Problems with 2002 Ford Expedition ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Engine blew out #3 spark plug. ford dealer said that this is normal! could cause engine fire by igniting fuel vapors from cylinder. *js

# 3 spark plug blew out of head. i was told my ford dealer its common and ford will not issue a recall. triton engines are faulty and ford knew they sold a bad engine for years, the government must step in. i need a refund. *tr

I have had six occurrences of a spark plug blowing out of the cylinder head. each time, it blew the coil off also. the dangerous popping and vapors that blow from the now open head are a serious ignition hazard in the engine bay. it is not always the same plug that has blown out. three times this has happened, the threads that the plug goes into are stripped. through research, it appears this is a common problem and although i did not encounter a fire due to the vapors under the hood, it has happened to others before. this is a problem that the manufacturer knows about and is unwilling to do anything about. each time the repair is expensive and the uncertainty of if/when it will happen again is unacceptable. *tr

Started vehicle and began to drive when spark plug flew out of engine again. this is the third time this has happened and ford won't do anything about it. they claim that there is no problem when hundreds of people have had this happened. very costly, time consuming, and stressful. this should never happen and ford should take responsibility. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford expedition. the contact was accelerating from a stop when the vehicle exhibited an abnormal noise and smoke was seen coming from under the hood. the contact stopped the vehicle and found that a fire had started in the engine. the contact was able to extinguish the fire and drive the vehicle home. the contact found that a spark plug had blown and caused the engine fire. the spark plug was replaced but the failure recurred four times and each time, the spark plug was replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure who advised the contact that there were no recalls for the vehicle. a complaint was filed with the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 145,000 and the current mileage was 149,000.

While driving i heard a pop and learned that the #3 spark plug popped out of the engine at 174k miles. this was the 2nd time it has happened on my 02 expedition as it also happened at 158k miles. *tr

Ford triton 4.6l engine spark plug blow-out occurred turning a corner at 30. the vehicle immediately started sputtering and lost power. i had to immediately pull over and get the vehicle off the road. the spark plug had been completely blown out of the engine block and taken some additional head with it.

While entering a highway (i-75) heard a loud noise from the engine. after having the vehicle towed to a shop, it was determined that one of the spark plugs had blown out of the engine. in january 2012 the same thing happened at start up again it was determined that a spark plug had blown out of the engine. february 2012 (today) apparently the same has occurred while entering a highway (i-75), i have not had a shop look at it yet. i believe this is very dangerous because fuel vapors could leak out of the spark plug hole and cause a fire or explosion. *tr

1. driving, 35mph 2. spark plug blew out of #2 cylinder, damaging coil 3. vehicle currently waiting for mechanic to check seals and head to determine extent of damage. *tr

While driving my 2002 ford expedition (5.4l) on the interstate, i heard a loud pop and the vehicle immediately lost power and decelerated in heavy traffic. the nearby ford dealer determined that the no.7 spark plug had "blown out". the dealer indicated that they "see this all the time" with this engine. the vehicle was at the same dealer a few weeks prior, and had the no.8 spark plug replaced (while addressing an ignition coil problem).

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford expedition. the contact was driving approximately 20 mph when the vehicle exhibited an extremely loud explosion from under the hood. the vehicle was towed to the contacts place or residence. the contact stated that he further inspected the vehicle and discovered that the spark plug had blown out from the cylinder head. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 104,000.

I own a 2002 ford expedition with a triton 5.4l v* engine. while driving i heard a loud ticking type noise from the engine. i immediately pulled the vehicle over. my mechanic stated that a spark plug had been ejected from the block. he stated that this is a common problem with the ford triton engines. i feel that ford should make this right with the consumers that have had trouble with this. i have yet to find a mechanic that will do the repairs for a reasonable amount. the truck has been sitting in the driveway for 3 months, un-driveable. i have not been able to get the repairs done and fear driving it due to the risk of fire and engine failure.

Spark plug ejecting from cylinder 3 blowing out ignition coil. *tr

Well we were just driving home when the spark plug of our ford expedition just shot out of the cylinder head and we cant replace it because its too much money for us. *tr

I'm not sure this is going to do any good, because i am not the first to lodge this complaint. nothing has been done so far. this is the 5th time that this particular incident has happened to me. the most recent was yesterday 2/29/2012. i am very grateful that i was driving each time and not my wife or kids. i have a 2002 ford expedition and on 5 different occasions over a two year period, while driving on the highway and around the neighborhood, the spark plugs have blown out of the cylinder heads. it has not always been the same plug. on 3 of the occasions the coils broke off. i don't understand why me or anyone else as consumers has to pay for the mistakes of ford's poor design flaws. there is no reason why this has not been a recall item. it is clearly a safety issue. if they can recall a running board light, then why have they not been forced to recall this item? i hope that it doesn't come down to someone losing their lives, before something is done. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford expedition. the contact stated the vehicle was parked in his driveway when it caught on fire. the fire department was able to extinguish the fire. there were no injuries. a fire report was available. the contact stated the spark plugs blew out at the cylinder head causing the fuel rail to bend and resulting in a fuel leak that started the fire. the engine was severely damaged. the contact's insurance company advised that the fire originated from a pre-existing failure in the vehicle and would not cover his claim. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where he was advised they were aware of the failure yet would not provide any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 190,000.

2002 ford expedition, original factory spark plug was violently ejected from the engine during normal operation. spark plug smashed through fuel injector and dented the hood. had someone been servicing the engine the injuries could have been severe. ford motor company refuses to call this a defect and area dealerships want to charge $700 to $3300 to fix this issue. there have been thousands of complaints and this motor design problem should be recalled and fixed by ford motor company. *tr

Spark plug blowout of ford v8 triton motor. recently replaced motor due to old motor failure. 5/16/2010 loud pop noise and gas leak, motor sounded like a "harley davidson motorcycle" stopped dead in its track in the middle of the road. two children and myself in the vehicle. strong gasoline smell and horrible sound, unable to drive vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford expedition. after parking the vehicle, the contact came outside to see the vehicle engulfed in flames which were coming from under the hood. the fire department extinguished the fire. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were approximately 200,010.

I have had two spark plugs blow out of my 2002 ford expedition 5.4l v8. the first blew out after pulling out of an intersection from a dead stop. the second was the #2 plug. i was pulling a travel trailer through mountains on a highway. first noticed was a reduction in power for about 60 miles. then after rounding the top of the mountain, letting off the gas to go down the hill, the plug blew out. *tr

Spark plug was blown out of engine head of 2002 ford expedition with 4.6l v8 engine with 89,100 miles. *tr

The # 5 spark plug ejected from the head of a 2002 ford expedition 4.6 litre while exiting the freeway. the repair involved tear down of the top of the motor to properly fix at a cost of about $600.00 in parts and a weekend of my time. repairs included repairing the plug hole by removing the head. this means that the radiator, fan, throttle body, intake, valve covers, exhaust manifold and head all be removed, resulting in gasket replacement as well. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford expedition. the contact observed while the vehicle was parked in the driveway flames and smoke expelled from the vehicle. immediately, the fire was extinguished with the fire extinguisher, and the fire department was not called to the scene. the manufacturer was notified and stated there would be forms mailed concerning the failure which had not been received at the time of the complaint. the vehicle was in the process of being investigated by the insurance company. the failure mileage was 148,592. the current mileage was 148,592.

Ford expedition 2002 fire. in driveway

March 17, 2010 i was stopped at a traffic light on leland and loveridge with my 4 small children in the vehicle. the light turned green, i stepped on the gas and heard a pop. then a continous extremely loud popping noise. i turned into the arco and had the vehicle towed. the car was taken to rivera auto repair inc. on march 22, 2010. the #3 spark plugged had popped out. they had to do a sleeve and replaced the spark plugs along with the ignition coil on the plug. after my research, this is very common in the 2002 expeditions because of a defect in the engine. at the time of incident, i had 81909 miles on the vehicle. i do have the old parts. it seems that ford is aware of this problem but refuses to do anything about it. i am glad i was not on a freway. they must be waiting for someone to get killed from this defect. here is a website with several complaints like mines, spark plugs popping out on their own. including # 3 like mines. http://www.aboutautomobile.com/complaint/2002/ford/expedition/engine consequences to such problem can be loss of power, fuel spurting out of the plug opening into the engine compartment, fires can start from vapors being ignited by loose spark plugs. ultimate consequence would be death. i don't feel i should be responsible for the repair bill when ford has been aware of this defect in their engine. there is consensus that the spark plug threads on the engine are not strong enough to hold the spark plugs because they're aluminum. please investigate this complaint before someone gets seriously injured or dies from the result of a blown spark plug since it appears to be very common on these types of vehicles. thank you!

We own a 2002 ford expedition with about 115,000 miles on it. right when we rolled over 100,000, we have had multiple instances of the spark plugs blowing right out of the engine. each spark plug repair has cost us between $300-$500 plus towing. the car will have no real sign that it's about to blow a plug. which is scary of where you may be stuck when the thing decides to go. the last time (yesterday) that this happened, we were told that the car would need new heads ( a $3500 repair). we have researched this problem, and it is not unique to us as ford owners. complaint upon complaint can be found of the same problem at around the same mileage. ford claims to not be responsible, however they have since repaired the spark plug flaw in newer ford cars and trucks. the problem lies in that the spark plugs don't have enough threading, which causes them to shoot right out of the engine. if they have realized their flaw enough to change it, then they should take on the responsibility in repairing the cars/trucks that are on the road with this problem, and repairing people's pocket books that have already had to shovel out the funds to pay the repairs. *tr

Spark plug explode,when driving at 45mph, car warranty insurance deny claim due that they said is for a bad torque, however those were installed at factory. *tr

While driving my youngest daughter to school there was a loud bang from under the hood and a noticeable loss of power. it sounded like the car had a severe exhaust leak. when taken to my local dealer i was informed that a spark plug had blown out of the engine and that this was a very common occurrence with the 2002 5.4 liter engine. i was told that repairs would run anywhere from $700 to $3500. *tr

After pulling out from a stop sign i had a spark plug blow out of my 5.4l v8 in a 2002 ford expedition. *tr

My 2002 ford expedition with less than 49,000 original miles blew a spark plug and blew a hole in #3 cylinder on january 17, 2010. the vehicle was towed to jack madden ford in norwood, massachusetts and was repaired by repairing spark plug hole and replacing spark plug, ignition assembly coil and installing a helicoil at a cost of $813.00 plus $21 towing fee. after going on-line i saw that this is a common problem with the engine in my vehicle which is a ford triton 5.4 v-8. i've also since learned this problem can lead to fires due to fuel vapor being ignited by loose spark plugs. all engine work on my vehicle is always done by ford dealers! i believe there should be a recall. there is consensus that the spark plug threads on the engine aren't strong enough to hold the spark plugs because they're aluminum from what i am reading from different web-sites on the internet. if you blow one plug you can blow any of the remaining plugs at any given time. any plugs ever installed in my vehicle or replaced were done by ford certified mechanics at ford dealers so there shouldn't be any complaints of incorrect torqueing of plugs as ford seems to be claiming. i understand this would be a costly recall for ford but one that should be initiated by nhtsa. *tr

I own a 2002 ford expedition. the spark plug popped out of the engine head on two occasions. the first time it happened was on thanksgiving, 11/26/2009. the engine was smoking and it smelled like gasoline. my mechanic said this is happening to fords all over the country and that it is documented all over the internet if you do a "google " search on ford spark plugs popping. the repair cost me $500. on january 8, 2010, another spark plug popped out from a different cylinder. the truck is in the shop now. my mechanic advised me not to put new ford heads on the truck because the new heads will have the same defect. i expect this new repair to cost $500 as well. ford needs to be ordered to issue a recall. this is a dangerous defect that can cause a fire or an explosion under the hood due to the gas vapors being pumped into the engine compartment while the popped out plug is still sparking. i was fortunate to shut down the engine when i started to smell the strong gas fumes. *tr

The #3 spark plug blew out of the engine of my 2002 ford expedition while traveling at 65 mph on a crowded four lane highway. we could have easily been in a severe accident but were able to safely navigate our way to the side of the road. *tr

6 days after having sparkplug #5 blow out of the cylinder #4 blew out. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford expedition. after being parked for two hours, he was advised that his vehicle caught on fire. the fire dept stated the fire initiated within the engine compartment. the fire report number was not available. the manufacturer took report number 0589603419. the manufacturer stated an investigator would be sent within fifteen days to inspect the vehicle. the failure and current mileages were 150,000.

2002 ford expedition blew two (2) sparkplugs out in one week. had #5 fixed at a ford dealer, 6 days later #4 blew out. *tr

Spark plug pooped out of my truck twice now...lost power....fuel spurting out of the plug opening into the engine compartment....very costly repairs. it is happening all over the united states....probably worse issues then the current toyota recall in progress now. go to this web-site and learn more:http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_spark.html . i am afraid of driving this truck now since this issue is dangerous...to lose power while driving on the highway and gas coming out into the engine compartment. *tr

Spark plugs blow out of head two in two months last one burn a hole in head beside number 7 spark plug and was on fire. *tr

Ford triton engine spitting spark-plugs out of engine resulting in gasoline being sprayed all over engine. costly repairs are minimum $400+. this has happened 4 times to me and i can anticipate it happening on the remaining 4 cylinders in my 2002 ford expedition. as a result of this problem ford is aware of, gasoline is being sprayed on 1000's of engines when this happens. bad design by ford. aluminum heads on iron engine. duh. my investigation has determined that there are 1000's of ford owner who have experienced this same problem yet ford is unwilling to do anything about it. their repair shops will charge anywhere from $400 to $1600 to repair the problem. please address this issue before my remaining 4 cylinders go and i will have to pay to get this bad design repaired. thank you. *tr

2002 ford expedition spark plug ejection. #3 spark plug shot out of engine stripping threads and requiring an expensive repair. *tr

2002 ford expedition - back passenger side spark plug blew out. car was pushed to mechanic who was luckily close by at time of blow out. spark plug was completely blown out, the coil was broken and the intake manifold had to be removed to facilitate repair. total bill: over $1300. ford knows about this problem - it is widely reported on the internet - but yet they do nothing to help their consumers. *tr

2002 ford expedition spark plug blow out. what the '!@#$%... if this is such a huge problem, why isn't anyone taking responsibility. oh ya they want our money for a problem they are aware of... *tr

I have a 2002 ford expedition and have now twice in the last 6 months have had to have it repaired for the spark plug ejection fro, the motor. the vehicle gave way with its power right in the middle of the intersection. i feel this is a defect and that ford should take some ownership, it only has 75 thousand miles on it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford expedition. while driving 40 mph, one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 182,000.

Ford spark plug blow out defect. it is a known defect thousands have experienced. it is where the spark shoots out of engine head stripping threads and damaging the head and sometimes causing fire. my car had this happen and now i am stranded. there are some temporary fixes but no permanent fix. the helicoil can come out. you can replace the engine but it will have the same defect. my car is a 2002 ford expedition 4.6 triton v8. it is affecting 1997 through 2004. ford is aware but says they wont fix it. i am going to try class action. this can cause fire. this is a 9 passenger vehicle used to carry my kids if it catches fire from it i may not get everyone out in time. *tr

Hello we have a 2002 ford expedition with the 5.4 yesterday it blew a plug. we have kept very good care of this vehicle and should not have had this problem we are a family of 5 and the only thing ford wants to do is put in a new motor or sale me a new car this is not right, this is a on going problem with these motors to fix this problem it will be $500 to try and retap the hole for the spark plug that may or may not hold or $5000 to rebuild the motor. can someone help us. tim *tr

I drive a 2002 ford expedition with a 5.4 triton v8 engine. i have had 2 of the exact same failures on the exact same vehicle. they both were blown out spark plugs! the first was april 24, 2007 and the second was feb. 10, 2009. the first one occurred at 77,402 miles on the vehicle and the second happened at 91,651 miles. i am livid with rage at an problem that i have now learned is very common with this engine. this is an obvious defect with this vehicle and something that can continue to occur over and over since there is nothing to be done about it according to the ford dealer shop service manager who repaired the problem on feb. 10, 2009. i have spent a total of $569.75 for these 2 repairs! and obviously feel it will happen again. how can it not? there were not any events or warnings this was going to happen! it just blew out the spark plug and of course could not be driven and required towing. the parts that were replaced/repaired were on both cases a coil assembly and spark plug, rethreading for the plug. i have no old parts and was not given any. why this has not been recalled is beyond my understanding since it will happen again due to the aluminum head that was installed on these vehicles when they were built by ford. that is what the ford dealer service manager told me, in fact. it heats up and gets way to hot than it blows the spark plug! i do not think i should be responsible for repairing/replacing the head in case that would ever happen which it could. ford screwed up on this one. make them pay to fix this ongoing problem please! i cannot afford to buy a new car. *tr

Spark plug #3 blew while traveling with children on the highway resulting in engine damage, repairs of $4000. *tr

My wife and i were going to eat and the vehicle started running rough. i told her to pull over and pop the hood. i got out, opened the hood and there was a fire on the drivers side of the engine compartment. i attempted to put it out but was unsuccessful. *tr

Spark plug ejected from engine. *tr

The spark plug in my 2002 ford expedition blew out while i was driving the speed limit on the highway. after this happened, i tried unsuccessfully to get my car repaired at a non-dealer mechanic. every mechanic i called said that they would not touch my car because of the engine and the threads being insufficient. and that most of the repairs are not lasting so the situation escalates to the point where they are losing money to fix this problem that they did not create. the dealer fixed my car and said that the fix has no warranty even though it cost me $1116.98 to repair. i was also told that the problem is common. and that 1 in 100 of the repairs do not hold. the spark plug repair is recommended at the 100k tune-up mark. my car has had all maintenance recommended by the manufacturing including the every 3k mile oil changes. this should not have happened to my car. it was near but not over the 100k mark. and even if the spark plugs had been changed as recommended, the coil would have still blown because the problem is with the thread on the engine, not the plug itself. this item should be recalled and ford knows that they are responsible for putting safe cars on the roads. thank you, vicki bezio *tr