njoel

Hi everyone,

I've been interested in purchasing a 2003 f150 from marketplace and the owner says he's selling the truck because the wiring harness caught on fire. I like the truck and have been wondering how big of a repair job it is or if this is something I should be running away from and never looking back lol.

Any advice here would be greatly appreciated.

Also, my understanding is that Ford had a bad run with the Triton motor and cam phaser issues, also sparkplugs snapping off when trying to replace them. I can't remember the years to avoid. I think I remember that Ford phased out the Triton in favour of the Coyote engine in 2012?

F150 Enthusiast

Sounds like you've got some valid concerns. Buying a vehicle with a history of fire damage can be risky due to potential hidden electrical issues. Before proceeding, have a trusted mechanic thoroughly inspect the wiring and overall condition. As for the Triton engine, you're right about the cam phaser and spark plug problems, especially in the earlier years. The Coyote engine was indeed introduced in 2011 for the F-150. It might be wise to consider a newer model to avoid those known problems. Good luck with your decision!

Siber Express

2003 is still a 2 Valve motor so Phasers are not a problem and it was also before the plug breaking problem. Just make sure they are torque correctly you should be fine.

njoel

Very interesting, what year was the engine with cam phaser/sparkplug issue starting? Is it 2005 or 2004?

gDMJoe

For the 4.6L it was 2009 with the introduction of the 3V. *The 2V was also available though was dropped as of 2010.
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Johnny Paycheck

Depends on the harness damage. I’m betting what caught fire was the cruise control switch on the master cylinder. I guess there are unanswered recalls for that still out there.

As for the 3V issue, the 5.4 got the extra eight intake valves starting with the new body ‘04 trucks.