Ford Reliability?

[Jmetz]

I've got a bug up my ass and am considering moving from my Tacoma to a full size. I'm eyeballing the newer F-150 SuperCrew FX4's (2008ish). I've never really been a fan of Ford so I'd like to hear from some owners and get some real world input. Things to look for, avoid, etc.

[madvlad]

Unless is new, I suggest staying away.

[longrider]

I have had positive experiences with Ford. My 99 F250 I bought new and it now has 145K. The ONLY issue that I would consider more than regular maintenance was a clutch at 60K but that was probably because I used to do snowplowing and that is hard on clutches.

[madvlad]

I have had positive experiences with Ford. My 99 F250 I bought new and it now has 145K. The ONLY issue that I would consider more than regular maintenance was a clutch at 60K but that was probably because I used to do snowplowing and that is hard on clutches.

Is it diesel?

[Matty]

Had a '99 F-150 extended cab and a 'o4 (I think) F-150 Super Crew 4x4. Put those fuckers through the paces. Never had an issue once.

[3point5]

I had a 4.6 liter/V6 1999 XL (base model) standard cab / 8' bed - this was a company truck and I drove the piss out of it! a few issues here and there but really nothing major - nothing that wouldnt have happened on any other vehicle.

After leaving this (construction management) company I bought a 1988 chevy 1500, a junker/beater just to get around in winter (as I have a project 350z and the aprilia) I was having some issues with it and one afternoon it was backed into so I traded it in on a 2004 F150 supercrew and I LOVE IT!! 5.4liter V8, with 108k miles, Lariat trim, leather, heated everything, all the bells and whistles.

I paid $14.4 and the dealer covered half of a 2year/24k mile warranty. I am very thankful I opt'd for the warranty bc the transmission went out ($2100) just after thanksgiving. Highly consider getting a factory warranty if you buy used.

another thing I like about Ford is they didnt take bailout money…

I've driven the 2009 - 2013 generation and they are great…if you can get a 12th generation then you should, but the 2004-2008 (11th gen) are good too.

The bad: I average 13mpg in city and 18mpg highway…so they are horrible on gas…They are sorta big & bulky (might be a good thing) and slow if you keep the revs under 3500rpms. Sure, it'll get going quick above 3500rpms but you are sucking gas pretty good at this point. On the earlier 11th generation, the spark plug design was poor, they can be very difficult to change (although they are 100k mile plugs).

The good: very versatile, amazing in snow/feels grounded while driving, able to take 5 adults and gear anywhere, I love putting the dogs in the back and going places, alot of nooks to store stuff, the general maintenance is good - I've never changed oil so easy or done a brake job is such short time.

In my opinion the good outweighs the bad…Feel free to PM me if you want to hear my opinion on the best way to negotiate (IMO) and other things to look for on the trucks...

[Jmetz]

Thank you for the info so far gents. D I'd like to hear what you're against.

[madvlad]

Thank you for the info so far gents. D I'd like to hear what you're against.

We see a lot of used Ford trucks through here and they're junk, you may find something that was taken care of but people use Ford/Chevy trucks to beat the shit out of them for work or daily use. Just a thing to think about.

[Filo]

I have a '95 F250 with the 7.5L motor. 119K miles. It started life as a sprinkler company truck that did snowplowing in the winter. I have put money in it for brakes, oil changes, filters, belts etc that is normal. The only abnormal thing I have had to do is replace the radius arm bushings for about $350. It runs great, always starts and never gives me trouble. I have owned it for 11 years. It does, however, suck gas like you would not believe.

[Jmetz]

We see a lot of used Ford trucks through here and they're junk, you may find something that was taken care of but people use Ford/Chevy trucks to beat the shit out of them for work or daily use. Just a thing to think about.

If I get that far, I would most definitely like you to have a look at it.

[Jmetz]

I have a '95 F250 with the 7.5L motor. 119K miles. It started life as a sprinkler company truck that did snowplowing in the winter. I have put money in it for brakes, oil changes, filters, belts etc that is normal. The only abnormal thing I have had to do is replace the radius arm bushings for about $350. It runs great, always starts and never gives me trouble. I have owned it for 11 years. It does, however, suck gas like you would not believe.

The gas thing you and 3.5 have mentioned could be an issue. I'm not exactly light in the foot. :lol: I average about 16mpg overall in my Tacoma so I dont think it's a huge drop.

[madvlad]

If I get that far, I would most definitely like you to have a look at it.

I'll inspect the shit out of that truck to the point of compression test, I don't trust Ford for shit (certain diesels may be an exception, though if you do diesel then go Cummins or nothing). Their new ecoboost technology seems much better and though I know that mechanics are meant to fail at some point, Ford/Chevy are known for cheap parts/components causing hell at about 100k miles or even prior to that.... Yes, I know some of you posted great reviews but well you actually know better and took care of the truck unlike the other 80% out there that doesnt.

[3point5]

We see a lot of used Ford trucks through here and they're junk, you may find something that was taken care of but people use Ford/Chevy trucks to beat the shit out of them for work or daily use. Just a thing to think about.

I agree - this goes for any vehicle…if it's been abused or neglected than problems are to come…try to find one that has a single owner, difficult yes, but not impossible.


I'm not exactly light in the foot.

I learned pretty quick…I do like that I have a 30gallon tank…I fill up once a month...

[longrider]

Is it diesel?

No it is not, it is the Triton V10. I am aware of the issues with certain diesels but my decision was based on the fact I dont do enough miles for the better life of a diesel to matter (I was wrong in my first post, it is 141K in 14 1/2 years) I dont tow enough to need the diesel, and the fuel economy would never cover the added cost of the engine.

[longrider]

Yes, I know some of you posted great reviews but well you actually know better and took care of the truck unlike the other 80% out there that doesnt.

I will agree with you on this point, I do make a point to keep up on maintenance. A lot of trucks this is not the case

[madvlad]

No it is not, it is the Triton V10. I am aware of the issues with certain diesels but my decision was based on the fact I dont do enough miles for the better life of a diesel to matter (I was wrong in my first post, it is 141K in 14 1/2 years) I dont tow enough to need the diesel, and the fuel economy would never cover the added cost of the engine.

Holy spark plug costs batman! :lol:

[Jmetz]

try to find one that has a single owner, difficult yes, but not impossible.

Yeah, I'm not in any rush so I can find exactly what I want. It's a good position to be in for sure. :)

[longrider]

Holy spark plug costs batman! :lol:

Tell me about it!! At least when someone comes to the counter and complains about the price of 4 iriidium plugs for their sportbike I just tell them I have to buy 10 for my truck! The good thing is they are good for 50000 miles, I have only had to replace twice so far

[Wrider]

If you're looking to trade up from your Tacoma and like it, I'd take a good hard look at the Tundras. Plenty of the 07+ (the full size ones, not the midway between ones) have seen 300K+ with nary a problem.

[bluedogok]

We see a lot of used Ford trucks through here and they're junk, you may find something that was taken care of but people use Ford/Chevy trucks to beat the shit out of them for work or daily use. Just a thing to think about.
Most "work trucks" get the crap beat out of them and most are poorly maintained. Stay away from a base truck, try to find a personal truck with a higher trim level and odds are better that it hasn't been abused.

I had my 2000 F-150 XLT Extended Cab (2WD) from 2003-2009, bought it with 34K miles and traded it away (for my BMW Z4) with 130K miles. It had the 5.4L motor with the mid-level towing package. All I ever had to replace on it was a battery, tires and brakes along with regular fluid changes. I bought new plugs and wires for it but traded it before replacing them after I found a great deal on the Z4. I gave those to my father who has a 99 F-150 Lariat SWB with 75K miles, his only issue has been the clearcoat which seems to be a common problem for many manufacturer paint jobs in that era (my wife's green Honda Civic was much worse), especially when left out in the (Oklahoma) sun. I had the metallic red but had parking garages at work in Austin to park it in during the day, so no clearcoat issues on mine.

In a year or so I will probably try to get another pickup, this time a 4x4 since it makes more sense up here and it will probably be a Ford, I would also consider a Toyota, my wife drives a 4Runner so we are familiar with that brand as well.

[FZRguy]

I just got a 15k service reminder from Ford for my new Ranger I bought in January. Just turned over 2,400....be a long while before I hit 15k. :lol:

[rforsythe]

Most "work trucks" get the crap beat out of them and most are poorly maintained. Stay away from a base truck, try to find a personal truck with a higher trim level and odds are better that it hasn't been abused.


+1. XLT w/ options or Lariat are good, not sure when they started offering the FX4 as a separate package in the F150 but that's good too. The work versions will be lower end, because nobody's going to put leather seats and wood trim in a construction/landscaping truck. Just because it's a "truck" doesn't mean it's automatically a rough rider, and owner abuse is certainly not limited to Ford - any brand is going to have issues if it's been beat to hell or not maintained. AFAIK, properly-maintained and cared for F150's have a good reputation.

Get a qualified mechanic to inspect it if you're concerned or unfamiliar. You may have one on this thread, or you can always hit up Chris Weed at Factory Trained Auto Repair. 2008 is new enough that you can probably get some sort of extended warranty on it as well in case of problems.

As others have stated, also check out the Tundras. I owned two of them before my F350, and my dad has one of the newer true full-cab versions. Same conditions apply (not abused, not work-truck, etc) for finding a decent one, but they also have a rock solid reputation. They also have a higher cost associated with them, but at 5 years old I don't think the cost difference will be huge.

[Jmetz]

Word. I like my Tacoma but the Tundra doesn't really appeal to me which sucks because I wouldn't mind staying with Toyota. After some reading it looks like most Ford enthusiasts recommend against the FX4 and suggest either the Lariat or King Ranch and upgrading the shocks and adding skid plates.

[rforsythe]

Word. I like my Tacoma but the Tundra doesn't really appeal to me which sucks because I wouldn't mind staying with Toyota. After some reading it looks like most Ford enthusiasts recommend against the FX4 and suggest either the Lariat or King Ranch and upgrading the shocks and adding skid plates.

Interesting. Not sure how the King Ranch looks on the F150 (to be honest, didn't even know they had that trim on the half ton), but I'm not as much a fan of all the color matching on the Superduty's... Just seems too, I dunno, plastic. I like the look of metal on a truck, so my new F350 will be Lariat as well. The KR seats are nice though.

[koop]

Put it this way. I do lemon law work and I've probably sued Ford more than any other manufacturer. I've never sued Toyota.

[cbrjohnny]

GMC... they make trucks.

there is a list of regular problems with the ford triton engins but youll find faults with any make and model out there.

i would stay away from the ford 6.0L deisel one of the biggest pos's out.

one of the major faults youll find with the dodge trucks is the suspension, ball joints etc...

one thing i dont like about the ford that the engin is packed under the dash and can be a real pain to work on.

[Wrider]

GMC... they make trucks.

there is a list of regular problems with the ford triton engins but youll find faults with any make and model out there.

i would stay away from the ford 6.0L deisel one of the biggest pos's out.

one of the major faults youll find with the dodge trucks is the suspension, ball joints etc...

one thing i dont like about the ford that the engin is packed under the dash and can be a real pain to work on.


To be fair the Duramax trucks are packed under the dash there too. Gotta pull the cab off of the frame to do valve covers on them.

That said I'll also add in that if you look at a Dodge, either make sure it's a manual, or make sure the 46/48RE in there has already been rebuilt with quality parts (not OEM parts).

One other thing to watch out for on the Fords is those that don't change their spark plugs until the recommended intervals, especially with an aluminum head. Snapon, Mac, and Matco all make tools specifically for the 3 valve 5.4 to pull out stuck/broken spark plugs because they seize in there so hard.

[3point5]

One other thing to watch out for on the Fords is those that don't change their spark plugs until the recommended intervals, especially with an aluminum head. Snapon, Mac, and Matco all make tools specifically for the 3 valve 5.4 to pull out stuck/broken spark plugs because they seize in there so hard.

This was a major major (major) design fuck up on the earlier 11th generations - it's not the truck/engine's fault…it's the spark plug - it's a 2 piece design and the 2nd half breaks off/gets seized in the head. The tool to remove the seized-in tip is easy to use and pretty consistent.

I did my plugs 3 weeks ago and 2 of my 8 plugs got stuck, I bought the Lisle Tool and own it (if anyone here needs it hit me up!). Not to mention I anti-seized the piss out of the new plugs…

The newer 11th generations shouldnt have this issue -

no one has mentioned the OEM (motorcraft) spark plugs are $11/each…fork that!!

[Airreed]

I have a 2009 f-150 susercrew lariat 4x4.....I have 63k miles and have had minimal issues(1 recall and when I bought it the rear light on the cab leaked water). I used to get 21 why miles and avg 18, but I put larger tires and now at 15mpg. I do like all the feature to include leather, heated/cooled seats, the big seller was the amount of leg room in the back...at that time Ford had the most rear seating leg room.

I still enjoy the truck and have put a cold air intake on, line- x headliner and subgroup topper. The best part is I'm one month away from owning the truck out right!

[3point5]

I have a 2009 f-150 susercrew lariat 4x4...

Can I assume (at 21mpg) you have the eco-boost? thoughts

[Airreed]

No eco boost....5.4 litre

[cbrjohnny]

This was a major major (major) design fuck up on the earlier 11th generations - it's not the truck/engine's fault…it's the spark plug - it's a 2 piece design and the 2nd half breaks off/gets seized in the head. The tool to remove the seized-in tip is easy to use and pretty consistent.

I did my plugs 3 weeks ago and 2 of my 8 plugs got stuck, I bought the Lisle Tool and own it (if anyone here needs it hit me up!). Not to mention I anti-seized the piss out of the new plugs…

The newer 11th generations shouldnt have this issue -

no one has mentioned the OEM (motorcraft) spark plugs are $11/each…fork that!!

heehe your fault, my fault, nobodys fault, it can be a major problem, the older tritons didnt have the two piece plug (with the problems listed above) but a regular plug that would blow the threads oout of the head... meaning the head needs to be tapped or heli-coiled carful to ask if any of these things have been perfomed b4 you get into one of these trucks.

[mxer]

Put it this way. I do lemon law work and I've probably sued Ford more than any other manufacturer. I've never sued Toyota.

You need to differentiate between Ford trucks and Ford everything else...it used to be almost like 2 different companies.

The F-150 hasn't been the best selling truck for over 30 years by being crappy.

As far as Japanese full size pickups.....uh yeah:poo: Toyota basically has to give the Tundra crazy incentives to move them. They should have stuck with Tacomas.

[rforsythe]

heehe your fault, my fault, nobodys fault, it can be a major problem, the older tritons didnt have the two piece plug (with the problems listed above) but a regular plug that would blow the threads oout of the head... meaning the head needs to be tapped or heli-coiled carful to ask if any of these things have been perfomed b4 you get into one of these trucks.


The V10's did that because they only had a couple threads, so there wasn't much to hold it back. Did the half-ton's do that too?

[Filo]

The gas thing you and 3.5 have mentioned could be an issue. I'm not exactly light in the foot. :lol: I average about 16mpg overall in my Tacoma so I dont think it's a huge drop.

My 7.5L, which is admittedly a monstrously big engine, gets 11mpg if I baby it, 8-9 if I put my foot in it...



one thing i dont like about the ford that the engin is packed under the dash and can be a real pain to work on.

You can store a dead body in my engine compartment with room to spare. However, I still need a special low height spark plug wrench to get the back plugs out. WTF is that? If they moved the engine forward or the wheel well back less than 1/2" I could use a regular size wrench. Who designs like that???? (besides Ford, of course).

[cbrjohnny]

As far as Japanese full size pickups.....uh yeah:poo:


fully agree... if you want a full size truck you need a ford, dodge or gm. if you want a cute truck then im all for toyota! thay are pretty.


the 4.6l and 5.4l are known for spark plug problems. i have heared only good things on the new ecoboost system at this point but is brand new... time will tell.

[mustangjonny84]

I currently drive an '06 FX4 SuperCrew. It's my third F-series and I've loved all of them. I drove the first one ('98 F150 STX) from 34K to 174K miles w/o so much as a hiccup. The second was a '95 Bronco after I moved to CO. Loved that turd! I'd probably still have it if it was easier to get baby seats in a two-door.

I'm glad to hear you're getting some worthwhile feedback about your upcoming purchase here. I'm a card carrying "Ford guy" and I'll be completely upfront about a couple of things:

First, people have already warned you about the spark plugs in the 5.4L. These should have fixed by the 2008 model year. But if you find yourself with the older design, there is a TSB (free info) and a special tool ($60) out there that changes the game. I changed the plugs on my '06 at 75K miles. I followed the TSB and six came out easy as pie. The back two on the passenger side broke. These were probably the hardest to get to. But the Lisle tool (http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-LIS65600-Broken-Remover-Engines/dp/B00267PZUK) made them a breeze. I still have it and could probably help you out if needed.

Second, some people have had issues with their cam phasers on the 5.4L. I wouldn't call it a deal breaker. They're not perfect and they do make noise. A lot of people got their fixed under warranty. I happened to notice a little noise out of mine during the test drive. I took a gamble and "let" the dealer talk me into an aftermarket warranty. After the paperwork was all signed, I took my truck to a mechanic (first time for me for any vehicle in my life), got the front side of the engine almost entirely replaced, and had the warranty pay for itself in the first month.

Don't let these things scare you off. Both could be fixed in your driveway. And most guys are so militant about their brand of choice that they wouldn't tell you the problems (http://www.f150online.com/forums/v8-engines/441302-5-4l-spark-plug-surprise.html#post4496935)...only those awesome stories about wheeling in Moab (http://www.f150online.com/forums/outdoors/414613-i-took-my-truck-moab.html). Good luck whatever you decide to buy!

[Jmetz]

Thanks again all. Lots of info here and researching as well.