general problems of the 2015 Ford F-150 - part 1

The vehicle’s original engine began producing excessive white smoke during startup. The vehicle was diagnosed by autonation Ford, and it was determined that the passenger-side cylinder head was cracked near the exhaust port. This defect allowed coolant to intrude into the passenger-side turbocharger. Due to the extent of the damage, the engine required full replacement. The engine was replaced with a used motor under a third-party warranty on August 21, 2024. The replacement engine is now experiencing the exact same failure symptoms. Specifically, the vehicle produces white smoke at startup consistent with coolant intrusion. Bozard Ford performed a diagnostic evaluation, completed on February 27, 2026. Their findings determined that the replacement engine has the identical defect: a cracked passenger-side cylinder head near the exhaust port allowing coolant intrusion into the turbocharger. This repeated failure raises significant safety concerns. Coolant intrusion into the turbocharger and combustion chamber may lead to engine misfire, loss of power, potential engine damage while driving, and possible sudden engine failure. Additionally, burning coolant may damage emissions components and create hazardous driving conditions due to reduced visibility from exhaust smoke. The fact that two separate engines in the same vehicle have experienced the exact same cylinder head failure suggests a potential design or manufacturing defect specific to the 2. 7l ecoboost engine. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this issue to determine whether this is a broader safety-related defect affecting other 2015 Ford F-150 vehicles equipped with the 2. 7l ecoboost engine. Please let me know if additional documentation, repair records, or diagnostic reports are required.

Was driving at 50mph on hiway, all the sudden truck has loss of power and engine shut off, coasted down to stop, put truck in par, stared the car and drove another 5 miles and same thing happened again. No warning lite, no error messages was present when shut off happened nor during obs scan at later time was. When second shut off happened there was a shift down happened. Not sure if the transmission speed sensor has something to do with engine shut off.

While in 6th gear driving on the highway at 70 mph the truck downshifted to 3rd and drastically decelerated. When this happened the instrument display went from having all 6 gear numbers viable to only 1 - 3. It had to be put into manual mode and shifted into 6th manually. This happens twice in the same trip.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving, there was an abnormally loud tapping noise coming from the vehicle. The engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 24v635000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined the intake valve was bent. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 201,456.

The transmission failed prematurely without warning. We were without power to move onto the shoulder of a 2 lane road.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle shifted hard into gear. The contact also stated that the gear shift indicator displayed the incorrect gear. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 180,000. The VIN was not available.

Car randomly downshifting at freeway speeds. Mechanic is not sure what is wrong or how to fix. When google, it seems to be a common issue with this year and I clearly very unsafe with people in the car on the freeway.

Truck started making a loud sound from engine compartment on startup after towing camper 150 miles. The sound started to get louder and started to notice exhaust smells in the cabin. I took the truck into dealer to find out that the exhaust manifolds were warped leaking on both sides of engine due to a stud being broken that holds the manifold in place the tech said it sounds like a diesel. The service advisor at the dealership said that it is a "common problem" on the 3. 5l twin turbo engine. The cab of the truck fills with the exhaust fumes to the point where the driver gets headaches unless the windows are open. I asked if there was a recall on this problem and they said no. The same manifolds was used for years on that motor, since then Ford redesigned the manifolds to use extra studs into the heads that are already there but now want the consumers to pay to install the new design to keep the fumes out of the cab. Looking online it seems to be a problem that the turbos are heating the manifolds to the point that they warp and snap the only stud used on the rear portion of manifolds for owners that tow with the truck (that has a tow package and rated at 12500 capacity) fyi I'm only towing 5000 pounds. My concerns are that the exhaust fumes can overcome the driver an cause them to pass out or become impaired by the carbon dioxide poisoning.

Problem: engine unexpectedly goes to idle speed after accelerating up to highway speeds. Cruise control was not engaged at time of failure. This has happened three times, all after a cold start up, and all within 2 miles of home. The most recent occurrence being 6-19-25. At time of failure, multiple warning screens come up on the dash, including "hill start assist not available", "service advance trac", "see manual" (with a picture of a wrench). No check engine light comes on, and no error codes are set. Engine does not respond to accelerator pedal, engine will only idle roughly. When this occurs, the only remedy is to pull over to the side of the road, shut off the engine, then restart the vehicle. Each time this has happened, the engine starts and runs normally with all warning messages cleared from dash. Safety concern: unexpected loss of power can increase the likelihood of an accident, especially in heavy traffic. This truck is used frequently for towing, and an unexpected loss of power can create a loss of trailer control. Dealer contact: last September when this issue initially cropped up, the truck was taken to our Ford dealer for diagnosis. They kept the truck for approximately two weeks, driving it daily without having the issue reoccur. They performed diagnostics on electronic modules but found no concrete issue. Inspection: truck has not been inspected by the manufacturer, only the dealer. Warning lamps and messages: "hill start assist not available", "service advance trac", "see manual" (with a picture of a wrench).

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 75 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was requested to pay a diagnostic fee. The contact stated that due to the persistent failure, the contact was fearful of driving the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had occurred four times. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was advised to contact the nnhtsa hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Truck is at 135,000 miles and needs its 3rd oil pan due to faulty engineering. Ford is not covering repairs or offering assistance for previously repaired products. I bought truck certified pre-owned with extended warranty. The oil pan was cracked at that time and needed to be replaced at first service. On average oil pans are lasting less then 70,000 miles. How is this allowed to continue to occur.

Intake manifold actuator fails prematurely. Code p2007 and p2005.

Truck down shifts hard while driving. Hill assist warning light comes on and truck goes into limp mode and looses power going 60 mph. Pull over truck runs very rough. Turn truck off and back on screen says hill assist not available. Press ok and truck runs normal again. Happens every few days. Definitely could be dangerous if it happens on a bigger highway. Has happened 5 times over last few weeks at different speeds.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving in cold weather and attempting to depress the brake pedal, there was a rattling sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the rattling sound was coming from the cam phasers and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was transferred to NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000.

Pulled into traffic and car had sudden loss of power, several alerts showed up and car could not move and just idled.

Transmission abruptly shifted down from high gear to low gear causing it to lock up at a fast speed. My son hit his chest on steering wheel bc it was so abrupt.

I was driving at around 45mph and my truck suddenly downshifted automatically and almost brought me to a complete stop. It finally shifted back up and I was able to return to the proper speed. If this would have happened at higher speeds I could have been in an accident. Event at 45mph, had I not had my seatbelt on it would have thrown me into the steering wheel.

I have had the gasket for the oil pan fix two times. It is leaking again and told by Ford that it will happen again. It is 1200 to have it fixed plus they have to keep it for a few days to make sure the seal is dry. If you do not check the oil all the time it could be low and lock up. I know other people that have had this problem. It is on the 2. 7 eco boost.

Broken exhaust bolt on passenger manifold. Exhaust leak. . . Felt as though carbon monoxide gas was entering cabin portion of truck. Smelling of exhaust in cabin of vehicle. Made wife and kids nauseated and lightheaded. Did research and found out that Ford had a poorly designed manifolds and didn't utilize all exhaust bolts. In turn caused the #8 bolt to snap and manifold to warp and release exhaust fumes.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal screeching sound while accelerating. There was smoke coming from the passenger's side engine. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The contact related the failure to the exhaust manifold; however, the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000.

Truck will on occasion downshift into a low gear out of nowhere and feels like the rear axle is going to rip out of the truck.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for a routine oil change, the mechanic discovered that engine oil was leaking from the oil pan. The contact was informed that the oil pan needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,000.

The engine while operating at normal speed loses power to a rough idle and is remedied by putting the vehicle in park and restarting the engine. The engine never fails to start after restarting, but could fail at any moment, short or long term.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle started to leak coolant. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the engine started to overheat. The temperature gauge registered a high temperature. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to maintain the desired speed while the accelerator pedal was depressed. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was unknown. The contact stated that unknown repairs were completed by the local independent mechanic. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was scanned with an obd2 scanner and dtc: p061c was retrieved. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired for the recent failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for an oil change, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was experiencing an oil leak. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was then taken to mark's auto repair, where the contact was informed that the plastic-based oil pan was deformed and was leaking. The mechanic determined that the oil pan needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB number: 19-2205. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was included in the TSB. The failure mileage was approximately 163,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for an oil change, the contact was informed that the oil pan was leaking oil onto the exhaust expander unit. The contact related the failure to Ford TSB number: 23-2083; however, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the TSB. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the TSB. A case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

Exhaust manifold leak because of poor engineering at approximately 55000 miles.

After driving until the engine is warm, the engine stalls when coming to a stop. It is intermittent. The engine restarts and acts normal. This happened a few years ago and then a few months ago and then a few weeks ago on 11/10 and 11/12. It took two dealers to work on problem. There are no engine codes to point to problem. In the shop now. Apparently, it is the vct solenoid. A known safety problem. . Read more...

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge began to indicate that the vehicle was overheating, after which he observed excessive white smoke emanating from the exhaust prompting him to pull to the shoulder of the roadway. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the coolant reservoir was abnormally low. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The contact was informed that the engine would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to customer satisfaction program 21n12. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 95,000.

I bought the vehicle 3 to four weeks ago. For about a total of 6 or 7 times since I purchased the vehicle, the vehicle unexplainably goes into limp mode for no apparent reason. The engine is idling but will not accelerate at all, which in my case was extremely dangerous. In one instance, I was going up a mountain pass in an area that is steep with many sharp turns creating a blind turn issue. The truck suddenly went into limp mode just on the other side of a sharp turn. Vehicles behind me had absolutely no warning that I was stopped in the middle of the road. A second time, I was accelerating into heavy traffic when it occurred. This created all sorts of havoc as I tried to warn other drivers that I was disabled. This is critical and needs to be investigated.

During the course of driving on the interstate at 70mph the vehicle decelerated and went to a lower gear. The dash panel of the truck did not show all of the gears available. An emergency stop on the side of the road and turning the vehicle off and back on temporarily resolved the issue. It occurred intermittently and without warning. The truck continued to show problems and was taken to a transmissions shop which checked the transmission, replaced a line for a small leak and said everything seemed to be in order. The cause was not found to be a lack of transmission fluid as the levels were normal. The truck continued to intermittently decelerate. The last time that occurred, the back wheels locked up while on the road. The truck is now sitting due to the safety risk it poses and the locked up transmission on the rear end. It is available for inspection upon request. My safety and that of others was at risk. The problem was not replicated in a service center. The vehicle was inspected beforehand but not after the last issue, (it needs a tow as the back wheels are frozen). There was a warning light for the engine camshaft that came on and the problem was diagnosed at Ford as a camshaft issue though they could not understand the deceleration issue. The truck was taken first to Ford then to an independent transmission shop. Due to the issue the truck is not in use.

Driving down the hyw the 2015 f150 will shut down to limp mode can not excelarate lose of power have to stop and restart did this 4 times. As this happen I was just about rear-ended.

Started truck and drove about 1/4 mile when it lost all power and numerous messages started flashing on the screen. Truck had no power and I had to pull to the side of the blvd to let other traffic pass. Shut engine off and restarted. Started oksy but returned home. Learned from my mechanic 180 miles away that it is the throttle body, a common problem to which there is no recall but possibly and extended warranty. Truck has 49,253 miles on it.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was turned off, the contact observed condensation underneath the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the oil pan was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.