2019 Ford F-150: start-stop system problems

Filed May 14, 2026 · Engine · GA

Cold start rattle lasting a second or more. Ford dealer diagnosed it as being bad cam phaser (TSB 23-2143). This is a very common issue with 3.5L engines from 2017-2020 - well documented on forums and youtube (even by ford technicians). I contacted Ford to see if they would assist in covering cost (my vehicle was a previous fleet vehicle and sold certified used in Dec 2020 with warranty running out in Dec 2025). Ford had several CSP's related to these engine and model years (21B10 and 21N03). Ford says my vehicle is not affected by these two CSPs and that is why coverage is denied. Dealer did determine my vehicle qualified under both CSPs based on information from the CSP's (make, model, build plant). My vehicle is affected by known bad parts, Ford redesigned VCT. Per Ford technicians, the new VCT design is the only long term fix (PCM reflash and replacing with original VCT parts are not). How can a TSB (23-2143) cover my vehicle when the previous CSP did not - for the same issue. Ford is refusing to assist customers cover cost to replace of known poorly designed parts (why would they redesign if they didn't know)? Ford does not include my vehicle in the CSPs though it matches criteria - Ford possibly drastically understated the number of vehicles affected by these CSP's. Dealer says mine is affected by this but Frod doesn't include my vehicle. This should be a full recall (not time limited under CSPs) as it can cause the vehicle to not start when auto stop/start is enabled (middle of 5 lane highway in Atlanta metro area rush hour). Failure of cam phasers can force vehicle into limp mode reducing ability to operate vehicle . Ford is well aware the parts are faulty and an integral part of the engine, why would they redesign if they were not faulty?

Filed Jan 7, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · 155,000 miles · OR

The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the Auto START/STOP feature was inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking, and while idling, the vehicle started jerking abnormally. The contact stated that the transmission was slow to shift. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the message cylinder #6 misfire was displayed, but had turned off. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25E070000 (Power Train). The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and confirmed the remedy was not yet available, and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

Filed Dec 23, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · CT

I was just stopped at a red light and took foot off pedal and the vehicle didn't restart. The instrument cluster showed a warning saying "Auto StartStop Shift to P then Restart". This has happened 4-5 times in the past month.

Filed Sep 3, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · CA

Truck is stalling at low speeds or idle when in drive or reverse causing me to get stranded in turns or at stop lights. No check engine lights have come on and the dealership said to wait but it’s happening constantly. Occasionally the auto start stop will say it’s failed but the stalling occurs when it’s enabled and disabled

Filed Aug 19, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · CA

Truck is rough idles and stalls when idling and moving at low speeds. It happens at stop lights or low speed turns leaving me stranded in intersections No check engine lights have shown up but a auto start stop message appears on the dash

Filed May 22, 2025 · Engine · 25,000 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle failed to shift into the next gear. A message advising that the engine needed service was displayed on the instrument panel, and a message advising that the engine Auto Start-Stop system needed service was displayed on the vehicle's mobile app. The contact stated that after pressing the button to disengage the engine Auto Start-Stop system function, the vehicle continued to experience shifting failures. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that engine components had failed. The mechanic determined that the timing chain and the cam phasers needed to be replaced, and the contact was referred to the dealer for repairs. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the cam phasers, several unknown gaskets, the timing chain, and other unknown parts had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related to the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N03. The manufacturer's warranty department was contacted several times, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

Filed Mar 14, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · SD

1st safety problem is while accelerating, there is a rough shift in gears despite being an automatic transmission. While attempting to gradually and safely accelerate, vehicle causes an abrupt deceleration where rpms drop and vehicle occupants are thrown forward during the process. Vehicle was brought to Ford Dealership for repair. They noted a known issue with transmission and completed a software restart/update. Vehicle gear shift improved slightly for short period of time but eventually resumed and is noticeably worse in colder months. This problem has been noticed while turning, resulting in near misses with oncoming traffic and is concerning when entering/merging with traffic at highway speeds. There were no dashboard warning light indicators at any point. Battery was in good condition. 2nd concern: Engine fire ups up on start but stalls while idling when shifting out of park as well as in stopped traffic. "Auto startstop, shift to P, then restart engine" notification presents on gauge display. This requires multiple attempts to get vehicle restarted with following notification instructions and shutting off/restarting engine. Disengaging auto startstop on startup is inconclusive about remedying the situation. Battery was tested as good but replaced anyway due to age to rule out battery related concerns. Contacted Ford dealership service department and they replied, "they have never heard of it happening." They denied knowledge of any TSB, CSP or recalls/complaints about the issue. However, it appears this issue is well documented on multiple Ford models and various production years. Other than instrument/gauge display of "Auto startstop, shift to P, then restart engine" occurring after the fact, there is no warning light indicators. Safety is at risk due to stoppage of traffic and loss of power/ability to accelerate or maneuver vehicle in traffic situations to include clearing intersections with oncoming traffic while turning at low speeds/idling.

Filed Jan 5, 2025 · Engine · OH

Rough idle engine noise at stop, engine stalls out and dies. No check engine lights present, Auto start/stop system light comes on indicating its disabled and to shift to park and restart engine.

Filed Dec 6, 2024 · Transmission · WA

While driving this morning 12/6/24 I pulled out of a driveway going between 5-10 mph and my truck completely turned off. The dashboard said...."Auto StartStop Shift to P, then Restart Engine" My truck had no lights, the steering wheel became stiff, I couldnt steer, the brake became very plyable almost unusable, I was completely stuck in the middle of the road! I had to put my truck in park and restart it. Luckily it started and didnt cause an accident. This is the 3rd time this has happened since I owned this vehicle. This is extremely dangerous and very scary!

Filed Nov 11, 2024 · VA

When I bought the vehicle in 2019 the backup camera stayed on as I was driving down the road. I had to have the computer reset twice. While stopped at a light i had my foot on the break and the vehicle rolled forward and didn't stop me from rear ending the person in front of me at the light. The warning beeped but it didn't brake. Recently I was driving on the highways and my navigation showed that I was driving in a totally different place. Now I had my battery replaced because the auto start and stop wasn't working. When stopping at a red light the vehicle wouldn't start without me putting it in park and restarting it. I have to turn off my auto start stop feature because I'm afraid my vehicle won't start on its own.

Filed Nov 8, 2024 · Engine, Transmission · TX

Truck will stall and error will pop on screen stating “Auto StartStop Shift to P, then restart engine”. It does this when at a stop or slowing down to come to a stop or turning causing a huge saftey issue.

Filed Aug 10, 2024 · Electrical, Lights · UT

This afternoon while getting ready to leave church, I pulled my truck forward about 10 feet with no issues in order to load some things in the truck bed before taking off. The truck started up just fine, and the starter sounded just as strong as it always does, indicating the battery was of good health. Upon starting the vehicle less than 5 minutes later the engine would not start due to a dead battery - or so that's what the symptoms led me to believe anyway. I heard some clicks, but no starter motor activity, then saw a warning on my radio screen stating "turn ignition off or start engine." This could have been at a stoplight, leaving me as a stalled vehicle in the middle of the road had it happened in conjunction with the auto start/stop that shuts off the engine when stopped for a short period of time. I have not yet taken the truck into a dealership to have this issue looked at. This appears to be a resurfacing problem from about 2 years ago when I had electrical issues where my radio would not turn off as I got to work one morning - even though the ignition had been turned off and the driver door was open. The radio was still running when I got back to the truck in the afternoon. I was able to drive home that day, but with limited functionality of the truck. It was during a heavy rain, and the rear brake lights would not work, and the windshield wipers would not turn on. When I went down the next morning to take it into the dealership, I had to get it jump started, as the battery had died from the radio running all night long. When I got it jump started, the truck acted normally again, and I took it into the dealership and explained all of this, but they turned me away, as they told me there was nothing they could do to fix the problem if the symptoms had disappeared. There were no warnings before either of these episodes. This appears to be an electrical system failure. This problem has not been reproduced. The vehicle has not been inspected by a professional