not impressed
 

anyone here not impressed with the 5.4 f150? im sorry but i have a 2006 f150 fx4, and honestly it seems like i have had nothing but problems with this truck. it has only 58k miles. I have already replaced the whole throttle body assembly, drivers side window switch twice, changed the plugs, 3 broke off, the steering use to be smooth, not its got a roughness to it, now i have a deep engine tick coming from the back of the engine or underneath, so it seems. Man i just feel like thats alot of stuff to go wrong in 58k of owning a truck

Don't get me started , purchased new ,114k, window switch once, mileage green backlit light out , shifter indicator lights out on center console , cam sensor replaced, cam sensors now unplugged, new plugs at $600, both fog lights out, 3rd brake light out, new battery, and as of this weekend it won't start with the new battery I put in it on Sunday. I know some of this is petty crap except for the cam issues sorry just had to vent

Love mine. No real issues with it. Leaking brake light. Any issues have been mod related. The throttle body sensor went out but seeing as how I've had the tb on and off a 100 times thats to be expected. Drive it like I stole it, race it, tow with it. It does it all.

New motor just went into my 2008 XLT... 5.4 with 82k, and $6100 back on the road....

Pretty darn minor for 114k.

08 with 52K.... reverse sensor replaced, Idler pulley replaced...love my F-150... It must be my TBS...lol

It's not 1970, 114k miles isn't much.

111k on mine, original everything except fuel filter, plugs, regular maintenance things. 4.2 ftw! Haha

232k on my '97 5 speed Contour, only replaced clutch, regular maintenance.

seems to me, the chevy and dodge trucks don't have nearly as many problems as the f150 with the 5.4 engine. all i read about is cam phasers going bad, and timing chains issues having to replace all that stuff to resolve a damn tick, it just seems like alot of stuff to go wrong for spending this much money on a truck.

a new engine at 82k miles and it cost you 6100 bucks. that is total bullcrap right there man.

There's also more of them out there so you end up hearing more complaints. Most people hit forums with issues and bitxhes. Cam sensors were not properly designed. Same with plugs. I replaced the VCT on my 04 and engine was clean and chains were nice and tight. So no cam sensors replaced for me. Mine only has 81k but has run great so far. I'd buy another.

I'm not a Chevy or dodge fan but all in all up to 150k miles they seem, IMO anyway to be pretty close in the complaint arena.

I bet if you asked these questions on any forum you will find just as many people having issues no matter what truck it is. If you take everything you read on ANY forum to heart you will think that every vehicle that each forum represents is a POS because people come to forums with issues usually so thats going to be what you read about the majority of the time. There are literally millions of these trucks and engines on the road, there are bound to be issues with that many of them out there. Not to mention Ford would have not continued to be the leader in truck sales if they were any where near as bad as what some people on here make them out to be. For the record my 05 5.4 with 91K on the clock has been trouble free besides regular maintenance. I know several people with 200,000+ miles on there 04 and up 5.4's that have had no issues and I know some that have, its luck of the draw. Hell if you think GM is so good, my co worker just had his 5.3 replaced in his 08 1500 because of bottom end issues and had two trannys put in his 04 within 50K. They all make lemons.

I bought my 08 with 97k miles on it, have put 6k since then, and I have already had a FLAT TIRE about 2k miles ago! WHAT A PIECE OF JUNK!:jester::eek: OK obviously that is sarcasm.....every vehicle has problems, me, I don't consider normal maintenance issues like replacing bulbs and batteries a "problem", but everybody has their own opinion of how one should be expected to perform. I've had Fords, Chevys, and a GMC truck. The GMC had to have a new engine at 89k miles.....but anything can have a dud. A lot is how they're driven, and taken care of. If you floor it every time you move it, if you try to drive through the Grand Canyon or the Mississipi river, you're likely to have problems!

A lot of guys on here use aftermarket items like programmers, air intakes, lift kits ect which, hey, to each his own, but anytime you modify an item from the way it was designed, you gotta expect their might be some problems! The key is the willingness to sort through them to get it the way you need it to perform.

If the F150 doesn't make somebody happy, Chevy, Dodge, Toyota, and Nissan ALL make trucks.....shop around!

While I will admit, there seems to be a lot of little, stupid **** that goes wrong with these trucks, if little stupid **** is all that goes..well then I'm happy. In today's world, all manufacturers are doing whatever it takes to make these "trucks" ride smooth, and have heated steering wheels, and stupid ass luxuries to make them appeal to a more broad range of people to sell trucks. The more technology you pack into something to make it more luxurious or efficient, the greater chance you have of more systems failing over time. Not to mention, the more F150's that are selling, the more they need to produce, thus the more chance there is for production issues. But guys are right, you'll have the same amount of complaints on any forum. My 2006 5.4 has pissed me off plenty of times, but if we were still driving around in 1960's technology our trucks would weigh the same as a tank, ride like one, and get 6 mpg going down hill in neutral..sure they were easy to fix but that was because they were more simple. You want luxury features, this is what you're gonna get...

I will say the 3 valve motor is junk! I have a 2001 2 valve 5.4 e-350 that has 300,000 on it never had any major work except a tranny and driven by a half dozen different people. We have 13-15 trucks at any given time in our small fleet and we buy Ford only but sorry guys the 3 valve is junk. The rest of the truck is pretty darn good but the motor is no 351 thats for sure. I will take a pushrod motor any day! I cant make a true verdict yet but the ecoboost engines seem to be pretty stout. I will get back to you in about 2 years on it. I am a true Ford man wit a 93 mustang street car that runs low 11's with a stock 302 shortblock,00 lightning that loves camaro's for snacks and a 66 in restore and a 99 beater f-150. Company has 2-3 valves and we went to diesels due to lack of power and fuel milage in the 5.4-3v along with the other standar issues. I will agree that all, GM,Dodge, Toyota and Nissan have problems but three things they should have down pat are engines. tranny, and the axles. Like someone said this aint 1970 and at the cost of a new truck 200,000 isnt to much to expect out of the major components at all.

It's mainly te 3v that's got the issues but il say this bout the Chevy dodge comment... I got my dad to swap over to ford from Chevy cause all he had was problems with his 2 Chevy trucks.. Chevys replaci motors as low mileage as 20,000 cause they are burning 1 qt of oil in 2,000 miles!! Besides te fact their fuel systems are super finicky bout what has you out the rear ends whine an go out early like my dads had the bearings and gears replaced at 50,000 and fuel pump twice before 65,000 trang would sometimes hang up in 2nd and thing had lifter tick like crazy... And 4 injectors when the last fuel pump was done...

Yeah, lets all get together and bitch about our engines because that's what everybody posts about!

Mine is running great so i dont post all over the place about it, i love my 08 5.4 so much i will probably end up buying an 09 with the 5.4 later down the road.

And since everybody bitches about all engines i'm going to go ahead and throw out there that i love my 99 4.6 so much that i will gladly buy more of them later on

If you dont take care of it, it wont take care of you and thats with every vehicle. If your engine went out with 82K, its time to learn how to change your oil more than every 25K. Ill pass 154K today, has yet to seen the shop. But with that said, my ball joints are starting to go.

I bought my truck with a full tank of gas a year ago, and it ran out of gas 3 days later!!!! What crap!... So I learned to fill it up regularly. After that ordeal, I had to put new wiper blades on it! Then I had to put bigger tires on it, then I had to wash the damn thing, what the heck!!! I thought I was buying a perpetual motion machine that didn't wear out, but I was wrong! Nobody said this thing was gonna need an oil change every 5000 miles either. I feel so cheated!
I'm gonna get me one of those government subsidized trucks that will pay my bills, feed my kids, and gets me a phone. I think Chevy makes them. No more ford for me, I drew my line in the sand when I had to change the brake pads. Enough is enough.. What junk!......
:U

Im not a big fan of the 3v but i do agree with the guy above you gotta change your oil. Im 17 and have an 04 but have been around 97-03 2v and have to say they are way better i thought about just trading my 04 in on a 02 or 03. But it dont run to bad 164k now and i do hot rod. But i change my oil every 3000 miles or less.

Unsubscribed...

05 fx4 -5.4; 125,000mi, had it since day one. Most reliable vehicle I've owned.
News flash... Light bulbs burn out in everything, everywhere, all the time!

My 06 went out at 82k as well. I have also replaced the power steering pump, window switch twice, about to be the 3rd time, COP's, catalytic converter, 2 CD players, alternator, and now the rear end is starting to clunk.

The last Dodge I owned was more terrible than any issue the 04-08 f150s have. I bought the truck and noticed two weeks later that the oil pressure kept dropping...come to find out it is expected in those trucks for the oil pump to go out before 100k miles. It had 75k. Needless to say I'm the proud owner of a Ford now.

I was very unhappy at first (hence username) but I now love my truck. Definitely some quality control issues on mine (leaks) etc but after getting them sorted out I couldn't be happier. And moving from a Silverado it had issues too, it doesn't matter what you own.

Ford took 5.9 billion in 09 for re-tooling from the government and supported the bailout, so they did get money. Not part of the major bailout GM,Dodge got though. Im not knocking Ford guys, just stating facts. I have well maintained trucks with all the same problems mentioned and i have some neglected older ones running well.

My 2000 XLT SC 5.4L has 130,000 miles. Have replaced plugs, fuel filter, alternator and oil pressure sending unit. Pretty good service I would say. Maintenance done regularly by me. I still own it but now drive a 2004 XLT.

Of course Ford supported the bail out. Had GM and Dodge fallen the domino effect would have been devastaing. Major suppliers of parts right down to the nuts and bolts would have gone out of business thus doing Ford more harm them good. Not to mention the further damage to the ecconomy. However the money they recieved many car makers recieved. It was a loan to help find ways to make more fuel effiecent vehicles. Had nothing to do with a bail out or not being finaicially stable enough to stay in business.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...IhgM_8K_XMLd6Q

Truer words were never spoken on this whole forum

I stated, not part of the major bailout, however they were struggling at the time. I agree with all of the reasons you stated. and I beleive Ford has paid there portion back, but did not double check that. I also beleive I seen somethig where GM paid off ealry also. I checked my facts on my original posts, like I said man, not bashing Ford other than this 3v motor. I will not support it, other than owning a truck with one and not wanting to drop 40g in a new one, minnimum. If I had the skills to make it work i would have a 351 or a detuned 460 turbo motor in there, which I happen to be capable of but time/life is a factor in that.

Changed my oil every 5k, with full synthetic... But thanks for "teaching" me how to maintain a vehicle. It is nonsense to think that an engine could just FAIL on occasion I suppose? Geeeeeez what would we do in this world without this expert advice????

But this is my fourth Ford, 3 F150s and 1 Cobra. This is the first one I've had major issues with, and I still won't buy anything other than Ford's!

They must make some good ones and some bad ones. Mine is great love it. Engine runs smooth no knocking or ticking or anything. It's not as fast as it used to be for whatever reason but its a great truck and I have 160,000 on mine and not the slightest problem besides normal maintenance.

i just bought my 08 with 58k on it sitting on 66k now.. I havent had any issues nor did it have any before i bought it. its ford certified and i had all services records pulled from ford-nothing wrong. I have had chevy before, a 96 z71 ran it into the ground at 228k and had tons of issues with it after the 150k mark... but that's to be expected with that kind of mileage... i better not have any problems with my FX4, i've already dumped alot of money into mods.... NOw i have sold all models- DODGE< FORD and GM and they ALL have problems.... we had a guy that bought a Denali truck brand new off the floor. 3 months later it came back in on a flatbed with a piston rod threw the pan..... **** happens and its all in how you drive your truck and maintain it.... GOOD-LUCK TO EVERYONE AND ALL THEIR TRUCKS TO LAST A VERY LONG TIME.

1996 F-150 5.0 with 440K - All that has been done is ofcourse light bulbs, driver door handle, and the harmonic balancer was replaced... last but not least regular maint to include brakes.

2004 F-150 5.4L 4x4 - 3rd owner got it at 145K it now has 160K I replaced brake booster, master cylinder, did the center console shifter mod with new dashboard and cluster and manual to automatic a/c controls. Also just replaced the FACTORY shocks and struts and added a 2.5" HBS level. (: Purchased for 8K I've thrown 3K into it since i bought it.

I have a 05 f150 5.4 155k. Runs great and rides like a caddy and timing parts changed couldn't be any happier. Love it. FORD TOUGH.!!

Got a call from the shop... truck is running great now with the new motor thanks to Directengines.com ( a lot cheaper and better reviews than Jasper ). Engine is completely reman'd and everything is included minus a water pump. $2799 for a 5.4 if anyone ever has to go down the sad road I had to go down. But I hope your Fords stay true like all my previous ones have. Can't wait to go pick up the "new" truck. lol

Nice! That price is not bad either. Good luck with the new power plant!

The throttle body assembly needing to be replaced at 58,000 miles is unusual. The window switch is normal because people allow dirt and rain to get onto it and fluids will seep into the electronics. The spark plugs were done at the right time. I'd sooner do them at 60,000 miles than 100,000 miles. All trucks have their problems.

The bulbs burning out is nothing out of the ordinary, hell it would happen on a $250,000 Bentley as well. Plugs shouldn't cost $600. I did it in less than 4 hours on my own and it cost me $200. Batteries need to be replaced on all vehicles after a couple of years. I'd say the real issue on your truck would be the cam sensors.

And Goddamn I would love to have my truck perform like yours. Maybe one day I can drop a Whipple 3.3 in mine!

I don't know where you get your information from but as an owner of both Dodge and Ford I can tell you that each manufacturer has it's issues. And yes, I do use my trucks for real work. I may not take them offroading as many of the other members here do but how many other members haul 8,000lbs daily? I know what the strengths and weaknesses are for both the F-150 and Ram 1500 better than most automotive journalists.

You got it on, brother! Unusual for the tranny to go on the GMT-800 trucks. They use the 4L60E-HD transmission and those are supposed to be damn nearly bulletproof. The Vortec 5.3 is a piece of junk though. It failed to live up to the legacy of the original 5.7 SBC that it replaces. Tell your co-worker to pick up an F-150 to replace his Chevy. :)

By the way, this thread is useless. If you want to compare the difference between different manufacturers, come up to Vancouver and haul my tool trailer with both my Ram 1500 and my F-150. Then haul half a cord of wood in the bed up and down the Upper Levels Highway with both trucks. Then look at all the service records I have on both trucks. And while you're at it, visit RamForumz and see the threads I have posted on comparing the F-150 and the Ram 1500. Because I can tell you many Ram owners on that forum ask me all the time which truck I prefer and which truck is more reliable, etc.

I've had my Ram 1500 for 6 years. I've had my F-150 for 9 months. There is a reason as to why my second truck is a Ford. :)

06 lariat with 53k miles and other than have to fix my wiring from it getting stolen and replacing all the stolen stuff, its been great! only thing i had to fix is my starter. i dont count having to replace stuff due to offroading tho....then it would be a longer list. lol.

06 65k. I've put 35,000 on mine. Tow a car once or twice a week. Changed plugs at 60k about 1.5 hours and $10 a plug, change oil every 3k with motorcraft parts, change rear diff, front diff, t-case, trans fluid every 30k. Belt at 50k. 2 window switches on both back doors, 1 battery. A horn, front and rear brakes, and clutch packs in the rear end. Not a hint of phaser noise. Couldn't be happier. Since I tow do much and I do not drive the truck nicely I'm not upset about the clutch packs at all plus it was pretty easy.
When it comes down to it simple maintenance goes a long way. 90% of the fords that come in are un maintained. Now is the 3v the best motor? Hell no. But it's lot terrible either. People these days are just too damn cheap when it comes down to it. If you can't do your plugs yourself $400 for 60k miles is nothing.... That's only 4 tanks if gas. Ya there are bad things that do happen to some if these trucks but problems happen on all makes and models. People say the 7.3 is bullet proof never breaks etc. now it is IMO the best diesel motor made in a pickup, but we see them in and broke all the time. Nothing's perfect. You take the good with the bad. Most of my friends are die hard Chevy lovers and don't tow or use their trucks a truck like I do and there trucks end up in the shop way more than my ford friends.

Thats about as good a price as you can expect for that, was that installed?

I work for a large company that has thousands of 3 valve 5.4's. Locally we have many that have over 350,000 miles in both F250's and E250's that require no more than normal maintenance. We've had no engine failures what so ever and the vehicles aren't babied. Can't say that about the Sprinters we have though.

And they are goverened/limited correct? The phaser issues wouldnt even be noticed more than likely on fleet trucks. Also what is considered normal maintenance for a company like that. It is not the standard fluid changes, timing components could be part of you guys normal. Just saying, I know ill catch heck from you guys but I dont care I am still a Ford guy, I can also call a turd a turd when I see it, lol.

I was going to stay out of this thread, but I've been lured in with a tale of my own F150 that has 108K on the clock, that I got after ~90K of rode hard & put up wet. Aside from the normal wear & tear items (which is debatable since some people think that ball-joints & U-joints are wearable - and they are, but not at 100K unless your truck was treated like mine was).

Strait-forward opinion:

The window motor/regulators on the F150's do not hold up. I've seen too many come & go for replacements to deny this (makes me feel lucky I got an XL)

The vale train in the 5.4's are not up to standard. If they were, there wouldn't be a sticky for replacing cam phasers.

Ignition: The spark plugs ...'nuff said. I'd expect to lose a coil pack or two throughout the life of a vehicle, but these seem to go out a little too often for my comfort. I bought the coils with a lifetime warranty & recommend the same for anyone not interested in buying new ones every couple of years or so.

The brakes: Master cylinders seem to be a regular thing even on low mileage F150's, but that's not even close to the bigger issue which is the integrated rotor/bearing held on by a $20 non-reusable nut. My rotors still had a lot of meat on them when I had to drop a few hundred bucks because the bearings were squeaky. Now they're doing it again (20K later), and I'm in the market for the "upgrade" from Centric for another couple/few hundred bucks - in hind-sight I probably should have just done this to begin with & saved myself a couple/few hundred bucks, but hey, live & learn.

The flex-plates & torque converters have gotten a bad wrap & I'm not convinced that this is unjustified since both of these made my shopping list as well, but I was hesitant to list this since I'm not 100% certain that this affects "most" F150's, however, I felt it was still worth mentioning.

I'll personally never own another for my own reasons, but I'd respectfully disagree with this statement. All the LSx engines I've known are very efficient and hearty engines, but we're all entitled to our opinions. I'll not make a direct argument on the GMs vs. the F150 since to me, it's an "apples & oranges" conversation. It would be like trying to talk about trucks to the guy with a toyota - I mean, sure it's a truck by definition, but when it comes down to it, it's a tofu burger; you look at it & say, "Wow, that's a big burger, but where's the good ole' American beef?" I made my decision to buy a Ford because I'm of the opinion (my own 2¢ here) FoMoCo is the last truly American car manufacturer, and I won't ever regret supporting the American way. :thumbsup:

So, me & my effie have problems from time to time, but what love affair doesn't?

Some people are determined to hate and you are one of them. Even when someone presents positive experince amongst a large fleet you insist on spueing verbal diheriea. Claiming the vehicles are governed or perhaps timing componets are part of normal maintenance. Seriously get over yourself.

Honestly I don't know how you guys loose motors and trans. It is unfortunate. I'm pushing mine for 170-180% VE. Been pushing her for 600hp and above for 27,000 miles and for the last 20,000 shes been cranking out 700hp. Nearly 60 trips down the drag strip, at least 50 dyno runs. Even raced her hauling a dual axle trailer weighing 5000lbs (stupid but I did it). She gets 16.5mpg on the highway. Fatherford has been doing the same and has over 100,000 miles along with 1000's of others some pushing a little less but still no issues.

Not denying the 5.4 doesn't have some issues. The VCT for 04 and the folish head/plug design of 04-07. The plug issue is completly avoidable. Most folks have a tuner or at least the Gotts mod for performance but want to leave plugs in for 100,000 miles. How dumb is this? Sure they are rated for that and may keep the truck running but trust me those plugs are costing you some real hp by 60-70k.

Like I said I new I wold catch it for staying on my main complaint on the 3v motor, I ALSO STATED I AM A FORD MAN! My 2v lightning has 142,000 on it and I promise it will run as good as any. I guess blowing plugs out of those heads was not a problem and yes its had to have a tranny. I thrash the truck at the track so I had no complaint about that, also pushing 630hp and yes it is documented. I see as many facts from my statements as yours, do yo know their maint. routine? Do those drivers care abot a tick that drives you or me crazy? No they drive them until something goes out.

My trucks do work, pull equipment they are work trucks/vans. I speak nothing more than facts I can put invoices for the repairs and the completed schedueled maint. with, for facts.

I have respected your truck and work until today, anyone who would race pulling a trailer rests his own case.

Im out of this, sorry to any I offended just like any of the other guys here, just stating what I see with my tiny 13-15 truck fleet.

Enjoy your flight and have a great day!bwahahaahh!!

Ill just leave this here...
Attachment 192730

Lmao. I could care less who or what you respect. I built my truck to my liking. I knew full well the risk of what I was doing and it was a one time thing. I didn't care since day one the plan has been for a built motor once this one dies. The entire truck is built around a 600-700 rwhp setup. But I'm not pulling the trigger till the factory motor blows. So I push it for all it's worth for the hell of it and have fun with it.

No, they aren't governed. And no, no parts were replaced in our shop. A normal service is an oil and filter change on a regular basis. Fuel pumps are replaced about every year and an occasional alternator. They usually get replaced because of rust issues.

The Vortec 5.3 was a Gen 3 motor which was a replacement for the Vortec 5700 on the GMT-400, not the later style LSx. It's output is garbage compared to the Vortec 6.0 or Vortec 6.2 motors. What kills our trucks performance is the weight, but overall the 5.4 3V Triton is a stronger motor with more linear power delivery than the any of the Vortec motors. I know this as I have not only driven Silverado 1500s but I have also towed trailers with all three motors as well. Regarding output, I have nothing negative to say about the larger Vortec 6.0, 6.0 Max or 6.2 but the Vortec 5.3 is gutless below 4000RPM.





Brother you are behind the reigns of Zeus' Chariot. I would like to take a trip on that one day. If not I will have to build my own. I would love to have 600-700HP hauling my 8,000lb tool trailer up the highways as if it were made of Styrofoam.

I agree. Hell I haven't done the Gotts mod or have a tuner but I replaced my plugs right away after purchasing my truck. For me I don't need either the Gotts mod or a tuner because eventually I'll my intake mod will be done via Whipple and my tuning will be done by Troyer. :)

I have yet to have a bit of problem with mine. Other than the normal fluid changes, windshield wiper blade replacements and brake pads replaced, I have NOT had one bit of problem with my current 06 XLT. Would I buy my current truck again? Hell yes I would and many more if I could! I love mine and so far its treated me extremely well even with the hard use it gets. I have said it before and will say it again, it has been abused but well maintained and continues to run very well for me.

Blownford, let's face it, you are on a whole nother level than just us normal "Joe's" out here..........LOL.

You must really like the 4800 then, huh? :jester:

...and Blownford, that truck is awesome!

Much appreciated guys.
Can't help but chime in on the Vortec motors. Our small business has 3 Chevy/Gmc vans. 2 of the vans are full size long 3500 series with 4.8's a d weigh 7500lbs per our needs. Quite often we tow 3000-6000lbs with them. They are grossly under powered but one has 150,000 miles and has only needed a t-stat and 1 O2 sensor. The other has 84,000 and has had no issues. The third has a 12' box on it and has the 6.0 under the hood. It weighs 9000lbs +. That damn truck will move out and has monster torque at any speed. It now has 120,000 on it and only a front wheel bearing and starter to go bad. All of them however are suffering from GM's sucky paint jobs and are sheding paint like a reptile sheds it's skin. It's truly sickening.

I would trade a few more mechanical issues for better paint quality. $2000 paint job and $1000 worth of lettering is not easy for a small biz to absorb.

I just found out at my work our e-250 van with the 5.4L has 350k miles an is still going strong! Nothing has been done on the engine but it is being run with 20w-50 because it takes a lot of really short trips.

I wouldn't consider anything less than 5.0L a truck motor. Not unless it's the Ecoboost. :)

The Vortec 6.0 Max is a hell of a powerful motor, at the time it was meant to compete with the 6.8 V10 Triton as premium gas motor on the 2500 and 3500 GMT-800s. Those motors are true workhorse motors but nothing compared to Zeus' Chariot.