P0301 on a Ford F-150
P0301 means cylinder 1 Misfire Detected. On the F-150, a few causes come up far more than others.
What P0301 usually means on a F-150
P0301 pins a misfire to cylinder 1 specifically, which makes diagnosis more targeted than a random P0300. On the Triton V8s the usual cause is that cylinder's coil-on-plug coil or spark plug, and swapping the coil to a neighboring cylinder to see if the misfire follows is the classic test. On EcoBoost trucks a single-cylinder misfire more often means a failed coil, a fouled plug, or a leaking injector on that hole. Because the fault is isolated, the parts you need are usually just for cylinder 1.
Most common causes on the F-150
- Failed coil-on-plug on cylinder 1
Individual coils are a leading single-cylinder misfire cause on both Triton and EcoBoost F-150s. Move the suspect coil to another cylinder; if the misfire follows, the coil is bad.
- Worn or fouled spark plug
A cracked or worn plug on cylinder 1 misfires under load. On the 5.4L 3V, be mindful of the break-prone two-piece plug during removal.
- Leaking or clogged fuel injector
An injector delivering too much or too little fuel to cylinder 1 causes a persistent single-cylinder misfire, more common on the direct-injected EcoBoost.
- Low compression on cylinder 1
A burnt valve or worn rings on that cylinder produces a misfire that no coil or plug will cure, which a compression test reveals.
What P0301 costs to fix on a F-150
A single coil and plug for cylinder 1 is an inexpensive repair on most F-150 engines, and doing just the affected cylinder keeps costs down. The exception is the 5.4L 3V, where a plug that seizes and breaks during removal can turn a quick job into an extraction with special tools. If compression is low, the cost picture changes entirely toward internal engine work.
Fixing it
Swap the cylinder-1 coil with an adjacent one and recheck; if the misfire moves, replace the coil. If it stays on cylinder 1, look at the plug, then the injector, then compression before assuming anything major.
For the full step-by-step diagnosis order (any vehicle), see the main P0301 guide.
Year, engine and mileage change the answer. Start a case and Redline weighs these causes against what your car shows, then names the check that would settle it.
Other codes on the Ford F-150
Related symptoms
Ford F-150 problems & recalls by year
Based on widely reported patterns for this model; individual causes vary by year, engine and history. Generic P0301 behavior is covered on the main P0301 page. Confirm with a scan tool before buying parts.
P0301 on your F-150?
Every problem becomes a Case. Tell Redline what your F-150 is doing: it shows what the evidence supports, what’s still missing, and what to check next, before you approve a repair.
“Inner pad ~1 mm. Outer pad 3 mm.”
Next: check the slide pins move freely before buying parts.