOW 50 MPH. THE ENGINE BLEW THE BACK PLUG AT 163,000. BECAUSE IT WAS THE BACK PLUG THE LABOR TO REPAIR WAS HIGH (PULL THE ENGINE). THE DIFFERENCE IN PUTTING HELICOILS (ALL EIGHT PLUGS) IN AND A NEW ENGINE WAS NOT THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE SO I ORDER A LONG BLOCK FULL ENGINE FROM FORD WITH STIPULATIONS IT CORRECTED THE DESIGN FLAW. THE ENGINE COST ALMOST $7000 WHEN ALL WAS DONE AND COMPLETE. FORD WARRANTY THE ENGINE 3 YEARS AND 75,000 MILES. I FIGURED THIS CORRECTED THE ISSUES WITH THE SPARK PLUGS BLOWING OUT. WELL AT THE 4 YEAR POINT AND APPROXIMATE 25,000 MILES THE NEW ENGINE BLEW A PLUG. FORD AND THE DEALER (WHOM WE PURCHASED THE ENGINE FROM) SAY IT IS OUR PROBLEM. THE DEALER (PARTS MANAGER) ACTUALLY SAID SINCE I WAS NOT A FREQUENT CUSTOMER AND HAD PURCHASED THE TRUCK USED THEY DID NOT SEE A WAY TO HELP. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET AND BELIEVE IT IS DESIGN FLAW IN THE HEAD. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING STEEL INSERTS PUT IN…”

“HAVE HAD A SPARK PLUG EJECTED TWICE NOW WITHIN 3000 MILES. AFTER SOME RESEARCH THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SOME FORD ENGINES. IT WAS ACTUALLY PRETTY SCARY DUE TO THE STRONG ODOR OF GAS AFTERWARDS WITH THE ENGINE BEING SO HOT. IT NOW SEEMS LIKE ITS GOING TO BE A COSTLY PROBLEM TO FIX. EVEN WORSE, THE FIX IS NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WON'T HAPPEN TO THE REPLACEMENT CYLINDER HEADS. *TR”

“I OWN A 1999 FORD F-150, 5.4L V-8 TRITON. I RECENTLY HAD A TUNE UP IN DECEMBER 2010 WITH ALL EIGHT SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES CHANGED OUT FOR A MERE $700. IN FEB 2011, AS I WAS TAKING MY CHILDREN TO SCHOOL, I HEARD A LOUD POP THEN MY ENGINE STARTED TO SOUND LIKE A TRACTOR WITHOUT A MUFFLER ON IT. I PULLED OVER AND CALLED WRECKER TO RETURN THE TRUCK TO MY HOUSE, OUT OF POCKET $60, NOT KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT ENGINES. I CALLED THE REPAIR CENTER WHO THEN HAD IT TRANSFERRED BACK TO THEIR SHOP FOR REPAIR. THE #8 PLUG HAD COMPLETELY SHOT OUT RIPPING THE COIL WITH IT. THEY FIXED THAT, NOW TWO WEEKS LATER, THE #7 PLUG IS FOULED ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN AND A FINANCIAL BURDEN, AS I READ OTHER STATEMENTS OF THE SAME DEFECTIVE ISSUES WITH FORD, CONSIDERING FIRE COULD HAVE BEEN A RESULT. PLEASE RE-OPEN THIS INVESTIGATION AND FORCE FORD TO ISSUE RECALL SO THAT THOSE OF US WHO ARE FINANCIALLY STRAPPED CAN HAVE OUR TRUCKS REPAIRED. OTHERWISE I CAN ASSURE THAT I WILL NEVER BUY FORD PRODUCT AGAIN. *TR”