Ive been toying with the idea of trading my Lightning in on a new FX4 so I went to take a look yesterday.

First off, the truck looks really really good.

I jump in and the first thing I notice is that the seats arnt very comfortable. In fact they are down right hard. This was a pretty big disapointment for me.

I started it up,reved the motor and and noticed there is a big hesition between when you push the pedal and the motor revs.
I didnt expect that out of the drive by wire system.

The tilt wheel and the high turn signal is awkard to use but Im sure Id get use to it. That wasnt all that big of a deal but it should have been designed better.

The truck was quite and smooth. It felt really tight and solidly built. It also feels a lot bigger when you're diving it than the previous trucks did. Personally I like that.

I gotta tell you,i was expecting more from the new 3v 5.4. It didnt seem very peppy at all. To be fair,maybe its because Ive been driving a Lightning for the past 2 years.

Ok, heres the thing that really bothered me. The steering wheel vibrated while going down the road. I dont know what the deal was with that,but it aint right.

My 2 biggest complaints were the uncomfortable seats and the vibration, but all in all I like the truck.
I could live with the lack of power and the seats but I wont buy one untill they fix the vibration problem.

Anyway I just thought Id share my first incounter with the new 04s.

Andy

 

My seats are nice and comfortable, and my wheel doesn't vibrate a bit...

I'll admit the 5.4 doesnt' "feel" very powerful - but after putting a trailer behind it - it still "feels" just as powerful as it does unloaded...

My only complaint is I like the old style tilt-wheel better, just pull the lever and move it -- this new one is like my brother's honda cr-v, and takes more effect everytime someone wants to move it.

 

I test drive an 04 every day and I love it. I don't know about going from an L to a 4x4, but that's your choice. They have totally different uses but both are very cool.

 

Hi Andy, I bought my 04 with only hoping I got a smooth and good running engine... I'm very happy to say I did. My steering is vibration free, not a 4X4 though. Now as far as the throttle system the new "Jet style" mine is right there... no hesitation at all... I like the way it feels. So far the only complaints I have are the outside temperature gauge seems off and the security system seems defective compared to another ford I own...
I did allot of research before choosing Ford many of the reviews and surveys I looked at showed that the F150 was as reliable as the Toyota tundra Mechanically, but didn't have any brake issues as does the tundra... but we all know the Tundra is not a "real " truck anyways....

 

I have been in contact with Ford CS about my steering vibration problem. They sent a Tech out to look at it & he said there are no problems & did not notice anything when he drove it. I went for a ride Sunday and it vibrated for about 1 minute then went away. So I'm trying to get them to come look at it again & I'll take them for a ride or buy it back so I can go on my way. Keep the L

 

Thanks for ther comments guys.

vocabulaic
Glad your seats are comfortable. Maybe it was just me. The truck I drove had leather captains chairs. Maybe the bench is differnat.

BrewMaster
I do love my Lightning but Im a big hunter and fisherman. I kinda need a truck thats a little more offroad friendly.


greggeo
Sounds like you got a good truck
Although the motor didnt feel powerful it was smoooooth.

jhcir
Hope you get your vibration fixed soon. Let us know what it was.
I havent made up my mind on if Im going to trade the Lightning for sure or not yet. If I do,I'll probley wait for the 05s. Maybe Ford will have a few of the bugs worked out by then.

Andy

 

Just to add my 2 cents, I think the seats will soften up but start out hard so that they last, I have had seats that started soft and with in a year they were mush. As far as the engine once it gets broken in it has a noticeable difference and feel a lot more powerfull.

 

I'm very happy with the seat comfort in my 04 Lariat 4x4 Screw.

I do have the steering wheel vibration. It feels like wheels out of balance/round. My independent front end shop says the wheels are out of round and should be replaced under warranty, but the Ford dealer says they are within spec and refuses to replace them. So there I am. The vibration isn't real bad. It comes and goes. When time comes to replace these tires, I will go with another brand and be very picky about them.

BTW I've had my wheels balanced three times now in 6k, including twice road-force balance, once by the independent shop and one by the dealer. Once at Discount Tire. Vibration is still there.

It *is* annoying.

 

I came from a factory freak Mustang GT... and the only thing I miss on the mustang is the throttle response to the power...

I will agree with you on the throttle response.. But the truck is faster than it feels... I thought it had to have neck snapping accelertation to be quick, but turns out this one will get up and go (for a big *** truck... my choice when I was looking at this had been narrowed down between an 04 heritage lightning and this truck... and the back seat and new look is what ultimately won me over...my 4x4 though is completely vibration free. Seats are firm, but I like them as much as the mustang seats... not super great but not bad I do like my mothers King Ranch seats better but oh well...

Some days I wish I had gotten the lightning... but most of the time I'm happy with my choice... just every now and then I miss the Speed bug and the desire to race

 

Im waiting to take shipment in the next couple of weeks---drove an FX4 that was great prior to ordering---then drove a Lariat at another town I was working at on a Sat just for kicks after ordering, and the wheel shook like hell at 70mph--I mean it was more than annoying---you could take your hand off and literally watch it shake---I am nervous about this b/c I hate vibrations and rattles---we had a 98 Malibu that shook like crazy after every couple thousand miles and didnt straighten out until the rotors were recalled and then went fine---i definitely wont take this vehicle home like this and pay $39k for it----hate to get into a pissing match with somebody before i even buy, but I absolutely feel there is no sense in this---I have a 99 Ranger with 50k miles that absolutely rides perfect at 80-85mph, much less 65-70---If my truck shakes like that Lariat did, I will die---I can deal with a whole lot on a vehicle, just not something like this---but,,,have read many posts of people who have great, smooth rides so it makes me feel a little bit at ease-----wish me luck!

 

I am also looking at a '04' Lariat. I currently drive a BMW X5 so I am used to a good ride. I drove the Lariat 4x4 twice and both times the steering wheel shook like crazy at about 70mph. The salesperson even commented on seeing the wheel shake. Of course they claim it is just a wheel out of balance. After reading this forum I'm hesitant to move forwrad with a purchase. I hate vibrations, rattles etc. I appreciate reading the users of thei forum's comments. Thanks.

 

it also shook all over the place at 65MPH. Very disappointing for a $40K truck. Either there are alot of misaligned front ends, bad tires or FOMOCO has a design problem with the new rack and pinion steering system.

Serious letdown .... makes me want to wait and check out the new GMC 1500 CrewCab.

To be fair, I only test drove one truck.

My .02 cents .....

 

I'm thinking since the majority of trucks don't have a vibration problem that the question of a serious design flaw in the rack and pinion would be ruled out. Most cars from the factory (all manufacturers) come with unbalanced tires and alignment issues. That's a hard pill to swallow, but ask any independent mechanic you trust, it's true. I would investigate the simplest solution first before I started worrying about design flaws.

That said mine better not have any vibration when it gets here!! If I was shown that my wheels were seriously out of round, I would tell the dealer to stick his "specifications" where the sun don't shine. Good luck guys.

 

I'm kind of surprised that so many seem to be seeing this steering wheel vibration for the first time. I'm 54, have owned many many cars and trucks, and have seen this type of vibration in probably MOST of these vehicles. The worst I ever saw was on my 83 Volvo GL. My 01 Miata is very bad about it, evidently resulting from a very sensitive steering assy. It is well known among Miata owners. Most suffer from it, despite frequent alignments and balances.

Personally, I believe that tires they put on at the factory during assy are seconds, in that they are not as good as might be found by a buyer in a tire store. I've seen many, many new tires on new vehicles badly out of round. Two of the tires on my 04 F-150 are noticeably out of round when seen on the balance machine. The dealer says they are within spec.

I will say, though, that the minor vibration I get in my 04's steering wheel from time to time is VERY minor, and really not worth fretting over. It seems to gradually be lessening. I'm not at all able to say why this would be. I do know that break-in takes longer for the vehicle as a whole than the 1000 or so miles the manufacturer says to take things easy. Some assys can take many thousands of miles to run in.

Early this morning I had to take a drive with my supervisor to another office. We went in his truck. I was so shocked to find out that it is a brand new F-350 with the big diesel. It only has 1600 miles on it. This is one noisy, rattly beast. I thought it was five years old, the way it rode. I asked him what year model it was, and when he told me it was only two weeks old, I really knew how much better my 04 is than the old body style. There just is no comparison.

 

My '04 FX4 SCrew doesn't have the steering vibration - never did. Plus, regarding the lag of the "fly by wire" throttle, I thought it was bad at first. But, it has either gotten better with the miles that I've put on (over 2200) or I've just gotten used to it. When I mash the gas, my truck moves out just fine!