I'm new to f150's...although my pop's been driving them since the 80's

I searched the forum for a 'What to look for when buying a used f150..', but couldn't find one.

So...is there anything specific I should look for when buying an f150?

I'm considering a 2000, 5.4L V8, ext cab, 2wd. 108,000 miles. Carfax looks clean. Owner did say good things about it, just that it 'needs a tuneup'. I'm gonna look at this coming week. I'll run it through it paces...but I just want to know what things, in particular, I should keep an eye out for. I understand the coils can be an issue which may or may not be the 'need a tuneup' issue.

Thanks for any tips and suggestions. I'm looking to use it for light work and, eventually, make it into a camping/expedition rig...staying mainly on roads.

Cheers.

Dave.

 

Same basic things you would look for in any used vehicle really. Brakes, shifting in the trans, throttle response, oil leaks, coolant leaks, no check engine light, fluids look good, good oil filter... youll know when you drive it whether it has issues. 108k is nothing to a 5.4L.

Can't really think of anything "major" to look for. There are some common problems but that cant be said for all of the 5.4's
That particular year had a few leaky intake manifolds leaking coolant at the crossover
Cop's (coil over plugs) can fail on any vehicle.

 

At 108k it definitely needs new spark plugs if they have never been changed.

 

like said above 108 k is nothing for these motors their are many high miles trucks on here. common things that i beleive are to look for from gathering information on this form is. Here is a list of things that i will list off to check.

1. along bottom of doors rust will form all of them usually do it just make sure it isnt to bad
2. make sure there isnt coolant in valley (not really common but could happen)
3. Passenger side header leak.
4. ask owner if it ever has blown a plug.
5. pay close attention towhat brand oil filter is on there make sure it is not a orange fram
6. ask owner what oil he put in the motor motorcraft or other synthetic is good. i think i remember these motors do not take well to dino oil. also want to stick with 5 w 20
7. if you can jack up the front end and spin the wheel to see if the wheel bearing are good ball joints.
8. check to see if any play in idler arm.
9. start it on a cold start some puff some blue smoke some dont. (i think what people have said that it is due to sticky valve stems)

Just some things that come to mind when your looking i would look at.

 

Check the normal stuff.. Color of all fluids. Check the OD on/off while driving. Find out the last time tranny filter and fluid were serviced. Also the rearend. P/S fluid and brake fluid levels. Check operation of AC and defroster and all power Items. Good Luck!

 

Thanks for the advice and the extra tips. The guy selling it is a small town dealer....so I doubt he'll have a detailed history, but I'll be sure to ask. That 'blown plug' thing is weird and has me worried (not that I think it's had it, just that it's strange).

He said it's a 4.6L...but carfax says 5.4L. I'm guessing that carfax would be 'more' correct, no? And he's only asking $2500.

 

I blew #7 plug about 60,000 miles ago and my mechanic friend did a timesert and have had no issues since and changed to the new torque spec on the plugs. Go by the VIN number to find out details on the motor. There is a VIN de-coder on here to help out with that. Carfax and the dealer both screw up all the time. De-code the VIN and that will answer any questions you may have. It will tell you everything about the truck as it came from the factory.

 

Ball joints might be bad or might go out soon. If he already changed them and they have grease fitting thats a big plus too.

 

8th digit of the VIN - a 4.6 will be 6 or W, a 5.4 will be L.

 

Does $2500 sound like a good price even if I have to put a few $$$ into it to get it 'up to snuff'? (as long as nothing major is wrong). Sounds kinda cheap for a TX (hopefully minimal rust) f150, no?

 

I would love to have an ext cab 2wd 5.4 with 108k for 2,500... If it was in pristine condition.

I think ANY used vehicle should be completely gone through by the new owner and it would be normal to see things like brakes, new fluids, tune up
etc.. so that you know when those things were done and can keep your own maintenance. Especially buying from a small dealer with no maintenance history. So you may have to drop $200 on it, no biggie. I have bought cars off lots and a week later had to put new tires on them. But I negotiated the cost down because of it.

Are you in the rust belt?

 

I'm in the south west where no salt is used and winter normally doesn't last too long. The truck spent it's life in Texas and has only had 1 owner (outside the current small dealer).

Most similar f150's here are going for a lot more. Maybe it because the dealer is a couple hours away from 'the big city' and only has a handful of vehicles ...or maybe it's because the truck is a dog. I'm planning on going out to see it asap.

Oh...and it is a 5.4L per the vin. Dealer must not have looked to close at it...

 

...just got off the phone with the dealer. He said it sounds like it's running on 7 cylinders and may need a coil pack. He's a 'one man show in the country' and said he doesn't get into repairs, etc. Just buys and sells, basically. The truck was orig listed for $2999. He said he'd take $2400 for it.

If it is missing like that, it does sound like a COP. From what I've read on it, not normally a big deal. Odds it could be something else? How far can you drive with a bad COP? If I do buy it, I'd have to drive 1.5 hrs to get it home.

During my test drive, I may take it Autozone or similar and see if they pull any problem codes off it.

Should I buy it......

Update...he just texted me saying 'Service engine soon' light is on.

 

I don't think anyone over the internet is going to tell you to buy it or not...that's up to you. All we can say is how easy and what should be replaced. The final decision is up to you.

 

If you do decide to buy it, i would buy a COP and bring it with you to swap it in the lot before you drive 1.5 hours on 7 cylinders. (if the dealer lets you change it before you buy it to see if the miss goes away that would be even better but then i'm sure the price will go back up) and if it isn't the COP you will have one for when one does go bad.