Phylodog

I'm in the market for a truck after finally paying off my Jeep last week. I'm pre approved for $20K from my credit union (what I asked for) and would like to find a 2004 or newer F150 Supercrew 4x4. I'm not much on surprises so I've been reading threads on the forum for a couple of days now and it's got me a little concerned. How prevalent are the dieseling and spark plug isuues? I prefer to do as much work as I can but I'm no mechanic and while I'm pretty sure I could handle removing broken plugs, the dieseling repairs look a bit intimidating.

I'm looking at an 07 with 57K miles on it now. It appears to be in good shape and the price is decent. I'm hoping to go take a look at it tomorrow. Is there any way to predict if it'll have the dieseling issue? I can't take tools with me and pull a plug but if I were to buy it I'd try to change them ASAP to reduce the likelihood of an issue there.

Just not sure what to think at this point. Any advice? Would I be better off trying to buy a 2009 & newer? I was trying to keep my payment the same as what I had on my Jeep, I've got a son going to Purdue so I don't have a lot of extra money at the moment.

BIGDAWG78

man 1 big reason you see alot of people talking about the cam phaser VCT tick is simply bc people come here to tell the issues they are having. you dont see the threads about never had any issues with my F150... I have an 08 Screw with 75k- no issues at all. I was in the same boat as you last year when i started looking for a new truck. I have a bunch of friends that have or have had these trucks. 1 friend had one as his personal truck and his dads company had 9 as work trucks. out of those 10 none of them had any issues. not to say that these trucks don't have problems bc some do. as with any used vehicle purchase anything could be wrong or could go wrong. when you drive some that you are interested in, listen for the "tick" from the motor, findout if the plugs and packs have been changed and if you hear or find something that makes you weary then don't buy. move on to the next. best of luck to you in your hunt for a truck

JediMasterChad

I just bought mine recently, a used 07 with 45k miles on it. I think I have a little bit of the exhaust manifold leak on the passenger side, and my bed squeaks like I have a bushing loose or something but other than that no issues at all. Used cars are just as big of a gamble as a new car, you could get a lemon anywhere.

Bigdawg is right though, most of the people that come to the message boards come to find a solution to a problem, as is the same with all other cars. Always makes the few common problems seem much more widespread. Change out the spark plugs right away and make sure to do a good oil change routine and you shouldn't end up with the cam phaser problem too bad. Good luck man.

barjrob1972

There are hundreds of thousands of F150's on the road. Don't read the few complaints on a website and judge all the trucks by them. If you did that, you would never buy any vehicle.
I have a 2006 F150 with 135k miles with no problems and that includes the modifications I have had done, professionally. I would drive it anywhere.
All vehicles can have inherent problems, Jeeps included (I know, I've had 4). It's mostly about the maintenance done by the PO, if you're buying used.
BTW, I was NOT a fan of Ford until I bought my 2007 Expedition EL (105k miles, minor issues with some electronics but mechanically flawless). From there I traded my 2010 Rubicon on a 2006 F150. Bet decision I ever made.

HardcoreFx4

I would get a 09 or newer if I was you and for that kinda money

Phylodog

I appreciated the advice fellas and thanks for putting things into perspective. I failed to think about the fact that there are a heck of a lot more trucks out there than posters with problems on here.

I'm going to look for a newer truck but I'm not having much luck checking locally. My loan approval is good for 60 days but I'm not known for my patience. Hopefully something will pop up before too long. My family has always been GM but after driving Fords for the past 15 years at work I'm pretty well convinced of their quality. I have beat the ever loving snot out of a few of their vehicles and they have taken it like a champ.

BIGDAWG78

F150s are the most sold vehicle in the US. Highest selling truck in US history.... millions of people cant be that wrong...

06screwlariat

By 2007 a lot of issues were already worked out, such as the cam phasers. They were very problematic in the 2004-2005. My 2006 has 135k, and all the problems that have arose are expected for the mileage, and how it was used.

13Harleyfan

Are you using the Jeep as a trade in or is that going off to college with your son? It also depends on your needs, towing, long distance to work...etc. I would thing with the 14's coming out a 13 standard cab 3.7 might be close to your budget. The bad thing about buying used is the lack of history you have on the truck. In 60 days from now everybody is going to want to get rid of old (13) inventory.

Phylodog

The Jeep is my wife's daily driver (she works from home so mileage is low). My step son totaled my Dodge a couple of years ago and since I paid the Jeep off I can afford to buy a truck now. The wife and I can't bring ourselves to sell the Jeep even though its the most impractical vehicle a family could possibly have, lol.