Ive found a 2004 f150 lariat 4x4 supercrew. 120,000 miles $12,500 firm NADA is $16,100

Pros-
- Body and interior are 9-9.5 out of 10, it is in immaculate condition. Only used as a commuter vehicle bed doesnt even have a scratch in it.
-one owner
-no leaks completely dry underneath, no rust

-Cons
-has the diesel engine sound once warmed up (said its done that for the past 40-50,000 miles, had it looked at and the mechanics said its nothing to worry about. From what ive read on here its the cam phasers ?
-has a whine coming from the rear end during accerleration goes away when coasting(owner states that its done that since he first bought it)
He was upfront with me on both of the issues and i test drove it yesterday. I am in love with the truck itself but the two cons have me worried i may be shelling out some serious money ? What do you guys think ?

 

If it is a one owner vehicle, I would buy, it sounds like he has taken good care of it. I would ask him about the spark plugs for sure, see if they have been changed. He might not agree to take any off if they haven't but you need to know if they have been changed or not. I have an early 04, (manufactured in OCT of 03), so I have some of the things you described. My rear-end does whine some on acceleration, only when the temp is cold though, and it is only up to about 45 MPH. It's not real loud either. This rear end whine is real common in the 04's. The diesel tick is something almost all 5.4's built during that time have. Mine has it, and has had it since I owned it. I've put 60,000 miles on my truck and it sounds like it always did. As long as when you rev it above 1200 RPM it goes away, I think you are fine. Some people worry about the tick, I think it is just something these engines do. I have heard some on youtube videos that sound worse, like metal on metal, or a grinding sound, that would scare me. Mine doesn't do that and it sounds like this one doesn't either. If all that is the case, I wouldn't let the mileage scare you, sounds like they were easy miles.

 

Sounds like a bearing out in the rear end to me.

 

no it's not a bearing, there is a tsb on it, these early 04's just have a rear end whine on acceleration. Some are worse than others. Mine hardly ever does it, and it never does in warm weather. Here's the tsb on it.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/tsb/full...hp?tsb=05-23-3

 

here's the full text tsb on the engine noise.

06-4-7***TICKING AND/OR KNOCKING NOISE FROM ENGINE - 4.6L/5.4L 3V

 

I love my 04 SCrew 5.4. Had the ticking noise since I bought it. Dealer put new heads in at 56k. Probably a little much but it was under warranty and I think dealer wanted work. Just turned 100k and I plan to keep it til death do us part. If you feel good about it, a one-owner is better than not. Good luck.

 

Thanks for that link that was great! but it has reassured my guess that the truck has cam phaser problems. Should this be something i would need repaired asap or what ? ive just seen horror stories on this site and others about how they have jumped time and needed a new motor?

Here is a link to the truck ...
2004 F150 SuperCrew 4x4 Lariat

 

well, from what I understand a lot of it depends on whether or not the tick disappears above 1200 rpm. I would get it good and hot and find someone to listen for you as it is revved above 1200 rpm. Also, a lot depends on the sound itself. as the tsb says, a light tick or knock is ok, but I have heard you tube videos of other 5.4's that sound really bad, almost like a metal chain slapping against metal.
2004 F150 5.4L CamPhaser or VCT Solenoid Knock/Tick - YouTube

this one sounds worse than mine. I have heard others on there that sound worse. Maybe that gives you something to gauge it off of. I can't really say what to do without hearing the noise itself. Like I said, mine does it too, not as bad as that video, and it always has. There have been threads on here of guys who have had the tick the entire time they had the truck and have put over 150,000 to 200,000 miles on the engine. You might ask the guy what oil and filter he uses. If it is not a motorcraft fl-820s filter and 5w 20 oil it can make the tick worse. Good luck.

 

Ok maybe its not a bearing but did you notice that the repair kit includes differential bearings and an entire new gear set? So thats actually worse. Along with 4.7 hours of labor to repair. I would want to go ahead and figure in a rear end rebuild to the price of the truck then decide if it is worth that price to you. If it is great if not keep the options open.

 

For an update, i decided to pass on the truck. I drove another 04 at a local dealership and the difference was night and day, no noises whatsoever, also had a new engine with one year unlimited milage warranty so i decided to buy it. Only bad thing its a 2wd but i got a good deal on it and will mainly be used as a work truck anyway. Thanks again to all who responded to help with my decision!

 

Even though the OP decided not to buy the truck, which I'm inclined to be a smart move btw, I would like to add a couple more things that should be checked for folks looking for high mileage Fords.

Coolant flush at or before 6 yrs / 100K miles.

Rear end gear oil change at or before 150K.

Transmission flush intervals seem to be throughout the '04-'08 gen trucks. For instance, my '04 Expy is still on a 30K interval whereas the '05's were jumped to 60K. No change in equipment.