The Lemon Index
The 7.3 L V8 turbo diesel in the Ford Super Duty (F-250/F-350), model years 1999–2003. Owners filed 2,049 complaints about trucks with it (matched by VIN); 15% name the engine, #4 of the 12 diesel truck engine generations we track (1 = the most).
Known issues, checked against owner complaints
Problems owners of trucks with this engine name much more often than owners of other diesel truck generations (at least 1.5× the median, and 10+ complaints):
- Stalling (often the cam sensor). 242 of 2,049 owner complaints (12%) say the engine stalled, shut off or lost power, against a median of 7.8% for the other diesel truck generations we track.
While driving 90 mph on way to hospital vehicle stalled twice. dealer replaced 4 sensors, camshaft sensor was one of them. *ak
1999 owner · NHTSA complaint 899102
Also often talked about, but not standing out in complaints to NHTSA: injectors (19 of 2,049, 0.9%, peers 2.5%). That doesn't mean it never happens, only that owners rarely file it with the government.
What YouTube owners say Tone 0-100, higher = more praise than trouble.
Average owner tone 37/100 across 5 model years, from 171 videos about this engine and its cars.
Most-watched videos
- FULL Rebuild on a 7.3L Powerstroke: An Iconic Workhorse Resurrected 1,546,806 views
- 1999 Ford 7.3 Power Stroke Super Duty vs Dodge Ram 5.9 Cummins 2nd Gen | Which Is Better? 1,409,046 views
- REVIEW: Everything Wrong With A 7.3 Powerstroke 1,095,869 views
- Ford 7.3 powerstroke crank no start due to low icp injection pressure 814,738 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.
Owner complaints by model year
Counts of complaints filed so far. Older trucks have had longer to collect them, and popular years draw more because more were sold: no one reports sales by engine, so there's no per-truck rate. Compare the shares below instead.
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 diesel truck engines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Say the engine stalled, shut off or lost power | 242 | 12% | 7.8% |
| Mention the turbo | 21 | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Mention an injector | 19 | 0.9% | 2.5% |
| Mention coolant loss or overheating | 16 | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Mention an oil leak | 12 | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Mention a fuel leak | 11 | 0.5% | 0.4% |
Counted from the owner's own words in each complaint (all of the truck, 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 45,000 and 127,000 miles; the middle report was at 75,055 miles (1,056 complaints with a mileage).
Recalls that name this engine 1
07V553000 Dec 2007 Engine And Engine Cooling
On certain heavy duty trucks equipped with 7.3l diesel engines, the camshaft position sensor located on the engine of the vehicle may function intermittently, possibly resulting in an engine stall.
Fix. Dealers will inspect the sensor and replace it with an improved camshaft position sensor free of charge. The recall began on december 29, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
NHTSA recalls on these trucks and years whose text names this engine (its size, or diesel / Cummins / Duramax / Power Stroke). The rest (brakes, air bags, wiring ...) are on each truck year's page.
Trucks with this engine
In owners' words
Brake surges uncontrolabl, also replaced hitch but new hitch did not correct the problem.
2000 Ford Super Duty (F-250/F-350) owner · NHTSA complaint 9005755
While driving on a steel grate bridge, vehicle became very unstable, this happens at posted speed limit of 45mph. ford said for me to contact firstone. firestone said that all tires do this. tire dealer agreed to prorate and exchange tires, but did not know if this would correct the problem.
2000 Ford Super Duty (F-250/F-350) owner · NHTSA complaint 9005504
Truck shakes and bucks out of control when making unnormal stops. the problem was that the z-relays where not installed. any one of these truck on the road pulling a trailer without this relay stands a change of losing control.
2000 Ford Super Duty (F-250/F-350) owner · NHTSA complaint 9005320
Against the other diesel truck engine generations
| Engine | Years | Complaints | Name the engine | Name the fuel system | Stalled or lost power | Recalls naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0 Power Stroke | 2003–07 | 1,708 | 34% | 16% | 31% | 2 |
| 6.4 Power Stroke | 2008–10 | 572 | 28% | 7% | 11% | 2 |
| Duramax L5P | 2017–26 | 1,229 | 16% | 10% | 14% | 2 |
| 7.3 Power Stroke | 1999–03 | 2,049 | 15% | 5% | 12% | 1 |
| Duramax LML | 2011–16 | 779 | 13% | 20% | 17% | 0 |
| 6.7 Cummins | 2007–26 | 7,667 | 11% | 8% | 6.4% | 9 |
| 6.7 Power Stroke | 2011–26 | 5,640 | 10% | 11% | 7.8% | 6 |
| Duramax LBZ | 2006–07 | 186 | 8% | 5% | 7.0% | 0 |
| Duramax LMM | 2007–10 | 385 | 8% | 6% | 5.2% | 0 |
| Duramax LB7 | 2001–04 | 592 | 7% | 17% | 5.4% | 1 |
| Duramax LLY | 2004–06 | 374 | 7% | 11% | 7.8% | 0 |
| 5.9 Cummins | 1999–07 | 3,245 | 4% | 7% | 5.0% | 0 |
Shares of each engine's own complaints, matched by VIN. They show what owners complain about, not how often trucks break. Every diesel truck engine compared
Quick answers
Is the Ford 7.3 Power Stroke reliable?
No one reports sales by engine, so there's no per-truck score. Of the 2,049 complaints owners filed about trucks with it, 15% name the engine, #4 of 12 diesel truck engine generations we track (1 = the most). 242 (12%) say the engine stalled, shut off or lost power, against 7.8% for its peers.
What trucks have the Ford 7.3 Power Stroke?
In our data: the Ford Super Duty (F-250/F-350), model years 1999–2003, matched by the VIN in each owner complaint.
What are the most common 7.3 Power Stroke problems?
In owner complaints to the government: tires, engine, brakes.
How many recalls name the 7.3 Power Stroke?
1 NHTSA recall on these trucks names it.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints (FLAT_CMPL + COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED_2025-2026), received through 20261109; engines: NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder; NHTSA recalls API. Engine names and years: Ford.