Ford F-150.I have just had a problem with the spark plugs breaking off inside the cylinder head. We have always changed the spark plugs ourselves in any truck we have owned and never had this happen.
At 50, 000 miles my husband attempted to change the spark plugs on our Ford unaware of this expensive repair problem. The very first plug he tried to change broke off. We had the truck towed to our local dealership where we purchased the truck. The service manager told us he could get the broken piece out with a special tool. But in the end they could not remove it and still charged us $100.
At that time we were told the only way to remove the broken plug would be to pull the head at a cost of $1800. I had to buy the eight plugs through Ford at a price of $20 each. We told the service manager to go ahead and proceed with removing the cylinder head, take the broke piece out and put the new plug in and don't attempt to change the other 7 plugs.
It took over a week for our F-150 to be fixed. The day I arrived to pick it up I was told that the price I was given in the beginning had changed and it would be $1,000 more. This was due to the fact that after being told not to touch the other 7 plugs, they went ahead and did it anyway and broke them all. I was going to be charged for each one that broke even though the service department broke them off. I was furious and read them the riot act to say the least. I threw a fit and threatened a legal suite. The service manager agreed to original price of $1,800.
He had the nerve to tell me that he was paying the other $1,000 out of his pocket and if we felt the need we could always pay him back!!!!! Did he really think we were that stupid. That was nothing more than a write off on his mistake and admitted to it.
This F-150 is my husband's transportation for work and travels 150 miles per day round trip. He is a heavy equipment operator, therefore, has to haul diesel tanks and other supplies for his equipment. He is payed a daily rate for the use of his truck on the job. While Ford is kicking back, not worrying about the design defects of their vehicles that should have been recalls, my family is suffering not only from cost of repairs but the days he had to take off work to handle the problem. I have been fighting Ford Motor company but have gotten no where except they say there have been numerous complaints about this problem and no there is no recall. I do not believe Ford will ever put this out as as a recall because the cost would be devastating to them.
I have always been Ford fan until now. There is no loyalty when you need it. My opinion Ford needs to go under and fall off the map if this is the best they can do for their customers who are spending the amount of money we are for these trucks. I also took this same F-150 truck in with the driver door rattling. It would rattle so hard it would sound like someone banging on metal with a hammer. Service department's fix was to wrap black electrical tape around the latch. A recall part for the brake system also had to be replaced. I have replaced the battery. I am replacing the fuel pump today at a cost of $400 for pump and $150 for labor fees. I did not take it back to Ford place for repairs. I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER FORD !!!!! Mary.
Ford Blows Black Smoke
Question: Got a 2006 F450 xl super duty turbo diesel engine. I have replaced fuel filters...cranks up and runs...but when you give it throttle it spits an sputters,throws out black smoke...acts like its starving for fuel. put it out on road and ease on fuel and it will come out of it and run good till you have to stop and take off again...fuel pressure?...turbo?...fuel injector?...thank you
Answer: Blowing black smoke does not mean it is staring for fuel, it means it is way too rich. As long as it is black and not blue. If it is blue, that is blowing oil. Sounds like you have an injector stuck open dumping fuel and causing it to run so bad. Or possibly a bad tank of fuel. You are going to have to check the injector flow rates and take a fuel sample.
