Help! After much deliberation, I'm set to purchase an '04 150 this week -- 5.4L, 4x4, Scab XL, and while skimming through these forums, I 've found enough horror stories to just about scare me off. I test drove an FX4 with a 5.4 yesterday (because it was the only 4x4 w/5.4 handy on the lot), and I experienced first-hand the rear-end shimmy. The salesman noticed it, and had me pull it into the service bay when we returned to the dealership. He said he thought it looked to him like they left the bolts out of the bed. Of course they didn't, but it was disconcerting. The truck seemed to me to have a lot of power, but the other really disconcerting thing I've seen on this forum is the issue of rear-main seal leaks. Somebody please tell me I shouldn't have to worry about these things. I'm a Ford man from way back, and I love these trucks, but I ain't having these problems out of a new vehicle. I've seen these issues mentioned numerous times on this forum, however, I haven't seen much resolution mentioned; can someone kindly fill me in? The dealership I've been working with is having to get the truck I want in from another state, and I plan on driving and inspecting the truck before I sign the papers on it. Any help?

Thanks!

 

From what I'm seeing there are alot more good trucks out there then bad. with that said I doo have the vibration in my truck and ford I'm not happy about what I'm being told by the service dept other then that I love my truck. If I had it to do over again I would by another but I would have drove the truck a little longer during the test drive to chk things out! get the the truck up to highway speeds

 

I test drove 6 2004 F150's 4X4's at my local dealership and every one but one had a vibration from 45mph up to 60 which is the fastest I drove. This is not a F150 bash because I think the are a great looking truck and had intentions of buying one until I test drove them. I just couldn't spend that kind of money knowing I would have to turn around and put it in the shop. I am now looking to purchase a 2005 F250 instead. Good luck with your purchase and hope you find the F150 your looking for and have no problems!!

 

One question: how far did you drive these vehicles? My '04 F-150 STX has a distinct vibration/ shimmy for the first 2-3 miles of driving it after it's sat overnight. (I have to assume the tires are developing flat spots as it sits, but they run themselves out as you drive it.) Since most test drives are usually 2 miles or less, you may not be driving these vehicles far enough to find out if the problem just goes away by itself. Personally, I can live with a 2-mile shimmy, but I can see where it might bother some people.

 

Jeff, I test drove each truck over 10 miles, there is a bypass that runs around the city where i live and the dealer is right there at it so that is where i test drove each truck. Like I said I am not bashing the F150, If not for my personal experience with the vibrations i would be driving one as we speak. The truck i own now sets overnite or over a weekend and has no vibration when i get in it and drive. Just my personal experience and from a lot of post on here others also have the vibration made my decision for me to look at 250's.

 

Well, they got my truck in late this afternoon, so the wife and I went down to check it out. They said they needed to detail it, put an inspection sticker on it, etc. so it wouldn't be ready until tomorrow, which is fine with me. However, they did let us take it out for a test drive -- just me, my wife and our kid. We drove it 5-6 miles at speeds ranging from 30-65 mph. The truck had already been driven 100 miles earlier today, so it may have been "warmed up," but I noticed no shimmy or shake other than normal vibration from rough spots in the road. Nothing like I saw on the truck I drove last saturday, anyway. We paid careful attention to the ride, and the truck, I'm happy to say, rode at least as smoothly as I would have expected. Plenty of power, too. Thank you to everyone who replied; I believe I'm going to be very happy with this truck.

 

Glad everything worked out for you, Enjoy your new truck!!