Ford’s Godzilla V8 Faces Federal Probe Covering Nearly 55,000 Vehicles

Ford’s Godzilla V8 Faces NHTSA Investigation

Engines seem to be under the microscope lately, and Ford’s Godzilla V8 is the latest to get the spotlight. This 7.3-liter beast, usually found powering heavy-duty trucks and commercial haulers, is now being investigated by the NHTSA for alleged camshaft and lifter failures.

According to the NHTSA’s document, the Office of Defects Investigation cracked open a defect petition (DP26011, for those keeping score). The original complaint landed back in June, asking the agency to dig into possible engine gremlins lurking in several Ford models.

Which Ford Vehicles Could Be Affected?

The probe covers about 54,787 vehicles, including the 2021 and 2022 Ford E-350, plus the 2021 F-59 and F-750. All of them pack the 7.3-liter gasoline V8 – better known as the Godzilla engine.

The complaint claims that when oil pressure drops to around 6 psi at low idle, the lifter rollers and camshaft lobes start to eat themselves alive. Let things go too far, and the engine could grenade itself without warning – even at highway speeds.

The petition goes further, saying Ford knew about the problem and quietly pushed out a software update to bump idle speed to about 1,000 rpm. But, according to the complaint, there was no recall or heads-up for owners.

However, it’s important to note that the agency’s first summary only mentions a single reported incident. No crashes, no fires, no injuries, no fatalities. So, that big number of vehicles? It doesn’t mean all of them have actually failed.

What Happens Next?

Right now, the NHTSA is just looking into the petition. That doesn’t mean they’ve decided the engine is actually faulty. The agency will dig into the details and then choose whether to move forward or shut things down.

It’s an important difference: just because there’s an investigation doesn’t mean Ford has to recall anything yet. Regulators still have to weigh the claims and evidence before making any big moves.

The summary doesn’t say how many vehicles have actually had this failure, or even if the oil issue is really to blame. What happens next depends on what the agency finds as it digs deeper.