Engine complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 3 | 43% | 124,000 miles |
| 2013 | 1 | 9% | — |
| 2012 | 2 | 25% | 57,000 miles |
| 2011 | 2 | 33% | 37,000 miles |
| 2010 | 1 | 11% | 95,000 miles |
| 2009 | 1 | 50% | 95,000 miles |
| 2008 | 2 | 33% | 162,000 miles |
| 2007 | 1 | 17% | 23,000 miles |
| 2006 | 1 | 9% | 6,000 miles |
| 2005 | 1 | 9% | 187,000 miles |
| 2002 | 2 | 12% | 118,000 miles |
| 2001 | 11 | 61% | 120,000 miles |
| 2000 | 2 | 11% | 79,000 miles |
| 1999 | 9 | 29% | 96,000 miles |
| 1998 | 4 | 25% | 92,000 miles |
| 1997 | 6 | 25% | 100,000 miles |
| 1996 | 4 | 20% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
On November 27, 2019 I was driving back to my office after completion of a chimney job when my motor went with only 73,660. I then had to have my vehicle towed and that's when my mechanic pulled the valve covers and discovered a broken valve spring that had caused it to drop the valve into the piston which then caused the coolant and oil to mix. In return, this caused a catastrophic failure to the engine. At that point the engine was pulled. It was also noted that the side of the engine block was cracked and bent the oil pan. Upon cleaning the intake manifold gasket surfaces he found that due to a positive crankcase from the valve damaging the piston that the intake was full of oil coolant mixture as well as pieces of metal from the piston shattering.
Tl* the contact owns a 2014 Ford e-250. The contact stated that there was a knocking noise coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the engine failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under a recall or warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
I own a 2001 Ford e250 van. This van has been a reliable vehicle and maintenance has been easy and predictable. However today the third spark plug on the passenger side blew out of the cylinder head. Though it was a exhaust leak at first because of the sound. I pulled of the freeway and opened the engine cover. At this point I restarted the engine to find the exhaust leak. A large flame immediately began bursting out of the open spark plug hole. Although I was able to turn the engine off quickly this scared me considerably as I know their are fuel lines that run right by the spark plug. I had it towed from their to a shop. I have researched this and found that it is a common problem with many of fords engines. I even found cases were cars had been destroyed by fire as a result. It concerns me that there has been no recall. I do not expect warranty from Ford for a vehicle this old. …
Spark plug on cylinder #7 blew out of the cylinder head. 2nd time this has occurred on this vehicle. Repair shop states it is not repairable this time approx. $3000 for new head installed. This is a known problem on this 5.4 trition engine. Ford should recall to fix this problem 130,000 miles on this truck.
My name is [redacted] . I am a small business owner in bartlett illinois. I own a Ford econoline 250 & a Ford expedition. Both vehicles have been "Ford serviced" since new. I recently had a spark plug blow out of the engine. I have had many a car in my days and I have never heard of this failure. Ford insisted this was not an engine defect, and although they were the only service people that ever worked on the vehicle, I was still responsible for this repair. The cost around $750. Money is important, but principle is more important. After searching the web I found this: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_spark.html hundreds of complaints with the same failure. It is my hope that you can do something to bring this to the public's attention and force Ford into admitting fault. …
Begining in the year 2000, the 98 e150 went through the factory motor at 90,000 miles. Coolant mixing with oil without ever overheating. Ford was going to fix until I told them that my my vehicle was repaired at a privately owned shop versus the dealership (my brother owns the shop and the local dealer sends him all of their difficult repairs). It took me approximately 16 months come up with the money to have the motor machined and repaired properly. Total cost $4000. I finally felt confident that the vehicle would serve me well, until two weeks ago, the transmission locked up . Overdrive messed up and caused other problems as well. Now I have no wheels until I come up with $1700 more. I'm in the construction industry,and if use inferior techniques or products I am held accountable. Shouldn't Ford live by at leat the same standards as a lowly carpenter.
While waiting at stop light or sign vehicle would idle roughly. Would jerk forward with foot on brake. Sometimes would almost stall out when at a stop. Been to dealer, and nothing could be found. It was an intermittent problem.
Related recalls (1)
Engine and engine cooling
On certain vans, the air filter element material process resulted in an air filter paper element that can smolder or burn. This change in filter paper composition combined with the configuration of the air induction system, May allow hot carbon particles to contact the air filter element during certain driving conditions that…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the air filter element. The recall began September 27, 2004. Owners should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
NHTSA investigations
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford E-250 years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2001 (11), 1999 (9) and 1997 (6) model years. Engine complaints make up 61% of all complaints for the 2001.
Is there a recall for Ford E-250 engine problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 04V-445 (engine and engine cooling, Sep 13, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford E-250 engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 101,000 miles; 23% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine › gasoline (10 mentions), followed by the engine (9).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.