1998 Ford F-150 Engine

I HAVE A 1998 FORD PICKUP WITH A 5.4L ENGINE AND JUST TODAY AS I WAS DRIVING IT THE SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT. AS SOON AS I HEARD THE POPPING SOUND I IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE TRUCK DOWN. I OPENED THE HOOD AND THERE WAS THE PLUG DANGLING THERE. I WAS ABLE TO INSTALL THE PLUG BACK ON BUT GOT 3 TURNS ON IT AND IT WAS TIGHT. NO WAY SHOULD A SPARK PLUG ONLY HAVE A FEW TURNS ON IT AND NO WAY SHOULD A PLUG FLY OUT OF AN ENGINE THAT IS SPEWING GASOLINE AND THE PLUG STILL SPARKING. IF THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THIS COMPANY SIGN ME UP. NEVER AGAIN WILL I BUY A FORD PRODUCT. ALL THEIR VEHICLES CATCH FIRE( REMEMBER THE CRUISE CONTROL). THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE WHY THE US AUTO INDUSTRY SUCKS AND THEY STILL WANT US TO BAIL THEM OUT. I HAVE HALF A MIND TO GO TO DETROIT AND BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF AN ENGINEER THERE. I AM ALL FOR AN ATTORNEY TO CALL ME IF IT IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. IF YOU MAKE FAULTY DANGEROUS PRODUCTS SUCH AS THIS YOU SHOULD BE PUT IN JAIL! PEOPLE CAN DIE FROM THIS! I HOPE FORD GOES THE WAY OF ALL THE REST OF THE OLD AMERICAN AUTO MAKERS. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BAIL THEM OUT SO THEY CAN MAKE MORE DANGEROUS PRODUCTS AND SNOWBALL THE PUBLIC!! *TR

MY 1998 FORD F-150 ONLY HAD 76,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS WELL-MAINTAINED. ON 12/30/2007. IT HAD RUN A LITTLE ROUGH AT START UP FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO 12/30/2007. THEN ON THAT DAY A LOUD KNOCK IN THE ENGINE. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHO SAID THAT THERE WAS A HISTORY OF THE 4.2 ENGINES HAVING PROBLEMS. AND I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. I HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING WITH IT YET. I BELIEVE THAT FORD SHOULD STAND BEHIND THIS ENGINE. IF THEY KNOW IT WAS A DESIGN PROBLEM TO START WITH. *TR

WHEN I WOKE UP THIS MORNING AT 7AM, MY 1998 FORD F-150 WAS ON FIRE IN MY DRIVEWAY. IT HAD BEEN PARKED SINCE APPROXIMATELY 10PM ON THE PREVIOUS EVENING. *TR

I AM ONE OF THE THOUSANDS OF FORD CUSTOMERS WITH A F150 4.2L V6 1998 THAT HAVE A BLOWN ENGINE BECAUSE OF A LEAKY GASKET. MY TRUCK HAS 92,000 MILES ON IT, BOUGHT IT USED FROM A DEALER IN '05 WITH 72,000 MILES ON IT. RAN GREAT UNTIL I WENT TO START IT IN THE MORNING ONE DAY AND WHITE SMOKE POURED OUT THE TAIL PIPE AND IT KNOCKED LIKE CRAZY. I HAVE BEEN SAVING FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF TO GET ENOUGH MONEY TO FIX IT, WHEN I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT STRETCHES ACROSS THE BOARD. *TR

FORD ISSUED TSB 99-20-7 COVERING COOLANT LEAKS IN 1999. I HAD NOT EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM UNTIL MAY OF 2008. THE PROBLEM IS THAT FORD RECOGNIZED THIS PROBLEM YEARS AGO FAILED TO RECALL OR INFORM THE OWNERS. THE RESULT WITH THE VEHICLE OUT OF WARRANTY IS A LOWER HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT COSTING $1500-2300 IF THE ENGINE HAS NOT SEIZED IF THE ENGINE HAS EXPERIENCE HYDROLOCK (ENGINE SEIZURE) REPLACEMENT COSTS ARE MORE THAN $4000. THERE ARE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF PERSONS EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. I'M INCLUDING WEBLINKS TO REVIEW. HTTP://FORUMS.TREEMEDIA.COM/FB/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=224&PAGE=1&PP=15. *TR

1. NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS 2. I HAD 3 SPARK PLUGS AND 3 COIL EJECTIONS FROM CYLINDER HEAD SO FAR 3. RETHREADING THE CYLINDER HEADS WITH HELICOIL KITS HAD TO BUY NEW SPARK PLUGS, AND NEW COILS I HAVE ONE COIL AND SPARK PLUG. *TR

A SPARK PLUG POPPED OUT OF THE BLOCK IN MY 1998 TRITON 5.4 F-150. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT'S HAPPENED AND HOPEFULLY THE LAST. LOOKING IT THE PROBLEM ONLINE I'VE REALIZED IT'S A COMMON OCCURRENCE. MY WIFE AND TWO KIDS WERE IN THIS VEHICLE AND WITH A HOLE IN THE BLOCK SHOOTING OUT UNBURNED GAS TO THE LIVE SPARK PLUG IT COULD HAVE BEEN A REAL PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE FORM OF A RECALL, IF NOTHING ELSE TO INSPECT AND IF THE PROBLEM DOES EXIST, FIX IT. WOULD AN INSPECTION REALLY FIND THE DEFECT THOUGH? FROM WHAT I'VE READ IT PRETTY MUCH HAPPENS ALL AT ONE BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY FOUR THREADS HOLDING THESE PLUGS INTO THE BLOCK. HOPEFULLY THE PROBLEM DOES GET ADDRESSED SOONER THAN LATER, IT'S NEVER TO SOON TO CORRECT A PROBLEM DEALING WITH THE SAFETY OF HUMAN LIFE. *TR

I HAVE A 1998 FORD F150 WITH THE 4.2 LITER V6. THIS HAD BEEN A GREAT TRUCK AND HAS HAD REGULAR OIL CHANGES. THE OTHER DAY I NOTICED THAT MY COOLANT LEVEL WAS LOW AND THEN THE I THREW A ROD. DID NOT THICK MUCH OF IT AT THE TIME, BUT LATER I WAS CHECKING ON THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THIS MOTOR. I HAD BEEN REGULAR FORD CUSTOMER, BUT NO MORE. *TR

MY 1998 FORD F150 TRUCK EJECTED A SPARK PLUG WHILE DRIVING AT LOW RPM'S. NUMEROUS WEBSITES HAVE STATED THE HEAD DESIGN IS FLAWED AND ONLY ALLOWS 3 THREADS TO CATCH. UPON EJECTION OF THE SPARK PLUG THE THREADS ON THE ENGINE HEAD ARE REMOVED. FORD HAS A NEW DESIGNED ALUMINUM HEAD TO OMIT THE PROBLEM. WHY HASN'T IT BEEN MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH A RECALL? NOT ONLY IS A SAFETY ISSUE, DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND SUDDENLY LOSING POWER, BUT A BAD DESIGN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F-150. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE LEFT LOBE WOULD NOT FIRE AND CAUSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 46,000.

SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF CYLINDER HEAD. *TR

I OWN A 1998 FORD F-150, WHICH HAS A 5.4L ENGINE. AT 100,000 MILES THE #3 SPARK PLUG BLEW. THEN ON A TRIP BACK FROM IDAHO FALLS IDAHO THIS MONTH TO MY HOME IN LINDON, UT THE #1 PLUG BLEW. BASED ON RESEARCH, I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE. THE SECOND TIME MY PLUG BLEW, I WAS DRIVING ON A VERY ICE COVERED HIGHWAY (I-15 JUST NORTH OF BLACKFOOT, ID). WHEN #1 WENT THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN RUNNING EXTREMELY ROUGH AND MY SPEED DRASTICALLY DECREASED. THIS COMBINATION MADE ME LOSE CONTROL ON THE FREEWAY AND ALMOST SLID OFF THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY POSSIBLY ROLLING MY TRUCK. LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES NEAR ME. GIVEN THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS ISSUE AND THE OVERWHELMING INCIDENTS, I THINK IT IS TIME SOMEONE TOOK ACTION AGAINST FORD. THIS COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A DEATH! IF NOTHING IS DONE, THEN THE GOVERNMENT IS AS MUCH TO BLAME FOR NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT A KNOWN SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE 1998 FOR F-150 ENGINE SEIZED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN THE MORNING OF 02/09/07 HE HAD NO INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE. AFTER A DAY OF DRIVING HE TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE AND IT WOULDN'T START. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO WESTERLY TIRE, AND THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE ENGINE SEIZED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 76000.*AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F150. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE ENGINE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AS THE FIFTH AND SIXTH CYLINDERS. THE REPAIR HAS NOT YET BEEN MADE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 89,250.

I PURCHASED A USED 1998 FORD F150 FROM CAR MAX IN LAS VEGAS. I ALSO PURCHASED CAR MAX'S EXTENDED WARRANTY. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO JIFFY LUBE FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND DROVE IT HOME, A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 1 MILE. JIFFY LUBE DID NOT NOTE ANY PROBLEMS WHEN THEY SERVICED THE TRUCK. THE TRUCK WOULD NOT START THE NEXT TIME I WENT TO USE IT. JUMPING IT DID NO GOOD, THE BATTERY WAS NOT LOW. I HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO CAR MAX IT WAS TOWED ON A FLAT BED TRAILER, SO THE WHEELS NEVER TOUCHED THE GROUND. I CALLED CAR MAX THE NEXT DAY AND THEY SAID THEY HAD IT SCHEDULED TO LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING DAY. THEY CALLED ME THAT FOLLOWING DAY AND ASKED IF THE TRUCK WAS SMOKING WHEN I LAST DROVE IT. I TOLD THEM IT WAS NOT AND THAT IT DROVE FINE. THEN THEY TOLD ME THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN AND CONTINUED TO ACT AS THOUGH I HAD CAUSED IT. ON MY NEXT DAY OFF, I RODE MY BICYCLE TO CAR MAX AND CHECKED THE TRUCK'S ODOMETER AGAINST THE MILEAGE JIFFY LUBE WROTE ON MY RECEIPT. THERE WERE 28 MILES PUT ON MY TRUCK SINCE THE OIL CHANGE. CAR MAX WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, EVEN THOUGH THEY BLEW THE MOTOR IN MY TRUCK, BUT DENY IT. MY SON HAD DONE MOST OF THE OIL CHANGES ON THE TRUCK, SO I HAVE NO PROOF OIL CHANGES WERE DONE, SO CAR MAX DENIED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I CALLED FORD AND I WAS TOLD THERE IS NO SUCH ISSUE ON THE TRUCK, EVEN THOUGH FORD CHANGED THE HEAD STARTING WITH LATER 1998 MODELS, DUE TO A FAULTY DESIGN. THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT WAS VERY FRUSTRATED WITH MY ASKING HOW THEY CAN DENY AN ISSUE, WHEN THEY PUT OUT INFORMATION TO THEIR DEALERS ON STEPS TO TAKE WHEN SERVICING THE F150. SHE ASKED WHAT I WANTED THEM TO DO. I TOLD HER I WAS NOT ASKING FORD TO REPLACE THE MOTOR BECAUSE I AM PAYING FOR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. BUT I WOULD LIKE THEM TO CONTACT CAR MAX AND TELL THEM THAT THE MOTOR BLOWING UP WAS NOT MY FAULT, SO CAR MAX WOULD COVER IT, AS THEY SHOULD ANYWAY. SHE TOLD ME NO, BECAUSE THERE IS NO ISSUE WITH THE 1997 AND 1998 FORD F150'S. PLEASE HELP. *TR

MY 1998 FORD F-150 ONLY HAD 79,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS WELL-MAINTAINED. ON 8/10-07, THE COOLANT LEVEL LIGHT CAME ON WHEN I ARRIVED HOME. I CHECKED THE COOLANT LEVEL IMMEDIATELY AND THERE WAS NO COOLANT IN THE RESERVOIR. I FILLED THE RESERVOIR AND PLANNED TO TAKE THE TRUCK IN TO THE MECHANIC WHEN HE WAS OPEN DURING THE WEEK. I ONLY DROVE THE CAR ABOUT 20 MILES THAT WEEKEND AND I MONITORED THE COOLANT LEVEL AND TEMPERATURE. EVERYTHING WAS FINE. THAT MONDAY MORNING, LOUD KNOCKING CAME FROM THE ENGINE AND WHITE SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE TAIL PIPE. THE TRUCK WAS TOWED TO MY MECHANIC WHO INFORMED ME THAT I'VE THROWN A ROD AND NEED A NEW ENGINE. I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET WITH THE SAME EXACT SYMPTOMS FOR THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL OF TRUCK. APPARENTLY, THERE WAS A TSB REGARDING DEFECTS IN THE UPPER AND LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE (WHICH WOULD CAUSE A THROWN ROD), BUT CONSUMERS WERE NOT NOTIFIED, ONLY DEALERS. TSB99-20-7 WHY WASN'T I NOTIFIED AS AN OWNER? NOW I NEED A NEW ENGINE, BUT I WOULD HAVE HAD THIS REPAIR DONE OR THE ENGINE CHECKED OUT IF I HAD SIMPLY BEEN NOTIFIED BY FORD. WHY WASN'T THERE A RECALL NOTIFICATION, INSTEAD OF A TSB? TO DEALERSHIPS. UNACCEPTABLE. *JB

1998 FORD F150- 66,000MI. DEVELOPED A SERIOUS OIL LEAK FROM THE HEAD. I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS COMMON AND FORD IS WELL AWARE OF IT'S RECURRENCE. BESIDES COSTING $2000.00 TO REPAIR, IT IS LEAKING HEAVILY ONTO AN EXHAUST PIPE CAUSING SMOKE AND POTENTIAL FIRE. *TR

I HAVE A 1998 FORD F 150 WHITE SMOKE CAME FROM EXHAUST , NO WARNING TRUCK WOULDN'T START FINALLY STARTED, BUT IT WAS KNOCKING YOU COULD SMELL ANTI FREEZE, CALLED TOW TRUCK AND THE ENGINE WAS GONE, ONLY HAD 79,000 MILES. *AK

I LEFT MY 1998 FORD F150 PICK-UP TRUCK IN PARKING LOT AT WORK WHILE I WAS AWAY ON BUSINESS. I LEFT ON MONDAY JULY 30. I WAS CALLED TUESDAY NIGHT AROUND 9:00PM AND NOTIFIED THAT MY VEHICLE HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE. FIRE DEPT. PUT OUT FIRE. FIRE REPORT SUSPECTED EQUIPMENT FAILURE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUSING ELECTRICAL SHORT AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE. FIRE WAS PUT OUT, BUT VEHICLE WAS TOTAL LOSS AND TOWED FROM PROPERTY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED AFTER BEING DRIVEN FOR 20 MINUTES. THE CONTACT CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE HIMSELF. THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS AND WAS TOWED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 17,000.

HEAD GASKET FAILURE.*AK

ENGINE FAILED DUE TO POOR QUALITY PARTS. COOLANT LEAKED INTO CYLINDER, CAUSING ENGINE TO SEIZE, CAUSING A BENT ROD, MEANING $3000. ALL COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF FORD WOULD HAVE TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY AND ISSUED A RECALL AND FIXED A SIMPLE GASKET, $400 PROCEDURE MAXIMUM. FORD CONTINUES TO DENY THERE IS A PROBLEM AND WILL NOT HELP! *AK

1998 FORD F-150 4.2L V-6 125,000 MILES . NO KNOWN EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE. IMMEDIATE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE , BROKEN CONNECTING ROD, DUE TO HYDRAULIC LOCK, WHERE COOLANT LEAKS INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT TECHNICAL BULLETINS HAVE BEEN ISSUED WHICH INDICATED THAT AN IMPROPER GASKET WAS USED TO SEAL THE INTAKE MANIFOLD FROM COOLANT WHICH ALLOWED THE COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS, CAUSING THIS FAILURE . ONE KNOWN IS AERA TECHNICAL COMMITTEE AND ISSUED BY JASPER ENGINES. *AK ENGINE REPLACEMENT WAS REQUIRED. ENGINE WAS REPLACED

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD F150. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE BOLTS HOLDING THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD RUSTED, CAUSING THE MANIFOLD TO SEPARATE FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 115,000.*AK UPDATE 04/30/07*TR

UPON STARTING VEHICLE ON MY DRIVEWAY A LOUD BANG AND SUBSEQUENT KNOCKING SOUND EMITTED FROM ENGINE. HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT ENGINE FOUND WATER IN INTAKE CHAMBER AND BROKEN ROD AND PISTON. MECHANIC ADVISES AN ENGINE REBUILD WILL BE REQUIRED AND IS FAMILIAR WITH A HYDRO LOCK PROBLEM WITH THE 4.2 L FORD V6 ENGINES. *JB