I am considering upgrading my 93 that i have to something in the 97-03 range. My 93 is a standard cab 2 wheel drive and i would like to have extended cab 4x4. This will be a truck just to get out in bad weather or haul junk to the dump occasionally but would like for it to be in good enough shape that i could drive it more if i chose to. I am looking for advice on certain years to maybe stay away from if there were more problems with certain things over others. Motors, transmissions, 4 wheel drive assemblies, etc. Im fine with a V6 but most i am finding are the 5.4 Triton. What would be the mileage threshold to watch out for? I dont want to spend $5,000 on a truck and then have to spend another $2k on fixing issues. Any help on advice would be great. Thanks

 

Stay away from 97 and 98 V6's, all other years and engines are fine. I wouldn't buy one with more than 150k on it.

 

I agree with glc. The 97-03 trucks may be the most reliable F150s ever, but they are getting old now. There are still nice ones out there though.

 

I bought the 1997 F-150, it has 164k miles on it, but its got a rebuilt title (rebuilt in 2007). The biggest reason I do not like it, is that they did a metric lug pattern (5x135) so it is hard to find other wheels, impossible to find them on craigslist. Other than that, it has been a solid truck for me, only problems I had with it, I solved with a can of WD-40.

 

I've got a 97 with the 5.4 and a 03 with the crew cab and 4.6. The 97 is an awesome truck ( almost 500,000.ks). I've changed one alternator and today the starter. The 03 not so good. The tranny is slipping. And the gas mileage is worse then my 5.4. Still both very reliable but the 97 I love.

 

99 or up 5.4 so you get the PI motor and the 4R100 transmission available.

 

Very few F-150's came with the 4R100.

 

Didn't know that. Mine did. Oh well, I'd still say 1999 because you get a PI 5.4 (unless I'm special there too) and a metal intake. I know 2001 gets plastic but I don't know about 2000.

 

Exactly what i was looking for guys, thanks.

 

99 was first year of the PI heads offered for the 5.4L and still using an aluminum intake manifold. 00 went to composite. They won't crack, you can port match your runners to the head and tend to be a little quieter on the intake drone.


I just saw a 97 with 73k original miles, garage kept by one single owner for sale. If it were a 99 I would have jumped all over but still a real nice truck.

 

MB styling.... I found them cheap upgrade wheels... 5x135...

found at some discount place...I don't like to shop at so I won't type the name...

But the manufacturer is MB. In signature pic.