Hello everyone,
I'm in the market for a new truck and have narrowed it down to an F150, specifically the lariat trim with a 5.0 motor. I've been primarily looking at 2016 and 2017 models as I have read a significant amount of threads regarding transmission issues, oil consumption and engine rattles in 2018+ 5.0 motors. I am having a hard time finding a 16/17 model truck with decent miles for a decent price considering many of the 2018 and 2019 models I have seen are only a few thousand dollars more with lower miles. I'm trying to get a sense of how widespread these issues are in 2018+ models since I may start considering them in an effort to widen my search.

I know it's hard to give a statistic but are there any knowledgeable forum members that can give me an idea of how likely I would be to get a problematic truck if I consider 2018+ models?

 

I wouldn't (and many others are with me) buy a used '18-'19 5.0. Or a new one probably for that matter.

IF you can find what you want in a 16-17 with the 5.0...those are good.

The 2nd Gen 3.5 came out in 2017 also, making '17 an easy year to shop for engine-wise (the 2.7 is just good, all of them)

Bottom line, if the trucks' histories all check out and it's good in person, most likely it won't be problematic, even if it's an 18 5.0. But, chances certainly seem to be higher if that's the route you go

 

I’d suggest that if you took everything to heart that you read on an Internet forum, you’d walk everywhere.

Find a truck you like and buy it. If it’s used, check the history.

 

I've really enjoyed my 5.0. It is the most comfortable one I have ever owned. I have had all the latest flashes that are available.
The transmission has a learning curve, but anything that shifts 10 times instead of 3,4,5,6 or what ever is going to get noticed. I think the 10 speed was introduced in 2017.
My engine is very quiet. I really can't hear it inside and outside I can hear the injectors but that doesn't bother me. The off throttle rattle is present in any of them with cam phasers.
After the latest flash my oil consumption has stopped. I was using a quart every 2000-3000 miles. Now when I check I can't tell it has moved. If this were mechanical in nature, a flash would not have changed it. This is also well under any other manufacturers specs.
I have a little over 27000 miles and with my style of driving am getting over 21 mpg hand checked. It took a while but it has steadily increased as it got broken in good.
Most of all, I have never driven a truck that will put a smile on your face when you get on it like this one.
There a members of this forum who have made it their mission to down the 5.0. Hang on they will puke on it shortly. Notice one thing, most of them don't own one.

 

I bought my 2019 XLT last September.
One of my TPMS senders was malfunctioning, then it just cleared itself up.
A couple of months ago I had a warning light on the dash. The dealer said it was a vapor valve in the fuel tank.
They swapped it out under warranty.
Thats about it. I have the 2.7 eb with a 10 speed. I use sport mode on the street then go back to normal mode on the hwy.
Not the best mileage I was expecting but then again, what was I expecting driving around in sport mode all the time. haha
2.7 in sport mode is a hoot!
great truck - no regrets

 

Most people who sign up for forums (here or otherwise) are enthusiast or looking for a place to vent their frustration. The vast majority of folks don't have any problems but you'll never know because they aren't here on this forum.

About 5 years ago I had to buy a new A/C unit for my house so I went on the internet to do research for this expensive purchase. What I found out is that they are all junk no matter what brand you buy. They were all built better 20+ years ago and the manufacturers have made them cheaper on purpose to make more money and the EPA regulations cause them to break more and cost more. Long story short the unit I purchased is still going strong and hasn't had a single problem since the day it was installed.

Buy what you want don't let other people's opinions deter you. BTW if you're looking to get a used 2018 or 2019 you might as well look at brand new trucks. You'll find dealers will heavily discount the trucks enough that it'll be close to the price of a 1 year old used truck.

 

This, and most from what I've seen in my area as far as 2018, 2019 used vehicles were all Rentals with high mileage. Mileage was averaging 22,000 plus. That's more than I drive in 2-3 years. I bought new. And, I don't want Jonny Rocket (aka, Rental customer) breaking in my turbo.

 

Yeah, you can freak yourself out about any vehicle if you visit that vehicle’s forum. The thing I always remind myself is that Ford sells about a million F-150’s in North America every year, so the issues discussed here are a pretty small sample size.

 

I bought a 2019 5.0 new before Ford expanded the oil consumption TSB beyond just 2018 engines. My engine did consume oil but that issue was resolved after the software update on the latest TSB. My oil consumption was never measured formally, but was close to the 1 quart in 3000 miles mark. Since the update, my oil is just below the max line after 6000 miles.

I haven't had any other issues with the vehicle and do not regret my purchase at all. The V8 is great.

While some people have had some terrible experiences with their 5.0, I'm not sure they're an accurate representation of the population. A Ford enthusiast forum isn't used by everyone. Additionally, the more traumatic the experience, the louder people tend to be.

Either way, do you research on specific vehicles and decide what's best for you. The history of one 2018 5.0 may be dramatically different than another.

 

There are no more problems with an 18+ 5.0 than any other vehicle on the road. Reading posts on a forum is not a good metric of which years have more problems than others. Unless someone has hard data on the failure rate, I'd say buy the vehicle you are interested in.