Which Ford F-150 Engines Are Diesel, and What Fuel Do They Take?
None of them. Every engine in the current Ford F-150 lineup runs on gasoline. Ford did build a diesel F-150, the 3.0L Power Stroke V6, but it was only sold for the 2018 through 2021 model years and it was discontinued after 2021. Everything on the lot today takes unleaded gasoline.
The full list
Every F-150 Engine and the Fuel It Takes
Six engines across the current lineup. Six gasoline engines. There is no diesel column to fill in.
| Engine | Fuel | Output | What to put in it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7L EcoBoost V6 | Gasoline | 325 hp / 400 lb-ft | Regular 87 octane, which is Ford's recommended minimum for this engine. |
| 3.5L EcoBoost V6 | Gasoline | 400 hp / 500 lb-ft | Regular 87 octane, even though this is the towing engine. Higher octane is permitted, it is simply not what Ford asks for. |
| 5.0L Ti-VCT V8 | Gasoline E85 on flex-fuel units | 400 hp / 410 lb-ft | Regular 87 octane. Offered in a flex-fuel configuration that accepts E85, so check the filler door before you reach for the yellow pump. |
| 3.5L PowerBoost Hybrid V6 | Gasoline | 430 hp / 570 lb-ft | Regular 87 octane. It is a full hybrid, not a plug-in. There is nothing to charge and nothing else to fill. |
| 3.5L EcoBoost HO V6 | Gasoline | 450 hp / 510 lb-ft | Premium 91 octane or higher. This is the one place in the lineup where regular is not the recommendation. |
| 5.2L Supercharged V8 | Gasoline | 720 hp / 640 lb-ft | Premium 91 octane or higher, same as the Raptor. Still gasoline, just the expensive kind. |
The short version on octane: Ford's own 2026 F-150 spec sheet lists Regular 87 octane as the recommended minimum on four of the six engines. The two exceptions are both Raptor engines, the 3.5L EcoBoost High-Output and the 5.2L supercharged V8, which call for Premium 91 octane or higher. If you are not driving a Raptor, regular is what Ford asks for.
The three you will actually be choosing between
The Engines Most Buyers End Up Comparing
3.5L EcoBoost V6
Gasoline. The tow-rating engine, up to 13,500 lbs properly equipped. If a diesel is what you thought you wanted for towing, this is the engine to drive first.
3.5L PowerBoost Hybrid V6
Gasoline, full hybrid, nothing to plug in. 570 lb-ft is more torque than the diesel ever made, which is a large part of why Ford felt able to let the diesel go.
5.2L Supercharged V8
Gasoline. Raptor R only, 720 hp, and included here mainly so nobody assumes the loudest engine in the range must be the diesel.
The one that did exist
The 3.0L Power Stroke, 2018 to 2021
For four model years Ford offered a 3.0L Power Stroke turbodiesel V6 in the F-150. It was the only diesel half-ton Ford has sold, and it is why this question gets asked as often as it does. Orders closed in July 2021 and the last trucks were delivered later that year.
Ford's own reason for ending it was demand. Buyers overwhelmingly chose the EcoBoost gasoline engines, and by then the PowerBoost full hybrid covered the case the diesel was built for, offering more torque than the diesel made along with better fuel economy and a generator in the bed. The Super Duty line kept its diesel, which is where most buyers who genuinely need diesel torque were headed anyway.
If you are shopping a used one
A 2018 to 2021 Power Stroke F-150 is a used vehicle, and the fuel answer for it is different from everything above:
- Fuel: ultra-low sulfur diesel, from the green pump, not gasoline.
- Diesel exhaust fluid: yes, it needs DEF, in a separate blue-capped filler. You top it up periodically rather than at every fill.
- What to check: service records for the emissions system. That is the part that costs real money on any modern diesel if it has been neglected, and it is the single most useful thing to look at before you buy.
- Where to look: our used F-150 inventory turns over constantly and the diesel years are a small slice of it, so call and ask rather than assuming one is sitting here.
Still set on a diesel? The Ford Super Duty still offers one, and it is the right truck if what you tow genuinely calls for diesel torque. That is a fifteen-minute conversation and we would rather have it than sell you the wrong truck.
Questions
F-150 Fuel and Engine Questions
Which Ford F-150 engines are diesel?
None of them. Every engine in the current F-150 lineup runs on gasoline. Ford did sell a diesel F-150, the 3.0L Power Stroke V6, but only for model years 2018 through 2021, and it was discontinued after 2021. If you are shopping a new F-150 today, there is no diesel option to choose.
What fuel does a Ford F-150 take?
Unleaded gasoline. Ford's own 2026 F-150 spec sheet lists Regular 87 octane as the recommended minimum for the 2.7L EcoBoost, the 5.0L V8, the 3.5L EcoBoost and the PowerBoost hybrid. Only the two Raptor engines, the 3.5L EcoBoost High-Output and the 5.2L supercharged V8, call for Premium 91 octane or higher. The 5.0L V8 is also offered in a flex-fuel configuration that accepts E85, so check the fuel-filler door on the specific truck before you assume.
Why did Ford stop making the F-150 diesel?
Ford's own explanation was demand. Buyers overwhelmingly ordered the EcoBoost gasoline engines, and for people who wanted maximum towing torque the PowerBoost full hybrid arrived offering 570 plus lb-ft along with better fuel economy and an onboard generator. Orders for the diesel closed in July 2021. The Super Duty line still offers a diesel, so a diesel Ford truck is still very much available, just not in the half-ton.
What fuel does a used 2018 to 2021 Power Stroke F-150 take?
Ultra-low sulfur diesel, and it also needs diesel exhaust fluid. DEF lives in a separate blue-capped filler and gets topped up periodically rather than at every fill. If you are shopping a used half-ton diesel, budget for DEF and confirm the emissions equipment has been maintained, because that is the part that costs money if it has been neglected.
Which F-150 engine is best for towing if there is no diesel?
The 3.5L EcoBoost V6. It makes 400 hp and 500 lb-ft and carries the F-150's maximum rating of 13,500 lbs when properly equipped with the Max Trailer Tow Package. The PowerBoost hybrid makes 570 lb-ft and tows up to 12,400 lbs, which is more than enough for most trailers and gets much better fuel economy the rest of the time.
Does Ford still sell any diesel truck?
Yes, in the Super Duty line. The F-250 and larger trucks still offer a diesel, which is where most buyers who genuinely need diesel torque were headed anyway. If a diesel is non-negotiable for what you tow, the Super Duty is the conversation to have rather than the F-150.
Sources: engine and towing specifications from Ford's F-150 pages; octane figures from Ford's own 2026 F-150 technical specifications; per-configuration fuel economy at fueleconomy.gov. Always follow the fuel-filler door and owner's manual for your specific truck.
More on the F-150: the F-150 research page covers trims and specs, and we wrote a longer piece on why the F-150 works for Fort Campbell families if you want the version with towing, hauling and the generator in real life.
Back to topDrive One Before You Decide
The fastest way to settle a diesel-versus-EcoBoost argument is twenty minutes behind the wheel of a 3.5L EcoBoost with a trailer on the back. We are on Fort Campbell Boulevard in Hopkinsville.
Pennyrile Ford, 5505 Fort Campbell Boulevard, Hopkinsville, KY 42240