I-??m experiencing the cam phaser rattle on startup on my 2018 Ford F-150 3.5L

- Rock Spring, GA, USA

When the F-150 would be turned off after driving for a while, the truck would not Start for a few hours until it cooled down. I had it checked out at Gator Ford and they saif they could not determine the proble. I drove it to [XXX] and had it check out at Two Rivers Ford in [XXX] and they said the truck clearly had a problem and that they "Believed it eas the 10 gear trsnission getting hot and the truck cutting off. They said I should trade it or risk the proble being the Oil Pump and eng. I took their advice and traded it for an F-150 platunm Vin: [XXX]. This is a problem and needs to be look at as now my 2023 F-150 eng has locked up that I reported with a Vin [XXX]. The cutting off with wait time was a daily occurance. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Knoxville, TN, USA

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on two occasions while driving at various speeds, the transmission hesitated while shifting, and the message -??Service Engine Soon-?? was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The independent mechanic determined that the vehicle needed to be taken to a transmission specialty shop. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred approximately four months later. A handheld diagnostic machine was used to retrieve DTC: P0022. The contact purchased four cam phaser solenoids to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed; however, the four cam phaser solenoids were replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic, but the cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was 66,000.

- Camp Verde, AZ, USA

Loss of engine oil pressure. Just had engine replaced with used 6 months ago for the same issue. This new to me motor had 40k miles on it. So two motors under 121k miles oil pressure failure. Causing total engine replacement

- King William, VA, USA

I am reporting a persistent safety issue involving exhaust fumes entering the passenger cabin of my 2018 Ford F-150. The vehicle was purchased January 20, 2025 and has since experienced repeated mechanical failures and extended repair attempts. Despite extensive work completed under warranty - including a transmission rebuild, full engine replacement, alternator/battery/starter replacement, rear main seal repair, transfer case repair, and transmission pan repair - the exhaust odor inside the cabin has never been resolved. The odor is strong enough that passengers have experienced headaches and nausea while the HVAC system is operating. The vehicle has spent well over 150 days in repair facilities since purchase while technicians attempt to diagnose and repair the issue. The dealership currently still has the vehicle and has not been able to identify or fix the cause of the exhaust fumes. This condition raises serious safety concerns regarding possible exhaust or carbon monoxide entering the cabin. I am requesting that this issue be documented and reviewed as a potential safety defect.

- Morgantown, IN, USA

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while towing a camper at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle occasionally hesitated to upshift in gear while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at high speeds with cruise control, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road and restarted the vehicle, which was later taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The parts to repair the vehicle were ordered, and the vehicle was left at the local dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

- Columbia, SC, USA

Failed cam phaser. Brought truck to dealership regarding loud rattling noise on cold starts. Prior to inspection, service technician mentioned it could be the cam phaser because they have had reported problems. Ford did not issue a formal recall but issued a Customer satisfaction program 21B10 to extend warranty coverage due to the known issue but only extended through 2022. I did not have a rattling noise at that time and did not qualify. The noise started recently and there were no warning lights or messages. Only a rattling noise. After the dealership inspected the truck they deamed it unsafe to drive.

- Concord, CA, USA

I own a 2018 Ford F-150, with the Cougar V-8 and a turbocharger. A few years ago, while on the expressway, I had to accelerate to clear a dangerous situation. A message came up on the instrument cluster saying that I was seriously low on oil. I pulled off on the shoulder and shut the engine off. I checked the oil level and it was almost empty. The truck only had about 10,000 miles on it at the time. I had checked the level prior to leaving and it was full. Luckily, I carry extra oil on long trips, a habit I got into back when I used to drive beaters. I had enough oil to fill the engine back up with oil and proceed on my way. I have not had any oil loss since then, although I rarely drive the truck, except to pick up lumber or other large loads, and it currently has about 23,000 miles on it. A few years ago, I read about an F-150 whose driver tried to pass a slow moving vehicle on a mountain road and was hit by an oncoming vehicle. Everyone in the truck was killed. When I read that article, I thought back to what happened to me. Luckily, I had room to pull over. I believe that when I did that hard acceleration (as the driver on the mountain road must have done), a large amount of engine oil must have been sucked out through the turbocharger, emptying the crankcase. If this happened to the driver in the article, he would have been left with no engine power and no way to complete the passing maneuver. This is all speculation on my part, but an emergency hard acceleration should not empty any engine of oil, leaving the vehicle's driver and their passengers defenseless.

- Grosse Ile, MI, USA

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted before slamming into gear. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal popping sound coming from the transmission. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The transmission was rebuilt; however, the failure persisted. Most recently, while driving 55 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission downshifted unexpectedly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Munster, IN, USA

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started in the morning and shifted into drive(D), the vehicle hesitated and then jolted into gear. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had become a recurring failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was also slipping out of gear. While driving 45 MPH, the transmission downshifted to 1st and the vehicle slowed down unexpectedly. There were no warning lights illuminated. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the engine was making an abnormal clattering sound. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced, and stated that the cam phasers were possibly causing the engine to make an abnormal sound. The transmission was replaced; however, the engine failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25E070000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was informed of the transmission failure and advised the contact that no support would be provided for the repair prior to receiving the recall letter. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

- Manchester, NH, USA

The cam phasers have gotten so loud that it sounds like a diesel. Ford did some software "fix" that did nothing. I am concerned about trashing the motor if the timing jumps. These defective phasers are well know problems and extremely costly to repair. Ford has advised me to do the repair but they are quoting $5-6k for a fix of something they know was a defective design. My truck has 111k miles now but the rattle has been there almost from the start.

- Gilbertville, MA, USA

2018 3.5 Ecoboost with plastic oil pan. Ford acknowledges poor engineering and changed production to a single aluminum oil pan half way through 2018 production, but refused to fix the trucks already built. The RTV sealant leaks on the plastic oil pan causing reliabilities and protentional safety issues with the engine components if not caught in due time. Ford issued a TSB 20-2015 report out for fixing the issue. I have been to three ASA certified mechanic shops and all shops refuse to work on the truck. My only option is to go to a FORD dealership and they won't complete the permanent fix of putting in the full aluminum pan. The independent mechanics say they won't work on the truck due to liability issues. They said the truck always comes back to get fixed again. I have done two diagnostics testing with the ASA certified mechanics. They confirmed the oil pan leak as the issue and state reliability/engine safety issues of the truck. There are no warning lights or gauges showing abnormality prior or currently showing. Just a consistent large puddle of oil on the pavement under the truck.

- Princeville, IL, USA

Engine is ticking and whistling. Drive train issues cam phasers was told beginning of the problem

- Howard, OH, USA

I was not in an accident. I have a 2018 ford f150 xlt and it has a 3.5 eco boost. My truck is leaking some type of oil from the top and has very bad fuel injectors which is why my truck cant accelerate and shakes extremely bad. When I sit at a red light my truck dies and I think i have a leaking exhaust. I bought a new battery but it still dies. I know they used to do a recall for a new engine from what i-??ve searched but they don-??t do it anymore and I don't think its safe for me driving while I have all those problems. I have not been in an accident but with all these problems my truck could possibly die or go out while i-??m on the highway and just makes me nervous driving something like that when the 3.5 eco boost is already not a great engine. Thank you

- Ironton, OH, USA

The vehicle experienced repeated failures involving multiple systems, including the transmission system (transmission replacement), powertrain/engine system (cylinder-related repairs), electronic control systems (vehicle computer/control module replaced multiple times), electrical system (ongoing electrical faults), and rear safety systems (backup camera failure). The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. These failures created ongoing safety concerns due to loss of vehicle reliability and malfunction of safety-related electrical systems, raising concern about unexpected mechanical or electrical failure during operation. The issues were confirmed and documented by Ford-authorized dealerships and independent service centers. Despite repeated repairs, the same or related problems continued to occur. The vehicle was inspected and repaired by Ford dealerships; however, one servicing dealership (Ford of Ventura) later closed, leaving unresolved issues without continuity of service. Warning lights and system alerts occurred prior to failures along with ongoing electrical malfunctions. Exact dates of first warning indicators are UNKNOWN, but symptoms recurred over time despite repairs. The vehicle was purchased with approximately 38,500 miles. Due to COVID-19-related delays, dealership availability and parts shortages caused months-long wait times for service, and when the vehicle was finally inspected by a dealership, it had approximately 60,000 miles. Major system failures occurred well under 100,000 miles. Ford later declined assistance, citing out-of-state purchase and maintenance not performed exclusively at Ford dealerships, despite regular routine maintenance. The cause of the failures is UNKNOWN, but the pattern suggests systemic mechanical and electrical defects rather than owner misuse. All invoiced available as system will not upload them at this time.

- Keene, CA, USA

The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the engine seized. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had locked up and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V672000 (Engine); however, the VIN was not included. The contact stated that previously, the vehicle was diagnosed by the same local dealer as needing a camshaft phaser replacement. The vehicle was repaired under the Ford Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N03; however, the failure reoccurred years later, and the vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where the same repair was performed. The vehicle was repaired at the owner's expense. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously taken to the same independent mechanic, where the failure was duplicated on several occasions; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

- Canton, GA, USA

The long block has failed This has caused the vehicle not to allow for accelleration and have significant power loss. Yes this has been confirmed by the dealer. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer at this time. Two days before I took my trunk into the dealer for service, the service engine light came on. I parked my truck and did not drive it til I called the dealership. They told me to drive the truck slowly to their service department. I drove my truck to them after confirming it was ok. They are 6 miles from my home

- Simpsonville , SC, USA

I was driving along and the truck shifted out of gear. Throttled to high rpm-??s and went back into gear causing me to temporarily loose control and it repeated itself 2 more times before I got it stopped and towed home.

- Huntington , WV, USA

2018 F150 2.7L @ 118,000 miles - Intermittent check engine light kept popping up about 1 month prior to this event, which was addressed at a mechanic, repair and replacement of spark plugs attempted, but not solved. DTC codes indicated a misfire on Cylinder 6. One day I was driving at highway speed when vehicle began to shake uncontrollably with check engine light flashing and audible alarm. Vehicle was put into "reduced power" or "limp" mode and side streets had to be taken in order to get home. After evaluation by 4 mechanics, all reported the cylinder had lost compression and that one of the intake valves on the cylinder were likely the problem. Ultimately, a Ford dealership was the one who performed the engine replacement and also agreed it was likely an intake valve. I am reporting this after seeing numerous intake valve recalls for Ford engines of similar years since my event occurred. I am not attaching, but am happy to provide invoices and diagnostic quotes from all mechanics.

- Pueblo, CO, USA

-Auto stop/start system failed and is available for inspection. I was driving down the road and braked for a vehicle about to pull in front of me, when I let off the brake and pushed the gas I noticed the vehicle had shut off there was an error message on the information center, Error message: "Auto startstop shift to P, then restart engine" -I could've been in an accident due to immobilized vehicle -Vehicle taken to dealer. Was told the failure was unlikely to be duplicated. Was told to unplug(deactivate) auto stop/start system to hopefully avoid recurrence. -No -No messages or symptoms prior to failure.

- Sulphur Springs, TX, USA