Engine complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 22% | — |
| 2024 | 4 | 10% | 9,000 miles |
| 2023 | 9 | 21% | 5,000 miles |
| 2022 | 19 | 15% | 62,000 miles |
| 2021 | 14 | 8% | 70,000 miles |
| 2020 | 29 | 11% | 64,000 miles |
| 2019 | 23 | 2% | 20,000 miles |
| 2018 | 16 | 4% | 80,000 miles |
| 2017 | 40 | 3% | 52,000 miles |
| 2016 | 33 | 11% | 70,000 miles |
| 2015 | 46 | 16% | 38,000 miles |
| 2014 | 7 | 27% | 82,000 miles |
| 2013 | 8 | 38% | 46,000 miles |
| 2012 | 22 | 39% | 54,000 miles |
| 2011 | 25 | 20% | 45,000 miles |
| 2010 | 12 | 38% | 35,000 miles |
| 2009 | 7 | 30% | 25,000 miles |
| 2008 | 42 | 30% | 46,000 miles |
| 2007 | 5 | 9% | 28,000 miles |
| 2006 | 25 | 9% | 85,000 miles |
| 2005 | 46 | 16% | 61,000 miles |
| 2004 | 114 | 45% | 45,000 miles |
| 2003 | 74 | 42% | 60,000 miles |
| 2002 | 105 | 43% | 83,000 miles |
| 2001 | 99 | 34% | 94,000 miles |
| 2000 | 71 | 30% | 100,000 miles |
| 1999 | 97 | 39% | 116,000 miles |
| 1997 | 11 | 28% | 89,000 miles |
| 1996 | 4 | 36% | 96,000 miles |
| 1995 | 3 | 33% | 158,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2024 Ford F-250 SD. The contact stated that the DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) system failed to operate as needed while towing heavy loads. The contact stated that the vehicle was equipped with 7,500 miles DEF which was considered full. The contact stated that after traveling for approximately 200 miles, there was a message that there were only 500 miles before DEF was empty. The contact notified a local dealer about the issue, and the DEF tank and sensor were replaced. After the parts were replaced, the system indicated that the DEF system was full at 2,750 miles instead of 7,500 miles. The contact notified the dealer of the issue and was informed that the system would return to the 7500 miles of DEF; however, the system failed to reset. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of issue and a case was filed. …
I purchased my new 2024 Ford F250 on [redacted] with less than 30 miles on the odometer. It includes a 10-speed automatic transmission. I have noticed erratic up shifting and down shifting of the transmission. The problem started at approximately 700 miles on the vehicle. Additionally I have noticed that after initial starting the vehicle, when placed into drive or reverse, the transmission appears to slam into gear as noticed by a large jerk and loud sound. The vehicle continues to sound like there is a mismatch between the engine revving up and transmission lagging behind for some time, or as if the transmission is slipping gears. The new vehicle was taken into the dealership on 6/9/2025 at 7:00AM and work was reportedly completed and vehicle ready for pickup on [redacted]. I was informed that the service technician performed a break-in procedure and that everything was okay. …
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated upon depression of the accelerator pedal without warning. The vehicle was taken to the local Ford dealer on numerous occasions where various software updates and maintenance checks were performed on the vehicle; however, the failure persisted after each repair. Recently, the contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact's friend tested the vehicle by placing the vehicle into park and depressing the accelerator pedal; both the contact and the friend noticed that the vehicle would inch forward despite the vehicle being in park. Both the dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure but neither offered any assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. …
The engine had a life threatening malfunction. Currently, there are arrangements being made to move the truck to my insurance company's property. I'm sure my insurance company would allow and arrange a site visit to inspect the truck. It happened so fast and without warning, we were blessed that we were able to escape the truck without losing our lives or getting severely burned. Anyone who helped or passed by was put at risk due to the fire or possible explosion that could have accrued from the truck fuel tank or trailer propane bottles. The fire inspector and insurance company have conducted there preliminary inspections and are in the process of writing up their reports. There was no warning lamp, message or symptom of a engine problem or failure prior to the engine bursting into flames, but the only warning that accrued after the engine caught fire, was the engine was being shut off.
The contact's husband owns a 2022 Ford F-250. The contact stated while her husband was driving 30 MPH and pulling into the dealer's driveway for an oil change, the vehicle stalled. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was pulled into the service bay. The dealer was able to diagnose the vehicle with the assistance of a manufacturer field technician. The dealer diagnosed that there were metal shavings in the oil and in the fuel system. The dealer repaired or replaced the internal high-pressure fuel pump components. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V957000 (Fuel System, Diesel); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. …
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle was driving sluggishly while accelerating, the RPM fell, and the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The spark plugs were replaced, and a tune-up was performed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a misfire coming from the engine and that the ignition wires needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal valve noise detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with delaminated lifter cam and rockers and push rods. There were metal shavings found in the engine oil. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case and confirmed there was no repair coverage for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,244.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated there was an abnormal odor of the exhaust fumes inside the vehicle. The contact also stated the diesel cleaning system activated independently causing a strong odor. In addition, the RPM was fluctuating. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed but the result was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000. The VIN was not available.
Related recalls (2)
Engine
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.
Remedy: 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,…
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Diesel
On certain heavy duty trucks equipped with 7.3l diesel engines, the camshaft position sensor located on the engine of the vehicle May function intermittently, possibly resulting in an engine stall.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the sensor and replace it with an improved camshaft position sensor free of charge. The recall began on December 29, 2007. Owners May contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.
NHTSA investigations
Engine stalling
In a December 3, 2007 letter, Ford advised NHTSA that it will conduct a safety recall to replace the cam position sensor (cps) in approximately 1.2 million subject vehicles to address reports of engine stalling.a new design cps with improved performance and durability will be installed as a remedy.owner notifications will begin in December 2007.
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…
Engine stalling
The cam position sensor (cps) provides a critical signal to the subject vehicle (sv) engine management system, the loss of which results in an engine stall.during pe06-011, Ford stated in their response to odi that it is continuing to investigate allegations of cps related engine stall and further advised that an update will be provided upon completion of the investigation.Ford data shows that 20% of the 716,000 svs…
Engine stalling
Twenty five of the odi failure reports are duplicative of Ford complaints.twenty odi reports do not contain a VIN (and May or May not be duplicative of Ford reports).the 14 alleged crashes and 2 alleged injuries were all minor.submitted during preliminary evaluation (pe) 04-070, Ford's response to odi's information request (ir) letter contained about 5,000 consumer reports (mors) and 8,700 field reports (cqis).Ford…
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford F-250 SD years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2004 (114), 2002 (105), 2001 (99), 1999 (97) and 2003 (74) model years. Engine complaints make up 45% of all complaints for the 2004.
Is there a recall for Ford F-250 SD engine problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 19V-278 (engine, Apr 8, 2019); 07V-553 (diesel, Dec 5, 2007). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford F-250 SD engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles; 33% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine › diesel (192 mentions), followed by the engine (162).
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.