Used pickup?

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burnt03

burnt03

Feeling the Heat
Oct 30, 2011
264
Peachland, BC, Canada
I swear I'm not posting this looking for a fight lol.

Looking at maybe getting into a "new" pickup in the next little bit, don't need anything special just has to be a crew cab 4x4, gasoline engine, prob newer than 2006. Limited in my budget so Big3 will likely be what is bought. Here's some of the problems I've found, feel free to add info if you have it. Thanks!!


Ford
Issues with Triton engines, specifically with spark plugs breaking off in the heads and can phasers failing. What year were these issues fixed (if at all) and are the newer Ford engines (5.0 or ecoboost) any better when it comes to reliability?

Dodge
I've had these issues personally with my work truck, 5.7L hemi is constantly snapping exhaust studs. I believe they've been changed out 4x since new (2009) and I'm not hard at all on the vehicle. Also had issues with the steering, it's a bit sketchy (constantly wandering, esp on the highway) even with the steering box brace installed.

Chev
My current truck is the 4.8L and I've had pretty good luck with it.... Lots of little issues (tranny line weeping, EVAP CEL, lights on dash acting a bit wonky). Heard the 5.3L with the cylinder shutdown tech has problems with oil consumption.
 
I had an 09 Silverado crew with the 5.3 engine. funny thing, it would lose about 2-2.5 quarts of oil every 3k miles but it never smoked, and there was no sign of burning oil... other than that, great truck. now I have a 14 f150 crew with the 5.0. great truck so far, but only 23k miles so far. not sure about Dodge, when I test drove one it seemed cheaply put together compared to the others.
 
Ford plug issue-- plugs redesigned so most of that is past but it is advantageous to change them prior to 100k. The issue is a carbon build up at the area of the plug that extends into the semi hemispherical chamber. Proper procedures prior to changing the plugs can virtually eliminate this problem Cam phasers- this is more of a owner problem than a mfg one. It is absolutely essential to use the 5-20 weight oil preferably synthetic. The issue is 3 fold and not limited to Ford, 1. wrong oil filter- cheap filters do not have a check valve that holds oil in the block there for there is a time lapse until pressure is built up and the timing chains are tension-ed. This short slap period eventually causes failure of the guides. 2. wrong oil or waiting too long to change oil - the hydraulic passages in the cam phaser and timing chain tensioning hydraulic piston and the extremely tight tolerance in the vct do not play well with dirty or thick oil. Again not limited to ford. 3. stacked tolerances- there have been some noted instances of excessive linear play in the crank shaft resulting in wear on the face of the oil pump housing - this leads to a drop in pressure/ cavitation at High rpms. Mostly a racing or hop up issue. The 5.0 and the 5.4 share similar timing systems as well as the 6.8 v10 (3 valve units) the prior series with 2 valves had slightly different components.
I do not have info on the most current series engines nor the eco boost line as they have changed some to accommodate the turbos.
Note tolerances in todays engines are extremely tight deviating from mfg spec oil wise and other items can cause problems down the road. Fact is the bulk of these engines will last 300k or more if properly cared for, but that dosen't mean that there will not be some major maintenance needed in that journey- same as any other make. My 99 6.8v10 blew all the exhaust manifold bolts- replaced with stainless- been fine since and yes I cussed at engineers about dissimilar metal expansion rates (cast iron manifold, alum block. ) I have not had that problem appear on my 06 5.4 3 valve. ( yet?)
I do a lot of my own repairs and as such it was necessary to become intimate with the nuances of these engines.
Another note: 2 valve 5.4 and 6.8 spitting plugs notably #3 or #4 cylinder these were early mfg series ( short threaded area) and led to the redesign of the heads for the 3 piece long plug. These are the ones of regrettable fame. Generally if you change them by 80K you should be ok by then the anode is pretty erroded anyway enough to affect mileage and performance. ( seems to me , back in the day , I used to change plugs and points every 10K)
 
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Another note about COP units - most failures here are break down of the dielectric strength of the boot, sometimes a coil failure. In my book if one goes south the others can't be far behind. I believe in matched sets- a bit pricy- as I replace all coils ,boots and plugs at one shot- dealerships tend to do it piece meal- sometimes that's ok- other times another trip to the ouch in the wallet place for the same problem.

Sorry about the long wind, but you asked.
 
100% agree with your description of the 5.4 issues blades. I've had several F150 work trucks the last few years, 2 with the 4.6L. 08 had 235k when I got the '10- had 189k when I just got upgraded to the '13 Ecoboost that had 116k when I got it a month ago. All 3 are crew cab 4x4 and see some rough use on job sites. No complaints with the Triton engines

The EB really runs! Unfortunately we have Telogis GPS tattletale on our trucks so I can't really "test" it out. My personal '10 F150SCrew 5.4 only has 42k so it's not really a good indicator but I like it a lot and with a custom SCT tow/haul tune it does whatever I need it to. My .02 but I'm a Ford guy so...
 
Consider the Tacoma or the Tundra. I've seen some Tundra go for great prices.


f v
 
Thanks for the replies guy, that's the best info I've seen on the Ford issues.

Blades; regarding oil filters, what brands do you typically use / avoid?

Thanks!
 
Avoid Fram, I use the Motor-craft might be others constructed the same. Might want to hit the various forms for particular makes- heard of some difficulties on T units as well. Pertinear everything has some sort of bug. I do not enjoy working on vehicles - just an end to a means. I have had more Fords over the years than anything else but not exclusively. GMC VS Chevy there used to be some subtle differences between the two underneath. Haven't got much info on imports ( well they used to be imports) course depending on how you look at it they are all imports.
 
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Mostly Ford fans here. I agree with the Ford posts and would lean toward a Ford. Tough trucks, but some plug issues. My experience with the fords has been great. As far as the plugs I did dealer service for them so I didn't have to deal with breaking a plug. I think 06 or maybe 07 was the last year with the breaking plugs.

I have a 10 Silverado 5.3 for a work truck(LT ext cab with 20" fancy wheels. It has 104k on it with almost no work done on. Only work done has been oil and tranny cooler lines leaking and oil changes. Is overdue for plugs, transmission service, brakes and shocks, but has been a great reliable truck. I am actually surprised how well it handles a load. I think a comparable ford might be better, but the chevy does the job well. It has used a little oil (quart in 4000 miles). Seems to go down faster with easy highway driving. It started around 30k and stayed the same since. If I am towing or driving around town it doesn't seem to use any. Not too worried about that although my other vehicles don't use a drop in 5000k. I usually follow the OLM to around 20% and sometimes that has been at 9000k (If it were my personal vehicle it would be hard to go that long, but the engine still runs like new). It also got real sluggish at around 80kl like the anti knock sensors are retarding the timing and techron fuel cleaner and top tier 89 octane gas help. The first 80k of it's life I did not use top tier and our fuel supplier does not have my confidence as it would run better on other brands. After some techron treatments, 89 octane and the change to top tier it runs much better. The 3.08 rear end sucks also and would not get that gearing unless you want max fuel economy.
 
tacoma or tundra for the win..... just going to say. 200K is like new for a lot of those trucks.... i miss my tacoma.
 
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I own an Ford F250 with the 6.8l V10 (the 2v motor). It has almost 230,000 miles with lots of towing heavy stuff. Before this, I owned a Toyota Tundra with the 4.7l V8 that was in an accident at about 185,000 miles. The Toyota required less routine maintenance to get to 185k, but it also needed two frames to do it as the first one was Swiss cheese by 160,000. That is not exactly preferable to me. If I were regularly hauling firewood I can't picture a situation where I'd want a Tundra or Tacoma over a Super Duty anyway.

I change the oil regularly with Motorcraft filters which are always in stock at the local Autozone. The Motorcraft stuff is so affordable I'm not sure why anyone would chose Fram or the like. That's often true of parts as well.
 
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A lot of superstition here, or opinions of current offerings based on what some now-retired former employees or leadership of a company did 20 years ago. I don't get it.

Bottom line, quality and reliability from all three American truck manufacturers is pretty damn high, compared to any time in the past. I'd not limit my search field to one brand, if buying a used truck today. Determine the ratings you need, the features you want, and go from there.

Leave the brand loyalty for those dim-witted folks that attend NASCAR races. :ZZZ
 
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