The Lemon Index
Ford's 3.5 L twin-turbo V6, DOHC in the F-150 Raptor, model years 2017–2026. YouTube likes the 2024 best.
A safer bet: YouTube owner tone 54/100, #43 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); no engine-related recall on record, 5 known issues listed below.
Everyday cars with this engine Tap a year for that car's full report.
Model years from EPA version lists. Only years we have a car page for.
Reliability by year
Why the car page shows more: the Raptor page counts 8,189 complaints and 93 recall campaigns for 2017–2025, everything NHTSA files as "F-150", other engines included. This page counts only the 32 complaints and 0 recalls we can tie to the Ford 3.5 EcoBoost High Output by model name or the owner's own words.
YouTube videos are most positive about the 2024 (61) and least about the 2018 (48); neighboring years share many of the same videos, so small gaps mean little.
How we count: owner complaints only where the car's name and year leave no doubt; YouTube tone from videos that name this engine or its cars. How we count
Owner complaints (NHTSA) are filed by model and year, not engine. We count one for this engine only when the model name and year had no other engine (e.g. "488 GTB", "GT-R"), or when the owner's own words name a version that had only this engine that year (Z06, ZR1, Hellcat, GT500 ...). They cover the whole car (wheels, air bags, electrics ...), not only the engine, and none of them is a failure rate. We chart them only for engines with 30 or more, over 3 or more years. YouTube tone = how positive the videos are, 0–100, from titles and transcripts (praise vs trouble words, the title counts 3 times), weighted by views; a year needs at least 3 videos' worth. A video counts for this engine when its title names the engine or a car that only had this engine in the years it names; a video whose title names no model year counts toward every year of that car, so neighboring years share most of their videos.
All the numbers, year by year
| Year | Cars | Owner complaints | YouTube says | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | F-150 Raptor | 9 | 55 (32 videos) | 0 |
| 2018 | F-150 Raptor | 12 | 48 (31 videos) | 0 |
| 2019 | F-150 Raptor | 2 | 52 (33 videos) | 0 |
| 2020 | F-150 Raptor | 2 | 48 (29 videos) | 0 |
| 2021 | F-150 Raptor | 2 | 48 (33 videos) | 0 |
| 2022 | F-150 Raptor | 5 | 55 (31 videos) | 0 |
| 2023 | F-150 Raptor | 0 | 54 (28 videos) | 0 |
| 2024 | F-150 Raptor | 0 | 61 (44 videos) | 0 |
| 2025 | F-150 Raptor | 0 | 61 (45 videos) | 0 |
| 2026 | F-150 Raptor | 0 | 56 (39 videos) | 0 |
Recalls on cars with this engine
No NHTSA recalls we can tie to this engine's cars.
Engine problems Ford told dealers about
Ford sent dealers 5 repair notes about the engine on these cars, including:
- Some 2021-2022 F-150 Raptor vehicles built on or before 06-Jun-2022 may experience a rattle noise from the…
- This article supercedes TSB 22-2388 to update the Service Procedure and vehicle model years affected
- Some 2018-2020 F-150 Raptor and 2019-2020 F-150 Limited vehicles equipped with a 3.5L EcoBoost High-Output…
NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins), matched by model name and year like the complaints, engine-related ones only. A repair note is not a recall: ask a seller whether it was done.
Known issues on record
- 10-speed shift linkage and park pin recalls (2017–2018) (Recall). On some 2017 F-150s with the 10-speed, the pin holding the shift linkage can fall out. A few 2017–2018 trucks were built without a park roll pin. Either can let the truck roll in Park. Fix: Dealers replace or install the pin (17V-671, 18V-213). 17 owner complaints to NHTSA mention it (2nd gen Raptor, 3rd gen Raptor).
- Shift to neutral (2021) (Recall). On some 2021 F-150s a false low-fluid-pressure code can drop the 10-speed into neutral while driving. Fix: Dealers update the powertrain software (22V-188; some trucks redone under 25V-169). 122 owner complaints to NHTSA mention it (2nd gen Raptor, 3rd gen Raptor).
- High-pressure fuel pump welds (2018) (Recall). Welds on the high-pressure fuel pump can crack and leak fuel or oil on 5,645 2018 trucks with the 3.5 GTDI. NHTSA's summary does not say whether Raptors are included. Fix: Dealers replace the pump (18V-392). Check the VIN on nhtsa.gov. 10 owner complaints to NHTSA mention it (2nd gen Raptor).
- Engine cup plug oil leak (2024–2025) (Recall). A misaligned engine cup plug can cause a fast oil leak on some 2024–2025 F-150s with the 3.5 GTDI. NHTSA's summaries do not say whether Raptors are included. Fix: Dealers check the plug and replace it if needed (24V-851, 25V-198). Check the VIN on nhtsa.gov. 63 owner complaints to NHTSA mention it (2nd gen Raptor, 3rd gen Raptor).
- Cam-phaser (VCT) failures on 3.5 EcoBoost engines through the 2020 model year; Ford extended coverage under program 21N03 and redesigned the phaser. Source
Sources: NHTSA recall 17V-671: 2017 F-150 10-speed shift linkage pin, NHTSA recall 18V-213: 2017–2018 F-150 10-speed missing park roll pin, NHTSA recall 22V-188: 2021 F-150 false low fluid pressure code, shift to neutral, NHTSA recall 25V-169: 2021 F-150 trucks repaired incorrectly under 22V-188, NHTSA recall 18V-392: 2018 F-150/Expedition/Navigator 3.5L GTDI high-pressure fuel pump welds, NHTSA recall 24V-851: 2024–2025 F-150 3.5L GTDI engine cup plug, NHTSA recall 25V-198: 2024–2025 F-150 3.5L GTDI engine cup plug. The same list as on the Raptor page.
Every US version with this engine
| Car and versions | Years |
|---|---|
| Ford F-150 Raptor F150 RAPTOR 37 4WD, F150 RAPTOR 4WD · Ford F-Series, every year | 2017–26 |
Engine code: 3.5 EcoBoost Gen 2 (D35) High Output. Power: 450 hp, factory figures. Versions and years: EPA (fueleconomy.gov). Sources: Ford EcoBoost engine.
Quick answers
What cars have the Ford 3.5 EcoBoost High Output engine?
In the US: the Ford F-150 Raptor, model years 2017–2026. See the version table for each one.
Is the Ford 3.5 EcoBoost High Output reliable?
Mostly yes. YouTube owner tone 54/100, #43 of 165 engines with a YouTube study (in the top third); no engine-related recall on record, 5 known issues listed below. Owners filed 32 complaints we can tie to it, about any part of the car. Have any used car inspected.
How much horsepower does the Ford 3.5 EcoBoost High Output make?
450 hp in factory figures, depending on the car.