1999 f150

Well my 99 Dakota is about dead, so I found a 1999 f150 4x4 extended cab with 103000 miles on it, it's a 5.4 I think, triton v8. The price was right, truck seemed good and i know the seller,,I never had a gas Ford truck, I have the 7.3 ford diesel and a 89 Chevy gas, ect, so how are these trucks? Here's a pic. Thanks

look in through the wheel wells at the exhaust manifolds & see if any studs are broke off,especially on the right side.Its not an impossible fix,but can be expensive if you cant do it yourself.Other than that & weak ball joints,they are a pretty good truck

I have a 98 2 wheel drive v6 with about 75k miles

The v8 is a much better engine than the v6

They have their problems but over all has been a good truck.
In the south the heat gets to the plastic parts.
3rd door latch broke
Small gear in mechanical odometer broke
Rear glass leaked between window frame and cab

All known and very common problems from my internet searches on how to fix.

I have a '98, 175,000 miles with the V6
original exhaust
3 sets of pads, 1 set of rotors

No body rust (showing) mid-Ohio

I believe the Triton engines are the ones that launch spark plugs. Check with a Ford tech for sure. Very expensive to replace stripped threads in head....

On the spark plug launching, look at the engine, if it has spark plug wires it's the engine that launches spark plugs, if it doesn't have wires but instead a coil pack on top of each spark plug it's got the improved heads that don't launch spark plugs.

Don't wreck it. More of a tin can than the one it replaced. That's the one that they talked about when the IIHS started crash testing trucks the one engineer traded his off on the way home it was so bad.

No idea what your talking about.

Most Ford's Are Full of Problems,Remember is a 1999 =15 years old + New York Rust .Do you need a Money Pit ??? I would go find another Dodge or Chevy before buying a Ford Product! Been there Done it & won't again ! But it's up to you and mostly Cost + how much you use a truck .

What is the right price??? How cheap? or inexpensive is it?

Having said that, I'm sure it has some rust, and issues...it is 15 years old, but I like them. I have an 01 250 with the 5.4 and a 99 350 with the V10 6.2???. Good solid trucks that are paid for and I don't worry about smacking them up.

Grant

That's funny, I own all 3, ford, dodge, and Chevy. I have 3 Chevys, 73, 84, and 89, last new one was a 2002, that thing was a pos, that's when I went to ford and dodge Dakota, I will not ever buy a gm product again.

Furthermore you can't even add the truck is 16 years old! Thanks for your bogus opinion,

"if it doesn't have wires but instead a coil pack on top of each spark plug it's got the improved heads that don't launch spark plugs. "



That's NOT true. I have the insert installation tool kit and have done MANY that had the COP.

Below is a link to a photo from the 'net that shows what the plug blowing out of the head does to the COP.
BOOM

A very good friend has a Ford 1999 F250 with the 5.4 engine in it. HE had to replace the heads at around 75k as a spark plug blew out and the repair kit would not hold.

Then at 125K another plug came out of one of the new heads. The repair seems to have worked this time.

The cab and drive of the Ford pickups is pretty good. The motors scare the daylights out of me.

Also check the cab corners real close. His have just about come clear of due to rust.

I had a 1997 F-150 with the Triton 5.4. No problems - even at over 350,000 (the guy I sold it to had it over 400,000 miles, last I knew...). Had one plug pop out - caused by improper installation. Best truck I ever had! I have a 2002 now, it is beat to death (looks bad, runs great) and is pushing 200,000. The 5.4 is a GREAT engine. I've also had "all three". If Ram (Dodge) and Chebby made real pickups, I MIGHT look at them on the lot as I drive by on the way to the Ford dealer.

I had one of those POS. Just give your money away. You will get the same results.

If you want real problems buy a dodge.

Jay,

My father in law has one of these trucks, about the same vintage,
and he has run it hard and put it away wet more than once. What he doesn't think of to use it for, the Amish neighbors do. I think it has been a relatively trouble free truck for him. If I recall he has almost 200,000 miles on his.

That being said, if you know the seller and are confidant he will tell you the truth...

1.) Why is he selling it?
2.) What does the rest of his equipment look like? Is it taken care of?
3.) Can you repair the issues you find without being in too deep?

But you already know that...

Matthew

Jay,

My father in law has one of these trucks, about the same vintage,
and he has run it hard and put it away wet more than once. What he doesn't think of to use it for, the Amish neighbors do. I think it has been a relatively trouble free truck for him. If I recall he has almost 200,000 miles on his.

That being said, if you know the seller and are confidant he will tell you the truth...

1.) Why is he selling it?
2.) What does the rest of his equipment look like? Is it taken care of?
3.) Can you repair the issues you find without being in too deep?

But you already know that...

Matthew

Had a similar thing happened to my neighbor's Expedition with the 5.4. It blew out a spark plug. I repaired it with an insert. After a few weeks, it blew out again. We were ready to replace the head, but we found another kit that claimed to be able to fix even a failed insert. It came from Cal-Van. A bit pricey, but it did the job, and saved us a very miserable and expensive job.

Here is what I see on those,
Brake hoses rust and blow apart in front
Spark plugs come out/strip heads
AC compressor bearing fails
Exhaust manifold leak/rusted/broken bolts
Front wheel bearings noisy
Rear axle wears out ,usually only the limited slip version however
Indicator mechanism for the gear selector breaks
Gas tank straps rust through/recalled by Ford
I agree the basic engine and trans are usually very solid

That's a list of the reasons I don't drive a ford anymore, They seem to start nickle and dimeing us at 50,000 miles, at least $200-500 per instance. We have been very happy with GM vehicles for the last 15 years.

I had one, Ford gave me new engine due to excessive oil consumption, new engine use no oil and was peppier.

If you don't mind driving a 15-16 year old truck, why not buy a new one and wait? At least while you are making the payments for the first 5 years it will have some warranty. And by the time it gets to be a 15-16 year old truck, you will know how well it has been looked after. Won't cost you any more in the long run, as this 1999 truck will be a "short keep" ,and with the cost of the truck, parts and repairs, you will soon be in the market for the next one. Right now Ford is clearing out their 2014 trucks, and you can buy a extended cab 2wd v6 auto for $19000.00 . Doesn't sound to bad if you say it fast. But it sounds to me like you have already decided to buy this 1999 truck , best of luck. Bruce

I installed inserts on way more Coil on plug 5.4's than ones with plug wires . Insert, plug , new coil , runs around $300 Always rear or next one on pass side that fails. Newer 3 valve 5.4's spark plug breaks off in head. depending on how many break off, can run $400-$700 to do plugs .

Neighbours had a 1998 F150, frame rotted out by 12 years old, had lots of exhausts, 4wd trouble, alternators, starters, batteries, power steering problems. I sold it for them after they left it in my yard for 2 years, new owner drove it 10 miles and blew the motor as the oil pan started leaking through rust holes.

On the flip side, my 2001 Ford F350 has been fantastic despite terrible abuse and a family members 2004 F150 has been fantastic. Drove in it yesterday, still like a new truck.

Okay, don't know if Jay is going to come back and read this post as it continues to grow. Several weak spots or areas of concern have been pointed out about this particular series of Ford trucks. Those are the weak spots, look them over and figure out if the one you're looking at has these common Ford maladies as well as the normal stuff you look at when doing due diligence before purchasing any vehicle. It has been pointed out that the darn thing is 16 years old, not a lot of miles but still old. Yes some of the engines shucked out spark plugs, the older ones more so than the newer ones with the performance improved engines, those have a little more meat on the head where the plug screws in. My personal 01-F150 with the 4.6 hasn't blew a plug out, it's at 155,000 miles and has had plugs changed twice (yes I know the service interval is 100,000, don't ask) in that time it killed two COP (coil over plug) coils. I've done ball joints once. It grew up in Wisconsin and is still on it's original exhaust system manifolds and gaskets, how ever every clamp on the exhaust system has rusted off and I replace them before other stuff got messed up. When I was with the county our highway commissioner's work vehicle was an Expedition, we sold it with 275,000 miles on it and it hadn't blew out plugs. The only problem the Sheriff's Dept had with a Crown Vic engine (or any of their Ford trucks) was when one of our superstar Deputies came over the crest of a hill with his foot flat on the floor and it got airborne, free revved and let all the noise (and structural integrity) out of 3 connecting rods. The Ford modular engines (4.6, 5.4, 4.6-4 Valve, 5.4-4 valve and the 4.6-3 valve and V-10 2 and 3 valve variants) actually have a decent service history, most of the cop cars here in the U.S for a period of about 15 years were all Ford Crown Victorias with a version of the 4.6 in them. A lot of those cop cars were sold to fleets after decommissioning then used as Taxi cabs. It wasn't uncommon for them to rack up 500,000 miles before they junked them. I see a lot of Ford truck of this vintage for sale with over 200,000 miles on them, this is not an endorsement just a fact. I'm also betting a lot of those 200,000 mile trucks will not deliver the same level of trouble free service they did to their former owners because they're 11 years or older and have 200,000 miles on them. they can be bought for $2,000 or less, a new F 150 is going to be north of $30,000 will a $2,000 dollar truck give you 6% of the service a new $30,000 truck will (probably).

Or to look at it another way you can probably buy a truck like this for less than the sales tax on a new one.

The insurance institute for highway safety started crash testing trucks when that series of Ford was new. One of the engineers doing the testing traded his f150 in on the way home the day they tested one because of how it folded in on the driver.
My dad had a deer run into the passenger door of a 97. Only salvageable cab panel was the drivers door.

Have a neighbor who bought a new 2500 Chevy in about 11. Drove it for about 2 yrs. Bought a used 03 F150 5.4 thinks it is a better truck. Our family has a whole passel of 5.4 Fords. Yes have a few issues. Our 3 valve Expedition had 7 spark plugs twist off when went to change them at 105000 miles. Changed them on F250 at 60000 and no problem. I have pulled a antique pulling tractor for 11 seasons with a 5.4.177000 on truck.Over 1/4 pulling trailer. Just has needed 2 exhaust manifolds, and one coil pack.(don't wash the engine with a pressure washer) The biggest thing I have found is go to a garage that specializes in Fords. Same for any other brand. Vic

Would a guy in Canada really consider a 2 wheel drive. I am sitting here and can't think of but one neighbor who doesn't have 4 wheel drive. She is 80 and has a steep drive. So just stays home till grand sons come get her. Vic

(quoted from post at 05:22:41 01/19/15) On the spark plug launching, look at the engine, if it has spark plug wires it's the engine that launches spark plugs, if it doesn't have wires but instead a coil pack on top of each spark plug it's got the improved heads that don't launch spark plugs.

Click to expand...

Sorry, WRONG! All the early 5.4 Tritons had issues with launching the plugs due to few threads holding the plugs in aluminum heads. The steel plugs will wear the threads in the head if not kept very tight and will blow out and probably take the coil pack with it. Happened to my 2000 Expedition Eddie Bauer, to the hardest one to get to of course. The Ford forums are full of cases of this. The fix with new plug and coil pack was under $500, at a dealer about 5 yrs. ago. If you can put in a heliccoil yourself it will be less than that. Word is the heli coil may not hold but if done right it's OK. I understand too that a different plug and a head redesign were done in the later models and have been very good engines.

Other than this one issue my Expedition has had no problems with the engine itself or drivetrain.

Lots of other issues due to corrosion and age (146,000 plus miles so far) but nothing really major. Just replaced the ABS brake controller and brake lines to the master cyl.... leakage due to corrosion. BTW, those brake lines I mentioned are limited availability, as in only one, the "primary" (there is a braided section in the middle of them) and are no longer made as replacement parts. Had to make the other myself out of solid brake line.