Wednesday evening:
So after posting a few question on this forum about purchase price, I went and checked out a Lariat screw 4x4. LOVED it!

Went in signed all the papers and then told them "Oh by the way, it's got a shimmy in the steering wheel, get that fixed and I'll pick it up in the morning". That was Wednesday night.

Thursday Morning:
I remembered seeing a post on this site about "Vibration" (when I was looking for pricing info). Soooooo, I went back and read it... The hair started to stand up on my neck

Thursday Afternoon:
Wow, read as much as I could, had the wife do her own search and we both agreed, for $35,000 it's NOT worth the gamble!!

The dealer called and left a message saying they had to replace one front tire and I could pick it up on Friday. It took the from Wednesday evening to almost 5:00 Thursday afternoon to figure that out? I think maybe they where trying other stuff as well. (Sound familiar?)

Friday Morning:
Called the dealer this morning and had him cancel the deal. He told me it was the first he had heard about it. He canceled all the paper work and told me he hopes Ford figures it out.

Done deal. I am not bitter on Ford. I have own many in my life and have had VERY good luck. I think I will wait to see what happens. If by next spring the problem is still out there and Ford has not come up with a fix, I will be looking at the Nissan Titan.

A big thank you to this board. Many of you say you do not think this is wide spread, but for me, the is enough proof to not make it worth the gamble of being unhappy with a $35,000 truck.

 

This sounds awfully familiar. I went through the same process, only mine got ordered anyway after I cancelled it. I ended up taking it, and so far, I have no vibrations at all. It is the smoothest truck I have ever owned.

 

waiting till almost next spring is a long time...it seems as if you would like one now but with no vibrations....i recommend going and picking out a few and then test drive them all and make sure they dont vibrate and pick one out

 

Yea, I COULD do that. BUT, for me it is not worth the gamble. Yes I would like one now. CAN I wait? Sure. Do I think there is a problem out there with these trucks? Personally, yes I do. I think/hope Ford gets it fixed.

I forgot to mention this in the post but I got Z-plan plus rebates. So I received $4000 off the Z-plan price ($2000 rebate, $1000 FMC which I was going to payoff right away, and $1000 z-plan retired incentive).

So that is how serious I personally take this issue. I passed on about as good of a deal as you can get on one of these.

To each his own.

 

Before you jump into a Nissan Titan, you may want to check out one of their forums. I did this out of curiousity and I personally feel their list of "issues" is more extensive than our F150 list. Just my opinion. Good luck with your final decision.

 

Walking away from a purchase is easier than going through all the hassles of the DSB. The next time I buy a truck I'll drive it for at least a week before I sign over $30,000.
I test drove my wife 3 years before marring her and he cost a lot more than the truck.

 

And next year you'll have a brand new shiney truck and posting about how great it is in the 2005 F150 dedicated forums. And the rest of us will have 1 year old trucks and have to post in the common 1998-2004 F150 forums.

 

I test drove my wife 3 years before marring her and he cost a lot more than the truck.




He or she? Test drive is a good idea. I suppose thats ok if you prefer a stick!

 

BBlariat
I will check out their forum. And I seriously doubt I buy a truck until next spring at the earliest at this point BUT....

Just out of curiosity I went and drove a Titan today.

First impression right off the bat:
Seats much more comfy than Ford - Ford 0 • Nissan 1
Interier plastic seemed a little cheap feeling - Ford 1 • Nissan 1
Overall interier design Ford. - Ford 2 • Nissan 1
Roominess (feel, not by the numbers) Tie - Ford 3 • Nissan 2
Driving:
Get up and go (no contest) Nissan - Ford 3 • Nissan 3
Ride quality (no contest again) Nissan - Ford 3 • Nissan 4
Handling Nissan - Ford 3 • Nissan 5
Exterier:
Overall Look tie - Ford 4 • Nissan 6
Bed (no contest) Nissan - Ford 4 • Nissan 7

That's about all I can put into words now. I must tell ya, I was surprised . I've been a Ford man for years which included two cars, a mini van and three trucks (one of which I still have).

AND

My father-in-law worked for Ford for 40 years, so I get z-plan. But I would consider buying one of these trucks. To the point even if I wait until next spring and Ford has come out with a fix and the '05's do not have the problem. I would still go drive a Titan then crunch the numbers.

Just my 2¢
Guy

 

I have 2004 Lariat Supercrew 18 " wheels 2wd. This truck runs flawlessly at all speeds. Smooth and silky. Awesome truck.

 

Strang how everyone else in the free world thinks Ford has BY FAR the best ride of any of the fullsized trucks, but you say the Nissan had a better ride. Also the bed thing?? What makes the Nissan better? They are almost identical in size and the Ford has the mechanism for assisting with lifting the tailgate. Strange indeed.

 

There is no possible way the Titan ties in overall looks. At best, the titan looks like a pimped up truck-hearse with the high sloping roof and the massive amount of chrome in the grill. I would argue some of the other points as well, but this one is not even open to debate.

 

Yeah..... The dealer that I went to actually sells nissan too..... pulled the Titan up next to the ford.... I preferred the ford looks..... all I could think about when I saw the front of the Nissan was "Angry Toaster".

 

Not sure you walked away from that great of a deal. It sounds like a good deal that most people are getting, so if you change your mind I think you'll easily do just as well if not better.

I haven't understood the vibration problem so I guess that means my truck doesn't have it. I do feel a bump or wobble on certain pavement at highway speeds, but when the pavement changes, it goes away. That's clearly the pavement's fault and not the truck's. Since I've felt this same wobble on certain pavement driving BMW's, Acura's, Honda's, Toyota's, etc. I must not know what vibration in the F150 has everyone else so upset.

I'm a little surprised anyone was scared off by postings on the internet. That's reliable information for you.

As for the Titan, I've heard it's a good truck but I could never get past its looks. I went to a dealer for a test drive and looked at several but I couldn't stand the thought of walking out to my driveway everyday and getting in something that looked that awful. Sure, that's petty, but it's the ugliest truck on the market (except for maybe the bland Tundra).

 

Smooth as silk ride over here. No vibes at all. 4x4, lariat, supercab, 3.73 limited-slip. I say test drive the one you intend to buy...make sure it feels good to you and then buy it. Personally, I won't live my life based on other people's fears or experiences. I do what works for me. There certainly are people having vibe problems and I hope they get them fixed quickly...but I love my truck and I don't regret buying it one bit. In fact, I'm always happy to get behind the wheel again after having been in a rental on out of town trips. Not many SUVs, cars or trucks I've been in lately are as nice/comfortable as my truck. Just my personal opinion.