Ford F-150 Engine Problems
Owners have filed 4,524 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the Ford F-150 across 32 model years. The 2013 model year has the most (548). The words owners use most often: “cam phasers” (7% of reports).
- 4,524engine complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 48mention a crash
- 27mention an injury
- 10related recalls
- $4,050typical repair cost reported by owners
- 56%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Cam phasers: mentioned in 302 of 4,524 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the Ford F-150 at $4,050, and half of them between $1,700 and $5,800.
Based on 188 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2012–2026), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 3,073 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 4,524 complaints, 48 mention a crash, 127 a fire, 27 an injury.
Ford F-150 engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 F-150 | 2 | 17% | — |
| 2025 F-150 | 4 | 4% | — |
| 2024 F-150 | 12 | 6% | 14,000 |
| 2023 F-150 | 27 | 7% | 8,000 |
| 2022 F-150 | 38 | 6% | 11,300 |
| 2021 F-150 | 84 | 8% | 25,224 |
| 2020 F-150 | 129 | 18% | 46,341 |
| 2019 F-150 | 321 | 24% | 60,500 |
| 2018 F-150 | 508 | 22% | 59,500 |
| 2017 F-150 | 314 | 22% | 61,000 |
| 2016 F-150 | 317 | 15% | 51,000 |
| 2015 F-150 | 264 | 15% | 62,450 |
| 2014 F-150 | 179 | 12% | 73,000 |
| 2013 F-150 | 548 | 18% | 55,500 |
| 2012 F-150 | 483 | 27% | 24,000 |
| 2011 F-150 | 482 | 22% | 53,000 |
| 2010 F-150 | 107 | 13% | 80,000 |
| 2009 F-150 | 42 | 13% | 100,000 |
| 2008 F-150 | 53 | 14% | 105,000 |
| 2007 F-150 | 105 | 22% | 99,616 |
| 2006 F-150 | 74 | 13% | 99,495 |
| 2005 F-150 | 117 | 11% | 116,500 |
| 2004 F-150 | 92 | 5% | 108,588 |
| 2003 F-150 | 28 | 7% | 138,183 |
| 2002 F-150 | 66 | 8% | 138,000 |
| 2001 F-150 | 44 | 4% | 154,500 |
| 2000 F-150 | 23 | 2% | 137,500 |
| 1999 F-150 | 27 | 3% | 160,000 |
| 1998 F-150 | 14 | 1% | 122,778 |
| 1997 F-150 | 15 | 1% | 132,000 |
| 1996 F-150 | 3 | 1% | 131,000 |
| 1995 F-150 | 2 | 0% | 160,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (10)
Engine and engine cooling:cooling system:hoses/lines/piping/fittings; electrical system:wiring
Model years: 2025
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 F-150 trucks. Contact with the engine coolant hose may chafe the engine wire harness or cause a pull out of the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) connector pins, causing the engine to stall.
Risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect, replace the engine wire harness as necessary, and relocate the engine coolant hose, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 12, 2025. The parts are anticipated to be available the third quarter of 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S63.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:hard parts internal/mechanical
Model years: 2025
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Transit, F-150, and Explorer vehicles. The connecting rod and rod bearing components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.
Risk: A damaged engine can result in engine failure and a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the connecting rods and replace the engine long block assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 15, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S55.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:oil/lubrication
Model years: 2024, 2025
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Expedition, and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. The engine may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.
Risk: A rapid oil leak can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S30.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:oil/lubrication
Model years: 2024, 2025
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, 2024 Expedition and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine. The engines may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.
Risk: A rapid oil leak can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 23, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S70.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:hard parts internal/mechanical
Model years: 2021, 2022
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Bronco, F-150, Edge, Explorer, Lincoln Nautilus, and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with either a 2.7L or 3.0L Nano EcoBoost engine. The engine intake valves may break while driving, which can result in engine failure and a loss of drive power.
Risk: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will perform an engine cycle test and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 3, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S55.
Engine; equipment:electrical
Model years: 2015, 2016
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2016 F-150 pick-up trucks equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines and block immersion heaters that were potentially relocated from their originally installed location. The incorrect location could put the heater too close to hot engine components, possibly resulting in a damaged cable.
Risk: A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the block heater's location and its cable, replacing components as necessary, free of charge. If the replacement parts are not available, dealers will disable the existing block heater cable from being used until parts become available. The recall began April 9, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S08.
Engine; equipment:electrical
Model years: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater and previously remedied under recall 18V894. During the previous repair, the block heater cable's splice connector may have been damaged.
Risk: A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the engine block heater from being used. When replacement cables become available, a second notice will be mailed and dealers will replace the engine block heater cord, free of charge. The recall began May 31, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S11.
Engine
Model years: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causing corrosion and damage.
Risk: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S45.
Engine
Model years: 2018
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150 vehicles equipped with 3.5L engines. The cylinder heads may have been machined without lubrication supply holes for the camshaft bearing journals.
Risk: Without a proper supply of lubrication, the engine will fail, causing a stall and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford is not aware of any affected vehicles outside of dealer control. Should owner contact subsequently be required, arrangements will be made to transport their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the engine replaced.The recall began October 24, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S37.
Engine and engine cooling
Model years: 2007, 2008
Problem: Roush is recalling 213 my 2007-2008 ford f-150 trucks altered to operate using liquid propane injection. The hydro-carbon paper affixed to the inside of the airbox lid with adhesive may become dislodged during operation.
Risk: This failure may result in a loss of performance, illumination of the malfunction indicator lamp (mil) and, in extreme cases, a stalling of the vehicle during operation without notice, which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the airbox lid with a new one that includes the hydro-carbon paper which has been affixed using an adhesive promoter and greater pressure as recommended by the manufacturer free of charge. The recall began on october 21, 2008. Owners may contact roush at 1-866-307-6788.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
On 10/13/2026, driving about 25 mph on a city street, my truck entered failsafe with no prior warning lamps or symptoms. The PCM cut most engine power, leaving no acceleration, and set P1285 (CHT Overtemp Sensed) and P1299 (CHT Overtemp Protection Active). The engine was not overheating; a $40 CHT…
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and a alert was received through the mobile application. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where a diagnostic inspection revealed that the knock sensor…
My truck has had repeated transmission issues, and has been "addressed" by two separate recalls (24S37 and 26S45). However, I am still having issues. I believe that "24S37 Supplement #1" specifically covers the issues I am having, yet Ford still continues to disregard my request. Tis is a major…
The VVT Cam Phasers had a " consumer satisfaction program" that didnt include my VIN but included the year which was 2017-2021 3.5 ECOBOOST engine that mine has. The program has now expired and my truck has this exact issue. Not fixing the issue can cause engine failure. My truck has 47k miles on…
I am submitting this complaint because my 2013 Ford F-150 3.5L EcoBoost developed a serious and potentially life-threatening engine defect that placed me and my family in immediate danger. While traveling on a major interstate/highway, the engine warning light and wrench light illuminated, and the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Ford F-150s have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 4,524 owner complaints about engine for the Ford F-150. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Ford F-150 engine?
Yes: 10 safety recalls list engine. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the Ford F-150?
Owners report a typical cost of $4,050 (half paid between $1,700 and $5,800), from 188 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “cam phasers”, in 302 of 4,524 complaints.
Other Ford F-150 problems
- Power Train problems (8,971)
- Electrical System problems (3,642)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (2,690)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (2,502)
- Steering problems (2,253)
- Service Brakes problems (2,080)
- Visibility problems (2,074)
- Structure problems (2,017)
See all Ford F-150 problems.