I'm currently looking into buying a truck and the more I've been looking the more I like the F150 series. My budget is strict so it looks like it's going to be the older models for me however I was just wondering how reliable are these trucks? I mainly just want a vehicle I can modify and just be fun to drive. I'm just curious if this is going to be one of those vehicles I'm going to be running to the mechanic every other day or if it's something I can rely on as a daily driver?

 

I've owned my'02 for less than 2 months. It's impossible to say how good an older car may or not be over another car cause at these trucks age it has more to do with how well a PO maintained and took care of it vs. how reliable these things were off the assembly line.

Ford F-150 has been the #1 selling vehicle in America for well over 20 years. You don't maintain that without doing a think or two the right way. Good luck with your search.

 

I have owned my 01 supercrew since new. The only mechanic she's seen is me, cause I can't seem to leave anything alone. Tried and true. True blue!

 

I just sold my '99 extended cab 4wd that I owned since new.
It was very reliable. The only reason I sold it is because my wife wanted me to buy
a crew cab and I found a deal I couldn't pass up.

Short version: great trucks.

 

Welcome to the forums!
I have a 2002 Extended cab short bed 4WD. I purchased this truck used in 2007, and it had 100,000 miles on it then. I currently have 174,000+ miles on it and it is doing great. Overall a great truck, it has done what I have asked of it. It has had some normal wear and tear parts replaced, but never left me stranded. I have also went and replaced a couple of other things, not because of wear, but because I just wanted to upgrade.
Any car is eventually going to wear out, but my truck seems like it will be going for a long time, and it is a daily driver. It has also taken me and my family back and forth across this country twice: Washington-Florida, Florida-Maine, Maine-Florida, Florida-Washington. During those trips, I had a Cargo trailer in tow.
This is a great forum for Info, I hope it helps you decide on what year truck you go with. Personally, my own opinion would be for a 2002/2003 body style.
The 2003 year Ford made a "Heritage" model, those look pretty sharp.

 

Well thank you very much. I just recently moved to California from Pennsylvania and I'm looking for my own vehicle instead of having to drive my mother's 06 mustang everywhere and since I'm from PA and a guy obviously I'm interested in lifted trucks lol. I did fine a 99 XLT but it has a "plasti-dip" paint job and it says that if you dont like the color you can just peel it off? that doesn't sounds like a very good thing? Idk but my father back in PA was always the one who did all the work to my vehicle however I do know how to do standard stuff "oil change, rotate tires, ect" however a lot of the more mechanically inclined stuff I know nothing about. Hopefully once I have my own vehicle that I actually am interested in taking care of I'll learn a few things.

 

You got out of PA just in time. This cold we've been having SUX!!!! I personally love the 97-03 body styles. Not to mention these trucks are everywhere so parts are always at a finger tip. I love mine. You know living in PA you cant avoid rust. That is the only downfall to me but that is also allot to do with the area. Mine isnt bad yet. Maybe a few yrs down the road I will need rockers but there still solid at the moment.

 

Only warning I could give would be to avoid any 97-98 with the 4.2l v6 as they are prone to hydrolock issues.

 

The 97 - 03 Ford trucks may be the most reliable there are. However, they are getting old. You need to look for one that has been taken care of and as low mileage as possible.
I put 105k miles on a new 2000 with only a rear axle seal needing replacement along with a rear diff lube change. I bought my 02 5 years ago with 69k miles and it now has 129k miles. The only problems so far are the recent replacement of the front driver's side bearing hub and i have to add a can of refrigerant occasionally to the AC. Oh, and the spare tire fell off necessitating replacing it along with the redesigned lift mechanism. Very reliable trucks. Just take 97XL advice and be aware of the spark plug potential blowout issue.

 

You asked this question on a Ford truck enthusiast forum, did you expect a different answer?

Seriously though, for the year range you are looking to purchase, there probably isn't a better choice. My truck has not been reliable, but it seems I'm the exception.

http://www.autos.ca/used-car-reviews...cks-1997-2003/

 

Not that surprising when you drop a V-10 into it.

 

I've had two F150s. The 1st one was a 98 with a 4.6L engine, auto trans. I bought it 8 years ago with 185K on the clock. I put a new crate engine in it (just because - the old was was still running okay) and I sold it 7 years later with 225K on the clock. Never had a problem with the vehicle. The transmission NEVER gave me a problem.

The 2nd F150 (current vehicle) I bought had 170K on the clock, 5.4L engine, auto trans. Still driving it, now has 176K. The ONLY thing I have done is replace 1 bad COP and had the front suspension redone (ball joints, camber kit, upper control arms). Right now its my daily driver until I can find a sedan for DD and then I'll park the truck as a backup.

Only thing to watch out for is the door crack issue. Both of mine have this issue, but you don't notice it unless you're looking for it. I think its more cosmetic than anything else. My cracks don't appear to be getting any bigger, so I don't worry about them.

Personally, I would shy away from the 4 door extended cabs (sorry to all those on the forum that have one) just for the simple reason of safety. After I watched the offset crash video - I couldn't bring myself to own one. My 98 was an extended cab, but it was only a 3 door, so I figured I had a degree of margin of safety that I wouldn't have had in a 4 door. I have no empirical data to substantiate my claims other than the video (you can find it on youtube).

 

These are the best ones that have been on the road since 97...

 

extended cab?

great truck....I had on...2003 was the best year of them...at least for the 5.4 2v

if yer going to have kids or have them already the second doors suck in parking lots

great truck for a single individual or married without kids...

 

The V10 was a result of my issues, not a cause.