NHTSA Complaint #11352720 — 2018 FORD F-150

2018 F-150 WITH 5.0 LITRE V-8 ENGINE HAS LOUD AND CONCERNING KNOCKING WHEN ACCELERATING. THIS IS ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION HAS RECENTLY SHIFTED INTO A NEW GEAR AND BEFORE ENGINE RPMS HAVE CLIMBED BACK UP. WHEN I PULLED OUR BOAT OUT OF THE LAKE A MONTH OR SO AGO, MY GASOLINE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE AN OLD DIESEL ENGINE DUE TO THE KNOCK. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE IN THE SHOP THREE TIMES FOR THIS ISSUE, AND THE TECHNICIANS HAVE CONFIRMED THE KNOCK. ON THE SECOND VISIT, FORD ENGINEERS HAD THE TECHNICIANS TAKE APART THE ENGINE AND REPLACE SOME VCT VALVES. THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE LAST TIME IT WAS IN, THE FORD ENGINEERS HAD THE TECHNICIANS DRIVE A LIKE MODEL TRUCK (2018 F-150 WITH 5.0 LITRE V-8), AND THAT TRUCK MADE THE SAME KNOCKING NOISES. FOLLOWING THAT, FORD CONCLUDED THAT THIS IS JUST "NORMAL OPERATION" OF THIS ENGINE, AND THERE IS NO CONCERN. I HAVE OWNED MANY VEHICLES, AND THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT "NORMAL OPERATION". I CONTACTED FORD COORPERATE CUSTOMER CARE, AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING FURTHER TO BE DONE, AND THEY NOW CONSIDER THIS ISSUE CLOSED. IN ADDITION, A QUICK SEARCH ON GOOGLE SHOWS PAGES OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS ENGINE KNOCK ISSUE. IT'S INTERESTING THAT NO PREVIOUS YEAR MODELS OF THIS 5.0L V-8 HAD THIS PROBLEM, BUT, FORD NOW CONSIDERS IT NORMAL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME WITH THIS ISSUE.