Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
1318609/01/19996090542Information regarding front cover & water pump bolts-torque valve revision/3.8-4.2l. *mjs03/21/2000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM
01090109/01/2001625683Certain 1999 and 2000 model year f150 lightning vehicles - intercooler replacement. *nlm11/30/2001
1272005/01/19996091697Some vehicles may develop a coolant leak at the worm gear clamp located at the joint between the metal intake coolant tube and the flexible rubber coolant hose. *tt11/09/2000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
03140408/23/20040416110011162Engine misfire or running - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - wds cop kit diagnostic tips. to include various 2005 models. * ar this article 04161 supersedes tsb 03-14-04.01/06/2005
1641611/01/200210008345No/hard start in cold ambients / new two-piece block heater cord released. *mj07/28/2004
0222711/11/200210008310Engine-cylinder head deck leak-4.6 and 5.4l engines-new service-only gasket and cylinder head kits availability. *mj07/27/2004
1744812/01/200310008301Remote oil filter adaptor replacement - new service part. *tt07/27/2004
0222111/11/200210008304Engine-gear driven synchronizers-incorrect installation-camshaft position synchronizer (cmp) installation tool correct application. *mj07/27/2004
0320610/13/200310004889Some dedicated cng vehicles may exhibit various driveability conditions due to a loss of injector performance, resulting from fuel quality. loss of power at heavy load, diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) for lean fuel, rough idle, hard start,01/14/2004
0314407/21/200310003744Engine misfire or rough running condition with coil on plug (cop) ignition systems may be more accurately diagnosed using the optional worldwide diagnostic system (wds) coil on plug (cop) kit. 2003 super duty f series included. *tt10/29/2003
0310305/26/200310002767Vehicles without the coolant lock-off may exhibit a no start condition. *tt09/16/2003
0310405/26/200310002768Bi-fuel lpg vehicles (with coolant lock off) may exhibit a no start condition. *tt09/16/2003
87019710/22/200210000592Incorrectly installed gear driven camshaft position (cmp) sensor synchronizer assemblies causing surge, lost of power, malfunction indicator lamp on and diagnostic trouble codes p1336, p1309 and p0340. *tt03/25/2003
0115508/06/2001623936Some vehicles, bi fuel, may exhibit a no start condition in both the gasoline mode and the alt fuel mode, vehicles equipped with 5.4l or 6.8l bi fuel engines only. *slc10/31/2001
699609/01/19996090309Information regarding a change in the torque values of the engine front cover water pump bolts. *tt03/14/2000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
1591305/01/2002637809Some vehicles equipped with 5.4l v8 engine may exhibit air induction system conditions as well as engine hesitation / surge and / or a malfunction indicator lamp illuminated. *tt12/06/2002
1581704/01/2002637550Some vehicles equipped with bi-fuel (cng/lpg) alternate fuel engines may exhibit hard / no start, runs rough or misses after starting, and or hesitation on acceleration when operated in the bi-fuel mode. *tt12/02/2002
1575803/01/2002636406Snow packing of the air filter when driving in severe snow conditions may exhibit loss of power and / or the malfunction indicator lamp illuminating. *tt11/08/2002
0210505/27/2002636076Some bi-fuel cang and lpg vehicles may exhibit a no start condition. *tt11/05/2002
0210805/27/2002636083Some vehicles equipped with the 5.4l 2v engine may exhibit a whistling noise fromthe formed nylon tube inthe idle-air bypass flow circuit. *tt11/05/2002
0210605/27/2002636078Some bi-fuel lpg vehicles (with coolant lock off) may exhibit a no start condition. *tt11/05/2002
0124612/10/2001630515Engine oil system priming procedures, service tips for reports of premature engine failure. *tt04/18/2002
1543111/01/2001630452Exhibiting lack of power condition when vehicle is operated in ambient temperatures. *tt04/17/2002
021401/21/2002630001Some engine assemblies with aluminum cylinder heads repaired in-vehile have been found to leak coolant and/or oil from the cylinder head gasket area. *tt04/11/2002
0120510/15/2001627927Some vehicles may exhibit vacuum or air leaks in the intake manifold and / or engine system causing diagnostic trouble codes p0171 and or p0174. *tt02/26/2002
0120110/15/2001627914Some vehicles may exhibit high idle and/or pcv system icing after steady state driving in extreme cold ambient temperatures on vehicles equipped with 4.2l engine built thorugh 1/24/2000. *tt02/26/2002
01211010/29/2001627768Some vehicles equipped with the romeo built 4.6l 2v engine may exhibit an engine oil leak or oil weepage from the cylinder head gasket at the right hand rear or the left hand front of the engine. *tt02/22/2002
0121810/29/2001627766Some vehicles may exhibit a no crank, no start condition due to corrosion of the starter cable b+ terminal at the starter solenoid. *tt02/22/2002
1525909/01/2001625807Concerns with the lower power in high ambient temepratures. *tt12/03/2001
0112206/25/2001622661On some vehicles there may be an oil leak from the right hand head gasket at the rear of the block / head joint. *tt10/22/2001
1506807/01/2001621071Vehicles equipped with a 4.6l engine and 5 speed manual transmission may exhibit a slight hesitation on light tip-in acceleration and a malfunction indicator lamp on with diagnostic trouble codes p0172 and p0175. *tt09/06/2001
014203/05/2001619419Some vehicles may exhibit the engine oil sending unit contacting the oil drip shield attached to the front axle. *tt05/30/2001
014703/05/2001619424Subject regarding engine oil recommendations for use in 2001 vehicles - sae 5w-20 motor oil. *tt05/30/2001
018204/30/2001619273Some bi-fuel vehicles may exhibit a no start condition. *tt05/22/2001
0023211/13/2000616513Some vehicles may exhibit an intermittent hesitation or buck while driving in any fuel mode (lpg, cng or gasoline). *tt03/01/2001
0023811/13/2000616519Some vehicles may exhibit a no crank / no start condition in temperatures below 12 degrees c (10 degrees f). *tt03/01/2001
98518511/01/1998613316Cold start engine noise01/29/2001
1227212/01/1998615527Some vehicles built with the 4.2l engine that are operating in mexico may exhibit a backfire concern. *tt01/18/2001
535612/01/1998615439Some vehicles built with the 4.2l engine that are operating in mexico may exhibit a backfire concern. *tt01/16/2001
498112/01/1998615321Some vehicles equipped with 5.4l engines may exhibit a cold start engine knock concern until warmed up. *tt01/13/2001
816302/01/2000612337Some vehicles with 4.6l, or 6.8l engines may exhibit a roller finger follower coming off during engine cranking in cold temperatures below zero degrees f. a one-time noise from the engine may be heard, followed by rough running / misses06/07/2000
9918809/06/19996090068Vehicles with 4.2l engine (canadian) may backfire on acceleration at all ambient temperature. *tt03/06/2000
99603405/01/1999606947Experiencing a engine knock at cold start-up. *tt09/08/1999
9981605/03/1999606420Ford motor company now recommends sae 5w-30 viscosity grade for servicing any ford gasoline-powered vehicle regardless of model year. *tt08/19/1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
1436509/01/2000618636This bulletin addresses concerns a noise at intial engine startup when cold from the accessory drive belt. *jb04/18/2001
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM
1765503/01/200410007419Evidence of oil in the air intake system. *tt06/22/2004
802104/01/2000613615Exhibiting a crackling / popping noise from the exhaust. **mr07/26/2000
802101/01/2000612686Some vehicles may exhibit a crackling/popping noise from the exhaust, vehicles built between 11/1/97 and 12/8/99. *mjs06/12/2000
1380601/01/2000612823Some vehicles built between 11/1/97 and 12/8/99 may exhibit a crackling/popping noise from the exhaust. *mjs06/12/2000
98201010/12/1998603695Experiencing a buzzing or rattling noise from the exhaust system. *yc03/02/1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
CSP-08B0105/16/200810026389Ford: certain 1999-2001 model year vehicles up to 6000 lb gvwr registered in new york and certain 2001 vehicles up to 6000 lb gvwr registered in the state of maine, certified for sale in california-federal emission warranty refund. *pe10/23/2008
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)
0541703/07/200510014666Intermittent rough idle - non-commanded egr (exhaust gas recirculation valve) flow. *tt05/05/2005
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
055403/21/200510014685Use of stainless steel exhaust studs in service for 5.4l 2v engine. *tt05/05/2005
1732011/01/200310008169Broken exhaust manifold studs. *tt07/22/2004

Investigations


NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
DP05005FORD MOTOR COMPANY09/22/200501/04/2006SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
 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
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
DP05005FORD MOTOR COMPANY09/22/200501/04/2006SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
 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
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
DP05005FORD MOTOR COMPANY09/22/200501/04/2006SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
 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

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
08/31/2010120000
 Tl- the contact owned a 1999 ford f150. the contact stated that after driving 1/4 mile and then parking the vehicle near the garage the truck caught on fire while it was turned off. the fire department was called and put the fire out. there were no injuries. the vehicle was destroyed. ford has not been contacted at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was approximately 120,000. rd
10/30/20091200001
 Spark plug keeps being blown out of the cylinder head. now they want to replace the whole head $3,000.00 they first time it happen they just put in a helicoil kit and charged me a $1,000.00. i have also replace 2 coils on this side of the engine and also had to replace the head gasket on that side. *tr
07/17/20061000001
 Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford f150. in between oil changes, the head gasket leaks oil onto the motor and causes it to smoke. as a result, oil gets beneath the motor and into the exhaust, which could cause a fire. the vehicle is also smoking. the ford dealer recommended that the contact keep the vehicle parked. nhtsa campaign id number 98v194000 (fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system) was referenced. the current mileage was 135,000 and failure mileage was less than 100,000. update 09/10/08 *cw updated 09/16/08. *jb
04/03/200688844203/01/2000
 Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford f150. within the last thirteen months, two different spark plugs have blown out of the cylinder head. both the dealer and the extended warranty company stated that this is a common failure and is due to the casting of the cylinder head. the second failure occurred while driving 20 mph. the current mileage is 99,979 and first failure mileage was 88,844. updated 02/01/08 *tr
03/29/2006659091
 My daughter was traveling on a high speed state highway when a spark plug blew out of the aluminum cylinder head of the 5.4 liter engine of her 99 ford f-150 xlt 4wd pickup. the truck was towed home. after numerous inquiries with ford customer relations i was rudely instructed not to contact them further. her truck had 65,909 miles on it. i had it towed to the local ford dealer and paid them $3600 for the repairs and a new head assembly. i'm a retired auto technician with 50 years in the business, so, i consider myself knowledgeable. i know of 5 incidents with our customers suffering the same fate. one customer had a truck still under warranty that blew all 8 plugs out. all customers affected were towed to ford dealers by us. this condition could present a nasty accident on a super hi-way with possible loss of life. *jb
11/30/2004810001
 Spark plug pulled out of the motor. the cost was great. it is my understanding that ford knows of the problem and did not notify the vehicle owners of the issue. it is also my understanding that if the spark plugs had been changed this problem would not have occurred. the plug pulled out at 81,000 miles. the plug changes are recommended at 100,000 miles. this procedure cost me well over $3000.00. if ford had notified me, and i had gotten the plugs changed the cost would have been considerably less that $1000.00. i was informed by the dealer ship that this could have caused a fire. as soon as the noise was heard i shut the truck engine off. this is a very dangerous condition that should be taken care of. i feel that ford should reimburse all the vehicle owners for the cost of this design issue. *jb
04/04/200581000107/05/1999
 Oil leak from right rear cylinder (passeger side). oil is leaking from the cylinder head gasket. vehicle is a 1999 ford f-150 5.4l windsor, ont, canada engine. 81,000 miles. *ak
03/18/20051
 Driver noticed a brownish liquid leaking from underneath the vehicle while parked. driver took vehicle to the dealer, and mechanic determined that the head gasket blew out, and needed to be replaced. *ak
02/04/200558000111/24/1998
 I have a 1999 f150 truck and a 1999 expedition, both have a 5.4l engine and both have oil leaks on the cylinder head gaskets, they both have about 60,000 miles. *jb
11/16/20041
 While the vehicle was idling, a fire started in the engine. the fire was put out and the vehicle was towed. please provide more information. *jb
04/12/2004850001
 While driving , suddenly the vehicle started shaking. the repair shop performed a diagnostic and indicated that it could be the spark plugs. the spark plugs were replaced, but didn't correct the problem. the butterfly to the fuel injection on the passenger side of the engine motor froze and stopped the flow of the fuel, which caused damage to the fuel injection thus damaging the timing belt, and piston. the entire engine motor fell apart from the inside out per the mechanic. *jb
05/04/2004102/01/2004
 While i was driving 30 miles per hour, my back passenger side spark plug shot out of my head, i have a warranty but the dealership is not sure if they will cover this incident. i have noticed all over the internet that this is a common problem, what is wrong with ford, how can they make something defective that is so costly to their customers and not recall the item? the dealership is quoting me $3800.00 to put a new head on the 1999 ford f150 which i thought was a dependable vehicle. i have driven fords all of my life and i doubt i will ever buy another one, not to get this kind of treatment.*ak
01/07/200440250211/23/1998
 My 1999 f-150 5.4 ltr 4wd started making loud ticking noise @ 39,000 miles.took truck to burch ford from whom i purchased vehicle & they diagnosed ticking noise as a bad cat. cvrtr!!! they also advised me of leaking head gasket from (r)rear head and a repair cost of $3,200 w/ (12 mo./12,ooo mi.warranty !!! )on repair.when i picked up vehicle & started engine,the same loud ticking noise (only worse) was still there!!! burch ford & ford motor corp refused to even acknowledge problem or warranty their repair.while trying to get assistance, i drove vehicle bare min and aprox. 300 miles after the repair,the engine blew # 3 spark plug out of (r) head like like a rocket & massive loss of power which nearly left me in direct path of a loaded semi truck !!!(thought i was going be crushed to death).i had truck towed back to burch ford & they faxed me a estimate of $3,200. more to replace head (now total is $ 6,400. from the two repairs!!!) and in bold print @ bottom of est. say's ....no warranty!!! vehicle needs new engine & neither the dealership or ford motor corp are willing to ohnor their original repair,or assist in this catastrophic problem that research shows has occuring by the hundreds on 4.6 ,5.4 & now many v-10 engines from 1996 to 2004........ (8 yrs.)!!! my truck is my pride & joy & with aprox. 39,000 miles on it,my $ 40,000.00 ride may be a total loss due to current book value & contraversial $$$$$cost of repair!!! this is my 6th ford vehicle(all of which were paid off in full 1-2yrs.early!!!)in the last 9 yrs.i've been a more than loyal ford customer,...but with blatent dissregard for their bread & butter,(loyal ford customers) ford seems to be for 8 yrs. now; grossly and w/o any remorse, far less than a loyal automobile manufacturer !!!...respectfully,...j.l. *ak
12/22/2003117000208/13/2002
 I own a 1999 f150 with a 5.4 liter motor that has a design flaw (also affects that ztec and 4.6l, 5.4l v8 and also their big v10 motors): this is the 2nd time my sparkplug has blown out the top of my engine and almost caused an accident. it happens unexpectedly under normal driving conditions. as i search google, yahoo and other web forms i see 1,000's of others have complained about the same issue and ford will not fess up. it's so bad that there is even a company that make s a kit to fix the hole where the sparg plug once was to save you from having to buy a new head. if you go to the dealer to fix this and it will cost you $2000-$3000. ford need to recall this before some one gets hurt or killed due to the unexpected power loss. *ak
11/21/2003510001
 While driving the vehicle at 30 mph, there was a loud rattling sound coming from the engine. when the spark plugs were removed from the engine, they were covered with anti freeze. engine head gaskets were leaking. ford has a current technical service bulletin concerning this engine problem. *nlm
04/05/20039400012/09/1999
 A spark plug blew out of the head on my 1999 ford f150 5.4l engine approximately 10,00 miles after changing the plugs.
08/01/200315950102/11/2003
 I have a 1999 svt ford f150 lightning that recenlty developed the infamous leaky intercooler.there was a customer service/satisfaction campaign issued by ford that expired september of '02. this problem can cause engine failure.which can increase changes of an accident alot.especially losing power brakes.ford will not cover the cost of this problem that they know about and won't do anything til a real recall is issued not a half ass consumer satisification campigain for one year.*ak
07/28/20031070001
 The spark plug in the 3rd cylinder back on the passenger side blew out of the engine causing 1800 dollars damage to the engine. this is not an isolated incident and has happened to several ford f150 owners. it is the consensus of several mechanics that this failure is related to the design of the cylinder head. there is a potential for fire from this caused buy the unburnt fuel leaving the cylinder and being ignited by the exposed spark plug.*ak
06/30/200337000102/03/2003
 1999 ford lightning that has a leaking intercooler. just recently bought vehicle used from ford dealer in march 2003. would like recall on intercooler to be re-opened. i did not own the truck at time of original recall,but i would like it to be repaired. they sold me a pre-owned certified vehicle that should have been inspected for this.*ak
06/10/20031
 While driving at 35mph spark plug blew out. dealer notified. *ak
11/01/200248000111/11/1990
 Head gasket is leaking oil onto exhaust pipe causing it to burn and release smoke into vehicle's interior cabin. consumer contacted manufacturer, who admitted that head gasket was defective, but will not assist in repairing it because warranty expired. ts....*ak
09/19/1999207/13/1999
 Truck was unstable with cause unknown by dealership. owner has taken vehicle in for corrective action several times, however nothing has changed. vehicle vibrates excessively when at idle with rpm gauge fluctuating up/down. *ak consumer states that the engine runs rough, oil level dropped and there was a clicking noise in which the dealer replaced the fan blade and fan clutch. rear brakes experienced grinding, dealer applied a silencer to the front and rear brake pads. consumer has experienced several problems with the a/c and heater, problems still exists. vehicle uses a lot of gas, idles rough and experiences small hesitation upon acceleration. vehicle kicks into gear. vehicle drifts to the right, while driving at higher speeds, vehicle and steering wheel vibrate. driver side rear view mirror rattles when closing door, when everything is closed there is an outside noise, dealer resealed the windshield. when turning on the lights, the clock and a/c are delayed. there is a whining noise when turning steering wheel. window control buttons stick at times, dealer replaced the window switch. *slc
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM
10/27/2005101000101/10/2002
 Leaking head gasket @ 101k miles. antifreeze in #6 cylinder. *nm
06/03/200511900003/15/1999
 I have a 1999 f-150 ford pick-up truck 4-2l v-6, i was having a low cooleant problem. took it to mcdonough radiator shop, they replaced water pump and gasket. it was still loosing cooleant. i called the dealership and ask if there was a recall for this vehicle and was told no there was not. i took it back to the same radiator shop after a closer inspection they removed the intake manifold and found water in the back two cylinders.they replaced the intake manifold gaskets, i picked the vehicle up i had not drove more than 3 miles before it started to make a knocking noise. i called the repair shop and took it back immeadiately, now they tell me that i have 2 bent push rods. they are suppose to replace them today. i found out later that i was not the only one having this problem, after some research on the internet i found a web site that has an long list of people with the same complaint. when i called ford motor company customer no service i was told that there had been no recalls on this vehicle for that problem and that they could not help me in any way because of the warrenty had expired. according to jasper engine rebuilders the problem stems from a poorly designed gasket for the intake manifold and that is what caused this problem, got this information from one of their tech bullitens.
08/07/20030
 Do a recall on the leaking intercooler on the 1999-2000 ford f150 lightnings.*ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
02/24/2005102/26/1999
 The 4 wheel drive in the consumer 1999 ford f150 engaged in low range while driving. this caused the truck to jerk, lose control and the rear end to go out.*mr the consumer had a new rear end put in but the truck has continued to go in and out of 4 wheel drive automatically. now the truck start on it's own. the consumer had to disconnect the battery to keep from burning out the starter. when the cruise control is on the transmission wouldn't shift and the rpm's raced into the red. the consumer could hear clicks under the dash while this was happening which resulted in the battery being drained. the radiator leaked. *nm
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
03/22/2011141000
 While driving 45mph on suburban two lane highway i heard a loud bang and subsequent rythmic popping sound accompanied by an engine misfiring. upon inspection i found the # 4 cylinder spark plug lying on the valve cover; un attached to the cylinder head. the mechanic found the threads blown out of the head and had to utilize a heli-coil kit to repair. the spark plug was a motorcraft original equipment part. this seems to be a prevalent problem with the triton 5.4 liter engine. i suspect the problem originating from undue stress fractures in the aluminum head after continued use and inherent thermal differential rates (expansions/contractions) of the two different metals; i.e. steel spark plug vs. aluminum alloy head. poor engineering !! i am the original owner of the f150 with 140k miles.
10/10/200660303106/13/2003
 Truck started missing, sputtering, pinging, running on 3 cylinders. valve spring broke in engine. *nm
10/16/200681791106/06/2004
 I purchased my '99 ford f-150 in the spring of '04. at the time of purchase the truck had just over 49,000 miles on it. this past monday (10/16/06) while pulling out of a local parking lot, the #2 spark plug was ejected out of the right cylinder head, ripping out the threads that the spark plug screws into & destroying the coil pack located directly above. my truck on the day of failure had 81,790 miles on it. that's 18,210 miles short if the trucks first manufactures suggested 100,000 mile tune-up. ford will not even consider the thought of making this manufacturer's defect right. they simply told me that the head would need to be replaced at my expense and at the cost of $2,800.00 to $3,000.00. it's a design flaw!!! the aluminum heads for the 5.4 l engines were engineered with an inadequate number of threads needed to retain the spark plugs. there are only 4 to 5 threads tapped into these heads (approx. 1/4 to 5/16 in length) today is october 19th and i have purchased a repair kit manufactured by dorman products to fix this stripped out spark plug myself. this kit is specifically made by dorman not ford, to fix this problem of fords 5.4l engines. it's really sad that ford has to use the consumers as guinea pigs and then fail so miserably to back their product. i'm hesitant to check the torque of the other seven plugs in fear that they will not withstand the recommended 25 foot pounds of torque required to tighten them up but if i don't then it's russia roulette as to when the next one will blow out and where i will be stranded when it does. i expect ford to stand behind their product 110%, especially when it is a well known fact by ford and the consumer that there is an engineering flaw with the design of the 5.4l engines aluminum heads produced between years of 1997 through 2002. *nm
02/25/200654240103/15/2003
 Spark plug blew out of engine causing engine head damage. this cost over $3000 to repair and i understand may happen again at any time with any of the 8 spark plugs. *nm
02/10/200586200110/05/2002
 Was driving the truck home, about a mile out after being on the highway, there was a loud bang. the spark plug had been shot out of it's place, per a shop owner. not sure why it happened yet. it was stated to us that ford has many complaints of this happening to their trucks. we have a 99 f150 and wondering if there are more such complaints and if so what can we do to push the issue. it could get someone hurt at some point! *nm
11/01/200565000108/20/2003
 I was driving to work and heard loud bang in engine. found out spark plug had blown. no accident caused. i have two ford vehicles and the both had spark plugs blow within the last month. both enignes are 5.4 l. *nm
09/20/200560000101/01/2000
 I have a 1999 ford f150 with just over 60,000 miles on it. it has been maintained very well and has had no problems until now. while driving to work on 9/20/05, my engine sounded like it blew up. what actually happened was my #3 cylinder spark plug blew out. thankfully it did not cause an accident. after investigating how to fix the problem i learned this was becoming very common with ford triton motors and would cost appx $3000 to repair. ford offered no help other then for me to bring it in for the expensive repair, with no guarantee it would not happen again. i thought the truck would last much longer then 60k miles and feel like i bought a lemon. *nm
10/10/200356978102/02/2002
 While driving on the highway a spark plug ejected from the right side cylinder head of my 1999 ford f150 triton v8 truck at 56,978 miles. cylinder head was replaced at ford dealership at a total cost of $2,418.93. i was notified this was not covered by the manufacturer. *jb
09/23/200582050309/01/2000
 Dt: on september 23, 2005 had a spark plug blow out of the cylinder head of the vehicle. this was the spark plug on passenger's side, nearest to firewall. this was the third coil that the consumer had, but this it was the first time the spark plug came out. contacted the dealer, they towed it. there was no forewarning. at 65 mph, the consumer heard a pop and thought it was the tire, but it kept popping until vehicle stopped. the consumer exited the vehicle and discovered it was not the tire. raised the hood and could see it flapping. no lights in dashboard came on and gauges did not move. *ak *jb
08/30/200577562108/12/1999
 1. no events led to failure. 2. a spark plug blew out of the engine. the consequence is that the engine runs poorly, is loud and has little power. 3. no repair has been made yet. *jb
08/10/20051550001
 Spark plug blow out on 2nd to last cylinder on passenger side of 1999 f150 w 5.4 liter triton engine. *nm
06/23/2005104000110/01/2001
 I am shocked to discover the thousands of postings on the internet concerning the '99 ford f-150 that blows a spark plug because of too few threads on the engine in the original design. as a victim of this failure, the dealership acknowledges that this happens all the time and that there is no remedy for it. the cost for repair is almost $3000 and there is no guarantee that it will not recur. seems that ford should be forced to recall these engines as it can lead to fire (as straight gas goes into the engine compartment) and the spark plug could spark as it blows igniting fumes or fuel. i will never feel fully safe in this vehicle again and am quite disappointed that ford is getting away with such a faulty design! please help all ford f-150 owners that will fall victim to this costly repair and dangerous situation.
06/03/200511900003/15/1999
 I have a 1999 f-150 ford pick-up truck 4-2l v-6, i was having a low cooleant problem. took it to mcdonough radiator shop, they replaced water pump and gasket. it was still loosing cooleant. i called the dealership and ask if there was a recall for this vehicle and was told no there was not. i took it back to the same radiator shop after a closer inspection they removed the intake manifold and found water in the back two cylinders.they replaced the intake manifold gaskets, i picked the vehicle up i had not drove more than 3 miles before it started to make a knocking noise. i called the repair shop and took it back immeadiately, now they tell me that i have 2 bent push rods. they are suppose to replace them today. i found out later that i was not the only one having this problem, after some research on the internet i found a web site that has an long list of people with the same complaint. when i called ford motor company customer no service i was told that there had been no recalls on this vehicle for that problem and that they could not help me in any way because of the warrenty had expired. according to jasper engine rebuilders the problem stems from a poorly designed gasket for the intake manifold and that is what caused this problem, got this information from one of their tech bullitens.
02/14/200578290106/19/1999
 Sitting at stop light in 1999 f-150 w/5.4 litre engine,slowly proceeded through light and heard a loud bang followed by very loud and rough running engine. this left me stranded at side of road at 3:00am. turns out that spark plug ripped away from cylinder head causing expensive repairs. this not only is an obvious mfgr. defect,but a safety concern as well. the manufacturer knows this is a problem and should step up and do the right thing. thank you. doug beeman. *jb
02/11/2005590001
 While driving approximately 5 mph, the spark plug blew out of engine. *jb *sc
12/08/20042
 Transmission gears breaking, timing chain loosening. *jb
01/03/2005720001
 Consumer was traveling at 35 mph and heard noise from the engine. vehicle stopped, and had to be towed. after the dealer inspected the vehicle engine was found to be defective.*ak
05/02/200467263102/20/2003
 I was driving my ford f-150 (after a previous fix of the same problem i was about to experience), when my #3 spark plug blew out of the head unit. 2nd time happened, cost $2500 to fix. now i want reimbursement for all repair work due to flawed engine design.*ak
12/13/200364425102/20/2003
 *aki was driving my 1999 ford f-150 with 5.4 liter v-8 engine when i experienced a blown #3 spark plug driving under normal conditions on my way to a soccer game. extended warranty company would not cover problem. got it fixed with a helicoil for $400 and same #3 plug blew 4 months later. got it fixed with a new head unit for $2500. now i want ford to reimburse me for flawed engine design.
11/12/2004121000210/04/2002
 Slight tapping that of like a tapping valve for about a week prior to first incident. the second incident occurred with no warning that i noticed.*ak vehicle has now ejected two spark plugs. spark plugs were not the original from the factory. the first one was on the passenger side, 3rd back. when it came out, it destroyed the coil over the plug as well. it was repaired using a heli-coil solid steel insert which worked ok, but has come back out when the sparkplug was removed. local ford dealer quoted $1450.00 for a single new head, not installed. the second time, it was the third back on the driver's side. this one killed the motor. i'm not sure exactly what happened yet, but along with the blown plug, i have water in my oil and the motor will no longer turn over, even with all plugs removed. i'll be buying a new motor now when i have the money. meanwhile, my wife must sit at home with no vehicle and two young children until repairs are made.
10/02/20041108351
 I take good care of my pickup however it has broken down on me. it began with a small shutter. it felt like the pickup was having issues idling/accelerating. only at low (5-10 mph) speeds did i feel the weakness/shutter. i had this issue for about 4 months, i just assumed it needed a tune up and was prepared to have one done soon. i was towing a trailer (started off fine) then at a stop sign felt that the engine was now shuttering/misfiring even more. took the pickup to mechanic the next day and found that valve 4 was stuck open and had essentially melted its self open. this in turn caused the piston to get damaged and now i'm faced with replacing the heads or the entire engine. my pickup has 110,000 however (according to the mechanic) there have been other pickups have the same issue with as little as 80,000 miles. i have not been able to find a recall on what i've experienced. *nm
06/02/2004509/30/2001
 My f150 p.u. has a stress crack in the curve of the door by the window. the latch is not tight enough, so the door is hard to shut. my windshield wipers turn on by themselves, the odometer light goes on & off, the seat belts do not recoil & the door ajar light gets stuck, eventhough all doors are reshut. engine sometimes runs rough eventhough has just had 60,000 mile check. the ford dealership wants to charge me for new part to fix odometer light $300+plus labor, $58 for door part+labor. haven't talked to them about rough running, i'm sure they'll want more $$ to fix it too.*ak
04/14/2004400002
 While driving, the head gasket would leak oil. the mechanic repaired the problem once, but did not resolve the problem. please provide more information. *jb
05/04/20041400001
 While driving at 65 mph, suddenly there was a popping noise, then the vehicle stalled. the spark plug had came out the engine cylinder head. this occurred because of a design flaw, there was insufficient tread to hold the spark plugs. the cylinder head was replaced. *jb
04/30/2004390002
 The consumer took vehicle for service because of a ticking noise heard on vehicle. the dealership indicated that the ticking noise was coming from the catalytic converter, and the head gasket had blown. which resulted in an oil leak into the exhaust manifold. the dealership replaced the catalytic converter and the head gasket; however, the ticking noise still exist after the repair was performed. within 300 miles after the parts were replaced, the spark plug came out of the right side of the engine head which resulted in engine failure. the dealership refused to honor repair warranty and perform any further service on the vehicle. *la
04/15/200442000105/05/1999
 Oil leak. i have a 1999 ford f-150 with a 5.4 motor that leaks oil from the rigth head, this problem was fixed 03/29/00 at 9900 miles.it 42000 miles it started leaking again the dealer checked it out and said it was the same head gasket as before but because it was out of warranty i would have to pay for the repair. ford said they wont. the dealer told me that ford had changed to a differtent type of head gasket because of this problem but it was up to ford to pay or not to pay for repairs. *ak
03/08/20041085002
 Have a 1999 ford f-150 with a 5.4 liter engine. #3 spark plug blew out and had to have a costly repair done by the mechanic pulling the head and placing an insert into the hole. killed 2 birds with 1 stone because the passenger side head was leaking oil. this same spark plug had blown out two previous times. finally decided that something was wrong. have driven fords all of my life. not sure will purchase again.*ak
250001
 Consumer complained about engine head gasket leaking oil. *ak
02/05/2004112/05/1998
 1999 ford f-150 head gasket leak, research reveals common factory defect. no assistance from ford service bulletin from ford says i may have to replace engine. *jb
03/05/200477500108/15/1999
 1999 ford f150 blown head gasket right side can't afford to pay 4700.00 dollars to replace gasket & head. ford knows they have a problem with the gasgets on the triton motros but fail to take blame. this is a fire hazard when oil is leaking on the exhaust. recall!! before someone gets hurt or killed. *jb
11/17/200128000210/01/1999
 Head leaks oil on right side of motor had it fixed once and is now leaking again. *jb
02/10/200420897107/12/1998
 I never abused my 99 ford lightning in any way and @ 21000 miles it blew #3 spark plug out of the head. ford finally agreed that if i would pay $817.00 for the deductible they would pay the rest. i don't think i should have had to pay anything since the head was defective from the factory. *jb
03/05/2002212/01/2001
 Head gasket blew and needed to be replaced. *ph after spending lump sums of money the consumer was told that there is an defect in the deck surface of the engine block that allowed oil to leak out of the engine. the condition was not caused by the head gaskets. due to the extent of damages to the engine a new one had to be purchased for over $5000.00. the consumer is asking ford to help pay for repairs on the faulty automobile. *cb
01/01/200472000109/09/2003
 Right side head gasket on 5.4 v8 leaking again at 72,000 miles. heads replaced once and gaskets replaced twice. out of warranty now. we need a recall. oil drips on hot exhaust and smokes, fire hazard. *ak
01/10/2004850001
 While driving 60 mph plug blew out of the cylinder, causing the vehicle to lose power. *ak
01/05/200475189105/27/2002
 I had a spark plug blow out of the head on my truck. it is a 1999 ford f-150, with a 5.4 liter triton v-8 engine. i had never heard of this, until the mechanic at my local dealership said they had seen it before. also at an earlier date the sheet metal on the drivers side door about three inches from the bottom of the window cracked. its has cracked two more times since then. they (ford motor co.) finally put a new door skin on, but a man who i know that runs a body shop said it's in the door itself and that a skin wouldn't prevent it from happening again. i'm just very disappointed in the products that are on the market anymore they lack quality and they don't last for near as long as they should. *la
800001
 While driving spark plug blew out of the cylinder head and a loud noise was heard. the noise startled the driver who lost control of the vehicle momentarily. the cylinder head was replaced. *ak
11/24/200357000106/14/2001
 Ford f-150 xlt 57,000 miles - spark plugs stripped, and destroy spark plug. noticed hissing sound from under hood when engine was just turned off. ticking sound when first starting engine. took vehicle to local ford dealership for servicing. no warranty support. claims to never hear of problem, even though f150-online forum has over 100 such incidents reported. *la
11/20/2003101/28/2002
 I have a f-150 pick-up still being paid off and it is leaking for the right hand side. there are technical service bulletins for this but it will cost a couple of thousand to replace the head. if ford knows about this and i have looked all over the internet and others had similar problems, why hasn't a recall been issued. *la
10/06/200338000211/04/1999
 1999 ford f150 lightning blew two spark plugs out of the head. *la
11/01/200374000210/20/1999
 I have a 99 ford f150 with a head gasket problem. the left head was replaced with 3000 miles on the truck because of the same leak. the dealer told me that ford had some bad millwork on the heads and they couldn't get a good seal. now with 73000 the heads are starting to seep again. also my truck has a crack in the door metal near the corner of the window of the drivers side. here again it seems to be a problem found in many f150's from 97 through 01. *la
07/01/200385500309/04/1999
 3 spark plugs on my 99 f150 have backed themselves out, causing immediate engine decompression. the only way to adequately repair is to completely remove the head, a multi-day, multi-dollar task. viewing auto message boards suggest i am not alone in this experience. apparently there is some defect in the triton v8 engine design, although my research shows ford has not addressed this issue. *ak
07/12/2003760001
 Consumer states engine service light stays on. dealer notified. *ak
1
 The head gaskets with 4.6 and 5.4 engines were defective. (ford bulletin 02-22-07) the oil dripped onto the flange which held the exhaust pipe to the manifold on the right side of the engine. scc *jb
12/30/2002115383108/16/2002
 I have a 1999 f150 ford truck. large oil leak from the right hand head gasket at the rear of the block on my engine. also a leak on outside right hand filling intake valley. estimated cost from ford dealership $1600 depending on what it takes to repair it. i feel this is a major repair and possibly the part was poorly machined. *jb
12/17/2002108/07/1999
 The spark plug blew out of the aluminum cylinder head while driving, the entire cylinder head was replaced. *ak *jb
09/02/2002800001
 Spark plugs blowing out of aluminum heads on triton 5.4liter motor.causing major damage to heads.*jb
11/05/2002630001
 The head gasket leaked oil, which resulted in a loss of engine power. *jb
11/14/20020011/14/2002
 Right rear head gasket leaking oil, and is also stated in manufacturers t.s.b. no recall as of yet. ph
08/26/20014295605/23/1999
 Had a spark plug strip itself from the head and damaged the threads on the head where the spark plug is screwed into the head.
02/10/200363000209/28/1999
 The head gasket failed. *jb oil leaked again out of the right rear cylinder head. scc
08/18/200107/30/2001
 I have a 1999 ford f-150 pick-up with 5.4l v-8 engine. it has had a oil leak on the righthand headgasket. ford repaired this problem, and it dosen't seem to be leaking any more. this is a problem that has plagued many of these trucks.
12/20/200258000
 1999 ford f150 5.4l with badly leaking head gasket right side. seems to be a known problem for ford yet no recall or assistance from ford? leaking oil is a hazard and oil on hot engine components not safe.
11/21/2002
 This is a svt addison vehicle. consumer states that there was a manufacturer owners notification for this vehicle engine inter cooler, but the notifcation ended september 2002. per the notification theirs a defect in the inter cooler that causes coolant to leak into the engine, which results in engine seizing up. consumer has experience this problem put dealership is refusing to fix as a result of the notifaction being over.
11/03/2002
 Consumer states that while driving and without warning the head gasket blew causing coolant fluid to leak. dealer notified ts
 Consumer called complaining about having numerous problems with the spark plug been replaced on the vehicle more than two times since the vehicle was purchased.dealer was contacted and stated that they don't know why is this happening with the vehicle. mr
07/01/200299000210/19/1999
 While driving at 35 mph vehicle stalls/ die without warning the dealer has been notified. mr consumer was also informed that the transmission went bad and was in need of replacing. *jg *jb
08/26/20021
 Consumer states that the tension wire separated and shreaded the serpentine belt while driving. causes loss of of vehicle control. dealer contacted. feel free to provide any further information. nlm
08/01/2002109/16/1999
 This 5.4 litre engine is leaking oil from the head gasket onto hot engine with minor smoking. *ak *yh
1
 The head gasket on the right side of the engine is blown. consumer is concerned that the oil leaking out of the engine could cause a fire. *yd *ts
03/01/2001
 Oil was leaking from gaskets. took vehicle to dealer, and dealer replaced head gasket. 2500 miles later leaking started again. please provide any further information.*ak
06/26/2002210/07/1999
 Head gasket is leaking oil. had part replaced, but problem reoccurred. dealer contacted.*ak vehicle went back to dealer but no signs of leak. consumer adds this is a slow leak and cannot be detected in a short diagnosis. *tt
06/01/2000206/01/1999
 Engine was leaking oil due to a blown head gasket. dealer contacted. *ak same symptoms and problems have appeared again, but vehicle is now out of warranty. *tt
12/20/2001204/01/2099
 Second time in to dealer for the same head gasket failure, 1'st at 24,500 mi 2'nd at 26700. dealer is trying to resolve the problem, but how many more times must i take it back for a problem ford is aware of.*ak
104/01/2002
 Oil leaking from head gaskets, causing burned oil smell, drips on exaust,smokes also, scared of fire hazard.*ak
03/29/2002
 Vehicle shutdown without prior warning. there was a loud banging noise coming from underneath the hood dealership wa saware of problem.*ak
01/01/2002104/13/2002
 Head gasket is leaking oil from the right side motor. contacted dealer. *ak *yh
03/28/2002111/01/2099
 According to service manager at a st. paul, mn ford dealer, ford has had numerous problems with the 5.4 l engines passenger side rear cylinder spark plug mount stripping and blowing the spark plug out causing engine damage. i was told that ford has kept this quiet but have covered costs on this up to 75,000 miles. my vehicle was submitted to ford but denied being over 75,000 miles. cost to fix was over $1200.00 and this only a temporary fix.
05/01/2001
 Blown right head gasket. *ak
11/25/2001102/01/1999
 Ford dealer diagnosed, independent mechanic diagnosed, a bad/leaking head gasket. press released issued by ford today for leaky head gasket defect on 5.4l engines. this should be extended to cover 4.6l engines as well.*ak
01/10/2001
 While traveling on highway consumer was smelling oil coming inside of vehicle. vehicle was leaking oil from gasket. dealership is aware of problem.*ak
02/26/2002107/01/1999
 Truck was brought in for scheduled service and i was informed a head gasket was leaking. this is a vehicle that has been well maintained. i don't believe the engine has ever gone over 3000 rpm, cost to repair $2,200. this is absolutely ridiculous. i was shocked to see how many other people have submitted complaints about the same problem. what does it take to get ford to take care of this problem?*ak
02/18/20020
 Head gaskets blewout. 2 sets of head gaskets blewout within last 6 months. also was having trouble with transmission. *ak
01/05/2002110/01/1998
 I noticed the smell of hot or burning oil every time i stop. i had a mechanic check for the problem. he told me i had a leaking head gasket on the right rear side of the engine. i feel it could cause a fire. nhtsa has bultns sb620275, sb612444, sb612291 help! ford won't fix without great cost. *ak
02/21/2001103/01/1999
 Engine cylinder in back of vehicle is leaking oil. contacted dealer, and dealer is not willing to do anything. *ak the oil leaks onto manifold and starter, strong odor of burning oil was present. the dealer stated that the oil leaks from the right hand head gasket at the rear of the block or head joint which was caused by a metal chip in which debris lodged between the head gasket and the block. *yh
01/29/2002108/01/1999
 The crankshaft went out of the truck at 59k miles. that should not happen. ford is uncooperative. *ak
03/01/2001
 Right side of head gasket is leaking oil onto engine.*ak
01/15/200201/01/2001
 Leaking oil from the head on right side. well known problem. recall needs to be done. to many people are spending to much money for these problems. i dont want to be another statistic. *ak
12/10/2001
 Engine head gasket has gone bad twice, and both times while conusmer was on street. also, was leaking oil after gasket broke. contacted dealer.*ak
12/12/2001106/01/2000
 Smelled burning oil. looked under truck and noticed oil leakage on connection between exhaust manifold and exhaust pipe. took it to the dealer for diagnosis which was blown head gasket. received no detailed description as to why this happened or extent of other equipment damage. head and valve gaskets were replaced. no mention of engine replacement or whether or not new gaskets are root cause fix or short term fix. vehicle still under manufacturers original factory warranty. this component failure is unacceptable for late model/low mileage vehicle. *ak
05/27/2001412/01/1998
 Valve springs broke causing the loss of pressure and function in/of cylinder 3 . vehicle was taken to dealership before warranty exp. regarding this problem and was not repaired by the dealer. mechanic determined that the spring (s) were faulty.*ak
02/15/2001102/01/1999
 Passenger side engine head gasket oil leaks are very common on these trucks according to many owners accounts. the cost to repair is $1200-$1600 dollars! ford is not willing to help after warranty. *ak
01/23/2001102/19/2000
 While driving, consumer could smelled oil burning. contacted dealership and took vehicle in. mechanic checked vehicle and informed owner that head gaskets had blown. head gaskets replaced.*ak *slc
11/01/20001
 When consumer was at gasoline station filling up his gas tank he noticed a burning smell coming from underneath of vehicle. head gasket came from right hand side of engine. dealership was aware of problem. engine needed to be replaced by dealership. *ak
12/01/20000
 Consumer was traveling on highway and without prior warning vehicle was leaking oil from underneath, from the engine. oil was empty inside of vehicle. engine blew, and the engine nedds to be replaced.*ak
01/07/20010
 Consumer was traveling about 60mph on highway and without prior notice engine blew. dealership was aware of problem.*ak
410/01/1999
 New truck has constant vibration at idle and all speeds, 4th time back to dealer they made vibration worse, last resort for dealer is to replace engine mounts. *ak
10/05/20001
 While waiting at a light, motor started to shut down. vehicle was not able to be restarted. had vehicle towed to dealer & informed by mechanic that harmonic balancer had failed & needed to be replaced.*ak *slc
03/01/1999
 Leaks oil,replaced oil pan gasket at approx. 15000 miles and again at 33210 miles
03/30/2000107/22/2000
 Noise in the engine due to worn idler pulley, belt and alternator. *mjs
 Engine head gasket blew out, causing coolant to leak onto manifold and engine. dealer has been notified. *ak
04/03/2000109/01/1999
 Engine started to make valve noise on cold starts, it progressed over time to valve noise all the time while being driven. dealer is have engine replaced, due to a serive bulletin. they say it will be 2 to 3 weeks for the engine to arrive. however, they state that i can still drive the vehicle. seems kind of dangerous to continue driving a vehicle that needs a new motor. *ak
06/01/1999102/01/1999
 The driver smells burning oil due to the right rear cylinder head leaking. yh
02/01/1999
 Fuel comsumption- truck will only get 8-10 miles per gallon with the 4.2 engine been to dealer two times they state nothing can be done. *ak
02/02/20000
 While driving consumer could smell burning oil from the head gasket at all times. *ak
06/16/1999402/28/1999
 Oil is leaking from the rear seals of the engine which could cause the engine to lock up, cause unknown. please give any further details.
10/13/1999
 Consumer's son was insid eof vehicle when the bolt that holds the seat belt came off. head engine gasket blew out. the mileage was 4600. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
02/13/20071
 Have a 1999 f150 that has a fix recorded for the head gasket, but has no recall. even though ford knows there is a fault, and should take care of or repay the consumer for fixing, since ford knows there is a problem. *ak
10/02/2005117400108/23/1999
 I was driving my family down a winding major mountain highway in my 1999 ford f150 truck (5.4l v-8, 117400 mileage) when a loud bang came from the engine area and my truck lost power. this startled me and i lost momentary control of the truck. i regained control and pulled to the road side. the next day (10/3/05) i took the truck to fairway ford service department. they had replaced all the spark plugs about 10,000 miles previously. they determined the problem to be a blown out spark plug. both the service advisor and the service manager said the problem was caused by a bad design by ford (not enough threads to hold the plug) and the previous plug replacement had nothing to no with problem. they said neither they nor ford would take any responsibility for the problem they corrected the problem by installing a remanufactured left side cylinder head, all per a ford technical service bulletin. the cost was $2549.35. they kept the old parts. *nm
09/15/200465000102/03/2000
 1999 f 150. the engine spit the spark plug out and damaged the head,coil, wiring and hood. *jb
05/09/200545000107/15/2000
 Manufacturing defect - plug thread failure vehicle is a 1999 ford f-150 4x with 5.4l triton and approx. 45,000 miles. while unaggressively accellerating at normal highway speeds the engine lost power and a loud popping sound could be heard. the vehicle was immediately pulled to the side of the highway, turned off, and towed to a repair facility. no injury or crash occurred. investigation indicated a spark plug and coil had been ejected from the head. the plug was the 2nd from the front on passenger side. the threads in the head were stripped such that a new spark plug could not be seated. a helicoil was installed for approx. $300 and loss of vehicle for a week, but it failed after approximately 3 months. this failure was evidenced by engine misfire, power loss and sluggishness. investigation revealed that same plug was not firing, and was not able to be removed because the helicoil threads were also stripped. the head was replaced at a cost of $3,626 with and additional 2 weeks lost vehicle use (2 comparable quotes from reputable auto repair providers were obtained). repair time was longer than usual as the part had to be ordered from out-of-state and expedited shipping was deemed too expensive. at this time, however, the engine misfires continuously at idle and frequently at highway speeds. the vehicle is currently in the shop for a 3rd time to investigate this continuing condition. *nm
11/01/200453000109/11/2004
 I was merging onto a busy road safely, and a spark plug blew out of my engine head. it caused an immediate loss of power and almost caused an accident because the truck would not move in heavy traffic. it also posed a fire hazard as fuel continued to pour into a cylinder with no spark plug sealing the top of it.*ak
08/31/2004103000101/07/2004
 Drove my f-150 truck to eat then when i came out i drove it about 100 yards and stop and did about 15 minutes shoping at home depot when i came out and started it it made a bang. it sounded like a hole in the tail pipe. when i took it to the dealer they said it was a cylinder head from a blow spark plug.*ak
09/11/2003800001
 Whenever consumer turned the key to start the engine, there was a loud rattling sound coming from the engine. spark plugs were removed, that were covered with anti freeze. engine head gaskets were leaking, and that caused the engine to throw a rod. ford has a current technical service bulletin concerning this engine problem.*ak
11/11/2002105/01/2002
 Noticed a smell of burnt motor oil at right side front on 11/9/2002. check all fluid levels. they were ok went to auto dealer where i bought the truck monday morning 11/11/2002. mechanic check the truck out and found out the head gasket leaking oil. he said he has replaced several of these type head gaskets(most of the time rightside) on the 5.4 engines from 1999 to present. the truck is out of manufactors warranty being that is older that 3 years. ford company knows there is a problem and they should have to repair the truck free of charge. i am glad that i purchased an extended warranty. but it is not fair for the company that i purchased the warranty to pay for this. i have to pay the first $50.oo and that is not right also. the dealer has started repairing the truck as soon as they found the problem and the warranty company said it was ok to the repairs. i have not complaints with the dealer doing the repairs. they have always given me very good service. dt
 Consumer state while traveling notice a oil smell inside vehicle consumer notice oil was leaking between engine block and the head. please provide further information. ts
02/01/1999
 Vehicle gets less than 15 mpg, sometimes less than 14 mpg under all driving conditions. advertised mileage was 15 city 17 hwy. not even close! no safety defect listed. *ak
 Oil is leaking on passenger's side between the cylinder head and engine block. this leakage could eventually cause head gasket to blow. please provide any further information.*ak
12/04/2001305/01/1999
 Rough engine idle. dealer checked 3x's and says it's the way ford leans the engines that causes the rough idle. they can't replace parts unless they find a bad one. they ran electrical test equipment and found nothing. i'm not the only one that has this problem.*ak
06/01/2001
 Catalyic converter had been replaced 3 times. fuel was going into engine /burned through and caused a hole in cataylic converter. no remedy.*ak
03/01/2001106/01/1999
 Engine has severe knock at start up ,and uses oil , dealership has repeated told me that this is not a issue. other ford truck owners have informed me that their engines where replaced under warranty , while i have been put off and now vechicle is off warranty.*ak
03/27/2001207/01/1998
 While traveling at approximately 10 mph under wet/rainy conditions consumer attempted to make a right turn when vehicle failed to follow path of road, and went straight ahead. *ak as condsumer was driving engine light began to flash, and then vehicle stalled, no power steering as well as brakes failed vehiicle went straight into a ditch, consumer suffered injuries, contacted dealer but not willing to even inspect vehicle.*jb
3
 Engine keeps failing. consumer has replaced engine 3 times ,cause is unknown. please provide further infromation.*ak
02/01/2001105/01/1999
 Vehicle burns too much oil. consumer thinks that vehicle has burned oil. but, when taken to dealer, dealer told her that there was no oil leak, but they will look into it. *ak
09/18/200008/01/1999
 Burns up to 1 1/2 between oil changes and can smell oil burning 10 days after oil change but can't smell it all the time. can't see any oil leak. *ak
10/25/2000102/01/1999
 Motor failed after 7 compliants starting when new. manufacturer has attempted to replace with a rebuilt motor using used components.f. *ak
103/01/1999
 Vehicle has hard vibration at idle. dealer has been contacted.*ak
08/28/2000609/01/1999
 I have been to the ford dealer numerous times for these problems and this last time their engineer that came in has noted the problem i have. they consider this normal and acceptable as it is. for being a new truck it should have to be in the shop for all the problems it's had. i have all the service reports if needed. i pray that these problems can be resolved. you may contact me at home if any questions (505-875-1288) thank you for your time
04/03/2000308/01/1999
 Engine has been replaced three times. engine is going again, but this time they are telling me that the noise from the valves and lower end on engine are acceptable to them. they will not fix at this time.
06/01/2000608/16/1999
 Frame bending upward between the cab and the back bed. dealer notified, and refused to help in this matter. engine and rear end had to be replaced and brakes repaired. *ak *ml
01/07/20001
 Possible engine failure caused the vehicle to catch fire in the engine compartment. vehicle was only 10 months old when fire occured. nlm
 Engine burned up oil, but was not leaking. would put approximately 2 quarts of engine oil in vehicle. this caused engine to smoke. took vehicle to mechanic who failed to locate the cause of the problem. took vehicle to another dealership & mechanic claimed o ring seals may have caused the problem. *ak
08/03/19994
 Vehicle stalls intermittently in any given speed. vehicle been in/out of dealer's shop on four occasions, and problem still reoccurring. *ak *ml
12/01/1999111/01/1998
 This vehicle has a terrible transmission problem - the 2nd to 3rd shift, and the 3rd to 2nd shift are rough and slowly tear the transmission apart. mine has been repaired 4 times and is still suffering from poor shifts and undependability. the engine had a very severe knock when first started - the engine was replaced at 14,500 miles with a remanufactured unit. this vehicle has had 2 transmission rebuilds, one transmission replacement and a remanufactured engine and the vehicle only has 14,900 miles on the odometer! *ak
10/18/19992
 When the transmission is in first gear, the engine is shuts off and vehicle will roll. dealer said that engine bleeds off compression which allows vehicle to roll when it is shut off while in first gear. *ak
05/15/1999105/01/1999
 The engine is terribly noisy at all speeds, coming from valve train. the truck also has no appreciable power, they rate at 205 hp, but i sincerely dispute that rating on my truck, w/ air conditioning operating, it's even worse! gas mileage with air conditioning on is terrible! a plymouth horizon was able to outpace me on the highway! *ak
04/14/1999
 Vehicle was setting for five minutes and engine compartment caught on fire. vehicle was totaled. manufacturer has been notified. *ak
01/22/1999
 When driving at any speed their is a knocking noise coming from vehicle. it sounds like metal rubbing against metal. dealer is award of the problem. *ak
02/01/1999
 Entire bed and fender welds have tiny rust spots. dealer was contacted and cannot remedy the entire problem. 2) when starting vehicle loud noise sounds intermittently. problem still exists. provide further information. *ak
10/01/199801/01/1998
 Poor gas mileage; has averaged 15.4 miles per gallon, and ford advertises 16 city to 20 highway. other f150 owners report poor gas mileage. is this false advertising because i would never have purchased truck getting 15.4 miles per gallon when i travel mostly highway miles. i have a loud rattle noise under truck and the catalytic converters and muffler have all been replaced! also, vibration via gas pedal from engine (?) noted between 45 and 55 mph. *ak
02/11/1999102/01/1999
 Engine had an oil leak, probably before the vehichle left the factory, the leak is not repairable so the engine is being replaced. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
03/30/2000107/22/2000
 Noise in the engine due to worn idler pulley, belt and alternator. *mjs
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM
03/17/19991
 Was driving my ford on the freeway when i heard a loud noise, i stopped nearby took a look at it found the spark plug had been blown out, called ford the said they could fix it for 2200! *tr
12/01/200025011/01/2000
 Suden jump in idle speed(to3000)rpm.dangerous to hold vehicle stopped in snow. transmission does not downshift to low gear till rmp drops below 1000. dangerous to stop vehicle. foot must be applied firmly on brake pedal at traffic lights for the duration of the stop for fear of vehicle lurching forward and hitting car in front. dealer said he fixed. problem still present. very objectionable odor in vehicle( like burning off old oil deposits on metal) present at times. unbearable to an asthmatic person. vehicle otherwise in sound shape.*ak
2
 Carbon monoxide (co) leaks into the cab and accumulates to unacceptable levels, this happens not only when vehicle is parked or idling, but while driving with windows closed and the heater on, first repair they found a bad manifold gasket, however the problems continues after replacement. * mjs
09/27/1999109/27/1999
 Vehicle smokes excessively and carbon emissions collect on the rear fender and tailgate. yh
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL
03/25/2002212/31/2001
 Head gasket blown and needed to be replaced. *ph (nar) dealer was contacted and repairs were made until the head gasket was blown again. *cb
06/27/200310005/30/2001
 I bought the 99 f-150 used. i've owned it for 2 years and in those two years spent over 3000 dollars repairing it. i cant handle the thought of keeping a truck that cost so much in repairs. and now the dealer tells me i need a new transmission. this is one week after i spent over 500 replacing the spark plugs, fuel filter, and getting the fuel injectors cleaned. i have only 58,000 miles on the thing and was told by the dealer that the plugs don't need to be touched for 100,000 miles. well it was missing and that was the problem. the truck slams into gear between 1 and 2, and now the problem is my transmission is bad. at 58,000 miles? and i've never even towed anything. just regular wear and tear? i think these trucks must be lemons. after i get the transmission fixed, i'll have spent $5,600 in a two year span. i have to sell it because the repairs are more than the payment. i guess that's why it was sold to me when it was only two years. old. *nlm
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
04/30/2004390002
 The consumer took vehicle for service because of a ticking noise heard on vehicle. the dealership indicated that the ticking noise was coming from the catalytic converter, and the head gasket had blown. which resulted in an oil leak into the exhaust manifold. the dealership replaced the catalytic converter and the head gasket; however, the ticking noise still exist after the repair was performed. within 300 miles after the parts were replaced, the spark plug came out of the right side of the engine head which resulted in engine failure. the dealership refused to honor repair warranty and perform any further service on the vehicle. *la
06/01/2001
 Catalyic converter had been replaced 3 times. fuel was going into engine /burned through and caused a hole in cataylic converter. no remedy.*ak
10/01/199801/01/1998
 Poor gas mileage; has averaged 15.4 miles per gallon, and ford advertises 16 city to 20 highway. other f150 owners report poor gas mileage. is this false advertising because i would never have purchased truck getting 15.4 miles per gallon when i travel mostly highway miles. i have a loud rattle noise under truck and the catalytic converters and muffler have all been replaced! also, vibration via gas pedal from engine (?) noted between 45 and 55 mph. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
06/30/200766000103/01/2003
 Spark plug spit from cylinder head. *tr
05/14/200582000610/26/2004
 Dt: bought a used truck, and after the warranty expired had to replace the starter/the ball joints/he upper tie rods, and the control arm on both sides. engine manifold split, and exhaust system rusted. later, while driving tie rods came off. there was a slight drop at the entrance to the parking lot, and as vehicle went back up the drop, it slid and there was an impact. got out of the car, and saw that the tie rod came off and gouged into the pavement. spoke to the manager of country club chevrolet, and he simply gave consumer a discount on parts and labor. yesterday he went to a certified used vehicle dealer and asked for the 88-point inspection,, and they were unable to provide that information. *ak
06/10/200460000106/01/2002
 Replaced exahust manafold, my repairman said many ford owners had same problem. *ak
07/20/1999107/20/1999
 When driving at any speed and applying the brakes, abs system kicks in which causes the vehicle to skid. also, both sides of the exhaust manifold engine bolts are loose, and there is a leakage which causes fumes to enter vehicle. *ak *ml
10/01/199801/01/1998
 Poor gas mileage; has averaged 15.4 miles per gallon, and ford advertises 16 city to 20 highway. other f150 owners report poor gas mileage. is this false advertising because i would never have purchased truck getting 15.4 miles per gallon when i travel mostly highway miles. i have a loud rattle noise under truck and the catalytic converters and muffler have all been replaced! also, vibration via gas pedal from engine (?) noted between 45 and 55 mph. *ak