YearToAvoid

2019 Ford F-250 Engine Problems

NHTSA lists 36 engine-related complaints for the 2019 Ford F-250, 3% of its 1,164 total complaints for the year, with a median failure mileage of 20,000 miles. One related recall (19V278000) covers the engine block heater cable on 2017-2019 F-250 Super Duty trucks.

Engine complaints
36
3% of 1,164
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
4
Injuries reported
1
Median mileage
20,000 mi
Related recalls
1

Typical engine symptoms owners report

  • Owners report engine compartment fires with flames or smoke coming from the front wheel well or fender area, sometimes while driving at low speed or after towing a trailer.
  • Several owners describe a sudden loud noise followed by a loss of power and a reduced-power warning light before smoke or fire appeared.
  • Multiple complaints describe violent front-end shaking or a 'death wobble' at highway speeds, in some cases severe enough to send the truck off the road.
  • One owner reported unintended acceleration past 30 mph after a cold engine start, occurring on multiple occasions.
  • Another owner reported the engine repeatedly failing to restart on random occasions with no cause found by the dealer.
  • One complaint describes a loose thermal insulation panel falling onto the exhaust pipe and catching fire.

When 2019 Ford F-250 engine complaints were filed

First complaint Apr 10, 2019, latest Sep 9, 2026.

2019 Ford F-250 engine complaints: complaints filed per month3Apr 2019Nov 2019Sep 2020Apr 2022Dec 2023Jul 2024Jun 2025Sep 2026
36 complaints filed with NHTSA from Apr 2019 to Sep 2026; peak Mar 2021 (3).

Engine recalls for the 2019 Ford F-250

  1. NHTSA 19V278000Apr 8, 2019Engine131,068 vehicles

    Engine

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater and previously remedied under recall 18V894. During the previous repair, the block heater cable's splice connector may have been damaged.

    Risk: A damaged cable could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring, increasing the risk of a fire.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the engine block heater from being used. When replacement cables become available, a second notice will be mailed and dealers will replace the engine block heater cord, free of charge. The recall began May 31, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S11.

Engine complaints by F-250 model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 200598 (22%)
  2. 200669 (14%)
  3. 200716 (14%)
  4. 200887 (26%)
  5. 200915 (19%)
  6. 201023 (22%)
  7. 201168 (18%)
  8. 201263 (20%)
  9. 201322 (19%)
  10. 201421 (13%)
  11. 201549 (17%)
  12. 201635 (12%)
  13. 201751 (4%)
  14. 201818 (5%)
  15. 201936 (3%)
  16. 202033 (13%)
  17. 202115 (9%)
  18. 202222 (18%)
  19. 202312 (28%)
  20. 20244 (11%)
  21. 20250 (0%)

Frequently asked questions

How many engine complaints does the 2019 Ford F-250 have?
NHTSA lists 36 engine-related complaints for the 2019 Ford F-250, which is 3% of the 1,164 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2019 Ford F-250 engine?
Yes. Recall 19V278000 covers 2017-2019 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty trucks with an engine block heater; Ford disables the block heater and later provides replacement cables.
At what mileage do 2019 F-250 engine problems typically show up?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for engine-area complaints is 20,000 miles.
Were there any fires or injuries linked to 2019 F-250 engine complaints?
NHTSA data shows 4 fires and 1 injury among the 36 engine-related complaints for the 2019 Ford F-250, with 0 crashes reported.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.