ThunderStruck007

Long story short, I need to get rid of my '04 ranger...

Was at the ford dealership today and they had this:

F150 super crew 4dr
5.4 v8
125,000 miles
They are asking 15,700... Has been on there lot a few weeks so they are itching to unload it.

Dealer said the plugs were done around 85k
And the read end was rebuilt about the same time.

I would be getting a 2 yr power train from Ford on it.

They seem to be giving me a fair deal on it, at around 14k from the truck. Obviously I am trying to get something in my price range... Need it for the next 3 years atleast until my other vehicle is paid off. I wish I had more money to spend, but I dont.

I KNOW these motors have the dreaded cam phaser issues and spark plugs issues. As noted above, plugs were changed atleast once thus far...

Truck has normal wear and tear on it from year/mileage, needs basic things such as alignment, rear tires, and there is a fog light out. Body is good, with typical faded trim pieces...fender flares, etc. will also need new rear brakes in the next few months.

Please adise as to what I should be looking or listening for?

It Does have a slight ticking noise, no knocking at all.
I know when I say ticking, that will scare people. It is hard to hear, you really have to listen closely... There is also a "whine" in the engine, but I've heard same whine noise on brand new (non turbo) trucks so I'm not really concerned about that noise.
I assume, if I had a problem during power train warranty period, it would cover the cam phasers?

Does the very faint ticking mean inevitable failure or problems down the road? Seems some guys had it from day one and have over 100k without issues? I am currently browsing a thread on 5.4 ticking that is like 20 pages long...

Is this is decent truck or should I walk away? I have a $100 deposit on it until Tuesday or so of this week to make my decision.

Link to truck:
http://www.beasleyfl.com/Used-2005-F...PA/vd/25423689


All advice, tips,etc would be very helpful. I know some people have great success with these 5.4 fx4s and others, no so much... I know it is a little bit of luck of the draw, but I don't want to be sucker buying a truck with this kind of mileage on it already!

If you don't think this truck is a good buy, for 15k what years/models would you be looking to buy? And why?

CKsBAT

Id be more concerned about rust, really look underneath, cab corners and rockers. Seems a little high given it does not have leather, sunroof etc, but from the pics looks pretty clean.

2006_FX4

I've got an 06 FX4. The only thing I'd be worried about is the tranny, look up carcomplaints.com you'll see lots of tranny problems. That being said the two year PT warranty could make it less of a worry.

Plugs being changed is a definite plus.

PerryB

Assuming its not riddled with rust and seems mechanically sound, I'd offer them $14,000 and stand firm. If they really want to get rid of it they'll bite. I'd be surprised if they were into it for more than $10,000 all up.

ThunderStruck007

The asking price was 15,777...

After talking numbers with them, I can buy the truck for $14,000 even... It's been on their lot about 3 weeks... They want to move it.

PerryB

I worked for a 3 line dealership for 15 years. Although my job was related to the service dept. I got to know the front end pretty well. I also used to go to the auctions once in a while. I can look at the asking price of a used car on a dealer lot and tell you what they're into it for, plus or minus a couple percent. The last used vehicle I bought was being asked at $24,900 and I got it for $21K. Of course I had my hand on the outgoing door more than once before the deal was made. Don't be afraid of walking away from a deal, or at least backing away to cool off a bit. You'd be surprised how much clearer you think when you're not standing right in front of it with a salesman tugging at your sleeve. The market is LOADED with good used F150's.

coborn35

I paid $12,000 for my 2005 FX4 no rust 75,XXX miles just for reference. To me that seems a little steep for 125,000 miles but market could be different.

dnlow

There are so many F150's out there I would keep looking. That is a 10 year old vehicle. In my opinion that price is high, but I generally get smoking deals on big ticket purchases.

ThunderStruck007

Thanks for all they moments... Keep them coming.

It's a nice truck, but my reaction was the price was a little steep for the mileage.
Obviously it being a super crew, those trucks always are priced higher then crew or reg cabs. I honestly don't need 4a super crew, so I am thinking of backing away from this truck to try to find a crew cab with less miles in the same price.

My issue is I want to trade my ranger in before it needs inspected, which is next month, so the clock is ticking...
Only reason I like this particular dealer is they are giving me a lot more for my ranger than others, and my company (construction company) buys ALOT of vehicles from them, so I can leverage that a little.

I need to replace my alternator on my ranger so I can drive it further to done other dealers though to see what they'd offer, even though I doubt they match what I'm getting at this dealer...

What years and trim level d150s should I be looking at in the $15,000 price range? I like the 04-10 body style, but know the 04-05 have their issues. Also want a v8...not v6

nnuzzo141

My 2006 fx4 is a decently equipped extended cab. Got it with 93k miles and payed 13k for it. Got it from a private owner though but it was kept very clean and maintained well, apart from the plugs . No body rust. Figured I'd let you know what I paid and got to better determine if your getting a good deal. I believe in 07/08 they had somewhat fixed the cam phaser issue? I could be wrong though