The Lemon Index
The 5.4 L V8, 3 valves per cylinder in the Ford F-Series, Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, model years 2005–2014. Owners filed 3,952 complaints about cars with it (matched by VIN); 21% name the engine, #19 of the 39 everyday engines we track (1 = the most).
Known issues, checked against owner complaints
Problems owners of cars with this engine name much more often than owners of the other 38 everyday engines we track (at least 1.5× the median, and 10+ complaints):
- Cam phasers. 68 of 3,952 owner complaints (1.7%) mention a cam phaser or VTC actuator, against a median of under 0.1% for the other 38 everyday engines we track.
My 5.4 v8 triton motor timing came phasers are bad the truck runs fine when cold when it gets warmer up it rattles and shakes and stalls air bag light stays on I had to pull the fuse bc it beeps and warning light so it's not active
2008 owner · NHTSA complaint 11615146 - Broken or ejected spark plugs. 165 of 3,952 owner complaints (4.2%) mention a spark plug, against a median of 0.5% for the other 38 everyday engines we track.
Upon receiving tune up the spark plugs broke apart.after getting them out cyl#1 would not hold spark plug,caused me to spend more money to get problem fixed.but the shops will not guarantee the work that is needed.they all said it was a factory issue.the truck was stationary as well.
2006 owner · NHTSA complaint 11300564
What YouTube owners say Tone 0-100, higher = more praise than trouble.
Average owner tone 36/100 across 11 model years, from 134 videos about this engine and its cars (#159 of 165 engines with a YouTube study).
Most-watched videos
- REVIEW: Everything Wrong With A Ford F150 5.4 Triton V8 1,482,857 views
- Ford 4.6L & 5.4L Triton Engines: Common Failure Points to Watch Out For! 1,049,070 views
- Ford F-150 & Expedition 5.4L 3v Triton Engines Hard to Diagnose Misfires Fixed! 857,243 views
Counted from video titles and captions: praise words against trouble words, weighted by views. Videos only count when the title names this engine or a car that had only this engine in those years.
Cars with this engine Tap a year for that car's full report.
- Ford Expedition2005200620072008200920102011201220132014
- Lincoln Navigator2005200620072008200920102011201220132014
- Ford F-Series200520062007200820092010
Model years from NHTSA VIN decoding of owner complaints. Only years we have a car page for.
Owner complaints by model year
Counts of complaints filed so far. Older cars have had longer to collect them, and popular cars draw more because more were sold: no one reports sales by engine, so there's no per-car rate. Compare the shares below instead.
By car
| Car | Model years matched | Complaints | Name the engine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford F-Series | 2005–10 | 2,602 | 19% |
| Ford Expedition | 2005–14 | 1,142 | 25% |
| Lincoln Navigator | 2005–14 | 208 | 17% |
“Name the engine” = the share of that car's VIN-matched complaints that list the engine as a problem area.
What owners complain about
Share of this engine's complaints that name each area (one complaint can name several).
What owners write
| Complaints that | Count | Share | Median, other everyday engines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Say the engine stalled, shut off or lost power | 577 | 15% | 13% |
| Mention fire, flames or smoke | 187 | 4.7% | 3.2% |
| Mention a spark plug | 165 | 4.2% | 0.5% |
| Say the engine knocked, seized or failed | 139 | 3.5% | 2.7% |
| Mention a cam phaser or VTC actuator | 68 | 1.7% | under 0.1% |
| Mention a lifter, rocker or ticking | 46 | 1.2% | 0.3% |
| Mention a misfire | 41 | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Mention coolant loss or overheating | 35 | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| Mention the timing chain | 31 | 0.8% | 0.1% |
| Mention carbon buildup | 9 | 0.2% | under 0.1% |
Counted from the owner's own words in each complaint (all of the car, not only the engine). A share, not a failure rate.
When problems show up
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 30,000 and 99,000 miles; the middle report was at 60,302 miles (3,423 complaints with a mileage).
Recalls that name this engine 3
08V208000 May 2008 Service Brakes, Hydraulic F-Series 2005, 2006
Ford is recalling 605,684 my 2005-2006 f-150 and lincoln mark lt vehicles equipped with 5.4l 3-valve engines. The brake booster vacuum supply hose attached to the intake manifold fitting may swell over time and lose retention force. This condition could allow the hose to become detached from the fitting during an intake manifold backfire. Should the hose detach from the intake manifold, several brake applications with power assist will be available before the vacuum reserve is depleted.
Fix. Dealers will replace a rubber hose on the brake booster vacuum supply tube assembly. The recall began on june 27, 2008. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
08V057000 Feb 2008 Fuel System, Gasoline Expedition 2007; Navigator 2007
Ford is recalling 57,199 my 2006-2007 e-150, e-250, e-350, and my 2007 expedition and lincoln navigator vehicles equipped with 5.4l engines. The fuel rail cross-over hose may contain weak areas. As a result, the hose may crack, which could cause a fuel odor and/or fuel leak.
Fix. Dealers will replace the fuel rail assembly. The recall began on march 3, 2008. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
05V266000 Jun 2005 Fuel System, Gasoline F-Series 2005
On certain pickup trucks and chassis cab vehicles equipped with 5.4l or 6.8l gasoline engines, the fuel jumper line may have an incorrect end form.
Fix. Dealers will install an external retention clip at the fuel jumper line to the main fuel bundle connection. The recall began on june 20, 2005. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
NHTSA recalls on these cars and model years whose text names this engine (its size or name). The rest (brakes, air bags, wiring ...) are on each car year's page.
In owners' words
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2010 Ford F-150. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 154,800, and at the time of a Carfax report check, it was discovered that the mileage was 246,325.
2010 owner · NHTSA complaint 11750283
The problem is that the paint in the cargo area is peeling or fading, and I think that problem is a factory defect. That part of the cargo area is galvanized, I need to know if that is in a recall, thank you.
2006 owner · NHTSA complaint 11729958
Hard, delayed, jump from idle when accelerator is pressed. Hard shift from park to reverse.
2011 owner · NHTSA complaint 11722361
Against the other everyday engines
| Engine | Years | Complaints | Name the engine | Stalled or lost power | Burning oil | Recalls naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 EcoBoost | 2014–25 | 5,622 | 66% | 15% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 6.2 V8 (Gen V) | 2014–25 | 7,219 | 65% | 24% | 2.2% | 2 |
| 2.4 Theta II | 2010–22 | 21,551 | 51% | 20% | 8.1% | 8 |
| 2.4 Ecotec | 2010–17 | 6,096 | 51% | 21% | 18% | 0 |
| 3.0 EcoDiesel | 2014–23 | 2,871 | 50% | 24% | 0.2% | 7 |
| 3.3 Lambda II | 2013–21 | 3,254 | 50% | 17% | 5.9% | 2 |
| 2.0 EcoBoost | 2012–25 | 9,735 | 48% | 12% | 0.1% | 0 |
| 2.0T Theta II | 2011–22 | 3,325 | 44% | 18% | 4.8% | 2 |
| 1.4 Turbo | 2011–22 | 3,926 | 39% | 17% | 0.9% | 2 |
| 2.4 Tigershark | 2014–22 | 9,631 | 35% | 34% | 4.5% | 5 |
| 1.5 Turbo | 2016–25 | 4,471 | 33% | 27% | 0.3% | 1 |
| EA888 2.0T | 2009–25 | 7,443 | 29% | 16% | 3.7% | 5 |
| A25A | 2018–25 | 2,979 | 26% | 12% | under 0.1% | 1 |
| 1.5 Turbo | 2017–22 | 6,390 | 26% | 14% | 0.2% | 0 |
| J35 V6 | 2003–25 | 24,038 | 24% | 14% | 0.9% | 4 |
| Skyactiv-G 2.5 | 2014–25 | 2,631 | 22% | 11% | 2.7% | 1 |
| 2.7 Turbo | 2019–25 | 1,090 | 22% | 12% | 0.5% | 0 |
| 2AZ-FE | 2001–09 | 7,176 | 22% | 3.7% | 8.6% | 0 |
| 5.4 Triton | 2005–14 | 3,952 | 21% | 15% | 0.1% | 3 |
| 5.7 HEMI | 2003–24 | 23,895 | 19% | 23% | 0.1% | 6 |
| QR25DE | 2002–20 | 16,161 | 19% | 14% | 1.5% | 4 |
| 5.3 V8 (Gen V) | 2014–25 | 13,191 | 18% | 13% | 0.5% | 3 |
| 3.6 Pentastar | 2011–25 | 34,634 | 18% | 16% | 0.4% | 9 |
| 2.3 EcoBoost | 2015–25 | 3,975 | 16% | 9.9% | 0.1% | 12 |
| 3.8 Lambda II | 2020–25 | 4,423 | 16% | 8.0% | 5.6% | 0 |
| FB20 | 2012–25 | 2,336 | 15% | 8.2% | 1.7% | 0 |
| 3.6 V6 | 2009–23 | 14,214 | 14% | 14% | 0.1% | 1 |
| K24 | 2002–19 | 15,062 | 14% | 5.1% | 1.6% | 0 |
| 2GR-FKS | 2016–24 | 3,758 | 12% | 11% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 3.5 Cyclone V6 | 2007–19 | 21,313 | 12% | 11% | 0.1% | 0 |
| VQ35 V6 | 2002–25 | 12,613 | 12% | 11% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 3UR-FE | 2007–21 | 1,377 | 12% | 8.8% | 0.4% | 0 |
| FB25 | 2011–25 | 9,853 | 11% | 6.2% | 1.5% | 0 |
| 2AR-FE | 2009–18 | 4,673 | 11% | 6.6% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 2GR-FE | 2005–18 | 8,680 | 10% | 3.5% | 0.3% | 0 |
| 3.8 V6 | 2007–11 | 7,877 | 9% | 17% | 0.5% | 0 |
| 5.3 V8 (Gen IV) | 2007–14 | 9,241 | 8% | 4.5% | 1.3% | 0 |
| 1GR-FE | 2003–24 | 5,757 | 7% | 4.0% | under 0.1% | 0 |
| 4.8 V8 | 2007–13 | 726 | 6% | 4.8% | 0.1% | 0 |
Shares of each engine's own complaints, matched by VIN. They show what owners complain about, not how often engines break.
Quick answers
Is the Ford 5.4 Triton V8 (3-valve) reliable?
No one reports sales by engine, so there's no per-car score. Of the 3,952 complaints owners filed about cars with it, 21% name the engine, #19 of the 39 everyday engines we track (1 = the most). 68 (1.7%) mention a cam phaser or VTC actuator, against under 0.1% for the other engines. 165 (4.2%) mention a spark plug, against 0.5% for the other engines.
What cars have the Ford 5.4 Triton V8 (3-valve)?
In our data: the Ford F-Series, Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, model years 2005–2014, matched by the VIN in each owner complaint.
What are the most common 5.4 Triton problems?
In owner complaints to the government: engine, transmission & drivetrain, electrical.
How many recalls name the 5.4 Triton?
3 NHTSA recalls on these cars name it.
Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints filed under each car's own NHTSA names (the same ones its car pages count), all years filed, one per complaint number. Engine: decoded from the complaint's VIN with NHTSA's vPIC decoder (displacement, cylinders, engine model, turbo, hybrid) and the engine maker's model years; a VIN that doesn't decode to exactly one engine is left out. Older cars have had more years to collect complaints, and popular cars draw more because more were sold. Source: NHTSA owner complaints (FLAT_CMPL + COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED_2025-2026), received through 20261111; engines: NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder (batch); NHTSA recalls API. Engine names and model years: Ford.