This is more than 5.0 versus eco-boost question. But the forums are full of opinions and not what ends up in the shop so I ask this question...

If your family member or best friend wanted to buy a USED F150 to daily drive and tow on the heavy side of its limits on occasion, what would you recommend? Considering engine, tranny, and electrical what combination and generation would you recommend as the most trouble free long-term truck, based on your experience working in the garage?

Let’s all bite our tongues, and let the techs talk

 

This is the internet, we are all techs.

 

There are like 2 techs who post here, and they rarely chime in. So, you can watch those silly click bait videos that some sales guys made at Ford dealers, or you can look at the actual sales numbers for the last few years and draw your own conclusions. Total EcoBoost sales (3.5 and 2.7) are a little over 60%, the 5.0 is around 30%, leaving the 3.3 as the low volume fleet engine at less than 10% last I checked, but the numbers are easy enough to search online. Look at the difference in the used values as well. And yes, the 5.0s are harder to find, because there were less sold in the first place.

As for a 5.0, I'd avoid 2018/2019, that 5.0 was a brand new engine that had some teething pains. the 5.0 has been a good engine for the most part. But it is far from the
''tried and true" image that it somehow seems to have gotten a reputation for. The 2011-2017 engines were very good, aluminum blocks with cast iron cylinder liners. The 2018 was a complete nut and bolt redesign. Nothing the same except the name and the tooling used to build it. All aluminum, plasma coated cylinders. They are both dual overhead cam, engines that would have been considered complicated exotics in years past. There is no relation whatsoever to the push rod 5.0s of the 90s.

If you want a 5.0, the best used option would probably be a 2015-2017 with the 6 speed ZF based auto, find one with a Max Tow Pkg which includes a 9.75" rear axle and a 3.73 (for the 5.0). As for an EcoBoost, a 2015-2016 with e 6 speed ZF based auto and the Max Tow Pkg, which I can say from experience pulls incredibly well. I've had personal negative experience with the Ford/GM 10 speed auto, so I can't recommend it, but many here have not had any problems. I'm not a tech, but my Dad worked at a Ford truck dealer for 3 decades, I bought my current truck from him before he retired.

Now, let's wait for the techs to have their say about the actual reliability of each.

 

I actually asked this question of Mike "m-chan68" (a Sr. Master Ford Tech here on FTE) back in 2018 when a friend was looking at F150s, and he said without a doubt the 5.0 because they have less issues. Mike recommended anything MY 2015 on up and even included the '18s with the 10 speed. My friend ended up buying a 2.7 ecoboost and is now over 100K on the clock and has never been to the dealer, ever - he tows a 4k lb trailer almost full time.

I now have an even closer friend that is looking at used F150s and I'm recommending a 5.0 in the 2015 - 2017 range, as JKBrad also talks about above. One reason is this friend is not as comfortable with the twin turbos (even tho he has a Benz that is one and has been flawless).

You can reach out direct to Mike with a PM and ask if he feels the same about the newer 5.0's as he did at the end of 2018 (they'd been out about a year back then).

Also recognize that Ford only offered the Max Tow in combo with the 3.5EB up until MY 2021, so there is that...

 

They never stopped the Max Tow on 3.5 EB, they stopped with the 5.0 for a couple of years.

My truck has never been to the dealer in over 8 years except for recalls and TSBs, and that was twice. 66k miles now.

 

Thanks for the input guys it’s all good stuff. Just like you guys, I myself and my buddies we all have our experiences and opinions.

I hope we can get a tech to jump in and say something, they actually deal with what ends up in the shop.

Heck, most trucks serve their owners well for years with no real issues, but in the end which ones actually do show up in the shop a lot, and which ones don’t?

that’s what I’m curious about.

this thread has high expectations but who knows maybe we’ll get some good stuff out of it👍

 

In my mind, the 5.0L and the 3.5L eco have had their issues and their successes. The ecoboost will have the higher tow rating in most cases.

I'd really rather talk about what kind of weight this person plans to pull on occasion. I totally get he draw to the F-150 as a DD but the F-250's are far more suited to pull heavy. There are no mods that can be done to a truck aftermarket to legally change it's factory tow rating.

There, I've said it. I feel that the truck builders have overstated the capabilities of the half ton truck market.

 

How much are they realistically planning to tow? Keep in mind, on 1/2 ton trucks, your payload number is typically the limiting factor due to tongue weight and not the advertised "max" number by Ford. You're going to need a weight distribution hitch for anything over 5k.

If you tow within the platforms limits, and are setup properly you'll be fine. The EBs will do do effortlessly, and without the need for RPM. The 5.0 needs RPM to do work. For some reason, some folks get rattled using higher RPMs to do work... Never really understood the problem.

That said, none of the available engines are without the potential for issues.

 

I'm one of the ones who gets "rattled" when I see my tach running 4000+ rpms...and I can literally watch my gas gauge dropping; at $5 a gallon it HURTS!

 

"Techs" have their prejudices, just like the rest of us. I know of one that I respect highly for his analytical and mechanical skills - but he is highly prejudiced against any turbocharged engine and having to work on one, even though he admits they don't have any more problems than the V8s he's worked on.

 

That says it all right there. Those silly videos where they ask techs has more to do with wahat they would rather work on than anything else.

 

Hi guys thanks for all the input I’m the one who started all this conversation. I am on my third F350 4door long box 4 x 4 in the last 20 years. 460, 7.3, and currently a 6.2. I have ran these trucks basically for the cab space and bed space and I am a big fan of the straight axle heavy duty build. I’ve never fully utilize their towing and hauling ability. My three boys are grown and out on their own and I no longer need one of these trucks to get us to hunting camp and back in adverse conditions.

I am looking to downsize and have my eyes on used F150s although I am not that familiar with them.

My towing needs are basically a 7K tandem axle car trailer.

I was hoping to weed out the widespread Internet opinions and see if there was a common ground on the best used truck... probably not possible!

I really love my super duty but it is overkill for my current needs and very impractical considering it’s my only vehicle and I drive it to work every day.

I don’t know if there’s a generation or configuration that tends to stand out. i’m just trying to educate myself to make a good decision.

There is a ton of knowledge on these ford -trucks.com forums and I am hoping to learn something👍

 

All I can tell you is my personal experience. I bought a new 2016 F150 Supercab with the 3.5 Ecoboost, 3.55 gears. I've been driving it now for 7 years and just over 70,000 miles. It has been flawless - never been in the shop for any reason. I change oil/filters and rotate the tires. Overall fuel mileage since new (hand calculated) is 20.5 mpg. It will easily tow a 7k trailer but when you do fuel mileage will drop in half from what you get driving without pulling a trailer.

 

All of this information would have prevented the widespread internet opinions.

I'm going to get flamed for saying this but, I've owned Ford's exclusively since I was 22 years old, 40 years now and I wouldn't buy a used Ford truck unless I personally knew it's history OR it came with substantial unused warranty coverage that I could add to through an ESP. Far too much personal experience and experience through friends and family to change my mind on this one. You couldn't get me into a ram or GM either so that leaves the Toyota or a new Ford.

That said, my 2011 ecoboost has been amazing and has enjoyed less shop time than my 2020 Explorer. Only fixes to date are o2 sensors, plugs and coils and the 4x4 shift motor. 120K and counting.

The problem with the internet is, people typically come here to post a problem or a complaint. Rarely do you get the good and there's plenty of that.

 

Like any used vehicle, one owner and records go a long way. Avoid anything off lease, ex rental or multiple owners. I mention off lease because many who lease have little to no incentive to maintain them, and many don’t.

I went from a Super Duty to an F150. I didn’t really downsize because I went from an F250 crew cab w/6.75’ bed to and F150 crew cab with a 6.5’ bed. The ride is a lot better and the 3.5 EB pulls a 22’ bay boat or loaded utility trailer as well an as effortlessly my V10 F250 did. The EcoBooost drives more like a diesel though, with a lot of low end torque.

I don’t understand the fear of turbos, every diesel pickup truck on the road for decades has had them. The big over the road trucks have had turbo diesels even longer.