Many 2021 and 2022 Ford 7.3L “Godzilla” V8 owners are receiving letters from Ford that offer between $100 to $300 because their gas V8 engine makes less power than originally advertised. Some versions of the engine make 15 horsepower less, some make 25 horsepower less. Here are all the details.
This “Special Field Action” from Ford was originally dated August 9, 2023 – however many owners are receiving their letters dated December 2023. This is a way a manufacturer works to correct issues. This is not a recall and it does not require a visit to the dealer or a service center. Ford is offering credit to affected owners.
For example, here is some information from Jim – an owner of a 2022 Ford F-350. Here is where details get a bit confusing. The “22L03” letter from Ford identifies affected vehicles as commercial chassis cab 2021-2022 Super Duty, F53 Motorhome, F59 Step Van, and F-650/F-750 medium duty chassis with the 7.3L gasoline V8. The original power specification was listed as 350 HP in advertising that journalists and customers used. TFLtruck published this 350 HP output rating as stated by Ford in our 2020 story. Now, Ford says the engine is rated at 335 HP (not 350 HP). Please note, that this is related to engines that are commercially “chassis” rated. These are owners are to be compensated with a $100 credit.
Here is where this gets confusing and it may affect more owners than we originally thought.
The Special Field Action 22L03 letter also specifies that E-Series van chassis are also affected, and they are affected in aa bigger way. The E-Series chassis (that is often used for shuttle vans or motor homes) with the 7.3L gas V8 is rated at 25 HP and 18 lb-ft of torque less than originally advertised. These owners are to be compensated with a $300 credit.
The plot thickens further.
We have received several messages from owners of Ford F-250 trucks and F-250 Tremor Off-Road trucks that also got these letters. Here is one from Bruce.
This means owners with a consumer-rated 7.3L V8 engine (advertised at 430 HP @ 5,500 rpm) may also be affected. It’s also a bit strange that this is focused on the 2021-2022 model years. The 7.3L V8 engine was also available in 2020 model-year trucks. This engine is also available in 2023+ model-year trucks, but this is a new generation of the truck and the engine had some tuning updates in more recent trucks.
We reached out to Ford for further clarification.
