The consumer stated that one of his spark plugs blew out of the engine while driving.. the consumer stated maybe it was a design defect because he heard the same problem from other people about the same vehicle. The consumer called the Ford Motor Company and they said there was no recall on the vehicle. The manufacturer said they would have to replace the engine head to fix the vehicle. The estimated cost of repair is 3300 dollars.

- Seminole, FL, USA

1. ticking noise similar to valve train noise. Engine seemed difficult to start last usage day prior to failure. 2. engine wouldn't turn over. Engine determined to be hydro-locked. Won't turn over. 3. engine replaced with rebuilt engine. (good description of problem is available from jasper engines at www.jasperengines.com/pdf/38_42_tb.pdf). a bunch of people with this problem can be found here: forums.treemedia.com/fb/archive/index.php/T-224.html

- Antioch, TN, USA

Engine motor caught on fire at the dealership. The neutral safety switch shorted out, flames appeared and burnt the brake booster.

- Kellyton, AL, USA

While parked for 30 minutes vehicle caught on fire.the fire department stated the fire started in the engine compartment. As a result, the vehicle was considered a total loss.

- Conroe, TX, USA

Engine head gasket cracked. As a result, the engine needed to be replaced.

- Toledo, IL, USA

In fall of 2003, had coolant leak at 60,000 miles. Coolant was pooring out of front of motor. Ford dealer said it needed new front engine gasket. They split the $500 cost with me. About 3 months later, the truck began knocking loudly. Had new headers put in... did not fix the problem. No help from Ford. Very good care is given my vehicles. The truck was always maintained on schedule, never used off road or for towing. Very disappointed that a truck treated like a car would have such problems.

- Ada, OK, USA

Defective gaskets caused coollent to leak into my engine - bent the rod and damaged the valve - rebuilt engine -

- San Antonio, TX, USA

Have owned a 1997 Ford F-150 pickup truck for approximately 3 years and have just been told that it has a thrown rod (second time in the last 2 years).

- Macon, GA, USA

Engine coolant leaking through the engine's front gasket. Leaking a jug of coolant every two to three hours. Will cost me over $700 to fix. Can't afford to fix, so I am without a vehicle. The mechanic provided me with a document from Ford advising dealerships they knew the problem existed, but didn't recall the vehicle. Got stuck on the side of the road for over an hour in 20 degree weather. Lucky my 3 year old was not with me. If they knew there was a problem, then they should have recalled the vehicle.

- Edmond, OK, USA

My engine front cover gasket has failed in line with Ford's recall 99B29. Ford does not include my truck in this recall campaign. My truck is currently leaking a great deal of coolant through the failed front cover gasket. This could lead to a catastrophic engine failure. I have contacted Ford about this problem several times with no success. They have indicated that they have no intentions of helping me or fixing my truck.

- Frederick, CO, USA

I was driving home when I heard a loud pop from the engine. I turned off the engine, and popped hood to investigate. The backfire continued upon starting engine. Brought car to dealership to find out that the spark plug had blown out of the engine head. Ford had issued a service bulletin stating the entire engine head should be replaced. $3400. Further, I saw the same report on kare 11 news by jane shortal. Check out kare11.com for complete article. Apparently, this is a known problem, but Ford refuses to recognize it.

- Minneapolis, MN, USA

I am sending in a full letter to explain the "failures". it centers around tsb 99B29 and lack of owner notification of a bad front cover design that can lead to engine failure, which occurred in this case. Additionally, I had a tie rod failure that was not addressed under warranty, but later broke while driving. Also, my crank shaft pulley / dampener assembly fell off while highway driving (70 mph). There are other issues including door lock / key sticking. Campaign id number : 03V196000 component: Steering:gear box:shaft sector. The engine cover gasket failed. The serpentine failed, the transmission had an akward shift, the wipers operated periodically by themselves on high speed, there was little heat coming from the vents through the floor.

- Walker, MI, USA

Coolant leaking in to crank case due to defective gaskets, please see www.leakingfords.com/ for details.

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

Consumer request a response to a question he submitted to NHTSA re the 4.6 liter engine exploding in his 1997 Ford F-series pickup truck. The vehicle's engine exploded as the consumer turned the key in the ignition.

- Fairfax, VA, USA

While driving, the consumer heard knocking noise coming from the engine. The engine then seized up.

- Fremont, CA, USA

Nar 6-03-2003 defective head gaskets ruining the engine.

- Calais, MA, USA

Ford has engine problems and will not take responsibility for the gasket problem. I have documentation that proves of this existing problem with 1997 F-150 series truck. My truck has been at norris Ford for 3 months, the bill is $4600 to date.

- Balto, MD, USA

I own a 97 Ford F-150 with a 4.2L, V6. On July 16, 2004, the engine began making a knocking sound. Took the vehicle to 2 mechanics and both confirmed that the head gasket had failed, which allowed coolant to leak into the cylinder. At cold start, the coolant in the cylinder caused the piston rod to bend. Mechanics stated that new engine would cost $3,000 - 3,500 to replace.

- Grapevine, TX, USA

Vehicle's engine has severe motor damage. While driving, the engine began to make a ticking sound which developed into a loud knocking noise. The gauges showed a rapid lost of oil and a rising temperature, but not to a critical level. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic where it was determined that the damage was caused by a broken piston rod that had exited the motor through the oil pan.

- Boerne, TX, USA

When attempting to clean the positive battery terminal engine started.

- Caryville, TN, USA