2001 Lincoln Navigator Engine Problems

I OWN A 2001 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR WITH A 5.4L ENGINE. I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK AND WAS GOING APPROX. 15 MPH WHEN I HEARD A BANG COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. AT FIRST I THOUGHT I HAD HIT SOMETHING OR SOMETHING WAS FALLING OFF THE CAR. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND AT THIS TIME THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. I SHUT IT OFF AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD BUT COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING WRONG. I THOUGHT, AFTER RESTARTING THE ENGINE THAT IT MIGHT BE A BAD SPARK PLUG. AS I STARTED OFF THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING BAD SO I DECIDED TO RETURN HOME.THE NEXT DAY, 10/09/2010, I DECIDED TO CHECK FURTHER AND REMOVED THE THREE OF THE SPARK PLUGS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, BUT THE LAST ONE WHICH IS AT THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE I NOTICED THE COIL WAS ALL TORN APART AND THE END OF THE COILED WIRE WAS STICKING OUT FROM THE PLUG HOLE. I PULLED SAID WIRE OUT AND SAW THE SPARK PLUG AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HOLE. IT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN BLOWN OUT OF ITS THREADS. ALSO TO BE NOTED IS THE SMELL OF GAS WAS VERY APPARENT AND BECAUSE THE SPARK PLUG WAS DAMAGED, THE GROUND WAS FORCED AGAINST THE ELECTRODE AND WAS UNABLE TO SPARK. IF IT DID, I'M SURE THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE. I ALSO FOUND TWO PIECES OF SOME UNKNOWN MATERIAL THAT FELL INTO THE CYLINDER. THE PART APPEARS TO BE A CARBON MATERIAL AND MIGHT BE PART OF THE COP, COIL OVER PLUG. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE WEB, THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF FORD ENGINES. I CALLED THE LINCOLN DEALER I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. BUT THEY WOULD GET BACK TO ME IF THEY CAN HELP. FURTHER INQUIRY FOUND THAT FORD RECOMMENDS REPLACING THE CYLINDER HEAD WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS. THIS WOULD COST APPROX. $3500.00. AS I HAVE BEEN UNEMPLOYED FOR FIFTEEN MONTHS, AND FINALLY FOUND A PART TIME JOB,(14 HOURS A WEEK) THIS WOULD BE AN EXPENSE I CAN NOT AFFORD. THE WEB SITES DID STATE THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT ADMIT TO THEIR POORLY DESIGNED HEAD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR. THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD. SHE IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. BEFORE SHE COULD REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION, SHE NOTICED FLAMES UNDER THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED, BUT THEY DID NOT INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NEED A COPY OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT BEFORE THEY COULD SPEAK TO HER CONCERNING THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V388000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) IN THE SUMMER OF 2005. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 111,000. UPDATED 07/08/08. *BF

ON THURSDAY, MAY 31, I HAD AN ENGINE FIRE IN MY 2001 LINCOLN LS (V8). THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR

CONSUMER STATES ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS STICKING, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK VEHICLE HAS UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED AND OR STUCK IN PASSING GEAR OVER 12 TIMES. ON JULY 14, THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE IN REVERSE. THE REMAINING TIMES IN FORWARD WHILE APPROACHING SPEEDS OF 90 TO 95MPH. THE ENGINE WOULD CONTINUE TO "REV" UP FOR NO REASON. THE CONSUMER'S ONLY RESOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM IS TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND TURN THE KEY OFF AND BACK ON TO CONTROL THE STEERING AND HAVE BRAKES POWER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE TRANSMISSION HAD STARTED MAKING A "CLUNKING" NOISE WHEN SWITCHING FROM NEUTRAL TO EITHER DRIVE OR REVERSE. *PH

THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. *JB THE VEHICLE STALLED AT LOW SPEEDS WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM. A FLIGHT RECORDER WAS INSTALLED. THE ENGINE WOULD STALL AT A LIGHT, RESTART, THEN STALL AGAIN AT A LOW SPEED. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO BE RELEASED FROM THE LEASE AT NO CHARGE. (THERE IS A TSB FOR THE IDLE) SCC