'nother truck thread

[Perd Hapley]

Getting back into the pickup truck market, and some advice wouldn't hurt. I could maybe afford this one, at $16.5k, but I am also finding some trucks from the 2000s, with similar mileage, and at half the price. I also need to replace my wife's car, so cheaper is gooder.

Would those older trucks be a little easier to self-service? As in, is a 2001 any easier to work on than a 2013? I'm not a very good mechanic, but some things even I could figure out how to do by myself. My current car is a 2010 Chevy, and there were some repair jobs on that thing my retired mechanic father could not do, no matter how much he researched the problem. Very specialized equipment was required.

I'm looking for a full-sized truck, regular or ext. cab (not club/crew cab), with AC and a radio. Don't care what kind of transmission, don't need 4WD or a tow package, but wouldn't mind having them, either. Gas prices notwithstanding, it will be my daily driver.

Also, any tips on finding used trucks? Some that I've found on Autotrader look good, but the one I linked to I just found the old-fashioned way.

Thanks

[dogmush]

There wasn't  a huge change in ease of wrenching between my 2004 and 2014 F150's.  The 13th Gens have some wierd things that require a laptop, but most trucks 2014 and prior aren't  too bad to work on,

Both the ecoboost and the 5.0 coyote can have cam phaser ticking issues, not a huge deal, but a real pain to fix.

Prior to 2009 the 5.4 3v V8 had a bad head design that was prone to stripping spark plug threads.  They never really fixed it.


For a daily driver, the 2009-2014 had a 6 speed automatic (as opposed to a 4 speed for 2004-2009) so that would help your gas milage.

[Grandpa Shooter]

I have a 2002 F 150 with 247,000 miles on it.  I open the hood to verify the engine is still there, close it carefully and drive to my mechanic who gets paid to work on these things.  I once mentioned I was considering a F 250 and newer and he said don't do it.  He said mine is better than any of the newer ones past 2005.  I trust him.

[dogmush]

F250's and bigger are a different  animal.  A lot of repair procedures  start with "remove cab from truck".

Kinda of a PITA.  The 150's don't have that issue as much.

[Bogie]

One of my customers was bitching today.
 
He ordered one of the Ford hybrid trucks last year, and still hasn't seen it.

[BobR]

One of my customers was bitching today.
 
He ordered one of the Ford hybrid trucks last year, and still hasn't seen it.

Not just the hybrids. I am still waiting on a Super Duty truck I ordered in Sept of 2021. There are quite a few people who have been on that train longer than I have.

bob

[Bogie]

If  you really want to piss off  your neighbors...
 
https://www.commercialtrucktrader.com/listing/2015-VOLVO-VN+630-5020786142
 
Two axles, so no CDL required. You can probably lose the top fairing. And with a bed installed on the back, you won't have to worry about how much  you are hauling home from the garden store.

[BobR]

If  you really want to piss off  your neighbors...
 
https://www.commercialtrucktrader.com/listing/2015-VOLVO-VN+630-5020786142
 
Two axles, so no CDL required. You can probably lose the top fairing. And with a bed installed on the back, you won't have to worry about how much  you are hauling home from the garden store.

That would make a great 5th wheel hauler! I have seen quite a few people towing with large trucks. They are actually cheaper than a tricked out Super Duty, etc.

bob

bob

[Bogie]

500,000 miles is "just broken in."

[Brad Johnson]

Both the ecoboost and the 5.0 coyote can have cam phaser ticking issues, not a huge deal, but a real pain to fix.

On the flipside, if they've had the phasers replace with GENUINE FORD PARTS they are pretty much golden. Can't stress the genuine parts thing enough. The re-engineered OE replacement parts seem decently good. Most of the aftermarket replacements are worse than the piss poor originally-installed factory parts they're meant to replace.

Prior to 2009 the 5.4 3v V8 had a bad head design that was prone to stripping spark plug threads. They never really fixed it.

Stripped plug issue was on the 97-03 5.4 3V engines. Revised the heads for 04 but corrected the problem a little too well. They didn't spit plugs out any more. In fact, they held on to them so well they often broke the tip shroud off the plug and left it wedged firmly in the head. The deeper well in the combustion chamber let carbon build up between the well and plug tip shroud, wedging it in place. A change back to 1-piece plug for the 08 model year solved the problem. Didn't solve the cam phaser problem, but at least you didn't have to worry about plugs any more.

I had an 07 with the 5.4, the one that had problems with seized plugs. Fortunately, mechanics and gearheads came up with a reasonably successful workaround that kept broken plugs to a minimum. Rather than trying to spin out the plugs gently with a ratchet, use an impact gun. Set on low, put socket on plug, pull trigger and begin slowly dialing up the gun pressure. The impact action will jar the carbon loose and the plug will eventually begin to spin. Stay on the trigger until it's all the way out. With this method it's relatively rare to have a shroud separate. I did mine this way and all eight came out fine even after almost 100k the motor.

Install replacement plugs with a thin film of silver-based anti-seize on the shroud and threads.

For a daily driver, the 2009-2014 had a 6 speed automatic (as opposed to a 4 speed for 2004-2009) so that would help your gas milage.

Helped a little with the 5.4 but the addition of the Coyote 5.0 in 2011 was a much bigger boost. Fuel economy really took a jump in 2017 with the new 10 speed trans. Not one, not two, but three overdrive gears. The super-short-ratio 1st-3rd gears help with acceleration, too (sometimes a little too much if traction is limited).

If I played nice, my 2wd '07 got 16.5-17.0 mpg on the highway at 77mph cruise. In town was usually 13.5-14.0 but it didn't take much of a heavy foot to knock it down to the 11-12 range. My 2019 4WD F150 with the 5.0, 10-speed trans, and 3.73 differential gearing regularly gets 19.5-20.0 mpg at 77 mph cruise. If I go to New Mexico and hit a slew of 65mph stretches, it will easily get 22.5 mpg. At a steady 55 mph it will come within a tenth or two of 24 mpg. A truck with the 3.31 or the stupid-tall 3.15 ratio should see even better than that. Probably wouldn't tow worth poop and likely pretty doggy off the line, but would sure get decent economy.

Brad

[RoadKingLarry]

if they've had the phasers replace with GENUINE FORD PARTS

I would prefer photon torpedoes, or quantum torpedoes if they are available.

[dogmush]

On the 5.4 plugs I've had good luck with half following the TSB, where you loosen them just a touch and put penetrating oil in there to soften the carbon,  then I do like you and run them out with a 3/8"s impact.  But the point remains the plugs are *special* in a 5.4, and the fix just changed the problem,  it didn't  fix it.

My 3.5 EcoBoost has the phaser rattle  on start up, but honestly  I just ignore it.  It goes away in a couple seconds, and it's no where near annoying enough to tear the top of the engine apart.

On the 10 speed, I assumed since Perd linked a 2013 XL work truck, he wasn't springing for a 2017 or newer F150.  There's  a significant price bump to get that transmission and the aluminium  bed.  Does help the mpg though.  My buddy with an 18 xlt 4wd gets like 20 on the highway.  I get 13.

[Perd Hapley]

Not springing for the 2013, either, the more I think about it. I've seen a bunch of older trucks with less than 90k miles, and half the price. I think that's going to be a much wiser choice.

[Brad Johnson]

Look into trucks from the desert southwest U.S. - west Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, et al.. Little to no rust and 100k miles is still in their prime. Lots of people with "city trucks" that have lots of highway miles but very little in the way of hard use or undo wear.

Brad

[charby]

Look into trucks from the desert southwest U.S. - west Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, et al.. Little to no rust and 100k miles is still in their prime. Lots of people with "city trucks" that have lots of highway miles but very little in the way of hard use or undo wear.

Brad

100k may mean a lot of life still left on the power train, but older will mean suspension or steering parts will need to be replaced.

[Brad Johnson]

100k may mean a lot of life still left on the power train, but older will mean suspension or steering parts will need to be replaced.

Around here, "older" and "high mileage" aren't necessarily synonymous. In the southwest it's common to have very long distances between destinations, even for regular travel. It's common to see three or four year old trucks with 80k-100k on the clock and still be in nearly- or like-new condition in every other respect, including steering and suspension gear. Fluids and filters, belts, basic tune up items, brakes, and the occasional wheel bearing are usually all that's needed.

Brad

[Perd Hapley]

Is it no longer true that 4WD reduces fuel efficiency? Was it ever?

Most of the older-but-low-mileage trucks I'm seeing are white. Does that mean they're probably fleet trucks? (kind of a bummer, 'cause white is one of the few colors I really don't like, on most vehicles)

[Bogie]

White is anonymous.

[Perd Hapley]

White is anonymous.

Grey man drives a white truck?

[dogmush]

4wd will still lower mpg, but not as much as it used to. Figure 1 or 2 mpg difference for a circa 2010 half ton.

If you run across a white XL or stripped XLT, yeah odds are that was a work/fleet truck.

[zxcvbob]

Grey man drives a white truck?

Yes.  Or a gray or light brown sedan.

[Perd Hapley]

I had to take a few weeks off from the truck thing. It made more sense to replace the wife’s car first, because reasons, so we got her an old Highlander w/o a crazy amount of miles on it. Now back to the truck.

Been trying to learn a few things about the comparative reliability of various, older trucks. As mentioned, I’m looking for a low-mileage full-size truck I can get for less than $10,000. There do seem to be a few of them out there, all about 15-20 years old, and not necessarily in my state. I think I can deal with that.

Now I have to sort through various opinions and stories about which truck runs the longest, or has the fewest/cheapest maintenance problems. Oy.

A few things have emerged that seem like reasonable guides to me, but then again, I don’t know if they’re true. I’m not a gear-head, and don’t pretend to know what I’m talking about. But what I’ve learned is:
 
Four wheel drive is extra complexity, so I’ll probably avoid that. The 2004/2005 F-150s are to be shunned. Other F-150s are OK, but the legends tell of problems with spark plugs, and with reaching all of the spark plugs. After the mid-2000s, GM and Dodge pickups have active fuel management (or the Dodge equivalent). Good for mileage, but can lead to problems. GM engines from the early 2000s are easy to service, and most GMs have simpler, push-rod engines that are less complex than the Ford or Dodge equivalents. Scotty Kilmer thinks you’re stupid, if you’re not driving a Toyota. (Pretty sure that last one is true.)

Other things are not as clear. One source says just get any Toyo if you can afford it. Another says to avoid the earlier models (only ones I can afford). The Car Wizard on yootoob says don’t buy a Silverado made after 2006, but in another video he says the 2008 model is the one you should get. Unreserved praise for the Nissan over here, and warnings to avoid it, over there.

The end result, so far, is that I’m leaning toward an early 2000s GM. And I do see quite a few of them showing up in my Autotrader results, so perhaps fate would have it so.

[bedlamite]

Scotty Kilmer thinks you’re stupid, is a loudmouth ahole that is going to get someone killed

FTFY.

[Perd Hapley]

You think he's dangerous? Is it because of how violently he waves his arms?

[charby]

I'm in the same boat as you, I need to think about replacing my truck. I have a 2002 Nissan Frontier with 151k on it. I'm fortunate that I have a vehicle for provided for work so I have no commute. I'm really frustrated with what is available for trucks and I've been thinking about going back to an SUV and trailer. That is something for you to think about.

For me switching from a truck to an SUV wouldn't be hard because I have a topper on my truck.