Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2005 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, while the brake pedal was depressed, the brakes failed to engage; the contact pulled the vehicle into a Home Depot parking lot, exited the vehicle, and discovered that the engine compartment was on fire. The Home Depot employees came out to the vehicle and extinguished the fire with a fire extinguisher. The Fire Department and Police Department were contacted; however, the contact was unsure if a report was filed for either department. The orgin of the fire was not confirmed however, the fire department informed that timing was critical because any longer the fire would have caused an explosion. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed back to the residence, and the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2005 Ford F-150. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormally loud knocking sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the cam phasers had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, he smelled an abnormal fuel odor. Additionally, the contact stated that while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
Pulled out of driveway and made it 50 feet and whole truck shut down right on the road. Could not make the vehical restart no click or anything dead right where it stopped. Could of caused an accident. Had to have truck taken to a shop they took a week to find out that the electrical fuel system harness had a dead short in it. So no fuel going to the feul injectors or to the key to start the vehical. Still have head lights and breaks and radio. Just no way to restart the vehical. They checked thw wires and after unplugging many wires to the fuel system and retesting it started. Left with the truck a day later the same thing happen but this time i had to jump a curb to avoid an accident and coasted into a parking lot. I got out and wiggled a few of the wires and the truck started back up. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford f-150. While driving various speeds, the vehicle lost power and misfired, and smoke could be seen coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who initially diagnosed a fuel leak from the exhaust. Upon further investigation, the mechanic stated that injector number 7 was not closing correctly and causing the fuel to enter the cylinder. As a result, the motor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The dealer stated that the VIN was excluded from a recall on the injectors. The recall details were not provided. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford f-150. While driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle shook. While making a right turn into a parking lot, the vehicle crashed into a median and a curb. The contact sustained injuries to the shoulder, neck, and back, which required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. No police report was filed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 93,000.
I had just changed the oil and checked the fluids and had to run some errands up town about a mile and a half up the road the engine started making a knocking noise, I was close enough to the garage I use so I pulled in there to see what was going on the oil pan was on fire oil and what looked like anti freeze was coming out of a hole from what use to be the oil pan or what was left of the pan, the fellow that ran the station told me it had hydro locked and bent a rod and pushed it thru the oil pan, he went on to say he had seen several of the 4.2 do this and it looked like Ford would have done something when they were aware of the problems with the 4.2,I talked to Ford about it and got the run around from them, just couldn't believe it I had never pulled or hauled any heavy objects or mistreated it in any way, don't understand when the powers that be were aware of the problem with this …
I own the above mention vehicle, there was no disclosure to me at the time of purchase of a very serious design flaw with the spark plugs that could and likely will break off in the engine during replacement and the extreme cost in changing these plugs around 900 to 1000 dollars if no plugs break off and even more in the plugs do break off or heads have to removed to extract the plugs even worse pieces of prshell could fall into the engine cylinder and cause engine damage to around 8000 dollars now that I aware of the extreme cost 3 or 4 times the amount for routine maintenance of changing spark plugs in these Ford vehicles Ford is no help at all saying its not a safety issue I cant help it the design flaw with these long 2 piece plugs is so serious and the price gouging of the consumer for the cost to change spark plugs is so expensive and so bad I strongly feel that the federal gov …
Bought a 2005 f150 triton v8 5.4l new in 2005. I have now experienced a cam phase problem which will cost appx 2500 to repair. Talking to my mechanic he said that it was no promise to fix the issue , because these motors are known for this issue. Was told it would be easier to put another motor in so I wouldn't have to worry about ,if it would fix the problem. My brother has a 2008 Ford with the same motor and had the same problem ,but his motor after having the cam phaser's replaced blew up and had to replace the motor. After researching and talking to several ase qualified mechanics they all said that there's an issue with the 5.4 liter triton motor. Upon calling Ford motor company as I well figured would happen they said that they wouldn't help with the cost and that there was nor recall. Consumers should be able to get more than 100,000 miles out of a vehicle they buy. …
I was driving in my 2005 Ford f-150 5.4 when the engine shut off on its own. It was not the first time. It has happened while I'm driving in the middle of traffic. Just recently I was driving when I started to loose power, but this time started hear a loud banging coming from the engine. I drove the truck with almost no power to the mechanic. There I was told that it a cam shaft issue. As they uncovered the engine ii was told I would a new engine at the cost of $7500. As I later went online I found many people complaining about the same thing with Ford 5.4 engines. It seems to me Ford knows about the problem but are not willing to stand by their problem. I have kept up with the maintanance since have been the only owner of the truck. I love the truck but I'm very disappointed with Ford not taking responsibility for having engineered a bad engine. …
Engine complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2005 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 228 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2005 Ford F-150, 21% of the model year's 1,112 complaints. The component named most often is engine (26 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford F-150 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2005 Ford F-150, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Ford F-150 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 10 fires and 6 injuries and 1 death to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.