Problems with 2005 Ford F-150 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

2005 ford f150, 5.4 v-8 engine, 59,000 miles incident 1) 02/7/10 - upon accelerating away from a stop light while turning left, the truck accelerator pedal became inactive. truck was moving at 25-30 mph. additional pressure applied to the pedal caused no acceleration. light traffic allowed me to coast to shoulder where i was able to put the truck in park. truck faulted into 'limp mode' that limits the accelerator pedal operation (per manual), this was indicated by the 'wrench' light on the dash, no check engine light appeared. turned the ignition off, waited a ~15 seconds and restarted. upon restart 'wrench' light cleared and accelerator functioned as prior, again no check engine light appeared. incident 2) 02/12/10 - while driving on a federal highway at 55 mph in right lane the same sequence as incident one above occurred ? the truck accelerator pedal became inactive. being in the right-most lane i was able to coast on to the shoulder and avoid a rear-end collision. same ?wrench? light was indicated on dash, same sequence was used to restart and drive off. this obviously could have been much worse had the situation been different, i.e. in high-speed lane or heavier traffic patterns. this is certainly a safety concern for driving public, both those in the f150 and on the road around them. almost identical instances can be seen on nhtsa site for exact make/model/year truck. administration should investigate and consider a safety recall to avoid future damage. *tr

While at ~45mph, i eased off the accelerator to go into a left hand turn. my f150 then lost all power and shut off (no power steering, etc), and there were 2 tracker trailers coming in the opposite direction from me. i was barely able to complete the turn with the momentum that i had before the truck died. the truck re-started without any issue. this had happened before 2 other times with large gaps of time in between (once in november 09 and the other time a week before this latest incident). the other 2 occurrences were similar (highway speeds of 60mph), and restarting without any issue or error codes. an error code was generated (finally) with the incident described at the top of this complaint, and i brought the truck to the dealership. they diagnosed a faulty throttle sensor which was replaced. at less than 50,000 miles i did not expect to see an issue with this sensor, and certainly i would expect the truck to default into the "limp home mode" described in the manual, which it did not. there were several other similar complaints for this on some forums and i felt it might need some attention. *tr

Spark plug breaking off in engine. *tr

2005 ford f150 5.4l engine twice the fail safe came on while my wife driving and the engine shut down. once in october,2009( on the interstate, speed 65) and 11/19/09. this could have resulted in a serious accident she was able to get off the road. after a couple of minutes, engine started ok. with no check engine on ford dealer replaced throttle body and motor; reprogrammed pcm at a cost of $510.00. *tr

There were no warnings or events leading up to the incident. no warning lights, no noises. we had been driving earlier, but only about 5 miles and then we ate dinner, so the car rested. we came home and my son was about to take his young daughter home. my son was in drivers seat, i was putting granddaughter in back seat child safety seat . then i leaned into the passenger side front cab to grab a coke from the cupholder. my son turned on the truck, ford f150 pickup, and we heard a boom. it was so loud the neighbors all came out.-it sounded like a bomb! i was lacerated on the hand. my son was in pain, my granddaughter was screaming, and i went to rear cab from outside, unstrapped her and carried her out onto the sidewalk far away, fearing fire or explosion. my son was lacerated on his chest, stomach and was deaf in left ear for more than 2 hrs. the inside lights went on, and the car was running until we were brave enough to take out the keys about 10 mins. we had to wash dust off of ourselves, the smoke filled the cab. we called police and made report and called ins. carrier and made report. today we had it towed to ford dealer. i know this is a ford f150 defect. if my son had been driving, he would have had a terrible accident with my 4 yr old granddaughter in the truck. i am going to force ford to fix this and we are all hearing humming in our ears. the adjuster came out, gave us an estimate, we had the truck towed to ford dealer. i called ford customer service,, they took the complaint, and said wait 15 days for response. they asked me "what do you expect to be the outcome of this call?" ah what? i said that i expect them to pay the 1000.00 deduct and the cost. the rep told me to have a happy thanksgiving! its not her place to tell me that i should be grateful. i told her we were. i want ford to pay for this, the adjuster said they should. i bet they wont! *tr

while traveling through a tunnel at approx.55 mph the engine on my 2005 f-150 with a 5.4 liter engine quit running at full speed and went into what ford calls limp mode. luckily there was no other vehicle behind me or i would not be here to write this. the truck has since this incident quit running all together several different times. i took the vehicle back to where it was purchased and was charged $75 to diagnose the problem. they said that the throttle body was not functioning properly and it would cost $450 to replace. ford knows of this problem and will do nothing to repair the defective parts on their own. the dealer that is doing the repairs said that there are 397 of these parts on back order, that should tell them something! this could be a life threatening defect that the ford motor co. will not take responsibility for. *tr

2005 f150 5.4l v8. engine dies while driving. no warning, no indication. only connection seems to be that it happens during the first time the truck is driven in the morning. all electrical is still working during stall. go to hit the accelerator pedal and nothing. it is completely random. it has happened 3 times in the last 2 weeks with random days in between. turn the key off, turn it on and all works fine. others have had this issue in complaints, it can not be a coincidence with so many others having the same problem. this could pose a safety issue to f-150 drivers or other vehicles around an f150 if this stall happens. the incident date is just the most recent. taking my truck to the shop this week to get it checked out. i want answers from ford! i am the original owner of this truck with only 32000 miles on it. never driven hard, used for towing or heavy payloads. *tr

Coil on plug keeps miss firing . they were changed twice. ford wants to do a valve job to fix the problem . the truck has only 57000 miles on it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford f150. during a routine inspection a technician concluded that five of the eight spark plugs separated from the engine head; however, no repairs were made. the manufacturer was notified and no assistance was provided. the failure and current mileages were 50,000.

I have a 2005 ford f-150 pick up with a 5.4 liter triton engine. while driving on the highway the number 1 sparkplug was spit out damaging the head. the vehicle immediately slowed down in the middle of traffic. ford said this is uncommon, yet there are thousands of complaints already filed about this particular engine through the nhtsa. i have to completely replace the engine. *tr

Spark plugs cannot be changed because of design of cylinder head. this is a spark plug breakage inside the head. this is a common occurrence on 5.4 liter ford motors as reported on forums and through word of mouth. 1998 to 2008 motors are notorious leading consumers to either pay huge repair bills or trade before they wish to trade. also, someone wishing to change his plugs for proper emissions or proper maintenance is just screwed. scared to death to have them changed even at a dealership. ford mechanics even have trouble.this is no few vehicles. this is widespread.

Sudden engine surges occurring at any time weather moving or stopped at red light or while slowing down to stop. *tr

Regarding: 2005 ford f 150 truck purchased new from dealer, has been having problems with stalling. it has stalled in reverse and while driving on freeway. it is very dangerous. i almost got into an accident today on the freeway, which is why i am taking the time to look into this matter. i also know a few people with the same problem and have also seen many postings online for this issue. many people have been injured in accidents and many trucks have caught on fire. all have started with these same problems. ford recognized this problem until the made year of 2004. i do believe it also a problem with 2005, and maybe with other years. this really needs to be checked into. i have had my truck looked at by a mechanic, and he is not sure of the problem. i see a lot of problems with ford and fuel injectors and cruise control with my year of truck, but no recalls. this is a serious matter and i would appreciate that it be handled responsibly. *tr

I have a 2005 ford f-150 (4.6l v8) and i recently had a spark plug blow out of the engine, for the second time. the first time it cost me $556.50 to repair it. this time it happened in a different cylinder. this time i had my 2year old daughter with me and was stranded along interstate 70 for over an hour. i didn't report it the first time, because i thought it was an isolated incident. now after some research, i have found that this happening around the nation. i am not sure why there hasn't been a recall. not only can this be a fire hazard, but in my case, my daughter and i were stranded along side a very busy highway. *tr

My truck is a 2005 ford f-150 with 45,000 miles no prior problems serviced as per the ford recommendations as well as regular oil changes. while on vacation getting off the freeway off ramp in reno nevada and coming to a stop at a red light my car started to shake and sputter as if it was going to turn off and the check engine light was on. after the light turned green i proceeded through the green light and parked the truck in a safe spot off the street. i turned off the engine and lifted the hood and there was a small odder of gas fumes. seeing that i needed to get to a safe area i slowly drove the truck to a hotel. the next day on monday at a slow speed no more than 25 miles per hr. i drove the truck to the ford dealership where i spoke with a ford service advisor. the ford service advisor told me that there was a (fuel injector notice) for this year make and model ford truck. he also said that there could be a possibility that other engine problems could incur as a result of the bad fuel injector. he said that there could be a possibility that my motor could (hydrolock) and cause other problems in the engine and that there was also a possibility that my catalytic converter could be damaged. after receiving this info i left the dealership they shuttled me back to my hotel. later that day they diagnosed the problem. this is the explanation of what the dealership said was wrong with my truck: (1)bad fuel injector. (2)bent rod. (3)bent valve spring (4)scored valve head (5)possible bad catalytic converter estimated damage $4,300 and if catalytic converter was damaged $5,100. *tr

Ventilation fin got stuck on a piece of foam. the motor controller then failed. this resulted in inability to switch air flow direction in the vehicle. *tr

While driving, the vacuum solenoid for the 4 wheel drive tries to engage the 4 wheel drive - even at highway speeds- resulting in a horrible sound. the sound was "like i had run over a shopping cart or hit something in the road and was dragging it under the truck". this happened 5 times in two days in less than 30 miles of total driving. the noise is so loud and alarming that it made me immediately apply the brakes and pull to the side of the road because i thought i had hit something/someone. at first i wondered if my muffler or drive shaft or some other part had fallen off of the truck. this "false engagement" of the 4 wheel drive happens without any warning in all kids of driving conditions (slow, fast, breaking or accelerating). a new, redesigned (now has a cover on it to keep moisture out- which was causing the failure) vacuum solenoid was installed on truck - a $27.00 part. dealership kept old part. tech. at dealer told me that this part will go bad at some point and need replacing on all the trucks with the part. he said "not if but when". ford knew about the problem - hence the redesigned part. ford has not notified owners of this part and it's impending failure. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford f-150. while stopped, the contact heard a ticking sound coming from the engine. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technician stated that the cam phaser and the tentioners would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 39,000.

Engine shut down while driving 30 mph this happened twice dealer scanned for code and found code p2104 idle air control valve stuck closed replaced body and motor assembly 6036 wp94 no charge under warranty recall replace switch 6306 wp94 and vacuum tebe 6l3z*9w431*a. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford f-150. while driving approximately 45 mph, the contact noticed that the temperature warning indicator was illuminated on the instrument panel, which meant that the vehicle was overheating. he also noticed smoke and water emanating from the vehicle. if the vehicle would have stalled while driving, he could have been seriously injured in a crash. the vehicle was towed to a local dealer and they replaced the water pump at the cost of $300. immediately after the repair, he noticed that the vehicle idled roughly. he took the vehicle back to the dealer and they stated that the engine needed to be replaced at the cost of $5,000. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 82,000.

Slowing to a stop at light. was gong about 25. almost at complete stop, when engine went to almost full throttle. i pushed brake harder but still drove into the parked car in front of me. no damage done, just a very hard bump. turned key off, put in park. car in front of me drove ahead and parked to side of road. i started the engine and it immediately went to very high throttle. turned key off, waited 20 seconds, tried again. and it was ok. i pulled ahead and off to side to talk to other person involved. after 15 mins i calmed down and went home. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford f-150. on two separate occasions, the vehicle misfires and loses power, but does not have to be restarted. the dealer stated that the spark plugs may need to be changed; however, they may break off in the process. the current mileage was 52,838 and failure mileage was 52,700.

5.4l, supercrew-- engine was replaced by ford at 38,000 miles (after complaint to ford cust svc) due to injector failure and cylinder hydra-lock. now at 46,000 miles, complete transmission failure. only used for daily driver, no towing, never off-road. transmission failed on initial start on 60 degree morning, no pre-failure indicators. paid $2800 for transmission rebuild. i have noticed a fairly large number of problems reported on sub-standard factory transmission and engine parts on ford trucks. *tr

I have a 2005 ford with the 5.4 lt. engine. at the 63,000 mile mark i decided to replace the spark plugs due to slight idle problem. after spending $102.00 on a new set of spark plugs i ran into the problem of the spark plug's lower half breaking inside the cylinder head, it took me two days to complete the replacement due to a faulty design of the spark plugs. the spark plug steel shell is made of two parts a top half that has the threads made onto it and the lower half that has the hood were the gap is made between the electrode and itself allowing for a spark to happen. the problem being in that these two parts are only crimped together, the crimping is not strong enough and the lower half due to the carbon build up maintains itself jammed in the cylinder head while the top part slips at the crimping area turns and is threaded out causing the separation, i was going to weld the two parts together so that the next time i had to change the spark plugs the lower half would turn with the top half of allowing it to break itself free from the carbon build up and not break in the cylinder head but decided not to go with it too much trouble i'll get rid of the truck before the spark plug need replacing. well what i hope to get out of this is that ford revamps it's spark plug design by either welding these two parts together or making the spark plug shell a 1 piece so that i don't have this problem again if i do decide to buy another ford product after the hell i had to go though changing these spark plugs. *tr

2004-2007 f-150 truck say to change the spark plugs out at 100k. the dealers say $300 to change but if they snap of it could cost more? they almost always snap!!! ford has a spark plug that snaps in half when trying to change out do to carbon build up. bad design and then is about $88 hr for a tech to fix. almost all dealerships break them and cost the owner $1000 to $1800 for a spark plug change do to poor design? everyone is breaking and ford is making a ton of money on a problem that should be recalled!!!!! if you research this on the web need i say no more....i bought a $32,000 truck that i cant change the spark plugs.. something really needs to happen. thank you ken belk *tr

I bought a truck at selinsgrove ford about a month ago. the night i got it home i noticed it sounded like a diesel.. that was fine then when you get up to about 55mph its has a bad shimmy and i had it back a couple of different time and they say they don't know what to do about it now. it had to be wrecked or something because there was a crease on the bumper and the drivers side door needed adjusted. *tr

The f-150 was parked in the carport attached to my son's house. it had been parked and not running for at least 3 hours. a passerby noticed the truck on fire and tried to wake all occupants in the house(duplex). at 5 a.m on 9/11/2008. my son never left the house. his body was found just inside the house by the carport door. the fire was coming from someplace in the engine compartment. due to my sons employment with the military at that time and living on post there has been extensive investigation into this incident. i can supply further data when asked. i hadn't been allowed to see any of the investigative info until the military completed their investigation. that is the reason for the long delay in reporting this incident. *tr

2005 ford f-150 5.4 liter engine; all service work was performed at the recommended service intervals on this vehicle. at 102,000 miles, i took the vehicle to the dealership to have spark plugs replaced. (ford recommended 100,000 mile tune-up) the first three spark plugs attempted to be removed by three different technicians broke off even when following the ford tsb proceedure. this tune up will cost me almost $2,000 due to the defective spark plug design. ford will not help with the repair. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford f-150. while driving various speeds, the vehicle began to jerk, backfire, and run badly. in addition, the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle had to be towed twice. the fuel injectors were cleaned twice and the dealer stated that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. the vin was unknown. the current mileage was 100,000 and failure mileage was 90,000.

Advised that the 2005 f-150 5.4 triton engine has a history of spark plugs seizing in the engine and recommended that the plugs be replaced. ford says the plugs will last for 100,000 miles. tsb 08-7-6 issued by ford to address problem. had plugs replaced at 43,123 miles and had three frozen or seized costing over $300.00 in labor. ford knows of problem and has not issued a recall to correct design flaw. read many other similar stories on internet where citizens are paying thousands of dollars to get the plugs out and vehicle back in operation. *tr

My 2005 ford f-150 lariat 5.4l sounds like a diesel, i was told this is a very common problem with f-150's within 2003-2006. this is a result of either cam phasers or bad lifters. *tr

Since jan. 08 there have been 3 dealers look at & supposedly fixed 5.4 liter ford engine. ford does not want to help with any expense & i have 3 other vehicles that have had same recurring problem. all the above started with recall and has gone downhill. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford f150. while driving, the vehicle lost some power and the engine light illuminated which read engine failed soft mode. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, but the could not duplicate the problem. the dealer told the consumer the vehicle was safe to drive, however once the consumer approached a light, the vehicle stalled, the fail safe light came on and the brakes locked up. smoke emitted from under the hood and then there was a fire. the vehicle was destroyed.

At 2:.00 am the morning of april 24, 2008 we were awakened by our seriously agitated dog, to find our 2005 ford f150 engulfed by flames and to soon see our other two vehicles and our home destroyed by fire. a total of four investigators have concluded that the cause of the fire is the ford f150. the truck is presently under lock and key and the investigation continues to find the exact component. *tr

My 2005 ford f-150 w/ 4.6 triton engine lost compression around the #3 spark plug from the passenger's side. the engine ran, but with loss of power and a popping noise. the truck has less than 55,000 miles. leaving me stranded and requiring towing. *tr

2005 ford f-150 5.4l triton had 2 blown spark plugs. first one happened at 80,000 miles, second at 130,000. the first time it destroyed the exhaust manifold and cost $3000 to repair. the second time this happened it blew the left side exhaust and the coil pack. this cost about $1500 to repair.

The truck started cutting out and acting like it was not getting any fuel. we continued to drive the truck home and turned the truck off. the next day went out to start truck did not want to start had it towed to ford dealer. they said due to fuel injection malfunction the motor had to be replaced. *tr

My truck has 56k on it bought it used with 35k on it when it starts runs with high idle and the top end ticks really bad the ticking does not go away at all speeds at a stop light it sounds like a diesel tic tic tic sounds like a lifter is stuck. i put "lucas" in it to try to make it go away then i changed the oil ran about two weeks with no difference and changed it again and no change called ford dealer they couldn't help they said i would have take it in and get charged $165. then i changed the spark plugs maybe a fouled plug that wasn't it there goes 120 bucks a couple of weeks ago my wife was driving on the freeway and the drivers side window falls the window regulator broke $140 replaced that already. the passenger seat belt locks up sometimes now to the front the steering wheel shakes really bad when you apply the brakes turned the rotors at napa $20 new brake pads $90 at kragens balanced tires free i work at a tire shop shaking went away ...

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford f-150. when slowing down for a turn or approaching a stop, the accelerator pedal does not retract. on april 16, 2008, the vehicle completely shut off. on january 7, 2008, the dealer replaced the throttle position sensor, but the failure recurred two additional times. the contact has an appointment with the dealer on april 21, 2008 to take another look at the vehicle and attempt to identify the failure. the speed was unknown. the failure mileage was 35,000 and current mileage was 38,300. the consumer stated the problem occurred 5 times prior to january 7th 2008 and 2 times between january 7th and april 16th. updated 05/05/08 *tr

Needed tuneup, 75,549 miles, took f-150 truck to local auto service facility for a tuneup. 2 plugs broke off in head due to plug failure plug motorcraft # pzt1f. thus the head had to be removed to take out the broken plug. this was very expensive. we have one of the spark plugs used in this vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford f-150. while driving 55 mph, the vehicle stalled when the brake pedal was depressed. when the failure occurred, the check engine indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. the dealer repaired the failure and they stated that the sensors failed; however, the failure still persists. the vehicle was taken to the dealer approximately two times. the ford manufacturer issued a recall for the power booster line. the vehicle has not been taken in to have the recall repaired. the failure mileage was 18,000 and current mileage was 35,820.

Experienced sudden loss of power steering and power brakes while normal and routine driving on highway. no warning of any kind that failure was about to occur. engine ran rough, engine light warning came on after brake and steering failure and then engine shut off. narrowly avoided rear end collision and driving off the highway and into steep ravine. was able to bring vehicle under control with a lot of effort to steer and emergency brake. could have been injuries and/or fatal. towed vehicle to ford dealer. dealer performed eec test and received codes p0171 and p0174. dealer found vacuum hose from intake manifold to ebrake booster broken. dealer removed intake manifold, replaced vacuum hose and intake gaskets, and reinstalled intake manifold and cleared codes. i have old parts. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford f150. while driving at speeds over 20 mph, the vehicle would shake and vibrate violently. he also observed black smoke emitting from the exhaust pipe and a strong gasoline fuel odor from the vehicle interior. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they replaced the fuel injectors (performed under ford customer satisfaction program 07m08, nhtsa service bulletin number : 07m08, fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system:injectors) and made repairs to the brake booster (performed under nhtsa campaign id number: 08v208000: component: service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings). immediately after the repairs, when putting the vehicle into the drive position, there was a rattling noise under the vehicle. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer who stated that the catalytic converter was damaged due to the fuel injector failure. the dealer was advised by the manufacturer that the catalytic converter would not be covered and they would take no liability for the failure. there were no repairs made to the catalytic converter, to date. the contact has all service records, if needed. the failure mileage was 35,742 and the current approximate mileage was 84,000.

Truck continues accelerating after foot is removed from accelerator pedal. almost impossible to stop with brake pedal. had to take out of gear to stop truck. restarted truck and it operates properly. it has happened three more times since this original occurrence. ford dealer could find no problem in 2007. am taking it back again as it has happened twice in the past year. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford f-150. the contact stated that the vehicle will shut off and the steering wheel will lock while driving. the failures occur without warning. the service engine light illuminated on the dashboard and displayed that the engine has malfunctioned. the dealer repaired the failure three times by replacing the spark plugs and the chassel body. the speed was unknown. the current mileage was 70,000 and failure mileage was 50,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford f-150. while driving the vehicle began to stall and shut off. he made several attempts to restart the vehicle and was able to resume normal operation. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and a technician concluded that it would cost $600.00 to repair the vehicle. no repairs were made. the failure mileage was 45,000 and the current mileage was 70,447.

Known issue of spark plugs breaking off in the cylinders. ford is well aware of this issue, but refuses to issue a recall for it. due to the breakage, it has been known to cost well over $2,000 in repair costs; just for a spark plug change! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford f150. while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact was able to maneuver off the roadway and shifted into park. he was able to restart the vehicle after several minutes. the failure recurred approximately five times and the vehicle was taken to both an authorized dealer and an independent mechanic who were both unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 40,000. updated 03/24/11*lj updated 04/05/11*lj updated 04/05/11

I had stopped at a local shop on my way back to work and when i went to start my pickup to return the engine would not turn over. on the third attempt, it finally started, but smelled like a motor burning up. i was proceeding up a hill and was approaching a stop sign. when i pressed on the brakes, there were no brakes. i could not stop the truck at the stop sign. i coasted through the stop sign at approximately 10mph and i pulled right into a parking lot. no matter how hard i pressed the brake pedal i couldn't get the truck to stop completely so i put the transmission into park. i then proceeded to call for help. when the mechanic arrived, he found that the vacuum hose had come unattached. after speaking with a ford mechanic over the phone, he stated that the mechanic had since several trucks in the same make and model as mine that also had this same problem occur. at this time, my truck is in the process of being fixed by the mechanic who told us of this problem. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while the heater is engaged gas fumes are detected in the vehicle. in an attempt to remedy the problem the dealer replaced the fuel injectors, spark plugs, starter, fly wheel, transfer case, and catalytic converter with no success.