Hello all!!

I just came across this site and have a couple of questions for the experts. I have driven Toyotas my whole life until now. Great trucks.. just a little too small for me though. After briefly looking around I found that the F150 was definately the truck for me. I have just sold my old truck and will be buying an F150 in the next couple of weeks. From watching local prices you seem to get the most bang for your buck on a couple year old model. Most of the trucks I have been looking at have somewhere around 30-40K miles. Can anyone tell me what type of maintainence is due then (or what should have been done by now). I know about the 30K service (anyone know how much this costs at the dealer???) How about brakes and tires and that type of stuff. How long do the stock ones last. It will take me some time to get used to how Fords work so I appreciate the help. Thanks!!

Mtofell

 

as far as price, it depends on where you are, everywhere is diffrent. And maintnance, take it to the dealer and have it checked before you buy it. I have seen brakes last 20k and then some last over 100k. It all depends on how the truck was driven.

 

It does depend on how the truck was driven, but generally they last about the same as a Toyota, around 40,000 miles for the brakes, and factory tires. I happen to be a Toyota technician (although when it comes to trucks Fords are the best) and i'm not sure about Ford dealer prices but as far as maintanence goes i follow the same sort of schedule as i would for a Toyota.

You should ask the guy whose selling the truck what's been done, but i think if you get a truck with 40K to 50K miles on it you will find that all the expensive maintanence has been done and you won't have to touch it for another 20,000 miles.


-Jon

 

@ 60,000 or so I had new plugs put in and whatever else they did, most likely a computer check, did radiator soon after that, did rearend lube change at about 90,000 and it didnt even need it all lube was fine--I also did transfer case at that time. When I got my truck @ 30,000 used it had the original tires and they were done for--my best luck with tires have been BFG's. I put shocks on soon after I got my truck The dealer installed new front brakes and a new parking brake cable before I bought it, again that was at 30,000 but I have 90,000 now and the brakes are still goin fine. A tranny flush is probably a good thing to do at 30,000 or so otherwise you might wait too long and hurt something later on.

 

mtofell

I just thought I would suggest the possibility of getting a 2002 rather than used, putting no or very little money down (obviously paying on installment), and then having the advantage of a factory warranty. It is conceivable on a cash basis you could net to zero (in year 1 and maybe year 2) compared to a used truck where you had a decent amounts of repairs in the 1st year. Obviously, the cost of the long run of the new truck would be more.

As I was suggesting to a friend the other day, it really is a good time to buy new if you are going to buy new ever. I haven't checked Ford prices yet, but I know Ford is in financial woes at the moment. I think Ford Credit still has some nice rates they are offering (I have 6%, my buddy who owns a Blazer has 18%, ouch!). I am also of a mindset to put no money down or as little as possible, as I tend to make a better return on my money than the interest cost. Even on a house with PMI added, it's easy to beat the interest rate over a couple of years....

 

mtofell, that's where I came from too, three years ago. Maintenance wise, those little Toyota's will spoil you. My original brakes passed at 110,000 miles, the original shocks too. I finally thought I should enjoy the 'new' stuff rather than continue to wait and that's why my Toyota finally got new brakes and shocks.

I know that items like that won't go so long on a bigger, heavier vehicle like I have now.

So, to answer part of your question, maintenance is going to cost more on a full-size truck compared to what you're used to on a compact Toyota.

It's part of the cost of running with the Big Dogs.

 

110K on brakes?! Wow, you must do a lot of highway driving.

-Jon

 

Yeah 75% highway.

Have you ever heard of a brakelight bulb lasting 14 years?
I could have sworn I only replaced one of them which means the other one must have been factory.

 

Thanks guys for the info.... I think I may have found a truck already. 99 F150 ex cab, 5.4, 42K, ext warr that covers anything up to 79K, 6 disc changer, power driver seat, matching insulated canopy, bedliner, 30K service done with tranny flush, coolant flush, front brakes, nice wheels etc. $17,000. I think the guy lost his mind. At least as far as the deals in my local paper he has. I just hope he doesn't come to his senses before we meet at the credit union today.

 

79k waranty--I dont believe that is a Ford warranty mine was a Ford at either 50k,75k or 100k. And from what I know a Ford warranty is the only way to go other private ones will really screw you bad.

 

It turns out to be through the local credit union that the guy got his loan from. It is transferrable for $50. You can take your truck to any Ford dealer or pretty much any shop you want (I'm not really sure about those restrictions but the dealer is fine with me.) I did get the truck and it is pretty nice. It does need new wiper blades though...... shoot...