I have a 1998 Ford Expedition, with a 5.4L V8. On Oct. 24, 2017, I had just climbed into my truck and tried to start it, when I heard a LOUD POP, and smoke started to come from under the hood. My brother was with me, and he has considerable experience as a mechanic. He looked things over, and could not see what the problem was. After the "POP" we both noticed that the truck was "missing" on at least 2 cylinders. I drove him home and we noticed the smell of gas. I then limped home, (over 20 miles) and stopping at an Advance Auto Store, to see if they knew what might be wrong. It was at this point that I FIRST heard about a problem with this type of engine, blowing the spark plugs. This is a problem that I have never heard about, until then. The clerk also informed me that it was a common problem with this engine. I did an internet search, and found that Ford had issued a recall notice (7-21-2 Oct 07, Engine Spark Plug Hole Thread Repair Proceedure). I have been to several "Ford" websites, including the manufacturers, and I have been unable to find a copy of this notice. Besides this being a pain in the tush, just to get to the spark plugs, especially the back four, which are up, under the fire wall. I now find out, that I might have blown more than the #2 cylinder, and that shop repairs could run into the thousands. This is a problem that Ford has known about since before 1997. All they have done is to give suggestions. No Recall, even though several have reported FIRES related to this problem. I guess the only alternative, would be to look for another vehicle, even though my wife was recently released from the hospital, after having what we thought was a heart attack. What little we had saved, is now owed to the hospital, and we have NOTHING left to even consider another vehicle. Regardless of what we figure out, it won't be another FORD! Ford has a history of knowing of a problem, and then avoiding the cost of repairs, or even notifying the owners of a potentially lethal situation. (Anybody remember the Pinto Problem? or the problem with Firestone tires?) Things have not changed at Ford since the 60's. If a Class Action Lawsuit is filed, I would like to add my name!

Ford manufacturing has known about this problem since it made this vehicle.There are several freaking lines of vehicles with these problems and they are universal. These problems have stranded owners out on the roads, highways across the united states and have caused vehicles to catch fire. Ford needs to be sued for this crap, while vehicles were rolling out of their assembly plants all across this country. I have come across people who have had these problems, thinking their cars were in need of major engine replacement. Either, way this is a freaking headache. Don't know when you're going to be broken down somewhere. This is a bunch of bullshit with Ford manufacturing corporation and the making of these cars, all the models that they have made has problems. I am tired of hearing people tell me about this problem - a class action lawsuit needs to be filed against ford motor company.

My wife was on her way to work this morning after dropping off our 3 minions at daycare, when the truck began making loud popping sounds. Luckily when it cut off, there was someone with a heart to help her push the truck to the gas station where she parked it. We don't have the money to get this fixed. We don't even have the money to get it towed from where it is all the way home. We're racking our brains to figure out what we're going to do. If this issue was caused by a manufacturing defect, how can they not be made to recall, especially with as many people as this has effected.

Simply driving to work on my morning commute. I went through a dip in the road and my engine started sounding like a Harley! Pulled over and called for a tow and went back to the house. Did some research and found that my 5.4L engine has a history of blowing spark plugs and stripping the heads. It turned out to be the #4 spark plug. Very hard to reach. When I grabbed the ignition coil and pulled on it....it was being held only by the electrical wire that plugs into the ignition coil. The coil had snapped from the screw that was holding it in place. The plug was no longer screwed in. It came right out w/ the coil. I think at this point My truck is a ticking time bomb waiting to leave me stranded again. I re-threaded the head and placed and insert. I did not get a chance to place any thread lock around the insert before screwing it in to place. I want to change out the heads but is there a recall on this trash?

Thought my truck had blown up!!! Was driving on the interstate...in rush hour traffic. Scared me to death!!! Managed to get it to the shop and tried to start my truck to move it for the mechanic when it blew completely out. Thank goodness the hood was up or it would have gone through it. Five hundred dollars later....thanks to needing not only the spark plug, but the coil. Gee thanks for doing away with spark plug wires and distributor caps. Also thanks for not anticipating that when you dont have enough threads in the cylinder to hold the spark plugs in they are going to blow out.

My mechanic son told me that Fords were POS's but I have always had good luck with them....until now. Maybe I should take his advise and get a Chevy.

Low Mileage Ford Expedition, meticulously maintained. Driving downhill over the pass in the dark, in the rain, with SUV fully loaded, and I hear a LOUD Pop and terrible rattle. Smell gas. Pulled over...and decided to limp down hill to the next exit. Had to have car towed in the dark and rain to closed repair shop on sun night. Now they want $1700 to repair it, and its only worth $4K. Ford does not earn its tough stripes on this one...No engine should fail in this way and not be supported by the manufacturer. should have been a recall.

SEPTEMBER 2010 WE TOOK OUR EXPEDITION TO THE DEALER TO REPAIR A SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT. ITS COST US $1100. DECEMBER 2010 WE RETURN BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. WHILE THERE THE DEALER TOLD US THAT A CODE PO354 CYLINDER 4 -MISFIRE AND WE SHOULD REPAIR IT SO THAT ANOTHER CYLINDER WOULD NOT BLOW. THEY REPAIRED THE COIL. FEBRUARY 6, 2011 CYLINDER 4 SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER ONLY FOR THEM TO TELL US THEY DID NOTHING WRONG. THE DECEMBER WORK THE CHARGE US $456. THE DEALER DID NOTHING MORE THAN RIP YOU OFF. THEY OVER CHARGE YOU FOR LABOR AND THE PARTS COST LESS TO NOTHING. I'M REALLY UNHAPPY WITH HOW THIS TURNED OUT. IT'S BEEN A BIG INCONVENIENCE TO ME AND MY FAMILY. MENTALLY AND FINANCIALLY.

1998 FORD Expedition, Eddie Bauer, 5.4L

I bought the truck with 36,000 miles in December 2000 and purchased the extended warranty at the same time, because I did NOT know the previous owners, it was of a FORD dealer lot. On 3/29/02, with 64,788 miles, while traveling down I-69 to catch a plane with my family to go on spring break, the #7 spark plug blew out of the LH head. Luckily my mother lived in Muncie and came and got us, to us to the Indianapolis Airport in time. I called Don Hinds Ford to come and get it out on the side of the highway. They heilcoiled the cylinder threads and installed and a new spark plug, and new coil pack This repair cost was $311.37 including the towing was covered by my extended warranty. P.S. I always wondered where the metal shavings went when they heilcoiled that #7 hole? On 12/2/03 with 87,426 miles, approx 3 miles from my home in Ft. Wayne, In., the #7 plug blew out of the LH head again. This time there was a service bulletin out according to the Service Manager that said “if the plug comes out of the cylinder "DO NOT REPAIR THE THREADS" but “REPLACE THE HEAD”. Dimension Ford found the #7 cylinder spark plug threads stripped out and the ignition coil broken AGAIN. I told the service manager to replace the spark plugs on the other head while they had it all apart and if they thought the threads were not good then to replace the RH head at the same time. They replaced only the LH head, which the #7 plug was located, but did replace all eight plugs, which included the original RH head on the other side. The cost was $3698.86 and it was NOW OUT OF WARRANTY. I paid the entire amount myself. At the time I thought the truck was worth enough to justify the repair. The Service Manager told me that he would contact the area FORD Rep and see if he could do anything. The answer was NO! On 12/30/09, with 150,301 miles, a plug on the RH head, that was never replaced blew the #2 plug out of that head. I researched the problem and was convinced that the only repair method that will work is the www.timesert.com. I purchased a kit specific to my vehicle and made the repair myself. It took me 5hrs. and I spent a total of $400.00 to fix it this time and I have four more inserts that came in the timesert repair kit. So if another plug comes out it will only cost me my time and $0. I bought the timesert repair kit on www.ebay.com. I paid $369.00 and it was shipped to me free in about 4 days. These inserts will outlast the heads. I wish the Ford garage would have used a timesert instead of the heil-coil.

I kept this vehicle because I really like it and truly believed that this would not happen to me again, but it has happened 3 times now. However, I know how to fix it and if I have to pull both heads a timesert them all, I WILL!

Bottom line: I CANNOT believe FORD has not recalled these motors that have aluminum heads. Why don’t they fix them as they fail? They knew they had a problem when they put out a service bulletin back 8 years ago. There are some many that I have read having the same problem. Class Action Suit? Sign me up!

Seems like this is a continuing problem, Ford doesn't want to man up for! Maybe they should have scrapped the aluminum heads after '97 ? There has to be a way to be a way to make someone accountable for this problem. The auto chains sell a kit to tap the sparkplug hole and put in a SLEEVE. I tapped two spark plug holes out and sleeved them, they have been fine since. If you can access the plug, I did this without removing the head. Next time, I may not be able to access the plug, and then I'll pay through the nose!

I was driving home from dinner and heard this loud Pop noise, pulled over thought it was a flat tire or maybe a belt. After talking to a mechanic they thought it was the head or a rod. Once I had it towed to the mechanic shop, they saw that 2 spark plugs had blow out still attached to the wires. They looked a little longer and noticed that there were no threads left. I started doing research online and found that since Ford uses aluminum heads and only 3 threads, this is a VERY COMMON problem. I was given these options- buy a new engine. Buy a new head. Tow the vehicle to Santa Ynez to sparkplugblowout.com guys, and have it re-machined. all of these were going to cost me between $1400-$3000. I was later told that if you hear a ticking noise- dont ignore it. I did fail to mention that the truck was at the shop less than a year prior and had the plugs replaced, so this happened quickly. I have had problems with the no. 3 plug fowling with oil- check engine light came on, and Ford told me to replace the engine at $9000. I took it to a mechanic friend of mine- it was a sensor gone bad...go figure.

We decided to pull the head and have it machined, this was the most reasonable and inexpensive solution. BTW- Ford will not do a recall unless they have a certain amount of people complain. You can go to safercar.gov and report this problem, then maybe ford will admit that there is an issue....

Had vehicle serviced and checked out by at least 3 different mechanics whom put on new tires, flushed/checked auto transmission, flushed/checked cooling system/hoses and overall condition of this vehicle to prepare it for the 2800 mile journey I was going to and did take trailering a 4000 pound travel trailer. I put my trust in a Ford truck because I have heard they are superior for the need I had for it. In the past I had always had GM trucks. This was my first ford. About 600 miles from the end of my family's vacation the engine broke down, leaving us stranded on the interstate along with the travel trailer(25') that we had been towing all along. You can imagine the nightmare. Ultimately this breakdown cost my family 5000 plus when you count rental vehicle, gas and return 600 miles from my home to pick up the now repaired vehicle. I have since heard others have had this very same engine problem including the dealership who made this same repair the week before on an F150 pick up with the same 5.4L Triton engine I have in my Expedition.