1999 Ford F-150 Engine

I'VE HAD TWO PLUGS BLOW OUT ON MY 99 F150. IT HAS LESS THAN 100,000 ON IT. IF THEY KNOW ITS A DEFECT WHY NOT STEP UP AND FIX THE PROBLEM? IT COST $300 A PLUG!!!! LEFT ME STRANDED AT NIGHT WITH MY FAMILY ALONG THE ROAD!! MAKES ME WONDER IF I WANT TO STAY WITH FORD OR GO ELSEWHERE. *TR

IN MAY WAS AT A STOP LIGHT WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I ACCELERATED AND THE PLUG BLEW AT SECONDS LATER I GOT IT TOWED TO THE SHOP FIXED IT WITH THE HELI-COIL KIT DAYS LATER AS I WAS GOING UP A STEEP HILL HEARD A POPPING SOUND BROUGHT IT RIGHT TO THE SHOP ANOTHER PLUG WAS READY TO EJECT THEY PULLED ALL PLUGS ANTI SEIZED THEM GOOD FOR A COUPLE MONTHS NOW IN SEPT IT IS READY TO LOSE ANOTHER PLUG. MY TRUCK IS A 1999 FORD F-150 TRITON. *TR

HAVE HAD A SPARK PLUG EJECTED TWICE NOW WITHIN 3000 MILES. AFTER SOME RESEARCH THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SOME FORD ENGINES. IT WAS ACTUALLY PRETTY SCARY DUE TO THE STRONG ODOR OF GAS AFTERWARDS WITH THE ENGINE BEING SO HOT. IT NOW SEEMS LIKE ITS GOING TO BE A COSTLY PROBLEM TO FIX. EVEN WORSE, THE FIX IS NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WON'T HAPPEN TO THE REPLACEMENT CYLINDER HEADS. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 1999 FORD F-150 4X 4 WITH A TRITON 5.4 V-8 ENGINE USED. THE ENGINE HAD APPROXIMATELY 140,000 WHEN I PURCHASED IT. I ONLY DRIVE IT TO AND FROM WORK IN LAS VEGAS, NV (APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES ROUND TRIP) AT SPEEDS BELOW 50 MPH. THE ENGINE BLEW THE BACK PLUG AT 163,000. BECAUSE IT WAS THE BACK PLUG THE LABOR TO REPAIR WAS HIGH (PULL THE ENGINE). THE DIFFERENCE IN PUTTING HELICOILS (ALL EIGHT PLUGS) IN AND A NEW ENGINE WAS NOT THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE SO I ORDER A LONG BLOCK FULL ENGINE FROM FORD WITH STIPULATIONS IT CORRECTED THE DESIGN FLAW. THE ENGINE COST ALMOST $7000 WHEN ALL WAS DONE AND COMPLETE. FORD WARRANTY THE ENGINE 3 YEARS AND 75,000 MILES. I FIGURED THIS CORRECTED THE ISSUES WITH THE SPARK PLUGS BLOWING OUT. WELL AT THE 4 YEAR POINT AND APPROXIMATE 25,000 MILES THE NEW ENGINE BLEW A PLUG. FORD AND THE DEALER (WHOM WE PURCHASED THE ENGINE FROM) SAY IT IS OUR PROBLEM. THE DEALER (PARTS MANAGER) ACTUALLY SAID SINCE I WAS NOT A FREQUENT CUSTOMER AND HAD PURCHASED THE TRUCK USED THEY DID NOT SEE A WAY TO HELP. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET AND BELIEVE IT IS DESIGN FLAW IN THE HEAD. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING STEEL INSERTS PUT IN ALL OF THE SPARK PLUG HOLES SO I MIGHT GET USE OUT OF A HEFTY INVESTMENT IN A MOTOR WITH A KNOWN ISSUE WHICH FORD WILL NOT BACK. I OWN A FORD CROWN VICTORY, A MERCURY MARQUIS LS, AND THE F-150 TRUCK . . . THESE ARE THE LAST VEHICLES I WILL OWN FROM FORD. *TR

WHILE DRIVING 45MPH ON SUBURBAN TWO LANE HIGHWAY I HEARD A LOUD BANG AND SUBSEQUENT RHYTHMIC POPPING SOUND ACCOMPANIED BY AN ENGINE MISFIRING. UPON INSPECTION I FOUND THE # 4 CYLINDER SPARK PLUG LYING ON THE VALVE COVER; UN ATTACHED TO THE CYLINDER HEAD. THE MECHANIC FOUND THE THREADS "BLOWN OUT" OF THE HEAD AND HAD TO UTILIZE A HELI-COIL KIT TO REPAIR. THE SPARK PLUG WAS A MOTORCRAFT ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT PART. THIS SEEMS TO BE A PREVALENT PROBLEM WITH THE TRITON 5.4 LITER ENGINE. I SUSPECT THE PROBLEM ORIGINATING FROM UNDUE STRESS FRACTURES IN THE ALUMINUM HEAD AFTER CONTINUED USE AND INHERENT THERMAL DIFFERENTIAL RATES (EXPANSIONS/CONTRACTIONS) OF THE TWO DIFFERENT METALS; I.E. STEEL SPARK PLUG VS. ALUMINUM ALLOY HEAD. POOR ENGINEERING !! I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE F150 WITH 140K MILES. *TR

I OWN A 1999 FORD F-150, 5.4L V-8 TRITON. I RECENTLY HAD A TUNE UP IN DECEMBER 2010 WITH ALL EIGHT SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES CHANGED OUT FOR A MERE $700. IN FEB 2011, AS I WAS TAKING MY CHILDREN TO SCHOOL, I HEARD A LOUD POP THEN MY ENGINE STARTED TO SOUND LIKE A TRACTOR WITHOUT A MUFFLER ON IT. I PULLED OVER AND CALLED WRECKER TO RETURN THE TRUCK TO MY HOUSE, OUT OF POCKET $60, NOT KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT ENGINES. I CALLED THE REPAIR CENTER WHO THEN HAD IT TRANSFERRED BACK TO THEIR SHOP FOR REPAIR. THE #8 PLUG HAD COMPLETELY SHOT OUT RIPPING THE COIL WITH IT. THEY FIXED THAT, NOW TWO WEEKS LATER, THE #7 PLUG IS FOULED ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN AND A FINANCIAL BURDEN, AS I READ OTHER STATEMENTS OF THE SAME DEFECTIVE ISSUES WITH FORD, CONSIDERING FIRE COULD HAVE BEEN A RESULT. PLEASE RE-OPEN THIS INVESTIGATION AND FORCE FORD TO ISSUE RECALL SO THAT THOSE OF US WHO ARE FINANCIALLY STRAPPED CAN HAVE OUR TRUCKS REPAIRED. OTHERWISE I CAN ASSURE THAT I WILL NEVER BUY FORD PRODUCT AGAIN. *TR

1999 FORD TRITON 5,4L. #2 SPARKPLUG THREAD FAILURE. THE SPARKPLUG WAS BLOWN OUT OF HEAD AND IGNITED A SMALL FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. *TR

BLOWN SPARK PLUG FROM FORD TRITON V10 ENGINE WHICH CAN CAUSE A MAJOR FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *TR

I NOTICED A TICKING NOISE WHICH SOUNDED LIKE AN EXHAUST MANIFOLD LEAK FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS AND JUST TODAY I WAS TAKING OFF FROM A STOP SIGN WHEN THE SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF THE HEAD CREATING A LOUD KNOCKING/TICKING NOISE. I HAVE NOT HAD IT FIXED YET, BUT FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THIS CAN CREATE ENGINE FIRES WHICH CAN BE A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

FORD F-150 5.4L TRITON ENGINE - BLOWN OUT SPARK PLUG...PLUG EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE WHILE - SMOKE, MINOR FIRE... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SINCE 2007, FOUR SPARK PLUGS WORKED THEIR WAY OUT OF THE HEAD AND BLEW OUT THE CYLINDER. EACH TIME, HE WOULD INSTALL A NEW PLUG AND IGNITION COIL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP. THE CONTACT HAD NOT SPOKEN WITH THE MANUFACTURER AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 145,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000

I OWN A 1999 FORD F150, THE SPARKPLUG BLEW UP AS I WAS DRIVING TO WORK. I HEARD A LOUD POP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD F150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN JULY 2009 WHILE DRIVING, THE COIL PACK BECAME DISLOCATED ALONG WITH A SMALL PIECE OF THE SPARK PLUG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE THREADING ON THE SPARK PLUGS WAS NOT SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO HOLD IT IN PLACE, CAUSING THE PLUGS TO FAIL DUE TO ENGINE MOVEMENT. THE FUEL LINE WAS LOCATED ABOVE THE SPARK PLUGS AND THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT IF THE SPARK PLUGS FAILED, A FIRE COULD RESULT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE COIL PACK WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN IN JULY 2010. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AGAIN BY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 137,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 123,179.

I HAD JUST GOT OFF WORK AND WAS LEAVING THE PARKING AREA AND BLEW OUT THE NUMBER 4 SPARKPLUG ON THE RIGHT SIDE HEAD. I SHUT OFF THE MY TRUCK AND PARKED IT. I CALLED A FRIEND THAT LIVES CLOSE FOR A RIDE HOME. THE NEXT MORNING I DROVE BACK TO THE PLANT AND TOOK MY TRUCK TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID THAT I SHOULD REPLACE THE HEAD OR INSTALL A HELICOIL AND ALSO REPLACE THE SPARK PLUG AND COIL PACK. SO I HAD THEM INSTALL THE HELICOIL AND REPLACE THE DAMAGED PARTS. LESS THEN A MONTH LATER I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON THE I 90 AND I BLOW OUT THE NUMBER 5 CYLINDER SPARK PLUG AND THIS TIME IT TOOK OUT THE PLASTIC SHIELD AND RIPPED THE SPARK PLUG AND THE COIL PACK OFF HE TRUCK. I HAVE NOT DONE ANY THING BUT CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY ABOUT THIS AT THIS TIME. THERE SUGGESTION WAS TO REPLACE THE HEADS MY SELF AT A COST OF 6,000 DOLLARS. *TR

I OWN A USED 1999 FORD F-150 5.4L ENGINE. IT HAS APPROXIMATELY 117,500 MILES. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN CALIFORNIA YESTERDAY, I HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING TYPE NOISE. I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING OPENED THE HOOD. JUST AS I DID, THE SPARK PLUG EJECTED FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD AND CAME WITHIN 3" OF MY SKULL ALMOST KILLING ME. TOOK IT RIGHT OVER TO THE POWER FORD DEALER IN TUSTIN, CA. THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME A DIAGNOSIS FEE TO TELL ME WHAT I ALREADY KNOW. I TOLD THEM THEY BETTER ASSURE ME THAT THE REMAINING 7 PLUGS WON'T DO THE SAME THING OR I MAY HAVE BEEN KILLED AND A LAW SUIT WOULD HAVE BEEN A DEFINITE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND OUT OF WARRANTY SO TO SPEAK, BUT IT A UNIQUE PROBLEM ALL IT'S OWN. THIS HAS TO LEAD TO A RECALL. IT IS FAR TO DANGEROUS AND IN LIGHT OF WHAT HAS COME UP WITH TOYOTA RECENTLY WE CANNOT ALLOW THESE THINGS , THESE SERIOUS DANGER TO CONTINUE TO BE ALLOWED TO SAVE FORD A FEW $. I AM ALSO GOING TO WRITE TO CONGRESS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 1999 FORD F150 4X4 WITH 5.4L ENGINE HOME FROM WORK AND STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I PROCEEDED TO GO AND THEN "POW" THE TRUCK BEGAN TO MAKE A LOUD "POPPING" NOISE AND LOST ALL ENGINE POWER. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION AND SOMEHOW MANAGED TO KEEP IT RUNNING LONG ENOUGH TO GET THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND ON A SIDE ROAD. I HESITATED TO OPEN THE HOOD BECAUSE OF THE STRONG GASOLINE SMELL BUT IT WASN'T ON FIRE "YET" SO I OPENED IT AND FOUND ONE OF MY IGNITION COILS (COIL PACKS) LOOSE ON TOP OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I REALIZED THE SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN OUT OF THE ALUMINUM CYLINDER HEAD. I WAS ABLE TO CATCH A RIDE TO THE AUTO PARTS STORE WITH COIL AND PLUG IN HAND. THE SALESMAN AT THE STORE IMMEDIATELY KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND EVEN KNEW THE ENGINE WAS A 5.4L BEFORE BEING TOLD. HE SAID THAT IF I WAS LUCKY I WOULD PROBABLY JUST HAVE TO INSTALL A HELICOIL OR THREADED INSERT IN IT. THE OTHER OPTION WAS TO REPLACE THE CYLINDER HEAD. I PURCHASED NEW COIL AND PLUG THEN DROVE BACK TO MY TRUCK. I TRIED TO CLEAN THE THREADS WITH A SPARK PLUG THREAD CHASER BUT THERE WERE NO THREADS LEFT TO CLEAN. I SEARCHED THE WEB AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME ISSUE. SOME PEOPLE SAID THEY HAD MULTIPLE SPARK PLUGS BLOW OUT OR "SPIT OUT" ON THE SAME VEHICLE. WHY DOESN'T FORD HAVE A RECALL ON THIS? THE GASOLINE SMELL WAS DUE TO THE FUEL INJECTOR STILL SPRAYING WHILE THE PLUG WAS BLOWN OUT OF THE HEAD. WHAT IF IT HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE? I HAVEN'T REPAIRED IT YET BUT WILL TRY THE "REPAIR KIT" THAT WAS HANDED TO ME WHEN I BOUGHT THE COIL AND PLUG. I THINK FORD SHOULD RECALL ALL THE 5.4L ENGINES THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND INSTALL THE HELICOIL OR INSERT TO PREVENT A CUSTOMER BREAKDOWN OR A POTENTIAL VEHICLE FIRE. *TR

MY 1999 FORD F150 WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY NEXT TO THE HOUSE. APPARENTLY IT SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTED. IT IS NOW A BURNED-OUT SHELL OF A TRUCK. FORTUNATELY, MY WIFE WAS WORKING FROM HOME AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPT SO THE HOUSE DID NOT SUFFER MUCH DAMAGE. I DID LOSE A FEW THOUSAND $ WORTH OF TOOLS IN THE TRUCK. *TR

AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 10-12 MILES, I PARKED IT IN THE DRIVEWAY. ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER MY WIFE AND I SMELLED SMOKE. WHEN I INVESTIGATED, I FOUND ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE TRUCK IN FLAMES. THE FIRE APPEARED TO HAVE STARTED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ABOVE THE FRONT WHEEL. FIRE COMPANY WAS REQUIRED TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES. EVERYTHING FORWARD OFTHE FIREWALL WAS DESTROYED. *TR

SPARK PLUG BLOWOUT ON 1999 FORD F150 WITH 5.4L TRITON V8. IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE FORD MODULAR ENGINES. TODAY, I HEARD A LOUD POP COME FROM MY ENGINE BAY AS I ACCELERATED AND THEN THE SOUND OF WHAT SEEMED TO BE A MASSIVE EXHAUST MANIFOLD LEAK. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, I FOUND THAT THE SPARK PLUG ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE HAD EJECTED AND BROKE THE COIL WITH IT. I WAS LUCKY THAT IT HAD ONLY DAMAGED THE THREADS ON THE SPARK PLUG AND SHEARED THE COIL AT ITS MOUNT, INSTEAD OF DAMAGING THE THREADS ON THE HEAD, BUT FROM READING THE MULTIPLE OTHER STORIES ONLINE ABOUT THIS HAPPENING, IT SEEMS THAT I AM LUCKIER THAN MOST. I WAS ABLE TO REPAIR IT BY REPLACING THE SPARK PLUG, BOOT, AND COIL, BUT FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN, MOST PEOPLE HAVE TO REPLACE THE HEAD WHEN IT HAPPENS. I DON'T SEE WHY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL SINCE IT CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO SCARING A DRIVER WHEN THEY HEAR A LOUD EXPLOSION IN THE ENGINE WHEN IT HAPPENS, OR POSSIBLY KILLING SOMEONE AS FUEL/AIR VAPORS ESCAPE THE ENGINE AND THE SPARK PLUG COULD POSSIBLY IGNITE IT OUTSIDE THE ENGINE, AND BEING RIGHT NEXT TO THE FUEL RAIL AND INJECTORS, POSSIBLY CAUSE MASSIVE FIRE DAMAGE WITH ITS OCCUPANTS STILL INSIDE THE VEHICLE. PLEASE TELL FORD TO RECALL THIS PROBLEM. I SEE THE FIX BEING AS SIMPLE AS PUTTING STRONGER THREAD INSERTS TO PREVENT THE SPARK PLUGS FROM EJECTING. ITS RIDICULOUS US AS CAR OWNERS SHOULD HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY PAY BIG BUCKS FOR A FAULTY ENGINE DESIGN THAT FORD REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR FIX. *JB *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 1999 FORD F150. WHILE DRIVING AT 55MPH THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE GARAGE. HE WAS INFORMED THE MOTOR HEAD SENDING UNIT HAD TO BE REPLACED, BUT THE MOTOR HEAD HOLE WAS DEFECTIVE BECAUSE IT WAS DRILLED TOO LARGE.THE GARAGE WAS NOT ABLE TO REPLACE THE MOTOR HEAD IN A TIMELY MANNER. THE TOTAL COST FOR REPAIR WAS $700.00.THE CONTACT CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE . THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

WENT OUTSIDE TO START MY TRUCK 1999 FORD F-150 5.4L. AS SOON AS I STARTED THE TRUCK I HEARD A LOUD BANGING, SHUT THE TRUCK OFF, OPEN THE HOOD, AND A SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN OUT THE HEAD RIPPING ALL THE THREADS OUT AND BREAKING THE COIL. SO NOW MY $14000 TRUCK IS USELESS. MY ONLY OPTIONS INCLUDE $3000 FOR NEW HEADS OR A HELI COIL KIT WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY ALLOW THE SAME PROBLEM OR WORSE TO OCCUR. *TR

ACCELERATING ON RAMP TO FREEWAY HEARD A LOUD BANG, VEHICLE LOST POWER AND ENGINE RAN ROUGH WHILE MAKING LOUD UNMUFFLED NOISE. FOUND THAT VEHICLE HAD BLOWN OUT #6 SPARK PLUG. FORD F-150 WITH 5.4L ENGINE, WITH 120,000, ORIGINAL OWNER. FOUND NUMEROUS INTERNET POSTINGS ON THIS PROBLEM. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER, NO RECALLS OR ASSISTANCE. MAKERS FIX IS TO REPLACE HEADS, AT CUSTOMER EXPENSE. FOUND SHOP OFFERING IN VEHICLE REPAIR, AND EXPECT REPAIRS TO BE DONE SHORTLY. *TR

SPARK PLUG BLOWOUT ON FORD TRITON V8 ENGINE, 5.4 LITER. *TR

TRUCK ENGINE STARTED TO CUT OUT. OCCURS EVERY FEW HUNDRED MILES, REQUIRES PART REPLACEMENT. THE CAM POSITION SENSOR IS THE PART THAT CONTINUES TO FAIL. REPLACEMENT FIXES IT. *TR

ONE OF THE SPARK PLUGS ON MY 1999 FORD F-150 SIMPLY BLEW OUT OF THE HEAD WHILE DRIVING AT A MERE 15 MPH. AFTER INSPECTION, THAT PLUG WAS EJECTED CLEAR OF THE VEHICLE, NEVER TO BE FOUND, ALONG WITH ALL OF THE THREADS THAT IT WAS SCREWED INTO. *TR