Wow, yeah ford just swept up all the fillings on the ground and desided that would be a good source material for rods
It could have just been material fatigue, it is possible that you just had the crap luck of getting a rod that was slightly mis-produced and had some kind of structural defect but to last 8 years, its just wear and tear. I'm not sure what 118K km is in miles off the top of my head, but it sounds like a decent run.
It does sound like you're in a good position to do a 3L swap if you have the time. I know its not always the case and you need the vehicle on the road ASAP. But you did mention something about your 8 other cars
So if you can I'd say go for the 3L swap.
