The new-generation refresh — impressive on paper, but a first-year truck with early-build recalls.

Owners of 2023 7.3L trucks report an engine tick or rattle at startup that the dealer sometimes addresses by raising oil-pump pressure, tied to the variable-displacement oil pump under-lubricating the camshaft and lifters at idle — which, if it progresses, can delaminate lifters and send metal through the engine. Some owners cite Ford customer-satisfaction program codes (reported as 20B27 / 24B27) for an engine update; we could not verify those program terms in the manufacturer-communications record, so treat the program codes as owner-reported and unverified — but the symptom (cold-start tick, cam/lifter concern) is corroborated across complaints. Cold-start any 7.3 you inspect and listen for a persistent rattle; ask whether an engine software or oil-pump update was performed.

The diesel CP4 story continues on the 2023, with several owners reporting under-hood fires and fuel-system failures. The Bosch CP4.2 high-pressure fuel pump can make metal that contaminates the entire high-pressure system — pump, injectors, lines, conditioning module — for a roughly $10,000 replacement (mechanic-quoted). The 2023 also falls under the low-pressure fuel-pump stall recall (25V-455). Inspect the lower fuel filter for metal, ask about any misfueling, and confirm the fuel-pump recall.

Even on the newest trucks, owners report death wobble — violent shaking after hitting uneven ground — from the solid front axle; a worn track bar, ball joints, or tie rods are the usual causes, and a steering damper only masks it. Beyond that, 2023 complaints skew toward first-year electronics annoyances: the B&O 'Unleashed' stereo emitting a loud squeal or 'explosion' of static at startup, false pre-collision braking that stops the truck for no reason, a steering-shaft clunk, and a 30-minute automatic idle-shutoff that surprises owners using the truck to power an RV. Most are software or covered-warranty items on a truck this new — but test the driver-assist systems and the stereo on your drive.