2017 Ford F-150: engine overheating

Filed Oct 15, 2026 · Acceleration, Electrical · OH

On 10/13/2026, driving about 25 mph on a city street, my truck entered failsafe with no prior warning lamps or symptoms. The PCM cut most engine power, leaving no acceleration, and set P1285 (CHT Overtemp Sensed) and P1299 (CHT Overtemp Protection Active). The engine was not overheating; a $40 CHT sensor fixed it. Evidence: I watched live data on an Autel MaxiCheck MX808S-TS while driving during the events. CHT dropped to implausibly low values for brief moments, then immediately returned to normal values matching coolant temp. Coolant temp stayed normal throughout. Failsafe triggered on these momentary dropouts, never on an actual high reading. The PCM logic is unsafe: 1. A low-reading sensor dropout was reported as an overtemp. The PCM set two overtemp codes and no sensor circuit code. 2. It ignored contradicting data. CHT recovered instantly and matched normal coolant temp, yet the PCM acted on one momentary bad reading. 3. The response was disproportionate. A sensor glitch with normal coolant temp should set a check engine light and circuit code, not remove engine power while driving. 4. It creates a crash risk. Losing acceleration in city traffic, amid chimes and flashing warnings, left me unable to keep pace or maneuver and caused anxiety and distraction. 5. False overtemp codes mislead owners. A typical owner would likely need a tow and a costly cooling system diagnosis over a $40 sensor glitch. Even as a former mechanic, I spent hours chasing a nonexistent cooling problem. Not inspected by a dealer, manufacturer, police or insurance. I diagnosed it with live scan data and confirmed it by replacing the sensor. The original sensor is retained and available for inspection. I ask the federal safety agency to investigate the CHT failsafe strategy on Ford 2.7L EcoBoost engines: whether the PCM checks CHT plausibility against coolant temp before cutting power, and whether a single-sensor fault should ever remove engine power while driving.

Filed Jun 8, 2026 · Engine · FL

I experienced a sudden coolant leak on my 2017 Ford F‑150 equipped with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine. The Ford dealership diagnosed the issue as leaking turbocharger coolant lines. The coolant was leaking in the turbo area and dripping onto extremely hot exhaust components. This creates a risk of rapid coolant loss, overheating, loss of power while driving, and potential engine compartment fire. The Ford service advisor told me directly that he has “seen this many times,” which indicates this is a recurring failure on EcoBoost engines and not normal wear. This suggests the coolant line design or fittings may be defective and failing prematurely. The repair estimate was extremely high because the dealer included replacement of both exhaust manifolds. This failure occurred without warning. If the coolant loss had happened at highway speed, it could have caused sudden engine overheating or power loss. I am requesting the federal safety agency investigate turbo coolant line failures on Ford EcoBoost engines due to the safety risk of coolant leaking onto hot turbo and exhaust components.

Filed Mar 30, 2026 · Engine · TN

An unknown coolant leak with my 2017 2.7 engine causing sufficient damage due to a manufacturer error and needing a new engine. I had several people tell me this is a common issue with 2.7 engines.

Filed Feb 22, 2026 · Transmission · KS

While driving my 2017 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10-speed automatic transmission, the vehicle began experiencing progressive slipping and delayed shifting between multiple gears, including failure to upshift beyond higher gears during normal driving. The transmission would flare between shifts and hesitate before engaging. During one drive, the vehicle would not shift properly and displayed a wrench warning message instructing the driver to see the owner’s manual. The transmission appeared to enter a reduced performance or limp mode. The issue has worsened over time despite a recent transmission fluid service and computer relearn/flash performed by a service center at a cost of approximately $1,100. No overheating occurred, but slipping continued and spread to additional gears. Prior to purchasing the vehicle, abnormal shifting and clunking were noticed during the test drive and brought to the dealer’s attention. The behavior was described as normal operation for the 10-speed transmission. The transmission has since deteriorated into failure requiring replacement. This malfunction creates a safety risk due to unpredictable acceleration, delayed power delivery when merging or crossing traffic, and loss of normal shifting operation. Independent repair facilities have diagnosed the transmission as internally failing and recommended full replacement with estimated repair costs of approximately $8,000. Symptoms began gradually and progressed to active fault behavior with warning message activation.

Filed Dec 20, 2025 · Transmission · CO

While driving ~70mph on I-80 in central Wyoming, my truck suddenly and unexpectedly downshifted to a low gear, causing RPMs to spike to 8000+ and making me swerve and nearly go off the road. No warning lights or cautions appeared. I pulled over, turned off the ignition, and checked my engine compartment to see if I could find any issues but everything appeared normal. I resumed driving and everything felt normal. Approximately 100 miles later a check engine light appeared. No other cautions or messages appeared. My transmission and engine oil temperature gauges showed readings in the middle of the normal range. I was 10 miles from the nearest town and immediately stopped at a mechanic shop to diagnose the issue. After several days trying to diagnose the issue, they told me that my transmission had severely overheated, was near failure, and needed to be replaced. I had a regular transmission service less than 12 months prior at a Ford dealership and no issues were noted. I am writing this because I am aware of many other F-150 owners experiencing similar problems and I believe Ford needs to address this clearly systemic issue with the 10R80 transmission.

Filed Dec 5, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · 88,366 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, and up a slight grade, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted. The contact was towing an empty 12-foot, single-axel, flatbed trailer. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was on a two-lane road and was unable to pull over. The vehicle lost motive power and failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was unable to exceed 20 MPH while driving. The contact pulled into a service station where a mechanic checked the vehicle. The mechanic informed the contact that the engine had overheated and that the oil level was low by 3 quarts. The contact had the mechanic top off the oil and waited for the engine to cool down. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to restart. The mechanic jump-started the vehicle, and the contact stated that the engine was making abnormal metal-on-metal grinding and knocking sounds. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that metal shavings were found in the oil pan and recommended that the engine and the turbocharger be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure of the inadvertent downshifting had not been addressed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to a known issue with inadvertent downshifting. The failure mileage was 88,366.

Filed Jun 3, 2025 · Engine · FL

Internal coolant leak issues leading to engine failure. Know defect publicly acknowledged by Ford as there is a class action lawsuit for the later models, but same engine (2.7L eco boost) My gauges do not register that my coolant is low or empty. I have taken it to the dealership twice in 6 months for the complaints of coolant loss. An independent mechanic suspects the same issues as the known defect leading to engine failure

Filed Jun 3, 2025 · Engine · FL

My apologies, I sent prematurely, case number 11664674 is already open, but I wanted to add to it. My 2017 Ford F-150 with the 2.7L EcoBoost engine has experienced recurring coolant loss and is now showing signs of internal engine damage. I initially reported the issue to the Ford dealership in November 2024, but no issue was found. On May 23, 2025, the dealership told me I need a new engine. My independent mechanic suspects cracked intake valves or internal coolant intrusion — a known defect in the 2.7L EcoBoost engine. This appears to be the same issue identified in class action lawsuits and previous the federal safety agency complaints. I feel the vehicle is now undrivable due to my fear of imminent engine failure. My extended warranty expired in December 2023, but the problem started well before that with white smoke coming out of the tail pipe upon cold starting. I am requesting the federal safety agency investigate these recurring issues, as this appears to be a widespread and unsafe defect affecting multiple years of the Ford 2.7L EcoBoost engine. VIN: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Aug 18, 2024 · Engine · MI

My F150 has an inherent design defect which makes them predisposed to leak coolant, including allowing the coolant to seep into the engine cylinder, which causes overheating and cylinder head cracking, and can cause the engine to misfire, suddenly stall, or even catch fire while driving. My truck currently has this issue it have white/gray smoke coming from the exhaust and has a coolant leaking issue causing it to come out of the tailpipe. This is 100% a manufacturing issue. I have always had my maintenance done at the dealership, examples of oil changes, and things like that. I have owned the vehicle since brand new engine issue is at no fault of mine.

Filed Jun 26, 2024 · Engine · 77,000 miles · NC

The contact's son owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that whenever her son started the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from under the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that prior to the issue, the vehicle had a coolant leak in an unknown location. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the cam phaser failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced Ford Campaign Number: 21N03. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

Filed Apr 12, 2024 · Body · 88,000 miles · VT

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving 65-70 MPH, the RPMs were fluctuating, the engine was overheating, and the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with catastrophic engine failure. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they might partially cover the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

Filed Feb 16, 2024 · Engine · 73,000 miles · IN

The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the independent mechanic repair shop for routine maintenance, he was informed that the vehicle had been experiencing excessive coolant consumption. The mechanic determined that the coolant was leaking and burning and that the failure could be related to the turbocharger. The contact stated that he had also noticed a burning coolant odor. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing a failure related to Ford Campaign Number: 21N03. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under Ford Campaign Number: 21N03. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.