Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

[reelfishin]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

My buddy had a problem with that storage compartment when he first got his truck, it seems that they had to remove it or something to do a repair or add something to the truck and either is wasn't put back correctly or something gave way and he lost all his hitch equipment and tie downs somehow.

I like all the tie points in the bed but it didn't look all that commercial to me.

The part that would most bother me is all the profits going overseas, regardless where it's made.

The mileage complaint seems to be common, his gets only about 13-14 around town but he did say he got over 20 once on a long trip.

I've seen a few around here with some paint issues, even some rust through already. There's a few of them running around here in primer already. I saw one the other day with perimeter rust through all about the truck and lots of paint loss on the hood edge.

Although I don't think my buddy would admit it, I doubt he'd buy another one. He's been over at the Ford and Toyota dealers looking to trade out of his already. I'm sure the mileage has a lot to do with it too. He did complain to me that the two front seat cushions had all but collapsed. They look like the foam fell apart inside, the cushions are just sagging toward the doors on each side. His has what looks like leather seats. He's a big guy, probably about 300 lbs or more but both sides are the same. His is a 2003 I believe.

 

[i386]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

I haven't had any problems with the compartment yet, but yea it would be really bad if it did come open.

The tie down stuff is tough. Look at Toyotas or anyone else that has it. No comparison to the Titan's based one what I've seen. The rails are thick extruded aluminum and the cleats are heavy cast aluminum. The rails in the floor of the bed are nice to strap heavy stuff down that way if you need to.

It definitely sucks the gas. No salt here so rust isn't a big concern. I'm just wondering how the paint will look when the truck is 10 years old.

In the seats of my Ford Explorer it did the same thing. In my case it was due to how I exited the vehicle. I would just turn my feet out the door and sort of slide out until my feet touched the ground. It put a lot of wear on the edge of the seat. I've been trying to break that habit in the truck by using the step bars but I forget about half the time. It's showing some wrinkles in the leather on that side but no compression yet. I'm "only" 205# though.

I take care of it meticulously and I think it will serve my needs well as long as I can afford the fuel. I believe the frame and engine are really strong. But honestly, I don't think the body can take a beating like other trucks can. It'll tow more than I'll ever hook up to it. It's a very nice "fancy" truck. Maybe I'll be able to afford the King Ranch on the next go around. If you're really rough on 'em I'd probably recommend something else.

 

[Pony]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

I think that now everything that you buy is going to have a good deal of quality.....just comes down to what you are willing to pay and which features you feel that you need.

This is what I have observed at least between Ford, Chevy and Dodge. I have driven the following trucks, towed will all of them.

• 2005 Ford F150 5.4L V8
• 1998 Chevy Silverado 5.0L V8
• 2002 GMC Sierra 2500HD
• 1996 Dakota 3.9L V6
• 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 4.7L V8
• 2004 Chevy Silverado 5.3L V8

Obviously the GMC is in its own class for towing......but the creature comforts were all different. The GMs feel like trucks. The interior is nice, but not so nice I that I wouldn't want to climb in after working outside all day. The Ford's interior is well designed and was the best looking, but didn't feel practical for a truck. Wood grain and chrome is nice in a luxury car.....but not a truck IMHO. The Dodge Ram by far had the most interior space, and to me was the nicest looking truck. That particular model is underpowered from the get go. It needed all that 4.7 just to get moving....That truck was traded in for the 05' Ford because of a slew of mechanical problems.

The Dakota is barely a truck.....I was proud when I owned it, but now that I own the 04' Chevy......I have seen the light so to speak.

This weekend we took the 05' Ford up north with a 12ft trailer full of lawn equipment to do maintainence on the land where we hunt. 3hours in that truck, and I must admit it wasn't very comfortable. It seemed stiffer than my Chevy. The seats themselves were not comfy.....but were heated, so I guess that was the sacrifice. I have spent 10-12 hours of ride time in that truck and I still feel the same way. More interior space than my Chevy, but less than the Ram.

Yesterday I stopped by my dad's because he needed to pick up some stone for a landscaping project in his back yard. I used my Silverado to get 2.5 Tons of limestone........no issue at all. That truck rides nice and has ample room for what I need it for. The mirrors have a power fold option so it will actually fit in the garage. To me it seems more comfortable than the Ford.

The gas mileage was almost identical. The GMC got the least, but that is expected. The two Dodges are next least.......with the V6 being less efficient. The Ford comes next, and then the pair of Silverados. The 04 has significantly more power.......even if both had 5.3L's. The 04 Silverado is probably the fastest off the line out of all of them......not really enen close.

If I could........Dodge Exterior, Ford Interior comforts with GM seats, Chevy Drivetrain. That would be my truck I guess.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

For me I feel the GM interior was the most comfortable on long runs, with the Ford being the next inline and Dodge being pretty poor. The Dodges do have good interior room but the seats and ergonomics leave a lot to be desired.
The Ford is probably the best for general dash ergonomics but the GM isn't bad.

Load carrying wise, the GM and Ford are about equal from what I've seen with Ford having a slight edge with its heavier duty front end. When it comes to maintenance though, the GM front end is a bit nicer to work on.

Engine wise, in todays world, I'd have to go with the GM gas engine mostly for it's mileage. I drove a 2008 Ford F250 4x4 the other day about 310 miles mostly unloaded in combination traffic. It averaged only 12 mpg with the 5.4L and felt underpowered.
I've made that same run in a 2001 GMC 4x4 with a 5.3L and averaged about 18 mpg with the ac on. My 1996 Dodge B3500 van gets about 12 mpg on that same route. My 2002 GMC 4x2 1500 with the 4.8L got over 21 consitently on that same route. I don't carry much weight and most of the time I only need a small pickup but length is important. If I could find a rear drive van that could carry a full sheet of plywood with a small engine or anything that could get better than 20 mpg, I'd have to look pretty seriously at it.

Towing wise, I've downsized my boats and went to all aluminum hulls to save fuel there and it also allows me to run a smaller truck when towing. My 2.3L 94 Ranger will haul any of them with no problems with the heaviest boat now being just under 2000lbs.

I am pretty meticulous about taking care of my vehicles, but things like rust caused by the ocean air or winter salt is hard to avoid but there's no excuse for a truck to rust through in the first year, especially when it's garage kept and not off roaded.
The paint on my buddies Titan didn't look that bad when it was new, but it didn't fair well with a little age. He's got a few rust issues down low but not like some that I've seen.

None of the new trucks seem very tough body wise. The Ford looks the best but still isn't very stout compared to older trucks. The GM isn't bad, the front end seems to hold up well under rough use. The Toyota and Nissan are just light duty when it comes to body work.

I haven't dealt much with the newer Dodges as far as body work but they seem pretty stout yet.

When it comes to towing, the GM probably has the best transmission going, with Ford being second, the Dodge trans is just poor, while its still based on the older A727, the newer 4xRE transmissions lack reliability. What has surprised me is that Dodge never fixed the faults in this trans after so many years. I've had several of these and every one failed the same way. After an overhaul, done with several aftermarket upgrades, they're fine indefinitely. But even that doesn't make up for poor mileage and various other concerns.