Engine complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Starting with a service on 2/19/2008 the truck had been idling really rough and making a ticking sound when started. At that time the Ford service department stated that the noise went away with factory oil and filter. This problem has persisted up to and including when we took it in last week where we were told that this could be fixed with thicker oil, and to return when it is time for our next service. The second issue has persisted since mid 2010, it is a foul fuel smell coming inside the cab, through the ac vents when the truck is started in the morning and when idling. We have been told over and over aging that nothing can be found and they cannot smell it. We were also told that they drove the truck around during a service on 8/17/2011 to see if they could smell it, yet our miles in and miles out on our service records both state 47,771. …
I have a Ford 2005 f-150 that has a misfire in cylinder number 6 due to a spark plug defect according to the mechanics. The spark plug cannot be removed without breaking as it appears to be fused to the head. It is my understanding that Ford manufacturer will not repair or replace this defect at no cost to the consumer. Upon further investigation, and judging by the number of consumer complaints with the same issue during the past few years, this problem appears to be a manufacturer's defect and thusly not a consumer problem. The spark plug defect was discovered at the time of emission testing which is required annually under georgia law in order to acquire a vehicle tag renewal.
I woke up last week to the sound of a car alarm. I looked outside and the front of my Ford f 150 was engulfed in flames. It was so hot the tires melted into the driveway. We had not driven the truck in several days. It appears the fire started in the engine as the entire front of the vehicle is incinerated.
Driving on the freeway a spark plug came out of the engine causing the vehicle to shake and loose power. The dealer and a shop I took the vehicle to stated that this is a frequent problem with this engine.
Spark plug blown out of head. Spark plug #7 blew out 9 months ago. Now plug #8 blew out. Mechanic says it's due to poor design of aluminum head and insufficient threads. Both times, this happened while coasting at a slow speed (< 30 MPH).
I exited on I-75 onto sr 200, traveled 100 feet approximately 20 MPH, heard popping sound like baseball card in spokes of a bicycle wheel. Happened Saturday night while bringing my son home from college. Cost $75 to tow home to unload the 2001 f150 5.4 liter v-8. $75 to tow to Ford of ocala, belleview, who diagnosed blown #3 plug, charged $98, then $75 tow to Ford of ocala in ocala told $4000 to replace head or $6000 to replace engine. This was a common occurrence with this faulty head and plug design. Ford should be made to fix this problem since replacing either the head or engine with the same faulty Ford product was not an option to me. Estimated charges were outrageous even for a physician to pay. Please see www.f150online.com forum for additional disgruntled f-150 owners whom have had same problem. This was a fraud alert.
On March 30, 2014, at approximately 3:00 p.m. (pst) my 2000 Ford f-150 unexpectedly caught on fire. The truck was stationary in my driveway when suddenly black smoke and fire could be seen coming out of the driver side wheel well. The fire engulfed the driver side of the engine compartment melting all the plastic, wiring and the air intake area. The fire melted everything near the master cylinder and the cruise control housing.
A few weeks back, I noticed a slight ticking sound. In checking into this, it was thought to be a lifter or rocker arm. Two weeks ago while traveling on a two lane highway with the cruise control set at 55 MPH, I blew the #4 plug right out of the cylinder head. The vehicle was towed to sutton Ford in matteson, il, where I was quoted a price of $3668 plus tax to fix the engine. This is ludicrous! I am expected to pay this much money for a Ford design issue! I can get another engine for slightly more than that! Heck, I can get a decent commuter car for that much money! In researching this issue, I have found that this is a somewhat common problem with fords triton engines. I also found an alternative method of fixing the engine which only cost me $350, of which $300 was in the cost of the tools. …
NHTSA investigations
Pinched wiring harnesses
wiring harnesses routed along left and/or right frame rails may become pinched between frame and cab.pinched harnesses may suffer loss of insulation integrity which results in a short to ground with the potential for vehicle fire.
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 F Series years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1997 (22), 2001 (17), 2002 (16), 1999 (14) and 2000 (11) model years. Engine complaints make up 47% of all complaints for the 1997.
Is there a recall for Ford F Series engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for any Ford F Series model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Ford F Series engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 102,000 miles; 17% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (26 mentions), followed by the engine › gasoline (10).
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.