NUMBER 3 SPARKPLUG AND COIL FLEW OUT OF THE ENGINE
1999 Ford F Series
Owners filed 36 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling. No safety recall has been issued.
29 complaints record an odometer reading. Failures cluster around 75,000–90,000 miles.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tires | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fuel System, Gasoline › Carburetor System | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Electrical System | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System › Heater Core | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsWHILE INSPECTING MY VEHICLE FOR FUEL STRAP RECALL 11S21, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE FRAME OF MY F150 WAS RUSTED THROUGH AT THE LOCATION WHERE THE NEW STRAP WOULD BE INSTALLED. MY FORD DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT REPLACE THE RECALLED STRAP UNTIL THE FRAME WAS REPAIRED (AT MY EXPENSE). FORD DOES NOT REPAIR THE FRAME UNDER THE RECALL, ONLY REPLACES THE STRAP. I FEEL THAT FORD SHOULD DO THE FRAME REPAIR AS PART OF THE RECALL, AS THE STRAP WAS LESS RUSTY THAN THE FRAME. THE STRAPS, IN MY OPINION, WERE OF SIMILAR QUALITY AS THE FRAME, ONLY THINNER METAL. MY TRUCK HAS BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED, BUT THE UNDERCARRIAGE HAS BEEN RUSTING EXCESSIVELY SINCE NEW. I OWN MUCH OLDER FORD VEHICLES WITH NO SUCH ISSUE; MY OPINION IS THAT FORD SOURCED POOR QUALITY MATERIALS WHEN BUILDING THESE MODEL YEAR TRUCKS. I ALSO HAVE RUST HOLES IN THE TRANSMISSION DIPSTICK TUBE AND EXHAUST MANIFOLDS. NO REASON FOR THIS EXCESSIVE CORROSION, SINCE I HAVE BEEN DILIGENT ABOUT MAINTAINING THIS TRUCK. MY 1982 FORD VAN HAS NO SUCH ISSUES, AND IT HAS NOT BEEN CARED FOR AS WELL AS THIS TRUCK. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP.
DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE SUFFERED TREAD SEPARATION AFTER APX 1 HOUR AROUND 70 MPH. TIRE PRESSURE WAS CHECKED / INFLATED TO MAX COLD PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. AIR TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE LOW 80S. I AM PROVIDING THIS INFORMATION IN CASE YOU TRACK SUCH INCIDENTS. NO RESPONSE IS REQUIRED. COOPER DISCOVERER H/T 255/70 R16 DOT UPCU C5U 2808. *TR
ON JULY 28TH AROUND 3:00 AM THERE WAS A STORM EARLIER IN THE NIGHT AND A TREE TOP FELL INTO THE ROAD AND I WENTTO APPLY THE BRAKES THEY LOCKED UP CAUSING ME TO FISH TAIL AND LOSE CONTROL SPINNING AROUND TWICE MAKING ME STRIKE A TREE AND SPIN BACK AROUND AND NOSE DIVE DOWN AND EMBANKMENT AND LAND ON ALL FOUR WHEELS MESSED UP THE FRONT BUMPER LEFT FENDER LEFT DOOR CRACKED WINDSHIELD AND COMPLETELY WIPED OUT THE BED. *TR
I TOOK MY F-150 IN FOR A RECALL ON THE FUEL TANK STRAPS RUSTING, THE DEALERSHIP WAS NICK NICHOLAS FORD IN INVERNESS, FLORIDA. THEY TOLD ME MY FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING FROM RUST. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF FIXING IT. MY COMPLAINT IS IF THE STRAPS RUSTED AND CAUSED THE TANK TO RUST AND LEAK AT THE AREA WHERE THE STRAPS TOUCH THE TANK. WHY ISN'T THE TANK INCLUDED IN THE RECALL? THE RUSTED TANK LEAKING IS A CLEAR DANGER TO ME, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND OTHER DRIVERS. THE GAS NEVER DRIPPED ON THE GROUND SO I NEVER KNEW IT WAS LEAKING UNTIL I TOOK IT IN. *TR
FUEL TANK NOW LEAKS AFTER THE FORD DEALER REPLACED THE STRAPS (11S21 RECALL). THEY SAID THEY WILL NOT COVER THE TANK REPLACEMENT EVEN THOUGH THE TANK DID NOT LEAK BEFORE THEY REPLACED THE STRAPS! *TR
BRAKES BECAME MUSH, THEN LINES BURST IN BACK OVER TANK. MASTER CYLINDER WAS BONE DRY. *TR
INSIDE OF TIRE IS SEPARATING. LARGE BUBBLE , 4" X 6" IN SIZE. NO OTHER LEAKS OR PUNCTURES OR PATCHES/PLUGS IN TIRE. CAUSES EXTREME VIBRATIONS. HAD TO REMOVE AND REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES FOR SAFETY REASONS. 265 70R 17 WRANGLER AT/S *TR
FAILURE OF GAS TANK STRAP CAUSING FUEL TANK TO FALL. *TR
WHILE DRIVING, THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION, THEN ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND LOUD. MECHANIC STATED THAT DUE TO A FAULTY DESIGN, THE #7 SPARK PLUG HAD BEEN SHOT FROM THE ENGINE, DAMAGINE THE IGNITION COIL AND ALLOWING FUEL TO SPRAY FROM THE INJECTORS ONTO THE NOW LOOSE SPARK PLUG. MECHANIC STATED I WAS LUCKY THIS DID NOT RESULT IN AN ENGINE FIRE. ENGINE IS FORD 5.4L V8. MECHANIC EXPLAINED THAT THE DESIGN OF THE ENGINE MEANS THAT THE ALUMINUM HEADS HAVE APPROX. HALF AS MANY THREADS AS A NORMAL SPARK PLUG, MEANING THAT THIS IS A FREQUENT OCCURRENCE AND FORD IS AWARE OF THE FIRE RISK BUT HAS CHOSEN NOT TO ADDRESS. *TR
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
MY LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. *TR
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 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
ABS FAILURE ON A FORD 1999 F-150. I HAVE HAD THE ABS FAIL TWICE AND THIS TIME IT HAS BEEN IN THE FORD DEALERS SHOP FOR OVER 30 DAYS. IT IS AT MORRISTOWN FORD IN MORRISTOWN,TN.37814. EACH TIME MY BRAKES HAVE FAILED AND ALMOST CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THIS TIME THIS REPAIR WAS NOT AT MY FAULT, SERVICE WRITER STATED IT HAD MOISTURE IN THE MODULE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED? MORRISTOWN REPLACED THIS MODULE IN AUG. 2007, I FEEL I WAS SOLD A DEFECTIVE PART AND NOW THE ABS MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $600.00. I FEEL FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS REPAIR SINCE THE PART THAT WAS REPLACE MUST HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE SINCE SERVICE WRITER TOLD ME IT WAS MISSING GREASE THAT SHOULD HAVE PREVENTED MOISTURE. PLEASE HELP! *TR
THE BLEND DOOR THAT SEPARATES THE COLD AIR FROM THE HOT AIR BREAKS CAUSING NO HOT AIR TO BE RELEASED. THEREFORE NOT LETTING YOU DEFROST YOUR WINDSHIELD. THE WHOLE DASH HAS TO BE COMPLETELY REMOVED TO REPLACE THIS FREQUENTLY BREAKING PART. APROX $1100 IN DEALER REPAIRS. I HAVE FOUND IN NUMEROUS FORUMS AND ASKING DEALER TECH'S THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IF FORD PRODUCTS. *TR
BLEW OUT SPARKPLUGS AND BROKE BRACKET ON THE SIDE OF COIL PACKS. DON'T LIKE PAYING $85 A POP FOR FORD'S POOR DESIGN. PLUS THE HEALY COILS OR MAYBE THAT'S THE MOTIVE. THIS HAPPENED THREE DIFFERENT TIMES. *TR
MY CONCERN IS THE TEMPERATURE BLEND DOOR ON THE 1999 FORD EXPEDITION. THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THE PLASTIC ON THE DOOR CRACKING, CAUSING THE DOOR NOT TO OPEN OR CLOSE PROPERLY. LAST WINTER I COULD NOT GET MY HEAT ON TO DEFROST THE WINDSHIELD, AND WAS ALMOST IN A WRECK BECAUSE I HAD TO WIPE THE WINSHIELD MYSELF WITH A PAPER TOWEL. THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THIS DOOR WAS TO SEPARATE THE COLD FROM THE HOT AIR. FORD QUOTED ABOUT $1100.00 TO FIX THIS PART SINCE THE WHOLE DASHBOARD HAS TO BE REMOVED TO GET ACCESS TO THE PART. I HAVE NOT HAD TIME OR THE MONEY TO GET THIS PART FIXED. *AK
1999 FORD F-150 CAUGHT FIRE AND BURT TO THE GROUND IN A PARKING LOT. FIRE STARTED UNDER THE ENGINE COMPARTMANT STATED BY A WITNESS. THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING ABOUT 2 HOURS BEFORE IT CAUGHT FIRE. FOUND NUMEROUS RECALL ARTICLES ON THE WEB ABOUT A SWITCH CATCHING FIRE. *NM
DASH LIGHTS DON'T ALWAYS WORK MILEAGE LIGHT MOSTLY. *NM
20 of 36 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Across model years
Worst on record: 1997| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Deaths | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2007 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2006 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2005 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2004 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2003 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2002 | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 2001 | 44 | 1 | 10 | 0 | Routine |
| 2000 | 41 | 1 | 5 | 0 | Routine |
| 1999 — this page | 36 | 0 | 3 | 0 | Routine |
| 1998 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1997 | 47 | 0 | 9 | 0 | Routine |
| 1996 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | Routine |
| 1995 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 0 | Routine |
| 1994 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 0 | Routine |
| 1993 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 1992 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1991 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 1990 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
Reading this record
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.