I am looking at 2004 - 2006 used F-150 extended cab trucks. Most trucks in my price range are going to have between 75 and 100k on them. My intent is for him to be able to drive it for the next six years through with minimal repairs. I am leaning towards the 4.6l and 2wd. I am also considering the 4.2l V6 and am not opposed to 4x4 or the 5.4l. Insurance will be more for the bigger engines and 4x4 and he really won't need either of this as he won't be towing anything.

Anything specifically to check on with these?
I know the 4.2L V6 had headgasket/front cover gasket issues early on. Is this still an issue?

Thanks in advance!

 

the new 4.2L v6 has none of the head gasket issues...i believe that this was an issue for the 99-03 trucks but not on the new ones...I have the V6 and love it. I dont need the crazy power. I just use the truck for work and is all I need, plus the bonus for me is the carpet delete which in wet weather or dirty jobsites like i am in all the time...makes for an easily cleaned interior. all of these trucks are great. I would stay away from 04-early 05 trucks as some of the bugs have not been worked out. 06-08 are great trucks. Also on the 5.4L there are spark plug issues. You can do some research but the gist of it is that they do not wanna come out of the block. If you do decide to get a 5.4L with 100K on it i would make sure that the plugs have been changed before you buy the truck. Anyways sorry for the rambling but just thought that I would try to clairify for you.

~jstnromero

 

I don't usually see too many on the forums with the V6, but there was a guy on another forum who did just have a blown/leaky headgasket problem with his 2007 V6 model. But the guy does seem like a tool who might have abused his truck.

 

i have the v6...check out the signature and my gallery. No problems to date...almost 4 years and 60,000 miles....i do take care of my vehicles. If you have any questions regarding the V6 truck, I will do my best to help you out.
~jstnromero

 

The '06 thru '08 trucks are very well built. The 4.2 V6 is a pretty good motor. I have a Supercab XLT 4x4 with the 5.4 V8. It has plenty of power and it handles very well, including curvy back country roads. The '06 thru '08 trucks have a tighter turn radius than the Toyota Tundra pickups have. Even with the 5.4 (330 CID) engine, I get around 18 MPG on the highway and 15 MPG in the city. There is the spark plug issue with the 5.4 engines, where the plugs will sieze up in the heads, but this can be corrected by soaking the plugs with plenty of penetrating oil and let it sit for a good 24 hours before removal. The plugs should come out without any problems using this method. I just changed mine at 30k miles and I added some Champion #2612 spark plug thread lubricant and anti-sieze to the new plugs before installing them so they should come out of the heads much easier the next time. We use this stuff on our Lycoming aircraft engines at work and it works great. When purchasing any used truck with 75k or more miles on it, be sure to have a qualified mechanic inspect it completely before you purchase it. It will save you $$$ down the road. Hope this helps.

 

what exactly is your budget?

you would be very surprised what you can buy for pretty cheap...and the insurance as well.

For me, I went from a 2yr old SUV to my brand new F-150 (sticker price of $43,500)...actually cut $50/month off the premium...the F-150 is so common, it's easier to repair and find parts for.

that guy is a complete tool who abuses his truck more than 5 other people combined do...don't believe a word he says

otherwise, the V-6 is a pretty good engine. I got horrible MPG in my 98 with the 4.2...but it did the job as best as possible.




check any truck you buy for the regular stuff. the 4.6 motor is probably the safest bet if you are worried about reliability. They've been around for so long that Ford has pretty much ironed out any problems they potentially have.


still, I vote the 5.4 if you can find one

 

Thanks for all the help guys. This is for my 16yr old son, so I don't want to put too much into it. At the same time, I would like it to last for 6+ years for him finish school, etc.

My budget is 7500 + TTL. I will carry full coverage insurance on this, and will save some with smaller engines, 2wd, etc. We live in North Texas and he won't need 4wd.

FWIW, I have had several F-150s and Expeditions and currently drive an 08 F250. I know the 5.4L is a great engine, but again, even a small savings on fuel and perhaps less issues to deal with would be better. I believe the 4.6L from the 04 and 05 trucks used the 2V heads - thus don't have the problem with the plugs.

I have seen several extended cab 2wd 4.6 XLT trucks around 75k listed for around 8k. Those are my target trucks, I think...

Thanks Again!

Jim

 

FWIW, have you considered a car for him instead? If he has to pay for his own gas, a car would have much better MPG's, and it would be easier for parking, etc. I went to college at a city campus and I'm glad I had a car at that time instead of a big truck just for the parking reason alone.

 

Jim, I strongly doubt you'll see any fuel savings if you go with the 4.6 over the 5.4.

The 5.4, since it develops more torque, doesn't have to downshift as much as the 4.6, so it can stay in the more efficient RPM range more frequently. On top of that, the 3v heads breathe better, and is a bit more efficient.

The worst highway MPGs I've EVER gotten in any of my vehicles was 14 MPG oh a trip...in my 2003 V6 F150.

Tylus...I am impressed...no "5.4 is the ONLY truck engine" post???

 

I think a 4.6 4X2 would be a good choice. A good 04 or 05 would be fine. My cousin had a company 05 with the 4.6 and it had 230,000 miles on it before it was wrecked. It still had the original plugs and he his first problem was a bad alternator at just over 200,000. Someone mentioned that the 5.4 would have more power and would not use more gas. That is true but you are buying for a teenager and the less power the better.

 

budget and it's for a kid. I know firsthand that you don't give a teenager a big motor. I was given a 383 stroker with my first truck...and they got bigger

but yeah, I will always say the 5.4 is the better motor, but it ain't always the best for the application