Found a '97 150 xlt with 175000mi. Truck looks good overall, taking a serius look and drive tomorrow-anything special I should keep in mind or look for in this year??? Any ideas or input would be appreciated!!

 

What engine does it have? Is it 4wd? How much are you paying for it?

 

Yeah, info might help huh?

It is 4x4, 8 cyl 4.6L, wondering if there's any known issues or anything to be concerned about with this model/year with the mileage it has?

 

from everything I have read on this forum the 4.6L is probably the most bulletproof out of the three engines Ford put in this model. The main problems I have heard of are engines missing due to wet or ruined coils but I think this is mainly in the 5.4Ls which is what I have. These gen10s though are known to run for a while as long as previous owners have been changing the fluids and keeping up with regular maintenance.

I work at a ford dealership and most of the techs there tell me I can expect to get well over 200k miles out my 1997. I currently have just under 168k on mine, and aside from taking care of some neglect of the previous owner when I bought it I have been problem free driving all over the place. Mainly 600 mile round trip drives to and from school, and she is still pulling strong.

Take a look at the "How many miles does your 97-03 have on it" thread and you will see the kind of mileage these trucks get in their lifetime. I say go for it. These trucks are great, and from what I hear the 4.6L are solid engines.

 

I bought my 97 4.6 in June 09. I would look at u joints and ball joints. Other then that mine has been great so far.

 

Cant lose with an F150. Eventually things will need fixed but my 98 f150 has been GREAT the only thing i have changed is the battery and the brake pads super reliable!!

 

with high miles like that, the suspension components are probably heavily worn if they have not been replaced already. I know when I first bought mine I had to replace the ball joints, upper and lower control arms, brake pads and rotors, and most of the rear brake drums. But hey thats what you get for buying high mileage. It actually turned out to be a great bargaining tool, especially if you and a friend/tech can tackle it in a day.

Are you buying it from a private party or in "as is" condition from a dealer? If you are, ask to take the truck to a nearby shop or friendly tech and have them give it a once over, throw them a case of beer and/or 40 bucks to make it worth their while and they can write up list of everything the truck "needs." It doesnt hurt if they inflate the cost/needs a little. You can then use this list to get the price considerably reduced. That and it keeps you from getting screwed. I did it and I was able to get myself a steal.

**If you cant tell I work at a Ford dealership. My uncles and grandpa all own dealerships and I still wouldnt buy a truck from them. Craigslist all the way. Seriously though if they dont let you get the truck checked out I would be wary.

 

personally i would pull the plug wires on the passenger side for cylinders 3 and 4 and check for antifreeze around that area, i've been finding that problem more and more since it started on mine

and just because i wanna throw this out there, my truck hit 170,000 miles today

 

I bought a 97 4x4 with 180K on it back in December. It's got the 4.6L V-8 in it too. I bought it from a local mechanic who replaced the ball joints, and the tail gate before I brought it home. I can't for the life of me find anything else wrong with it, and the truck runs, looks, and drives like a much younger vehicle. A carfax showed that my truck had been bought new, and was recently traded to a dealership that auctioned it to the mechanic, who sold it to me a few days later. Basically, it's a single owner vehicle.

I'd say if the price is right, and a decent mechanic has gone over it finding no major problems....It could be a real good deal. But, as with any used vehicle... You're always rolling the dice. Just look it over really well before you break out the ole' checkbook.