high mileage F-150's

[nj_wrx_rider]

Hey dudes/gals,

I am looking to get back into riding and have decided that before I look for a bike, I need a truck again. I had an 01 S-10 w/ a 2.2L auto tranny. It took me to school, work and to the tracks as well.

I liked the truck but didnt like its lack of space for people and its horrid gas mileage when towing a bike and all my gear. The difference between a mini and full size trucks MPG is negligible at best so im looking at chevy 1500s and ford F150's

Is there anything I should look out for when scoping out 97+ F-150's with 150K+ miles??

Im looking for a V8 crew/extended cab, Auto and RWD and something that runs on regular. It just needs to be able to take my bikes to the track and get atleast 20 mpg on the highway. i have no plans to put headers on it or try and make it fast or go off-roading.

[5Guys2Go]

Purchased a regular cab 2000 4.2 (6 Cyl), standard, 2wd high mileage (350,000km) for $1500. Put $500 into it for a cert and that is it. Been driving since Feb, worry/trouble free, put over 15,000km on it since then.

I would buy another, and most likely will for third son this winter. My only stipulation was that it had to be a standard transmission as I figure a 300k+ auto is going to be a POS.

Oh yeah, I get pretty good gas mileage with it as well, I am guessing at just over 20mpg.

[NSF3537]

I have a 99 F150 4x4 crew cab/8ft. bed and the 4.6 V8. It has about 93000 miles on it and has been a great truck. Normal wear and tear replacement stuff but nothing big. But I don't get 20 mpg. More like 14 or 15 tops. Takes regular gas as most trucks do.

[GMO397]

I have a 2003 F150 FX4 with the 5.4 and 115,000 miles on it.

My father owned it since new and it hasn't had any major problems.

I get 15mpg not matter what. 12 foot V-nose haulmark with bikes and it might drop to around 13-14 in the city.

[ba10]

You should try one of the websites for Fords like F150online. They can provide much info such as this website does. I have a 99 F150 4X4with 4.6 and 5 speed. I would say this has been the best vehicle that I have owned. Mileage is about 16 mpg, city or highway. When towing is has gone down to 12. Once thing to watch is early 5.4 engines as Ford did have a head gasket issue with those engines. Also upper ball joints are known to squeak loudly at times. Since the joint is integral to the arm, replacement cost is kind of high. Good luck with your search.

[deelong4002]

I have a 2000 F150 SLT Lariat Extended cab, short bed. 140,000 miles

I've gotten as high as 17.5 with it. But it pretty much gets 15 no matter what you do with it.

Normal wear and tear stuff. Alot of the electrical shit goes wrong with Fords. My power seat doesn't work, my power locks don't work. My AC clutch is going for the second time in 2 years. Fuel pump went out about 2000 miles ago.

I used to haul my bike with a small open snowmobile trailer behind my 2000 SS monte Carlo, and get 23-25mpg. I kind of wish i was still doing that, because it's 200 miles from my house to where we ride, and that adds up quick in the truck.

[Bullwinkle58]

I had an 01 silverado with the 5.3, my parents have an '04 GMC yukon 5.3, and we've had F150's at work for many years with the V6's and 5.4's.

I've seen nothing but reliability out of the F150s. Minimal problems with whichever engine choice. We've put at least 300k miles on each one of them. All the trucks are in the basic work truck trim so there is minimal electrical stuff to fail.

GM's from the same era (early to mid 2000's) arent built as well as the fords. They have issues with the intermidiate steering shaft which becomes loose then destroys the rack & pinion, a sensor under the intake manifold that corrodes then the truck goes into limp mode, the window motors are weak & go out early, and after '03 I think, every electronic function in the vehicle goes through the PCM which seems to short circuit sometimes & causes wierd things to happen with one thing or another at random. Since its not a reoccurring problem, the dealer gives the vehicle back saying can not duplicate customers concern. Also the transmissions are weak.

I'd go Ford or look at the Tundra's or Titan's built 08 or later. GM's about 07 or later seem to be good too.

[kamikazi dr rider]

Hey dudes/gals,

looking at chevy 1500s and ford F150's

Is there anything I should look out for when scoping out 97+ F-150's with 150K+ miles??

Im looking for a V8 crew/extended cab, Auto and RWD and something that runs on regular. It just needs to be able to take my bikes to the track and get atleast 20 mpg on the highway. i have no plans to put headers on it or try and make it fast or go off-roading.

Please walk away from the f150! 97+ Ford trucks with the triton are a mess. Until 03 they only had three threads holding the spark plugs in the heads. They are infamous for launching plugs. And they are a pain in the ass to fix, people usually try to helicoil them, but they usually launch again. (Timesert kit is the only decent fix) The transmissions behind the triton are also a mess, the 4R70W (auto behind all 4.6 and some 5.4) likes to blow its guts at random intervals. The 4R100R Is better (only found behind the 5.4) But both have had a high failure rate. The triton motor from 03+ is where I would start looking. And if you get one of those watch out for the VCT screwing up. If you get a ford first thing you need to do is replace the plugs, and put them in dry and I think its 28 ft lbs of torque.

Personally I would get a chevy 1500/2500 with the 350.

And is an auto transmission really a must? Because a manual transmission vehicle will generally get better mileage and be more reliable.

[nj_wrx_rider]

Please walk away from the f150! 97+ Ford trucks with the triton are a mess. Until 03 they only had three threads holding the spark plugs in the heads. They are infamous for launching plugs. And they are a pain in the ass to fix, people usually try to helicoil them, but they usually launch again. (Timesert kit is the only decent fix) The transmissions behind the triton are also a mess, the 4R70W (auto behind all 4.6 and some 5.4) likes to blow its guts at random intervals. The 4R100R Is better (only found behind the 5.4) But both have had a high failure rate. The triton motor from 03+ is where I would start looking. And if you get one of those watch out for the VCT screwing up. If you get a ford first thing you need to do is replace the plugs, and put them in dry and I think its 28 ft lbs of torque.

Personally I would get a chevy 1500/2500 with the 350.

And is an auto transmission really a must? Because a manual transmission vehicle will generally get better mileage and be more reliable.

Thanks!!

Guys, anything under 100,000 miles is still like new IMO, 140,000 is getting there but im talking 150,000++

The reason I want an auto is because if I hurt myself I won't have to worry about shifting. All of my sports cars have been manuals but when I used to have my S-10 I remember I hurt myself a few times and made use of the auto...my sore leg wasn't shifting!!

I realize standard transmissions get better mpg but I really would prefer an AUTO for this as well.

[Chickenhauler]

Please walk away from the f150! 97+ Ford trucks with the triton are a mess. Until 03 they only had three threads holding the spark plugs in the heads. They are infamous for launching plugs. And they are a pain in the ass to fix, people usually try to helicoil them, but they usually launch again. (Timesert kit is the only decent fix) The transmissions behind the triton are also a mess, the 4R70W (auto behind all 4.6 and some 5.4) likes to blow its guts at random intervals. The 4R100R Is better (only found behind the 5.4) But both have had a high failure rate. The triton motor from 03+ is where I would start looking. And if you get one of those watch out for the VCT screwing up. If you get a ford first thing you need to do is replace the plugs, and put them in dry and I think its 28 ft lbs of torque.

Personally I would get a chevy 1500/2500 with the 350.

And is an auto transmission really a must? Because a manual transmission vehicle will generally get better mileage and be more reliable.

And when you change the plugs, follow the Ford TSB EXACTLY. This isn't your daddy's iron block and head engine, DO NOT cut corners.

[richardnoggin]

In 1979 i purchased brand new a f-150 4 wheel drive and after 300k i rebuilt tis motor and under carriage,started body work.Long story short>parked said truck at normal place to catch carpool>got off work and truck gone>never seen said truck again<

[ronbuell]

Watch out, some of the 4.6 motors would seize the sparkplugs, which requires a new head, or much labor to get the stuck ones out.

Better option: Explorer 4.0L 4X2 or 4X4. My '98 4X4 gives 22 mpg with me and 2 other guys, gear, trailer and 3 bikes.

[Chickenhauler]

Watch out, some of the 4.6 motors would seize the sparkplugs, which requires a new head, or much labor to get the stuck ones out.

Does not require a new head, it requires using one's head.

http://www.etoolcart.com/06152.pdf

That's the 3V (04+) heads that had that problem from carbon build up on the extended tips, and the tips would not come out the threaded holes, thus "seizing". Following the TSB's instructions corrects this problem.

[David C]

99 f-150 4.6 4wd about to hit 200,000, runs like a top all i`ve ever done was change motor oil. Wife has an 2000 expedition with the 4.6 170,000 i do change the trans oil on hers. Had a coil pack go out last year on hers so i went ahead changed the plugs, only time a wrench has been on either truck.

Buying a Ford truck with 150,000 miles on it would not scare me at all

[Chevy_Cowboy]

Does not require a new head, it requires using one's head.

http://www.etoolcart.com/06152.pdf

That's the 3V (04+) heads that had that problem from carbon build up on the extended tips, and the tips would not come out the threaded holes, thus "seizing". Following the TSB's instructions corrects this problem.

? gotta love a company that makes something as simple as changing sparkplugs into a 4 page TSB.

They went from plugs that remove themselves at random intervals to plugs that require hours of work and a pile of specialty tools to remove. Nicely done ford

[kamikazi dr rider]

99 f-150 4.6 4wd about to hit 200,000, runs like a top all i`ve ever done was change motor oil. Wife has an 2000 expedition with the 4.6 170,000 i do change the trans oil on hers. Had a coil pack go out last year on hers so i went ahead changed the plugs, only time a wrench has been on either truck.

Buying a Ford truck with 150,000 miles on it would not scare me at all

I have a really hard time believing that, but it's possible. I'm intimately familar with the ford triton series. And they have more than their fare share of problems.

I guess the intake manifold gasket might crack and cause an intake leak on your GM vortec, but at least they aren't launching plugs or having plugs become stuck, having VCT failure left and right, fuel injectors becoming stuck open, etc, etc, etc.

My 98 f150 was extremely reliable until it hit 145,000 soon after that the transmission took a dump. Replaced that with a brand new one to the tune of $3500, shortly thereafter the motor randomly spun a rod bearing. I took good care of the truck, didn't abuse it, and generally just putted around. I swapped in a 5.4 after that, from a truck that was lightly wrecked at 99,000. I guess it treated me ok, but I had no faith in the truck.

To each his own I suppose.

[ronbuell]

Yeah that was it, 3V head. I've had (4) 4.0L in Rangers and Explorers... no probs till my daughter's '04. Real picky on plug gap.

[Ronny T]

I heard bad and good things about the 3 valves. But for mileage I would just get the 5.4 v8 basically gets same mileage as the 4.2 v6 at most a 4mpg difference plus you get the power and realiabilty behinde the big v8. Im a ford man myself but chevy is a good truck if you dont plan on doing anything to heavy duty. So for heavy duty and durabilty go ford. For a classy but yet capalble truck GMC, for a cheaper GMC go chevy, if your brain dead go dodge.

[NSF3537]

I have a really hard time believing that, but it's possible. I'm intimately familar with the ford triton series. And they have more than their fare share of problems.

I guess the intake manifold gasket might crack and cause an intake leak on your GM vortec, but at least they aren't launching plugs or having plugs become stuck, having VCT failure left and right, fuel injectors becoming stuck open, etc, etc, etc.

My 98 f150 was extremely reliable until it hit 145,000 soon after that the transmission took a dump. Replaced that with a brand new one to the tune of $3500, shortly thereafter the motor randomly spun a rod bearing. I took good care of the truck, didn't abuse it, and generally just putted around. I swapped in a 5.4 after that, from a truck that was lightly wrecked at 99,000. I guess it treated me ok, but I had no faith in the truck.

To each his own I suppose.

Was the 4.6 to the 5.4 an easy swap? I was told the tranny is not the same.

[Chickenhauler]

I have a really hard time believing that, but it's possible. I'm intimately familar with the ford triton series. And they have more than their fare share of problems.

I guess the intake manifold gasket might crack and cause an intake leak on your GM vortec, but at least they aren't launching plugs or having plugs become stuck, having VCT failure left and right, fuel injectors becoming stuck open, etc, etc, etc.

My 98 f150 was extremely reliable until it hit 145,000 soon after that the transmission took a dump. Replaced that with a brand new one to the tune of $3500, shortly thereafter the motor randomly spun a rod bearing. I took good care of the truck, didn't abuse it, and generally just putted around. I swapped in a 5.4 after that, from a truck that was lightly wrecked at 99,000. I guess it treated me ok, but I had no faith in the truck.

To each his own I suppose.

My GM truck has had it's share of problems, really reliable until 155k when the trans blew it's guts out $2300.

Then it developed a short in the dash lighting, so the only way to have running lights was to leave the dash lights OFF. Had to remove the entire instrument cluster and send that out for repair.

Then the cheap tin center bolt valve covers started leaking, had to upgrade to something not made out of tinfoil, which cost over $200 in parts alone.

Shortly after that, the intake started leaking, so back in we go again. Decided to do away with GM's "quick connect" heater hose idea while I was in there.

Oooooh, let's not forget the multi function switch/wiring in the column going haywire and smoking out the wiper motor fiasco!

All in all, I don't consider it a bad truck, I've had it for 12 years, stuff wears out and needs attention.