You can call the 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R the company’s flagship. For features, performance, style, and price, it maxes out everything Ford is known for. The Raptor R starts at $110,000, making it the most expensive Ford truck ever made. So it, above all others, is the last model one would expect to have oil leaks. 

But this Instagram poster has proof, and it is not pretty. He began seeing oil leaking in January, after one day of ownership. One day. This prompted a tow to the dealership. Since then, the owner has spoken to 12 different Raptor R owners with similar tales to tell. And this has only been in 2023. 

Dealers have posited different reasons for the oil leakage. Crank seals, oil pan gaskets, and one with a supercharger issue are what owners are being told. Other than the supercharger leaking, these are common places oil can leak going back to the Model T.

Which raises the question, “If you’ve been building cars for over 100 years, wouldn’t you have conquered leaking engine oil like, 50 years ago?” With new materials and sealants today, these aren’t like the days when automakers used rope as gaskets. So why is this happening on Ford’s 5.2-liter 700-hp supercharged Predator V8?

Ford responded to the oil leak issues to The Drive. It said, “we are aware of a limited number of F-150 Raptor Rs, nine customers, with the potential to leak oil at the front crankshaft seal caused by a supplier manufacturing defect. We are contacting affected customers to offer assistance.”

So the good news is that Ford is on top of it. The company also says the issue has been addressed at the factory and that all 5.2 Predator engines are sealing properly at the crankcase seal. 

The bad news for the owner of the Raptor R in the Instagram post is that his truck is still at the dealer, where it has been sitting for over a month. Though he has spoken with Ford representatives, there doesn’t seem to be anything definitive happening with his lame truck. 

“Pretty serious leak,” he told The Drive. “I had it towed to the dealer on January 28, and it’s been there ever since with no end in sight, unfortunately. I’ve talked to quite a few people from, like, the plant managers to several others. They’ve informed me of what’s going on, the whole process. They have front crank seal leaks.” OK, then.

It doesn’t get better. “I filed for buyback on the truck three weeks ago and they denied me because my truck hadn’t sat for 30 days at the dealer,” the owner says. “I thought if I filed a buyback the part would mysteriously show up, you know what I mean? Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. I don’t know that I necessarily want my truck bought back, but I was trying to stir up some action with Ford.”