NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Defect Petition DP26-011: Camshaft and Lifter Failure in Ford 7.3L Gasoline Engines
- Open
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Defect Petition DP26-011 on October 23, 2026; NHTSA's investigations file listed it as open on November 4, 2026. NHTSA's investigations file lists 3 Ford models for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- DP26-011 (also written DP26011)
- Investigation type
- Defect Petition A petition asking NHTSA to open a defect investigation; NHTSA grants or denies it, and granting one opens an investigation.
- Status
- Open since October 23, 2026
- Opened
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Ford Motor Company
- Component
- Engine
- Vehicles and equipment
- 3 Ford models, including the E-350 and F-59
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Defect Petition DP26-011.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition on June 13, 2026, requesting an investigation into camshaft and lifter failures in Ford 7.3L gasoline engines used in 2021-2022 Ford E-350 and 2021 Ford F59 and F-750 vehicles. The Petitioner alleges that insufficient oil lubrication at low idle (~6 psi) causes severe wear on lifter rollers and camshaft lobes, leading to catastrophic engine failure and sudden loss of motive power while driving at highway speeds with little to no warning. The petition further alleges that Ford Motor Company was aware of the root cause and released a software calibration patch raising idle speed to ~1,000 RPM, but failed to initiate a public safety recall or notify vehicle owners. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11764421. This defect petition has been opened to evaluate the issue and determine whether to grant or deny the petition.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Defect Petition DP26-011. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
Ford
All Ford recallsMake not given
Make and model not given
- model year not given
What an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for DP26-011
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.