I'm looking for a truck to take to work and back, came across a guy on my local craigslist that has a 94 F-150 XL for sale but before I checked it out I wanted to ask you guys if there are any known issues these trucks have that I should keep an eye out for. He says it's a V6 but I assume it's the I6, was there an option for a v6? The one issue he mentioned was that if he comes to a hard stop the truck would die, could this be from that dual tank valve/reservoir? Thanks for the help.

 

Depending on location, rot is the biggest issue. Next would probably be neglected suspension, especially on a TTB front axle. Rear spring hangers rot easily and will break if ignored. No V6, just the 4.9L I6. Auto or manual? Miles? Should be really cheap if its just a 6 cylinder XL and doesn't run right.

 

There was not an option for a V6, so it's most likely the 4.9 I6. I'm not sure about the issue where it dies at a hard stop. Here are some things I would look at:

1. Look for any suspicious bodywork - shoddy repairs maybe made with body filler or whatever.
2. If anything electrical doesn't work, be suspect and don't pay too much. Electrical issues can be a pain to deal with. Stay away from anything that's been modified unless you can tell it was done right.
3. Make sure it shifts nicely, whether automatic or manual.
4. Crawl underneath, look for rust, especially rusted parts like leaf spring shackles or other important parts that could rust out and leave you disabled.
5. Check the radiator core support - they tend to rust out and people don't even know it, and it's not fun to have to remove the entire front body of the truck to replace it.
How many miles are on this truck? If it has more than 150,000 miles and there are still a lot of original parts, don't offer too much money. After 150k miles these trucks often have worn out parts. Ball joints are a good example - mine were bad when I bought the truck, and I was able to knock the price down $500.
6. Look for oil leaks. The pushrod cover gasket on the 4.9 engine is known to leak when it gets old, it's on the driver's side of the engine.
7. It can't hurt to take it to a reputable shop and have it looked over. I highly recommend that, even if you're well acquainted with Ford trucks.

Basically, make a list of stuff to look for, and put a dollar amount next to the items, if you see things that need addressed, take an appropriate amount of money off of any offers you might give. Good luck. Post pictures if you buy it....

 

Automatic, 130,000. From the pics I've seen it doesn't have rot, one of the few benefits of living in California.

 

You're looking at a 22 yr old truck. Expect everything to need attention and if it does'nt you can feel lucky. My 93 4.9 has nearly been a complete rebuild from the rear diff to the radiator to get it reliable and running well. Look over any wiring done by previous owners very close. Rust is far harder to deal with than suspension or other system parts.