I don't know whay brake wear seems to differ from truck to truck even within the same make & model as well as year. My last truck was a 2000 Dodge Dakota Quadcab. It used brakes pretty regularly and warped them within 5000 to 10000 miles every time. I tried drilled and sloted with ceramic pads, didn't help. Those brakes were also so pathetically undersized for the weight of the truck, even without towing a few thousand pounds. I haven't owned my f150 long enough to know how well the brakes will hold up, but I sure hope they do a lot better than the Dakota.

 

Well... I've got a Dakota Regular Cab Sport, 4.7l V8, 4x2 with a 5 speed NV3500 manual transmission. It's unladen weight is only 3612 lbs and it will stop on a dime. The additional weight of the QuadCab makes it a beast to stop.

I am thinking of doing a disc/disc swap though in a few years.

It's funny, at the time I was looking for a new truck after my semi-new SUV decided to crap the bed with it's frequent transmission failures, I was looking at a 2004 Dakota QuadCab with the 4.7l v8 4x4... but it was an automatic... and I didn't want an automatic -- especially Dodge's automatics.

 

Lots of good thougts there guys. Let me address a few of them.

As for the brakes, I fully understand that this is a heavier truck than previous generations and the bias is different. Why didn't somebody correctly size the brakes for the new design then? I've always been really kind to brakes, so no change in driving should be needed. When I asked my dealer why the brakes lasted such a short time on the truck and the original brakes on my Scion (with 43,000 on the clock) still look like new, the answer was, "That thing weighs half as much." "OK, why are the brakes on my loaner Focus wagon shot with just 12,000 miles on them?" No good answer there.

As for the Fuel Pump Control Module being bad and me driving the truck, it took Ford 4 days to get one and my other car had been borrowed. I only drove the truck home from the dealership (41 miles) and on one errand. It probably would have died on the way back to the dealership. Besides, they said I should be OK. I'll take half the blame.

As for the alternator, maybe you guys should price one. The best price I got for a remanufactured one was $184. A new one was $253. Installation was going to be a freebie - by me. Oddy enough, an F150 alternator costs more than a Super Duty alternator. Go figure.

Funny nobody mentioned the spark plugs. As you probably know, I've got a ticking time bomb there. The official Ford line is that they don't need to be changed until 100,000 miles. The official line here seems to be to get them out before 50,000 or you're in for a very rough time. Nobody around here wants to touch mine (except Quintin - 1,000 miles from here) because they're afraid it will turn into a thousand dollar job. This ones's a 100% pure engineering screw up and Ford will not warranty a dime of it. Maybe I should just wait till next Christmas to have the plugs changed? Happy New Year guys!

 

I hear ya on the Scion... my parents have a Jeep Compass, and with 30k on the brakes so far, they have 75% left in them and we drive that thing like a bat out of hell and I was surprised when I looked at the brakes last time... they are in perfect condition especially for how we drive it. But then again, it's only 3100 lbs so with 4 wheel discs it's kind of overkill, but that little bugger doesn't eat brakes but DOES stop on a dime.

As far as why Ford didn't design the brakes better is beyond me. Same reason why they couldn't figure out how to make the truck safer, but lighter in the same regard. Instead they *tried* to beef up the brakes and made the truck heavier... in the end they are kind of back at square root one.

Ahh, I'm not sure... I like my truck... and it hasn't given me many problems... but it sure ain't like my Dodge nor my old F150.... but then again, it has never left me stranded. I think if I had a chance to go back in time to year 2003 when I traded my '99 F150 for my crappy Escape... I should've stepped back and kept it, plus it had a super cab and everything else I wanted... stupid me. But live and learn; that's what life's about.

 

By the way, I should probably add that the main thing keeping me in a Ford truck these days (other than zero resale value) is my dealer. Shepard Ford in Canadaigua, NY is without a doubt the finest dealership I have ever dealt with. Tom Shepard and his merry band have unfailingly gone out of their way to keep my truck running and me happy. What they can't do is make up for poor engineering. It would be totally unfair to blame any of this one them. When was the last time you heard that about a dealer?

 

I've read alot of your posts and I think you'd whine and complain about any vehicle you owned.





Its funny cause I am really impressed with the brakes on my F150, really good stopping power even with 22" wheels on there, so far they have been wearing in normal.

Thats a shame about the fuel control module, it seems like alot of the 2004 and 2005 trucks are cursed, my parents have a 2005 with roughly the same amount of miles as my 2007 and its had a few problems were as my truck has had nothing.

Having to get towed to the dealer I don't feel any pity for you there since you know the fuel control module was faulty, thats kind of like driving a ticking time bomb, its only a matter of time before it does break.

Everyone brings up bad engineering but if you've driven anything else for awhile, especially in rough conditions you'd realize how good you really have it.

Sorry for your bad luck during the holidays, hopefully your troubles are over for awhile.

 

Well, I never complained about my '97, '99 or '02 F150's or either of my Rangers ('90 and '92) and I've never compained about my '06 Scion. I will admit, I'm rather picky and I'm a full time Mechanical Engineer and work part time as a mechanic. There are times I'll defend engineers all day long. There are also times where I'll rail against them when I think they've failed. If you saw the complete list of parts my truck has gone through in the time I've owned it, I think you'd see where I'm coming from. I'm also glad your truck has held up well though. Like I said, I love the way mine drives - when it's running.

 

I find the times were I will swear about engineering is when I am working on something. Sometimes I just can't believe how complicated simple parts are to replace or repair. But I suppose these new trucks have alot of stuff crammed under the hood. I remember on my 93 F150 I used to sit on the inner fender and be able to replace spark plugs and exhaust gaskets without busting a knuckle. My new truck I'd be hard pressed to work on anything in that area without busting up my knuckles and swearing a bunch or removing other parts just to access that area of the motor.

 

That's why I love my '07... there is so much room in the engine compartment because the engine is so small, it makes repairs a heck of a lot quicker and easier. Sometimes having the bigger engine isn't such a wise choice when it might mean a $200 difference in a repair bill.

 

Yupper! I remember doing the same thing on some of my earlier trucks. With this one, I think I could drop a dime just about anywhere under the hood and never hear it hit the ground. I replaced my serpentine belt a few months ago. That should be easy enough, right? I was flat out of Mother #@*&$'s an hour later when I was finally finished.

By the way, I really like your wheels! Great looking truck too!

 

Well in 2strokes defense Ford has lost most of its bis due to some issues with their vehicals. I mean look at that Powerstroke motor that they spent millions upon millions trying to fix all of them motors. True story, my buddie went to purchase a 05 F250 and the dealer told him he didnt even want to sale him the truck because the lot were about to go bandrupt just trying to deal with all the F250's that were brand new and broken down. :/ Dont get me wrong I love my truck, I just could care less if it wants to start tearing up on me prematurely I will be trading out of that thing.

 

my brakes work perfectly fine, i bought my truck at 56K in july and i have 69k on it now. i drive alot, and i have yet to have any problems with my brakes and i've had 37's on the truck since sept 1st.

 

Ya, tell me about it... I thought buying that new '03 Escape was gonna benefit me by having less failures than my older '99 F150... BIG mistake on my part. That thing went through 4 transmissions, and it took them roughly 30 days each time it went. Not to mention the suspension links used to go every 10k and the brakes we junk. Blah...

My '07 is no where near that '03 Escape I had... but it is not anywhere near my '99... it really hasn't proven itself to me yet with that little engine mishap with the blown head gasket. Right now, in my opinion, that truck has 150k from 23k with NO problems to prove to me that it's a good truck before I start changing my opinion. From then on in... that truck is still on my disgust list. I'm just happy that it didn't happen after 36k... or else I would've been lit up quick with no warranty. With only rough 800 hours on the truck, and a blown head gasket... sheesh! That's crazy... I've got more hours on my lawn tractor than that...

 

The stock brake on these trucks suck. I replaced my rotors over 4 times and I FINALLY found ones that I could not warp (EBC) and put on some akebono pads. Problem solved. The size of the calipers on these trucks are a joke. But hey look at the titans, they use the same brake calipers as the 350z and some other nissans. My moms 350z went through brakes on the front in less then 4,000 miles. So for a 6,000 pound truck, the wear is not to bad. After I replaced the stock brakes with some aftermarket the problem was solved. Hey its a man and machine made object, things break. Can you imagine if you spend $50,000 on a mercedes and the engine went? How pissed would you be? They make a million of these trucks a yr so you are more likley to see the issues. Look at GM, they have been in business for 100yrs and cant figure out how to make a sending unit or an instrument cluster (over 600,000 vehicles with faulty ones) and a law suit against them.
Stuff is gonna happen, but everyday I thank god I dont own a german car. Yes they are amazing to drive, but most of them spend more time in the shop then on the road. These trucks are pretty basic compared to other vehicles on the market. I feel ford has got it's *** into gear and knows whats going on in the market. They invested millions in testing the 09' f150. Why? They know they had unsatisfied customers with thier 04 release and know they must step up to the plate. Ford is ahead of GM because they know whats going on and listen to consumer concerns, GM is left in the past and thinks they still build the best quality cars and trucks. For now im gonna stick with my Ford and even with the little issues I had with my truck, I would still by another one because this company is always improving thier quality and product.

 

Yeah the repair bill can be cheaper, but at the same time sometimes the engine is half as reliable to begin with, I know the V6 that came in the 97 to 03 F150s was a piece of crap compared to a 5.4L 2V. I'm not sure how the newer V6 is, I know I've heard its been dropped for 09? Not to mention, I love V8 power and sound.


I did a Serp Belt yesterday on an 2003 F150 in -44C outside. Why do they build these things so complicated to replace, its a common part to have to replace on the side of the road or in your own driveway should it ever blow, it should be an easy one to do. It took atleast an hour and a half, and it was by no means a one man job, the cold was a big factor too though.

Thanks for the compliments!