2019 Ford F-150 · symptom sheet
Timing chain or cam phaser rattles
- 136owner reports
- 72,000median miles
- $4,500median quote
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Jul 3, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
374 of the 1,329 complaints on this car are about the engine. 136 of those describe timing chain failure.
Tick what matches of 136 reports
Timing chain failure on other F-150 years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
This sheet is about a rattle from the front of the engine, often at its worst right after a cold start, that dealers trace to the timing chain or the cam phasers. It's heavily concentrated: the 2017 to 2019 Ford F-150 accounts for about four in ten of these complaints across the site.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the cam phasers (128 reports), the timing chain (18 reports) and the chain tensioner (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
2 recalls on the engine cover the 2019 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
During the previous repair, the block heater cable's splice connector may have been damaged.
Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causing corrosion and damage.
All 9 recalls on the 2019 Ford F-150, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
NHTSA investigations into the engine on the F-150
Loss of motive power. Closed oct 31, 2024, led to recall 24V-635.
Reduced power during hard acceleration. Closed apr 7, 2014.
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head. Closed jan 4, 2006.
Idle air spd ctrl vlv malf. Closed aug 31, 1994.
Idle air spd ctrl vlv malf. Closed jul 30, 1993.
None of these investigations covers the 2019 model year.
What owners paid
34 of the 136 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $4,000 to $5,200.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 59,000 and 101,000 miles, from the 97 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 4 service bulletins or notices for the 2019 Ford F-150 that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
It may be possible that an undesirable noise may develop from the cam phasers in the 3.5L GTDI engine. This noise might occur as a rattle when starting the engine after your vehicle was turned off for an extended period of time, or as a knocking noise when ...
In some of the affected vehicles, an undesirable noise may develop from the cam phasers in the 3.5L GTDI engine. This noise might occur as a rattle when starting the engine after the vehicle was turned off for an extended period of time or as a knocking noise ...
Certain 2017-2020 Model Year F-150 Equipped with a 3.5L GTDI Engine Powertrain Control Module Reprogram for Cam Phaser Rattle In some of the affected vehicles, an undesirable noise may develop from the cam phasers in the 3.5L GTDI engine.
Certain 2017-2020 Model Year F-150 Equipped with a 3.5L GTDI Engine Cam Phaser Replacement In some of the affected vehicles, an undesirable noise may develop from the cam phasers in the 3.5L GTDI engine.
What owners wrote
“At 70k miles cam phaser is starting to go bad and ford will not honor prior recall or TSB tn2103 and recall 21B10. Ford has issues a 40% repair coverage and does acknowledge the issue but does not think it's their fault now. Would like ford to issue a full recall on this issue.”
Filed Mar 12, 2026 · 70,000 miles
“cam phaser rattle, well known issue in 2017-2020 F-150s. Started around November 8, 2025, at cold start. Maybe 78,000 miles. Spoke to repair shop who id'd the issue and suggested a NHTSA case.”
Filed Dec 1, 2025 · 78,000 miles
“Timing chain and gears need to be replaced. Check engine light came on. This should not be happening to a newer vehicle with 100,000 miles on it. I looked up other complaints and multiple people have filed complaints about the timing chain going out on their vehicle.”
Filed Sep 24, 2025 · 100,000 miles
“Cam Phaser and Timing Chain Failures in 5.0 V8 engine cause engine failure if not repaired. Engine failure potentially puts myself and/or my family stranded on the side of the road. This problem has been repaired one time approximately 30k miles ago and has returned. No check engine light related to this failure.”
Filed Mar 20, 2025 · 30,000 miles
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 136 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard 385 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 177 reports
- Transmission fails or needs replacement 125 reports
- Engine rattles or ticks 122 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 104 reports
- Transmission drops into neutral or downshifts on its own 84 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 82 reports
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 53 reports
- Burns oil or oil level rises 34 reports
- "Service Transmission" message or wrench light comes on 34 reports
- Windshield cracks or distorts 25 reports