2017 Ford F-150 engine problems
382 of the 1,442 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2017 Ford F-150 name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 105 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 of the 382 reports a crash · 5 a fire · 3 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2017: 9 · 2018: 4 · 2019: 19 · 2020: 11 · 2021: 8 · 2022: 25 · 2023: 59 · 2024: 112 · 2025: 99 · 2026: 36
Half of the 222 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 44,000 and 99,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
1,442 complaints in all about the 2017 Ford F-150, 36 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Ford F-150 engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
I bought 2017 F-150 platinum from levittown Ford I own it less than 1 year and have now 15,000 miles on it. My problem first started around may of 2018 it was random happening off and on I was getting a grinding noise when I started the truck only when I stared in usually first thing in the morning or if it sat for more than 6 or more…
Engine knocking on a cold startup. The knock is more easily heard from the passenger side of the vehicle. The knocking is the most noticeable for the first 30 seconds of startup. This occurs every day. The amount of knocking follows an increase in engine RPM
Vehicle has 23k miles and blue smoke billows from the tailpipe on cold startup. The dealership replaced the cylinder heads and various o rings and advised that the smoke should stop after 1-2 weeks. It did not. I returned the truck to the dealer in 2 weeks and they inspected the truck for 3 days concluding that it runs "as designed".
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-150. While driving 75 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle decelerated to 30 MPH without warning. The contact stated that the vehicle exhibited the same symptoms as listed in TSB: ssm46829 (electrical system: integrated trailer brake control). The vehicle was taken to eddie preuitt Ford, inc.
With the vehicle in park, with the weight of the vehicle resting on the transmission's parking pawl, or resting on the parking brake, when the engine is started, there is an intermittent clunk that can be heard. It can vary from no clunk to a very loud clunk that can be heard from 40ft or more.
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall filed under this heading
- 18V894000 CriticalDec 18, 2018 · 410,289 vehicles
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causing corrosion and damage.
105 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2017 Ford F-150 names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2017 Ford F-150
Source: the same files- transmission and drivetrain problems 546 complaints
- electrical problems 134 complaints
- brake problems 116 complaints
- body and structure problems 110 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2017 Ford F-150?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 382 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (26% of everything owners filed about it), and 105 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2017 Ford F-150?
Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading: 18V894000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do engine problems show up on the 2017 Ford F-150?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 69,000 miles; half of them between 44,000 and 99,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.