Engine and engine cooling: diesel
Free remedy
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.
Problems · by component
1999 Ford F-250 engine and engine cooling problems
159 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1999 Ford F-250 cite engine and engine cooling, 19% of all 830 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.
Complaints
159
19% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
4
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine and engine cooling
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“SPARK PLUG "BLEW OUT"OF ITS HOLE CAUSING LOSS OF POWER AND SUDDEN CONSTERNATION. WAS PULLING AN LIGHT EMPTY TRAILER AND FORTUNATELY DRIVING WITH NO OTHER TRAFFIC AROUND. 5.4L TRITON V8 ENGINE, MANUAL TRANSMISSION. FACTORY TUNE-UP AND PLUG REPLACEMENT DONE ABOUT 20K MILES EARLIER, 5 YEARS AGO. *TR”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD F-250. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE VEHICLE STARTED OVERHEATING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THE RADIATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE RADIATOR AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE STARTED TO OVERHEAT AGAIN. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DIFFERENT DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS CRACKED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE CRACKED HEAD GASKET AND THEY STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL; THEREFORE, THERE WERE UNABLE TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT STATED THIS WAS A COMMON FAILURE WITH HIS YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 167,000.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD F250 SD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR MAINTENANCE WHERE THEY DETECTED THAT THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. UPDATED 05/04/11 *BF THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING OIL. UPDATED 12/19/11”
“FORD 1999 F250 5.4L TRITON V-8 BLEW SPARK PLUG. LOST POWER, CREATED ROAD HAZARD AND SCARED THE CRAP OUTTA ME WHEN IT BLEW. MADE IT TO SIDE OF ROAD SAFELY AND GOT TOWED. WENT ONLINE TO FIND OUT THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AS WELL AS OTHER TRITONS. SPARK PLUG THREADS ARE VERY SHORT LENGTH. NOT JUST POORLY ENGINEERED BUT ENGINEERED TO FAIL. HAVE READ POSTS SAYING FIRES WERE CAUSED BY THIS PROBLEM WHEN FUEL MIXTURE EJECTED FROM HOLE CAUGHT FIRE FROM ARCING BLOWN PLUG. OTHERS CLAIM THE PLUG BLEW A DENT INTO HOOD. CANNOT IMAGINE THE DAMAGE TO AN EYE OR OTHER IF MECHANIC OR OTHER PERSON IS LOOKING DOWN INTO ENGINE LOOKING FOR REASON FOR TICKING NOISE, WHEN BAM, THE PLUG BLOWS OUT. FORD WILL FIGHT THIS TOOTH AND NAIL BECAUSE IT IS AN EXPENSIVE FIX. THEY MAKE TONS OF MONEY BY HAVING THEIR SHOPS PULL THE ENGINE AND REPLACE THE HEAD. PLEASE HELP US. *TR”
“1999 F-250 SPARK PLUG DEFECT V8 5.4L HAD 2 SPARK PLUGS COME LOOSE. $700 TO REPLACE. MECHANIC LAUGHED AND SAID THEY HAVE A KIT FOR THIS DEFECT BECAUSE IT IS SO COMMON. *TR”
“DRIVING THE VEHICLE, ENGINE STALLED. UNABLE TO RESTART AS ENGINE HAD SEIZED. UP TO THIS TIME, THE OIL PRESSURE AND WATER TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE NORMAL OPERATING RANGES, AND OIL LEVEL WAS WITHIN RANGE AS WELL. *TR”
Showing 6 of 159 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
1 recall on this component
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Oct 28, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.