7,236 of the 47,801 complaints filed about the Ford F-150 are about the engine — 15% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2018.
7,236
Complaints
15%
Share of all complaints
71
Crashes
365
Fires
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
See attached document for complaint
NHTSA complaint #11758422 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
PCM not communicating with throttle body causes wrench light to come on and we loose control of the gas and slows the car abruptly.
NHTSA complaint #11758539 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
I believe there’s an ongoing lawsuit against Ford regarding these truck models, specifically their gearboxes, which are failing and slipping gears. After the initial recall for the new software gearbox mapping, my gearbox has started slipping, causing issues during downshifting, acceleration, and upshifting. There are frequent loud bangs
NHTSA complaint #11758239 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH on the highway, the vehicle lost motive power, and the brakes became inoperable. The drivetrain and wrench symbol were displayed. The ABS warning light was illuminated and DTC: U100 (Failure of Communication for Engine and Transmission) was displayed. The codes were cleared after restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a communication error with the engine and transmission computer. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The transmission upshifted from first gear to seventh. After a while, the vehicle resumed normal operations, but then the vehicle drove abnormally. The RPM increased to high, and the temperature gauge was at HOT. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and was diagnosed with complete transmission failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 62,513.
NHTSA complaint #11758290 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
I moved my vehicle from driveway to park on the street so my husband could park in the driveway. I then turned my vehicle off and roughly 2 hours later, a lady came screaming "fire fire fire!" I went to see where she was talking about and my truck was smoking under the hood, I then called the fire department and they came to extinguish the fire. I was unaware of any recalls as I am the 3rd owner of this vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11757698 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
Truck starting missing gears when pulling onto highway. Rpms jumped high and truck wouldnt shift. Thankfully we made it across before the oncoming traffic or we would have been hit. Finally got it to go but it was missing gears causing it to drive sluggish. No prior engine lights warning me. When the incident happed I got a notification of a power train malfunction/ reduced power.
NHTSA complaint #11757273 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
My 2022 Ford F-150 has experienced intermittent delayed starting, uneven idle, and hesitation during acceleration. At times, the engine sounds and feels as though it may shut off. I began noticing these symptoms several months ago, and the most recent occurrence was approximately August 2026. I do not recall seeing any warning lamps or warning messages when these symptoms occurred. The vehicle has not yet been inspected or diagnosed by a Ford dealer or independent repair facility for these specific symptoms, and the cause has not been confirmed. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I am concerned because my vehicle is affected by Ford Recall 25S75 / NHTSA Recall 25V455 involving potential fuel pump failure and loss of fuel pressure, which may result in poor engine performance and engine stalling. I am concerned that the symptoms I am experiencing could create a safety risk if the engine loses power or shuts off while driving.
NHTSA complaint #11757075 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
Ford Motor Company put out a recall on the PCM. I had the recall performed and it has caused more damage to my truck. It now has eratic shifting, stuck gears, and going into limpmode. Ford Forums show that this is an ongoing issue after the reset is performed creating an unsafe vehicle to drive. The check engine light is now on and was not prior to this recall reset.
NHTSA complaint #11756355 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-150. While driving 50 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted into first gear and the rear wheels locked up. The contact stated that while in third gear, the vehicle shifted to fourth gear unexpectedly. The transmission failed to shift above fifth gear. The contact stated that the transmission failed to shift out of first gear. After turning off the vehicle, the vehicle resumed normal operation. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the wrench symbol was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the failure was associated with the sensor. The transmission sensor was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The failure persisted over time. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case and confirmed that the vehicle was previously repaired in 2017 under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V248000 (Power Train). The manufacturer declined to provide any additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 159,599.
NHTSA complaint #11755860 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
10r80 transmission CDF Failure. Had repair completed though still has issues with 4/5th gear. Truck will lose power while accelerating until it finds the gear it wants to go. Multiple re-learning processes completed with no solution. V6 ecoboost - cam phasers repaired twice. 1st time by initial owner but that was not relayed to me. 2nd time by me after multiple trips to the dealership where they couldn't reproduce the issue. Took videos and finally brought the truck in with the check engine light flashing. Required entire engine rebuild.
NHTSA complaint #11756002 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
My truck has routinely been very hard shifting in 3rd to 4th gear. Recently it downshifted from 8th to 4th without warning and made a loud clunking noise. It still runs, but the transmission seems to be getting worse.
NHTSA complaint #11756034 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55-65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine and battery warning lights were illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and the failure was associated with the recall and a diagnostic trouble code related to the ECM reprogramming for the fuel system. The vehicle was towed to the local Ford dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with a fuel system failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 29,043.
NHTSA complaint #11755908 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
When driving down the highway the vehicle downshifted abruptly and the engine started shuddering and shaking at a high speed. I was forced to pull over on the side of a busy highway in a 70mph section. A Ford dealership in the area inspected the issue and stated that the engine was blown after only ~150,000 miles. The transmission wrench and engine light came on prior to the incident but would turn off after a few minutes and both lights turns on during the incident. The circumstances described in Safety Recall Notice 26S28 / NHTSA Recall 26V237 occurred during the incident but a blown engine was not covered in this recall. However, the vehicle experienced an unexpected sudden downshift and then the engine malfunctioned.
NHTSA complaint #11755411 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with cam phaser failure. The contact was informed that the cam phaser needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
NHTSA complaint #11755550 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
Camshaft had to be replaced a couple years ago, followed by cam shaft sensor. Then another $6,300 of "critical" issu3s to be fixed. The vehicle is 5 1/2 y/o. Absolutely ridiculous that this amount of money is required for such a young vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11755560 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
The contact’s son owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
NHTSA complaint #11755292 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start whenever the outside temperature was hot. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled. The vehicle started and then shut down. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that parts for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) were on backorder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.
NHTSA complaint #11755290 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
The timing belt/chain is failing on F-150 trucks and multiple people have sent in issues. i think from 2015-2018. It looks like you are already looking at other Fords with same issue. what i was told is that there could be sudden stalling: If the timing is thrown off or the chain snaps, the engine cuts out instantly. Losing power steering and engine power while driving in traffic creates an immediate crash hazard. Severe Misfires and Power Loss: A slipping chain causes rough idling, violent shaking, and an inability to accelerate which happened to the truck. Due to this i had to get mine fixed in June of 2024 i have attached the invoices. I tried to upload invoice but said there was an error
NHTSA complaint #11754650 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. The contact stated that the power train warning light and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was notified that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V237000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted, and the warning lights were flashing. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that an unknown transmission part and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11754711 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE
I bought my f150 a year ago. now I’m experiencing timing issues, Vvt solenoid failure (all four) . Loss of power, limp mode, failure to shift etc … I’ve had several mechanics look at it .
NHTSA complaint #11754844 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.