hey- just joined the forum, and i figure you guys will be able to help me out...

im considering buyin a used 1997 ford f150 v8 4x4...its priced at 7grand (negotiable)...and has 100,000 mile son it...my question is, are ford's 97 generation trucks known for hitting the 150,000 mile mark? and if so, what does it take to get them to it? ive been told by alot of people not to spend 6g+ on a vehicle that has 100k on it already...are they right?
thanks a lot
-pat

 

I will hit 100,000 miles today on the drive home from work. I've honestly never really had a single problem. (I would have never used an extended warranty one single time.) I absolutely expect to hit 150,000 miles with no problem. Realistically, if you are buying a truck with a 100,000 miles on it, you will need to do some basic maintenance just so you will know where it is at. You'll need to atleast change the spark plugs, transmission fluid, engine coolant, fuel filter and air filter, and check the brakes, all of which you can do yourself. I broke my crystal ball a while back, so there are no guarentees. Obviously the way the truck was taken care of will have a big impact, but IF the truck has been taken care of, if it was me, I wouldn't think twice.

 

STX/98, do you WOT your's very often?

 

My father has a 97 with 177,000 plus miles on the 4.6 engine. All he's replaced is a battery, brakes, and a faulty EGR valve. All I've had to replace is a faulty EGR valve and soon a idler pully , which is 20 bucks. It all depends on how you maintain your truck.

 

Just gettin BROKE- IN @@@@ 100,000

 

Hell yes I'd buy that truck! My 97 4.6L 4X2 has 94,000 miles on it and she's doing just fine! I had the tranny fluid flushed at 85K and shortly before that I had the sparplugs and wires replaced. Just like a brand new truck after that. Engine coolant was flushed at the last inspection a month or two ago. Maintenance is the key to how long the vehicle will last. I used to drive my truck pretty hard, but I'm married and have a kid now so I tend to be a littel easier on it. IGood luck and keep us posted.

 

There was a time in America when it was commonly felt that a car was worn out at 100K miles. I think that this used to be mostly accurate, but it’s not the truth any more. Emissions controls have been a wonderful thing for the modern automobile’s durability. Car's oil stays a cleaner of a lot longer than it used to because of emission controls metering fuel and spark from cold start to hot cruise. Couple this with the mass hysteria of 3000-mile oil changes, and modern cars have clean lubrication and very long engine life. I know several people who have well over 200K on their 90’s cars of assorted brands. This especially true of engines that have little in the way of defects in material, construction, or design. The 4.6 and 5.4 both are good sound engines. They regularly see 300,000 miles is fleet and municipal service. I’d be leery of the 4.2. There seem to be some design problems with this engine. It’s not uncommon to see high mileage on these engines, but several here have had major problems caused by internal coolant leaks in the engine.

My truck has 242,000 miles. It is 97 4.6 2wd SC with a 4R70W transmission. There is some piston slap when it’s cold out, but both the engine and transmission are original. To look at it you’d be hard pressed to tell if it has more than 60,000 miles. The only real problems I’ve had the are: Alternator bearings (165,000) differential carrier bearings (at 190,000), The u-joints (at 210,00), the left ball joints are now squeaking (242,000), and two of the original O2 sensors in the last 10,000 miles. Other than that it’s been a great vehicle. I have had some of the minor typical F-150 problems: piston slap, rust at the bottom of the doors, leaking slider, door cracks, cracked drivers side mirror... The truck uses a quart of oil ever 1000-1500 miles, and will make a small puff of smoke when I take off if it idles a long time. I change the oil every 5000-7000 miles.

I got my truck when it was two years old. It had 164,000 miles when I got it, and I paid $8200. I heard some of the same things you have been. Some people thought I was nuts for buying it. I do all my own repairs. I think that is one of the things has made the truck such a great deal (at the time used was about $16,000 and new was $24,000). I spent about $100 in parts to fix the differential. That job could have been $500 or more at the dealer. I have spent about $1000 in maintenance and repairs over the 4 years I’ve had the truck. To me the bottom line is these are great trucks. They are very durable. To make it financially beneficial it is best if you do most of your own repairs and get a great deal up front since the truck will be hard to sell and have little future value if you keep it for any period of time.

Regards