Ford4 independent sources
2017 · Pickup (Regular Cab, SuperCab, SuperCrew)
2017 Ford F-150
The year the second-generation 3.5L EcoBoost and the ten-speed automatic arrived in the F-150 — not with the 2018 facelift, which is where they are often placed. Ford's own 2017 towing guide pairs the two together, and for this model year the ten-speed is exclusive to that engine: the base 3.5L Ti-VCT, the 2.7L EcoBoost and the 5.0L V8 all stay on the six-speed. The 3.5L EcoBoost's rating rises from 365 hp and 420 lb-ft to 375 hp and 470 lb-ft.
Photo coming
Power282–385 hpTorque253–470 lb-ftEPA comb.18–22 mpgTows up to12,200 lbs
Against 2016
What changed for 2017
- The second-generation 3.5L EcoBoost arrived, rated 375 hp and 470 lb-ft against the previous 365 hp and 420 lb-ft.
- The ten-speed automatic arrived with it - and only with it. The base 3.5L Ti-VCT, the 2.7L EcoBoost and the 5.0L V8 all stayed on the six-speed for this year.
- This is the seam most accounts put a year late: the ten-speed is commonly credited to the 2018 facelift, but Ford's own 2017 towing guide pairs it with the new engine.
Before you hand over money
Check before you buy
- Check the title status first — clean, salvage, rebuilt or flood. On a truck this age a rebuilt title is common enough to be worth confirming before anything mechanical.
- Identifying the engine matters more on a 2017 than on any other year of this generation: it decides whether the truck has the six-speed or the ten-speed, and two of the four engines displace 3.5 litres.
- On a 3.5L EcoBoost, confirm the transmission is the ten-speed rather than taking the listing's word for it. A 2017 listing that says ten-speed with any other engine does not match how Ford built the truck.
- Look for open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov. This model year carries 18 recall campaigns, and dealers fix open ones free.
Four engines offered that year
Engines
Which engine a listing has is the first thing that changes the answer.
| Engine | Power | Torque | Transmission | Drive | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5-TiVCT3.5L V6 | 282 hp | 253 lb-ft | 6-speed automatic | RWD or 4WD | 18 city / 24 hwy / 20 combined2WD |
| 2.7-EcoBoost2.7L V6 turbo | 325 hp | 375 lb-ft | 6-speed automatic | RWD or 4WD | 19 city / 26 hwy / 22 combined2WD |
| 3.5-EcoBoost3.5L V6 turbo | 375 hp | 470 lb-ft | 10-speed automatic | RWD or 4WD | 18 city / 25 hwy / 21 combined2WD |
| 5.0-Coyote5.0L V8 | 385 hp | 387 lb-ft | 6-speed automatic | RWD or 4WD | 15 city / 22 hwy / 18 combined2WD |
EPA city / highway / combined, from fueleconomy.gov.
NHTSA public records
Complaints and recalls
Where the complaints land
POWER TRAIN283
ENGINE188
UNKNOWN OR OTHER100
STRUCTURE84
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM68
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING62
A complaint count is not a failure rate. It tracks how many of these were sold and how much attention a problem drew, so a popular car will always show more complaints than a rare one. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, retrieved 2026-08-11.
Against the rest of the generation: 0.82 where 1.00 is the average complaint volume per year on the road across the 6 model years written up here. Dividing by age is what makes the comparison mean anything; the raw counts alone favour whichever year is youngest.
Same car, different year
This year, or the one next to it?
The engine decides this one. On the 3.5L EcoBoost, 2017 is the newer design and the ten-speed gearbox, which 2016 cannot offer at any trim. On the 2.7L EcoBoost, the 5.0L V8 or the base V6, 2017 and 2016 are the same mechanical package. Against 2018, the facelift adds a 3.3L base engine, the ten-speed on everything above it, a diesel option and a revised V8 - and it also carries the generation's heaviest complaint record, 1.59 against the average where 2017 sits at 0.82.
Documented mechanisms
Known problems
Charging system: battery and alternator
The alternator charges the battery while the engine runs and powers everything electrical. Both are consumable parts with a service life, and on a used car at least one of them has usually been replaced already — or is due.
Air conditioning compressor failure
The compressor is the pump in the air conditioning loop. When it seizes it can send metal debris through the whole system, which turns a component replacement into a system job.
Suspension and steering noise
Bushings, ball joints, link rods and strut mounts are rubber and grease components that wear continuously. They rarely fail suddenly; they get gradually noisier and vaguer, which is why a test drive on a rough road tells you more than one on smooth pavement.
Turbocharger wear and failure
A turbocharger runs at very high speed on an oil-fed bearing, driven by exhaust gas. Its condition is tied directly to the engine's oil history, which makes service records more informative here than on most components.
Carbon buildup on intake valves
In a direct-injection engine the fuel is sprayed into the cylinder rather than at the intake valve. Nothing washes the back of that valve, so deposits from crankcase ventilation and exhaust gas recirculation accumulate there over time.
What it is good at
Strengths
Running it
Ownership and maintenance
Drivetrain
RWD or part-time 4WDTows up to 12,200 lbs (3.5L EcoBoost, properly equipped)The maximum figure needs a specific combination of cab, axle ratio and the Max Trailer Tow Package. Tow and payload ratings otherwise depend on engine, cab, bed length and axle. The door-jamb sticker gives the numbers for that specific truck; a range quoted for the model does not.
Parts
Common — parts and independent shops are easy to findThe best-selling vehicle in the US for over four decades. Both original and aftermarket parts are widely stocked and independent shops know the truck well. The exception is body repair: the aluminium panels need a separately equipped shop.
Transmission note
6-speed automatic · 10-speed automaticThis is the ten-speed's first model year in the F-150 and it was fitted only to the 3.5L EcoBoost. Shift-quality reports on this transmission were addressed in part through software recalibration, so ask whether the transmission control software is at the latest level before assuming a fault is mechanical.
Service intervals
Engine oil and filterPer the Intelligent Oil-Life MonitorThe interval is calculated rather than fixed. Turbocharged engines are less forgiving of a stretched interval than the naturally aspirated ones.
Transmission fluidPer the manufacturer's stated intervalThe six-speed and the ten-speed take different fluid specifications, so establish which one the truck has before any service.
Spark plugsPer the manufacturer's stated interval
Engine air filterPer the manufacturer's stated interval, shorter in dusty use
Cost items
Relative bands only. What a job costs depends on your region, the shop and where the parts come from, so a dollar figure written here would be wrong for most readers — and a wrong number costs more trust than a missing one.
HighTurbocharger replacementEcoBoost engines only.
HighTiming chain and cam phaser workOne of the larger engine expenses, and labour is the bigger share of it.
HighAluminium body panel repairAluminium repair needs a shop equipped and certified for it, which is a smaller pool than for steel.
MediumTransmission service or software update
MediumBrakes and suspension wear itemsLoads and towing use shorten these intervals.