Ford F-150 sales paused in Australia

One of the biggest new Australian vehicle launches of 2023 has hit a snag.

Ford Australia has issued an internal memo to dealers to halt sales and deliveries of the $100,000-plus Ford F-150 pick-up truck until further notice.

The sales stop is due to a turbocharger issue but it's not clear how long it will take Ford to rectify the problem, which is understood to be related to the re-manufacturing process undertaken by engineering firm RMA Australia on the outskirts of Melbourne.

t’s not precisely known what the engine/turbo problem is but Ford says three vehicles have been affected by the same issue.

Despite issuing a press statement confirming the pause on F-150 sales in Australia, owners can safely continue driving their trucks, a Ford Australia spokesperson explained.

“Out of an abundance of caution Ford Australia has placed a temporary hold on F-150s that are on their way to dealers or in dealer stock, after three re-manufactured vehicles presented with a turbo-charger related concern.”

“Customers who have taken delivery can continue to drive their vehicle. We are committed to delivering the highest quality vehicle for our customers and are working quickly to investigate and resolve the issue,” said the Ford Australia representative.

“We understand the inconvenience it will cause those who are waiting for their vehicle to be delivered and we thank them for their patience.”

Only one engine option is available with the ‘re-manufactured’ Aussie-delivered Ford F-150 utes, a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 (298kW/678Nm).

RMA Australia’s re-manufacturing process follows similar lines to the Chevrolet Silverado, RAM 1500 and Toyota Tundra US-built pick-up trucks, where a conversion process moves the steering wheel from the left- to the right-hand side to comply with Australian regulations.

The F-150’s competitors are all re-manufactured by Walkinshaw Automotive and Toyota has even taken the step of holding back the Tundra’s local launch by 12-months while it conducts a customer trial with 300 locally-converted Tundra utes to iron out any issues.

Toyota is leasing the 300 vehicles to customers and will only green-light sales once it’s confident the Tundra meets the brand’s reliability and quality requirements.

First deliveries of the Australian-market F-150 trucks (which are fully backed by Ford Australia and come with a five-year factory warranty) began in November 2023.

The Ford F-150 is priced between $106,950 and $140,945, not including on-road costs.