Greg Fleming

Hey guys,

First time posting here. This Saturday I'm hoping to become the proud owner of a (new to me) 2006 F-150 Lariat. as of right now, the truck has 91k miles and looks to be in great shape. I'm far from a mechanic and honestly don't know too much about trucks, other than the fact I know I want to get back into one (very first truck was a 94 Ford Ranger). I was hoping to get any Pro's and Cons of getting into an older truck, what should be expected, and what to look out for. Any information would be great! Thanks in advance!

PS, currently drive a 2012 vw cc with 70k miles. As excited as I am to get into a truck, the fact the truck is 6 years older and has 20k more miles does freak me out a bit... Is this anything to be concerned about?

Thanks again,
-Greg

Martian

I'd say... nah. The great thing about these trucks is when they have problems, they'll tell you with a noise or an action, e.g. loud ticking and clacking if the timing equipment or lifters are ready to be replaced or lots of jerking and bucking if the plugs and boots / springs have met their end of life. If it sounds great, rides great, and doesn't give you any issues up front, both cold and warmed up, it's probably fine.

SCORGE

As Marty said, drive it and get a feel for it. Listen to the engine at both cold and warm.
200k on my ol' gal and she's still moving.

Archangel72

There may be creature comforts missing that you may want to think about

Dunno if your VW had bluetooth or back up camera but the truck may not. my 05 did not have them however I fixed that..

other than that yeah see if they have maintenance records too

2008__XL

5.4 right? I'd look up cam phaser issues and learn what to look and hear for. Pay close attention to that before buying.

These trucks are great, but the 5.4 can be problematic.

redfishtd

If this is a 5.4l you should know the pros and cons . Make sure it has the new plugs installed . sp515 , the plugs were a big deal .
The timing system, phasors , plastic tensioners , plastic guides low oil pressure are problematic on this engine . It is quite expensive to fix . It helps if you can do the work yourself .
Not all get this problem but a lot do . You must use the correct oil and change it before 5k miles . Any combustion dirt build up causes problems .
This is the same story I would tell my best friend . It's a good truck if you can take care of it, not so much if you have to hire the work out .
The 4.6 has far fewer problems but not as much power .
All cars have some problems this one got more than its share of engine problems .

Brutus442

I own a 06 Lariat and couldn't be more happier. Like others have said watch for the ticking sound. If the car was maintained correctly (correct oil and filters) you should not have any problems. I'm currently just over 200K and everything (including the a/c) works like the day it rolled off the line.

I'd also say watch the FPDM. It's prone to corrosion and is an easy fix. Check it before getting stranded somewhere.

If it's 4x4, cycle the switch to verify the acuator hasn't frozen or the solenoid or IWE's have failed. I'm not sure if you need it but it's nice to know it works up front.

Enjoy the new wheels!

BadFish523

I agree with all the good advice so far.

Greg Fleming

That's honestly something I was thinking about which is why I was leaning towards the older Lariat instead of a couple years newer XLT for the upgraded interior. How much did it run you to add in the bluetooth and backup camera? This one doesnt have the big in dash monitor but I was considering adding in the backup camera into the rear view mirror if possible.

Archangel72

I bought a Pioneer head that had video capability with Bluetooth and I wanted it to also have USB interface for my iPad. Radio wasn't bad little over 200$ I think, the kit to install it all the pieces and wiring was like 50$ (Best buy and Amazon) the rear view camera I got off amazon I went cheap wished I had shopped around a little more. It stated 170 degrees but its not. It works but I want to check out others and replace it.
If you do a bit of research you can install it all yourself easily. If you choose not to there are places that will install it. prices will vary on that