I was driving and slowing down for a stop sign and the engine shut off by itself while still moving at appx 10-15mph. The display had several warning lights appear, and the message "Auto Start Stop, Shift to P, Then Restart Engine". I have the Auto Start Stop disabled on my vehicle, so there was no reason for my engine to shut off while decelerating. I searched online for potential causes and discovered that there are numerous incidents of this happening (engine shutting off while moving) to drivers that have deactivated the auto start stop on their vehicles. See link: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Ford F-150 start-stop problems
141 of the 38,375 owner complaints about the Ford F-150 describe start-stop system problems, most of them for the 2018 model year.
- owner complaints
- 141
- worst model year
- 2018
- typical mileage
- 14,000
Is there a fix? There are 11 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 33Loss of power 14Check engine light 10Won't start 7Power steering loss 7Misfire 6Jerking 6Wipers 3
Trouble codes mentioned
P2703 1P2535 1P164C 1P0767 1P0741 1
What owners say
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?
Was slowing down to turn, engine cut out and received an “auto start/stop, shift to P and then restart engine” error on dash. Almost got in an accident because of it.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). Upon starting the vehicle, it started and stopped. After waiting for approximately 20 minutes, the vehicle worked as designed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a faulty fuel pump control module, fuel pump assembly, and Auto START/STOP eliminator module that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
I was driving in town, less than 35mph, slowing down to stop at a traffic signal, when my engine stopped and a message came up on my dashboard that said something to the effect of "auto stop start, place transmission in park and restart engine". I did so and it cranked and ran fine. Hasn't happened again.
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.
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.
After entering my 2022 F150 Lariat in a parking lot and starting it, I placed my iPhone on the charger and I backed out of the spot I was in with my hazard lights turned on. I placed the vehicle in drive and turned off the hazard lights. As I pulled forward, a deafening sound came from the back seat of my truck that sounded like some kind of electric static with a popping noise. I reflexively pressed the break, ducked my head and tried to turn the volume knob down which did nothing. I pressed the stop/start button to shut the vehicle off and that did not change the sound coming from the door speakers. I jumped out of the truck because the sound was painful and proceeded to use a pair of pliers from a leatherman that I was carrying to disconnect the positive side of the battery; this too did nothing. At this point, I closed all of doors and searched the web on my phone to see if similar problems existed for other owners and if there was a fix. After about 8-10 minutes, the sound stopped. Based on what I read, this was a widely known issue on Ford F150 models between the years 2021-2024. Apparently, Ford has not responded to this yet. If this we’re to happen while driving, it’s would be shocking enough to cause a reflexive action that could put people in danger of a crash. I have video of this occurrence if needed.
-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.
Auto start stop. This has happened on several occasions where I will be traveling at highway speeds and my 2018 F-150 10 speed 10R80 Transmisson with a 5.0-liter motor has died while traveling. I have talked to Ford Engineering reps, and they say they have never heard of this. I have done research into the subject and there have been hundreds of reports of the same issue. I have an appointment scheduled for Ford to look into the issue.
Related recalls
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, F-600, 2026 F-150, and F-750 SD vehicles. The analog cluster’s tachometer and speedometer may become stuck or move erratically, providing inaccurate readings to the driver. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 101, "Controls and Displays."
- Risk
- A speedometer that fails to display accurate vehicle speed can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the instrument cluster modules, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed in October 26, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in December 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C46. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on October 7, 2026.
Recall number 26V653000 · Recall details
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 F-150 vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 17V053. The instrument cluster may lose power after initial vehicle start-up in cold ambient temperatures. Several gauges, including the transmission gear position indicator, may not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect."
- Risk
- An instrument cluster that fails to display critical safety information, such as gear position or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the Instrument Panel Cluster Assembly (IPC) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 17, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C26. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on on July 6, 2026.
Recall number 26V370000 · Recall details
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 F-550 SD, F-450 SD, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, and 2025 F-150 vehicles. The Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) may fail at startup.
- Risk
- An instrument panel display that does not show critical information, such as warning lights or vehicle speed, increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- The instrument panel cluster software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 5, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S88.
Recall number 25V540000 · Recall details
Electrical system: integrated trailer brake control
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 F-150, 2022 Maverick, Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 22V‑193. Due to a software error, a towed trailer equipped with an electric or electric-over hydraulic brake system may not brake.
- Risk
- Loss of trailer brake functionality can extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the integrated trailer brake control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S18.
Recall number 25V132000 · Recall details
Electrical system: body control module: software
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 F-150 vehicles equipped with the Onboard Scales feature. An over-the-air software update to the body control module (BCM) may have disabled both reverse lights.
- Risk
- Disabled reverse lights cannot alert others that the vehicle is reversing, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are were mailed June 26, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S38.
Recall number 24V443000 · Recall details
Electrical system: integrated trailer brake control
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 F-150, 2022 Maverick, Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 vehicles. Due to a software error, a towed trailer equipped with an electric or electric-over hydraulic brake system may not brake.
- Risk
- Loss of trailer brake functionality could result in extended stopping distance, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the integrated trailer brake control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 22, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S17.
Recall number 22V193000 · Recall details
Electrical system: starter assembly
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 F-150 vehicles. An incorrect attachment nut may have been used to attach the battery positive (B+) power supply cable to the starter motor, possibly affecting the electrical conductivity, resulting in excess heat and electrical arcing.
- Risk
- Electrical arcing can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the starter motor B+ power supply attachment nut, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S40.
Recall number 20V467000 · Recall details
Electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery: cables
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 F-150 vehicles. The fastener securing the Power Distribution Box (PDB) 12V cable and Battery Monitoring System (BMS) eyelets to the positive battery terminal may loosen and affect the vehicle's systems such as instrument panel displays and braking or steering assist. The engine could also stall.
- Risk
- Inoperative vehicle systems or an engine stall can increase the risk of a crash. Reduced braking and steering efforts increases the risk of a crash. This condition could also create a resistive short, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the positive battery cable/BMS/PDB joint for excess sealant adhesive and remove any excessive adhesive, reassemble the joint, and retorque the fastener, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 25, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S40.
Recall number 19V805000 · Recall details
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 F-150 trucks equipped with an eight-inch productivity screen. In these vehicles, the instrument cluster may lose power after the initial vehicle start-up in cold ambient temperatures. Several gauges, including the transmission gear position indicator, may not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicles Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission shift position sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect."
- Risk
- If the transmission gear position indicator fails to illuminate, the driver may be unable to tell the transmission shift position, increasing the risk of a crash or injury from unintended vehicle movement.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C01.
Recall number 17V053000 · Recall details
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- Ford is recalling certain model year 2011 ford f-150, f-250, f-350, f-450, f-550, edge, and lincoln mkx trucks manufactured from october 25, 2010, through november 20, 2010. These vehicles were inspected using integrated diagnostic system (ids) that had a custom software routine to read the suspect body control module (bcm) serial number. Based on the serial number the bcm was either not affected or replaced. The custom software routine was not reading the correct set of characters, and was not able to identify a bcm that required replacement affected bcms may have the potential for an internal short.
- Risk
- If an electrical short develops, an overheating condition may occur which could result in a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Dealer will inspect the body control module and if necessary replace it free of charge. The safety recall began on march 7, 2011. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1‑866‑436‑7332.
Recall number 11V128000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford F-150 start-stop
Which Ford F-150 years have start-stop system problems problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2018 (57 complaints), 2019 (34 complaints) and 2020 (25 complaints).
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