Ford F-150 Oil Consumption Problems: What You Should Know
A class action lawsuit that includes 2020 Ford F-150 trucks with the 5.0L V8 alleges that engine defects increase the risk of accidents, injury or death.
In particular, the lawsuit focuses on excessive oil consumption, along with other serious F-150 5.0L engine problems.
Ford’s F-Series trucks have been the United States’ #1 selling vehicle for decades.
Ford F-150 Engine FAQ
Adding oil to your F-150 between changes gets old fast. The answers below cover what owners report and how Ford has responded.
What’s Wrong With Some Ford F-150 Trucks?
According to the lawsuit, 2020 Ford F-150 trucks with the 5.0L “Coyote” V8 burn oil at excessively high rates. Ford’s own service bulletin for these trucks describes the problem as more than 1 quart of oil in 3,000 miles with no visible leaks.
Ford F-150 engine problems allegedly include rapid oil consumption, low oil levels and poor lubrication of engine parts, leading to engine rattling, engine stalling and ultimately engine failure while driving at any speed. The lawsuit says the excess oil can also damage oxygen sensors, catalytic converters and spark plugs.
According to the lawsuit regarding the Ford F-150 class action, defective pistons and piston ring assemblies allow oil to enter the engine’s combustion chamber. Though engine oil is supposed to be separate from the combustion cycle, instead the lawsuit states that oil is burned and consumed during the combustion cycle.
The lawsuit also says the defect makes these 5.0L engines release more emissions. Oil is supposed to recirculate for further lubrication of engine parts. However, since oil allegedly burns off in the combustion process, fuel efficiency goes down and carbon deposits form inside the engine.
The lawsuit says these problems can damage ignition and emissions parts.
How Has Ford Responded?
According to the class action lawsuit, Ford ignored the problems, and claimed high oil consumption rates were “normal.” The lawsuit says many owners paid out of pocket for repairs. It calls Ford’s fixes “band-aid” repairs and says Ford refused to pay for the repair the engines needed.
For 2020 F-150 trucks with the 5.0L, Ford’s fix is to reprogram the powertrain control module and change the oil and filter, and the earliest-built trucks also get a new dipstick. Ford says the new software reduces engine vacuum during some slowdowns when fuel is cut, because that vacuum can pull oil into the combustion chamber. For some 2021 F-150s with the 5.0L, Ford issued a separate software fix for a low oil level warning that appeared even when the dipstick read above the minimum.
The lawsuit says the fix for 2020 trucks does not cure the defect and only hides it. For certain 2022 to 2025 F-150s with the 5.0L, Ford’s repair steps can call for a new engine short block when oil leaks from a porous or cracked engine block near the oil filter adapter. That is an oil leak, not oil burning, and NHTSA shows no recall or investigation for oil consumption in these trucks as of October 2026.
Oil dipsticks have marked fill levels that indicate the minimum and maximum levels of oil to be contained. The lawsuit alleges that Ford replaced old oil dipsticks with new ones that had lowered minimum levels, and says the change was meant to hide the oil consumption problem. Ford’s bulletin says the engine was tested and validated with the oil anywhere in the wider range.
Why Should I Opt Out of a Ford F-150 Class Action Lawsuit?
If a class is certified or a settlement is approved, you may have to opt out to keep your right to sue on your own. Once you do, you can bring an individual California lemon law claim, as long as it is filed in time.
If a class is certified and you stay in it, you may be bound by its outcome. California’s lemon law lets a court add a penalty of as much as two times your damages for a willful violation, but that penalty does not apply in a class action brought under California’s class action statute.
If you opt out and sue on your own, you can bring claims specific to your Ford F-150 5.0L engine problems. An individual claim is based on your own F-150’s repair history.
How Do I Opt Out of a Ford F-150 Class Action Lawsuit?
You can opt out of a class action and bring an individual lemon law case against Ford instead. In August 2026, the owners asked the court to certify a class, and as of October 2026 no court had certified one or set an opt-out date. Once a class is certified or a settlement is reached, the court notice will name that date, and opting out before it keeps your right to file your own lemon law claim within the legal deadline.
Once you opt out, your claim can focus on what happened with your own truck. Reach out to a California lemon law attorney to talk through your F-150’s repair history.
Lemon Law Help works only in California. We help California residents who bought or leased a defective model year 2020 or newer vehicle from a licensed California dealer. We cannot help people outside California, unless they are active-duty military.
If you go ahead with a claim, we handle your case at no cost and pursue cash compensation, a replacement or a buyback.
