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Search Results   Report Date : November 20, 2009 at 08:05 PM NHTSA Action Number : DP05005 N/A NHTSA Action Number : DP05005 NHTSA Recall Campaign Number : N/A Make / Models :         Model/Build Years:          FORD / CROWN VICTORIA     1997-2004      FORD / E SERIES     1997-2003      FORD / E SERIES SUPER DUTY     1999-2001      FORD / E-SUPER DUTY     1997-1999      FORD / E150     1997-2004      FORD / E250     1997-2004      FORD / E350     1997-2004      FORD / ECONOLINE     1997-2003      FORD / EXCURSION     1999-2004      FORD / EXPEDITION     1997-2004      FORD / EXPLORER     1997-2004      FORD / EXPLORER SPORT     1997-2003      FORD / EXPLORER SPORT TRAC     1997-2004      FORD / F SERIES     1997-2003      FORD / F SERIES (LIGHT)     1997-2001      FORD / F SUPER DUTY     1997-2003      FORD / F150     1997-2004      FORD / F150 LD     1997-2003      FORD / F250     1997-2004      FORD / F250 HD     1997-2002      FORD / F250 LD     1997-2001      FORD / F250 SUPER DUTY     1997-2004      FORD / F250 SUPERDUTY     2004      FORD / F350     1997-2004      FORD / F350 SUPER DUTY     1998-2004      FORD / MUSTANG     1997-2004      FORD / MUSTANG COBRA     1997-2000      FORD / MUSTANG COBRA R     2000      FORD / MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE     1997-2001 2003      FORD / MUSTANG GT     1997-2003      LINCOLN / AVIATOR     2003-2004      LINCOLN / NAVIGATOR     1997-2004      LINCOLN / TOWN CAR     1997-2004      MERCURY / GRAND MARQUIS     1997-2004      MERCURY / MOUNTAINEER     1997-2004 Manufacturer : FORD MOTOR COMPANY Component : ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE Date Investigation Opened : September 22, 2005 Date Investigation Closed : January 4, 2006 Summary: 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¿S ANALYSIS SHOWED, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A SPARK PLUG TO DETACH FROM THE ENGINE CYLINDER THREADS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. HOWEVER, ODI¿S ANALYSIS OF 474 COMPLAINTS DESCRIBING SUCH INCIDENTS FOUND ONLY A VERY FEW ALLEGED ANY SAFETY-RELATED CONSEQUENCES. NONE OF THESE SHOWED ANY EVIDENCE OF A SERIOUS SAFETY CONSEQUENCE. GIVEN THE LARGE POPULATION AND RELATIVELY LONG EXPOSURE TIME OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, THE COMPLAINT ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT THE RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY FROM THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS VERY LOW. IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN THE PETITION. THEREFORE, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE NHTSA¿S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY¿S SAFETY MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED. Check to Request Research. Submit below.