Tune up. See ODI no 562415. Nar 12/04/2002. The consumers vehicle was taken to Ford service department to get a tune up. 4 hours later the engine sounded as if it was going to blow apart. The consumer requested a meeting with the service attendant to get an explanation as to why the vehicle is now malfunctioning. The consumer would reimbursement for damages done to the vehicle.

- Orlando, FL, USA

Consumer stated the battery seemed to be dead. The next day the driver attempted to start vehicle again. The driver could hear a loud banging noise coming from the engine. The mechanic stated water had seeped down into the cylinders.

- Ashland City, TN, USA

After starting the vehicle, the engine blew out. The dealer replaced the engine. Ford would not pay restitution for the engine. The consumer had been driving the vehicle and the parked it. When the vehicle was started later on, it exploded. The manifold was defective.

- Chemung, NY, USA

My 1997 Ford F-150, which has been primarily driven on the highway, and has been well-maintained throughout it's lifespan, just threw a rod at 107,000 miles. This is ridiculous that this should have happened at this low mileage. I would like to find out if there are any complaints on record regarding this and the best way to handle it with Ford.

- Graham, NC, USA

Ford F-150 complaint on 4.2L /V6 engine. Engine had total failure at 69K due to engine coolant leak into motor. I never received any recall notices for gasket problem noted in owner notification bulletins and technical service bulletins issued by Ford. This is a major problem due to poorly engineered faulty parts used by Ford in this motor. This is a major problem and all V6 F-150 owners should be compensated for damages by Ford. I need to pay four thousand dollars to replace the engine.

- Chesapeake, VA, USA

I have a 1997 Ford F150 with 55000 miles. On the highway going 60 mph I heard a load pop the truck then began popping and making alot of noise. Lost power imediately was able to get to side of the road. Had the truck towed to dealer which found the sparkplug blown out and replaced the cyl head and numerous other parts to the tune of $4000.oo. After searching the forums on the internet I found this is not an isolated insident this has happened to many different vehicles with the 5.4 engine. I called Ford to see if they are planning to do anything about this obvious engine defect and they were uninterested in my problem. I have owned a few vehicles and most I have kept till well past 100,000 miles and have never had a sparkplug blow out of the cylinder head.

- Newport, KY, USA

Notice engine coolant extremly low added 1+gallons noticed still loosing coolant. Took 1997 Ford F150 with 4.2L V6 and only 75,700 miles on engine to Ford dealer Ford dealer stated "no external leak found and can not find any possable internal leak. But need to replace intake set part#F652-9433-C, egr gasket part#F6az-90476-B, timming gasket part#yf2Z-6020-aa, F. crank seal part#F18Z-6701-a, w/P gasket part#F65Z-8507-ba, intake bolts part#N606526.5100 and N605894.5309, T-body gasket F75Z-9E936-aa, and imrc bushingf5rz-9F955-ab" aparently Ford has and has had a gasket problem that needs to be delt with.

- Plymouth, OH, USA

Recently my 1997 Ford 150 4.2L started clatter.. from what I understand from conversations with other 4.2L EFI owners from 1997-2001 this particular engine has a significant problem of sorts.. I was wander if there are any other specific complaints" it is going to cost me between 4,000 and 5,000 to replace the engine.. while my truck had a bit over 100,000 miles I've met and spoke with several owners who have had significantly less mileage with identical problems. I've maintained the truck within factory specifications.. during the normal course of event, is was using 1quart of oil per 2,000 miles which seemed a bit distressing. Are there any pending class actions against Ford motor for this particular condition and if so where can I be informed of the process"

- Omaha , NE, USA

1997 Ford F150 w/ 4.2L engine. The gaskets failed and coolant leaked into the engine causing a blown engine. Recall for front cover gasket was completed and I still had the engine failure. Terrible. 5000 dollars for a replacement engine.

- Durham, NC, USA

I started up my 1997 Ford F-150 XL with a 4.2L V-6 after work one day to hear a loud knocking. I observed that my coolant level was low however there was no milky look to the engine oil. I ran a compression test on my engine to find that there was no compression on cylinder 1 indicating the connecting rod had broken. I am aware that Ford has issued a tsb for a gasket failure however it has expired.

- Gaithersburg, MD, USA

Failure of front engine cover gasket on 4.2L engine in 1997 Ford F150 pickup truck.

- Altus, OK, USA

I have a 1997 Ford F-150 with a 4.2 L engine, which just turned over 81,000 miles. I have followed the maintenance schedule to a "T", changing the oil every 3000 miles, (which I have receipts for) trying to make it last as long as posible. In about two weeks the truck will be 7 years old and still looks as good as it did the day I drove it of the lot. Yesterday morning, I started up my truck and it sounded like the engine was coming apart. I had it towed to my mechanic who informed me that the engine was not firing on two of the cylinders, that one of them was only firing at around 40%, and that a valve was knocking. Technically, the engine was blown. I contacted Ford about the problem and they denied any existing problems with this paticular engine. I read several other complaints that were consistant with mine and wish that someone would explain why Ford is not taking responsibility for this obvious manufacturer defect. I had all the recall work performed on schedule by Ford dealerships. I am so distraught about this that I will never purchase another Ford product and will advise all friends and family of the same.

- Clarksville, TN, USA

Email fm joey gansz (ar) inquiring if there is enough information & complaints to require Ford to recall the engine gasket on the 1997 Ford F150 pickup truck. The consumer experienced engine problems due to a faulty gasket which allowed coolant to leak into the cylinders. The manufacturer was contacted but refused to admit there was a problem even though a service bulletin (sb 99-20-7) was issued.

- Fayetteville, AZ, USA

Upon starting vehicle consumer heard a tapping noise. Then the noise became louder. Engine head gasket developed a leak which caused water to get into the engine. As a result, after a period of time, the piston connecting rod snapped. Dealership indicated this was a common problem with this engine. To correct the problem the engine has to be replaced.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

Problems with engine on 1997 Ford F150. There was a loud tapping noise which had come from the engine. The consumer received a recall letter which described the same problems as the consumers vehicle. The recall service was performed, but less than 25K miles later, the consumer was told that a new engine was needed.

- Petersburg, IL, USA

Vehicle had coolant leak into cylinder #3 causing rings to collapse and loss of compression in cylinder. This is going to require a rebuild on the engine that has only 70,000 miles on it.

- North Street, MI, USA

Consistent problem with the engine light. Engine needed to be replaced. Dealer inspected vehicle for several years and couldn't fix the engine light.

- New Market, AL, USA

I own a 1997 Ford F-150, and I believe that the truck's mileage is approximately 80,000. My truck has been maintained the entire time since I had it. My truck has never been abused nor has it ever pulled a trailer or been used for hauling. We have put thousands of dollars into my truck over the past years. The truck has had numerous problems. It has run poorly, and the check engine light has come on many times. We have brought the truck to Ford for service, and we have permitted all of the repairs that Ford has recommended. In April, I brought the truck in to woody anderson for service... $1100 later, the truck still faltered when starting, and continued to run "rough". the service tech at woody anderson told me that trucks run rough. I took the truck to sears, and they said her battery was bad, so we had it replaced. The truck still ran rough and did not start properly. Last Friday (3 October 2003) the check engine light came on again! on Sunday, I attempted to start my truck... and the engine made a horrific sound. I turned the engine off immediately, and had it towed to woody anderson on Monday morning. Now I'm being told that the engine has "fallen apart, " and woody anderson wants $4000 to put in a new engine! I feel that replacing the engine is Ford's responsibility. Our records show that we have done our part in keeping the truck's maintenance current. It was our expectation and belief that Ford would do their part and service our vehicle properly. The fact that the check engine light continued to come on after numerous service attempts to fix the problem(s), indicates to me that the service the truck received was not sufficient to maintain the engine properly. The check engine light came on again two days before the engine's failure. Whether or not the check engine light is related to the engine's failure I do not know, but it does support the fact that problems with the engine were never resolved.

- New Market, AL, USA

"lower intake manifold side gaskets failed, allowing coolant to leak into engine oil. Issue is addressed by Ford with tsb article no. 99-20-7."

- Brownsville, TX, USA

Engine failure due to coolant leakage into cylinders.

- Lee's Summit, MO, USA