Hi everybody. I am looking to replace my 98 Ranger daily driver with an F150, any of below. I don't a need to tow RVs etc. Main consideration is it's a daily driver and occasional Lowes runs, etc. So luxury packages and power are not a main point of concern.

2007 STX supercab 4.6L V8 36k miles
2008 STX 4.2L V6 57K miles
2005 Supercab lariat 5.4 Triton V8 12k miles only

Question 1.
Which one would you pick and why?
Which one would you not pick and why?

Question 2.
For the 2005 12k miles 5.4 triton v8, I was told it has a bad rap for engine issues. How bad are these engines?
At what mileage can I expect to start seeing the infamous engine troubles, in case I miss out on the first two?

 

Hi Jay welcome to the forum. I have a 2005 F150 2WD regular cab w/5.4 triton that just went over 100K miles. I bought it almost 4years ago with only 80K documented miles. I cannot say on when the 5.4 would have issues. The 05 that only has 12K does the owner have documentation that it only has 12K miles? That seems very low for a 05. I would checkout FordTechMakuloco on you tube, here is a link about problems with the 04-08 F150's.

 

Thank you!
The 05 is 12k. checked Carfax, and CA yearly inspections since new. Old owner's life events etc. just garage parked, driven occasionally to smog testing & back. Son installed new tires, serviced and drove it 2k miles with no issues. So it actually had 10k miles. New leather smell is still present. My concern was gas mileage as a DD bet the 4.6 & 5.4 but someone told me actually I should be more concerned with engine reputation. It's encouraging to hear you went over 100k and so far so good.

 

where/how are you finding such old trucks, but with low miles? do you think mileage is legit?

(id get the 4.6, best engine of 3 IMO)

 

x2

 

X3. 4.6 all day long. You won’t win any races, but it’s known to be super reliable. 4.2 is also reliable, but slower than death.

5.4 will be faster, but it comes with the possibility of some real headaches and issues. Cam phaser problems, spark plugs sticking in the heads, injectors, etc. it’s known to be the least reliable of all three in this generation.

Also wondering where you’re finding these super low milage trucks? I’d worry how long they’ve been sitting.

 

Id get the 4.6.

But im a fan of the 5.4 3v.

 

I bought my 2004 XLT 4x4 about 14 months ago and it had 56,000 ACTUAL miles on it - verified by Carfax, DMV records, etc. It still has the original brake pads, muffler and exhaust system on it. I am now just about to turn 62,000 miles and it - knock on wood - runs just fine. It's NOT my daily driver, though. It is our 'spare' vehicle and serves us well for trips to Home Depot, Lowe's or the county landfill. I have used it as a moving van for my son and my mother-in-law already. The tires were replaced in 2018 - and I would not want to be riding on 22yr old tires! At the rate I am driving it, I will probably replace the tires in 2028, even if they still have good tread on them. More than ten years on a set of tires can be somewhat risky.

As others have said, the 4.6L is the preferable engine - but the 5.4L has more power. Mine, sadly, has the 5.4L and it runs strong. No leaks, no burning oil and it (so far) is not throwing any codes. My truck has the towing package, but has never been used for towing. The inside of the "hitch" receptacle is still clean and black. The trailer wiring harness is still inside the plastic bag & sitting in the glove box. I dread the day when I have to get the spark plugs replaced, but that's likely a ways off yet. My truck has zero rust on it - even the frame - and I try to keep it as clean as possible. It was obviously garaged for most of its life and will be again soon when our detached garage is finished sometime within the next month or so.

If you are towing, I would avoid the V6. Either the 4.6L or the 5.4L should be good for towing, especially if the truck has the auxiliary transmission cooler (looks like a small radiator). Axle ratio might matter, but I don't know how you can tell what that is if it's not marked. I average about 14 to 16 miles per gallon with my truck in mixed driving - but I knew when I bought it that it was not going to be a Prius. LOL!

Low mileage trucks are out there, but just be sure to have documentation - Carfax, DMV records, maintenance receipts, etc. - to make sure that the mileage is correct. Also have a mechanic look it over or at least let you look at the truck up on a hoist. When I got it inspected last month, the tech said that it was probably the cleanest one he saw. He drove it and remarked that it did not even have any rattles or squeaks. These are well-built trucks and - in my humble opinion - the 2004 to 2008 body style honestly looks better than the 2009 to 2014 models. Again, that's just me.............but I really think that - especially with the tail light design.

Whatever you get, take care of it. From from others have told me, they have 5.4L engines with 200,000+ miles that never had any major issues. A small percentage of bad ones have sullied the reputation of all other trucks. There are literally millions of F-Series trucks on the road and there are myriad reasons why they outsell the Ram and the Silverado by a significant margin in most model years. The 2004 to 2008 trucks also don't have a lot of the electronic bugaboos that have afflicted the newer models.

 

 

Just to update you guys, I went with the 2007 4.6 STX with 37k miles. Plain Brad has added 1k miles and so far so good.
Thank you everyone for your input.
Next up is Temu pimp my ride. Step bars, bullet antenna and 3rd brake light already installed.





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