The Lemon IndexFord doesn't report F-150 sales by engine, so nobody can honestly say which engine breaks more per truck. What we can show: what owners of each one complain about, from 18,026 complaints matched to the engine by VIN. The 3.5 EcoBoost gen 1 draws the biggest share of engine complaints (26%), the 5.0 Coyote V8 the smallest (13%).
Side by side
| 2.7 EcoBoost | 3.5 EcoBoost gen 1 | 3.5 EcoBoost gen 2 | 5.0 Coyote V8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model years | 2015–26 | 2011–16 | 2017–25 | 2011–26 |
| Complaints (VIN-matched) | 2,480 | 6,252 | 3,456 | 5,838 |
| Name the engine | 18% | 26% | 25% | 13% |
| Name the transmission / drivetrain | 32% | 33% | 41% | 44% |
| Say the engine stalled, shut off or lost power | 12% | 19% | 9.3% | 15% |
| Mention an oil leak | 1.8% | 0.2% | 1.4% | 0.3% |
| Mention burning or losing oil | 0.3% | under 0.1% | 0.3% | 1.8% |
| Mention a cam phaser or a rattle at start-up | 0.2% | 1.1% | 15% | 0.6% |
| Mention the timing chain | 0.1% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 0.3% |
| Mention a misfire | 0.9% | 2.7% | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Mention intercooler condensation | 0.2% | 1.6% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Middle mileage at the report | 42,000 | 60,000 | 53,000 | 68,000 |
| Recalls that name it | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
Every percentage is a share of that engine's own complaints, counted from the area owners pick and their own words. The 3.5 EcoBoost changed in 2017 (2nd generation, with port injection added), so it has two columns. Raptor (High Output), PowerBoost hybrid and Lightning complaints are left out.
What stands out
- 2.7 EcoBoost: oil leaks (the oil pan on early trucks), 44 of 2,480 complaints (1.8%) against a 0.3% median for the others.
- 2.7 EcoBoost: coolant leaks, 39 of 2,480 complaints (1.6%) against a 1.0% median for the others.
- 3.5 EcoBoost gen 1: intercooler condensation (misfire or stumble under load), 97 of 6,252 complaints (1.6%) against a 0.1% median for the others.
- 3.5 EcoBoost gen 1: timing chain stretch, 137 of 6,252 complaints (2.2%) against a 0.3% median for the others.
- 3.5 EcoBoost gen 1: misfires, 166 of 6,252 complaints (2.7%) against a 0.4% median for the others.
- 3.5 EcoBoost gen 2: cam phaser rattle at cold start, 526 of 3,456 complaints (15%) against a 0.6% median for the others.
- 3.5 EcoBoost gen 2: the timing chain, 61 of 3,456 complaints (1.8%) against a 0.3% median for the others.
- 5.0 Coyote V8: oil consumption, 108 of 5,838 complaints (1.8%) against a 0.3% median for the others.
Only problems at least 1.5× the median of the other F-150 engines, with 10+ complaints.
Complaints by model year and engine
| Model year | 2.7 EcoBoost | 3.5 EcoBoost gen 1 | 3.5 EcoBoost gen 2 | 5.0 Coyote V8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | — | 1,137 | — | 604 |
| 2012 | — | 988 | — | 475 |
| 2013 | — | 1,630 | — | 900 |
| 2014 | — | 822 | — | 484 |
| 2015 | 308 | 860 | — | 435 |
| 2016 | 464 | 815 | — | 633 |
| 2017 | 259 | — | 689 | 434 |
| 2018 | 521 | — | 974 | 690 |
| 2019 | 248 | — | 571 | 419 |
| 2020 | 221 | — | 256 | 220 |
| 2021 | 258 | — | 402 | 249 |
| 2022 | 92 | — | 263 | 138 |
| 2023 | 66 | — | 179 | 92 |
| 2024 | 19 | — | 103 | 34 |
| 2025 | 21 | — | 19 | 27 |
| 2026 | 3 | — | — | 4 |
Counts filed so far, not rates: the 3.5 EcoBoost sold the most, so it draws the most.
Each engine
- 2.7 EcoBoost
- 3.5 EcoBoost (F-150 data at the top of the page)
- 5.0 Coyote (F-150 data at the top of the page)
- F-150 reliability by year
Source: NHTSA owner complaints (FLAT_CMPL + COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED_2025-2026), received through 20261109; engines: NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder (VIN position 8); NHTSA recalls API.
Quick answers
Which F-150 engine is the most reliable?
Ford doesn't report F-150 sales by engine, so nobody can honestly say which engine breaks more per truck. What we can show: what owners of each one complain about, from 18,026 complaints matched to the engine by VIN. The 3.5 EcoBoost gen 1 draws the biggest share of engine complaints (26%), the 5.0 Coyote V8 the smallest (13%).
Is the 2.7 EcoBoost better than the 3.5?
By the share of owner complaints that name the engine: 2.7 18%, 3.5 gen 1 26%, 3.5 gen 2 25%. Shares, not failure rates.
Is the 5.0 Coyote more reliable than the EcoBoost?
The 5.0's complaints name the engine 13% of the time. Compare the table: each column is that engine's own complaints.