I had a 2008 FX4 with the 5.4L for 4 years before getting my Platinum. Regular Mobile 1 oil changes and high quality basic maintenance is all it required. I loved that truck, and didn't have any issues.

 

someone elaborate on the manifold leak. is this common? exhaust?

i just purchased a 5.4L a few months back...

thanks

 

yeah it's common.

 

seems to be hit or miss. at 130k+, I didn't get it, but now that I have the stock headers removed and performance ones put on, I have a leak because the shop I went to sucked.

 

mine has 259,650 on it now. And it will still throw you into the seat.

 

Having owned two of the 5.4's (2v and 3v) I would never go back...even though they both were reliable trucks and I never had any engine issues really...other than the 2v launching a sparkplug.
I never did get around to getting the plugs changed in my 2006, I couldn't do it myself without any risks of breakage and I wasn't paying over $500 for a plug change. In my mind...a guy should be able to change his spark plugs easily within an hour or two at most without needing "special tools". I know the 2007-2010 didn't have this issue, but it shouldn't have existed in the first place.
The 5.4 is a dinosaur now in the age of the 5.0 and the ecoboost..but that's my opinion.

 

I had the chance of buying a '10 Platinum 198,000 miles for $9,000 and a loaded '09 FX4 with 186,000 miles for $8,000. I didn't buy them simply because of the folks who complain about them on the forums but then I realized there are thousands of them out there which are running completely fine.

 

I love my old 5.4, 201k and counting.

 

exactly. Same with 5.0 and EB. My '04 F250 2v 5.4 started using a little oil after 250K but tackled anything I threw at it and never gave me a single problem. My '09 3v mated with the 6 speed is twice as good. More peer down low than the 5.0 and I swear with sensible driving I get better fuel mileage that most people are reporting with any current engine and my truck is as heavy as an F150 gets.

 

09 lariat 80k miles no problem.
My mom's 06 fx4 probably got about 100k I bet she only got the oil change 4 or 5 time lol. No problem that I can recall.