Ford revealed again in August 2023 some Ford Super Duty vans and E-Series-based autos powered by the 7.3-liter “Godzilla” V8 engine have both 15 or 25 much less horsepower than initially marketed. The firm is at present sending notifications to house owners that supply some monetary compensation for the error.
According to Ford Special Field Action 22L03 despatched to sellers final summer season, the error impacts 161,512 autos within the United States overlaying the 2021 and 2022 mannequin years. Specifically, Ford lists Super Duty vans (together with chassis cabs), F650/F750 vans, and F53/F59 chassis vans as having 15 much less hp. For E-Series autos, the drop is 25 hp and 18 pound-feet of torque. All affected autos even have a lowered rated engine pace of 150 RPM.
The Special Field Action seems to deal with industrial autos. Though E-Series and Super Duty vans usually are listed, Ford particularly mentions the F53 Motor Home, F59 Step Van, and others with a “premium rated” 7.3-liter V8. The notification would not point out authentic energy figures, however Ford presents its Godzilla engine with a extra economical tune for industrial use that’s at present rated at 325 hp for the E-Series and 335 hp within the vans. Jumping again to 2021, we see a 350-hp ranking for the engine.
It appears the snafu is not a mechanical challenge, however a miscommunication within the advertising and marketing supplies that did not embody revised energy figures. As such, there is not any point out of a repair so as to add within the energy that was initially marketed, although at least one affected vehicle owner took to YouTube to vent frustration over that. Instead, Ford is providing Super Duty house owners $100 for the error. And since E-Series house owners misplaced extra energy and a little bit of torque, the provide goes as much as $300 for them.
We contacted Ford about this, asking whether or not the revised energy output additionally impacts towing or cargo capability. We additionally enquired about the potential for a mechanical change or new engine tune to deliver energy as much as the marketed stage. Lest we neglect, the 7.3-liter V8 makes 430 hp in HD pickups. In the palms of Ford Performance, the Megazilla mill pumps out 615 hp. There’s definitely potential to open up the faucets a bit extra. We’ve but to listen to again, however we’ll plug in an replace when contemporary data arrives.
Is a $100 or $300 examine sufficient of an olive department to fulfill affected house owners? We cannot fault Ford for admitting to its mistake, as we suspect only a few folks will ever run their rigs on a chassis dyno to gauge energy output. Let us know your tackle Ford’s method to the difficulty within the feedback.