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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1119
 
| My husband wrecked and totaled one of our vehicles this past weekend, so we are somewhat frantically searching for a new one. The top contender at the moment is a 2008 F250 with the 5.4 gas engine and about 89,000 miles. It's a King Ranch, so pretty much almost every option and it looks immaculate from the pictures. It's priced at $25,400.
Here's where I have some questions. My mom has a 2008 Ford F250 with 50,000 miles on it and she has had tons of issues with weird things. Like right now, the tow/haul isn't working. She's had problems with the 4x4 not engaging, electrical issues...just all kinds of really random issues for a truck that really hasn't been used that much and definitely isn't abused. Is hers just a bit of a lemon, or are these kinds of problems common? Is there anything I should be aware of before looking at this one? It's about 6 hours away, so not one we can just swing by and check out. |
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 Party Girl
Posts: 12293
  
Location: Buffalo, Wyoming | My SO had a work truck that was a 2008 King Ranch. I hated that thing! It was not comfy at all and it had tons of issues. I will have to get with him to see what all was wrong with it. His was a diesel and not gas so that may have played an issue.
That is my only experience with them though. |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | Make sure it has EGR delete.
I have a 2006 F-250 super duty. Mine has been bulletproofed, the guy had spent over $4,000 on tires and rims before I bought it lol. I have absolutely no issues with mine. I looked at several others and wouldn't even consider them if they didn't have the EGR delete.
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 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | My hubby is a diesel mechanic and will tell you that the 6.4 engine in the 2008's are nothing but trouble.
eta: saw it's a gas motor.... I still wouldn't touch it with that gas engine either. Fuel mileage will SUCK.
Edited by TwistedK 2015-05-19 1:08 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1119
| Just a note - this is a gas engine, not a diesel. |
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Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | hoofs_in_motion - 2015-05-19 1:06 PM
Make sure it has EGR delete.
I have a 2006 F-250 super duty. Mine has been bulletproofed, the guy had spent over $4,000 on tires and rims before I bought it lol. I have absolutely no issues with mine. I looked at several others and wouldn't even consider them if they didn't have the EGR delete.
It's really the 2004-2006 with the 6.0 motors you want to have bullet proofed. The 6.4 engines are a whole nother ball of wax. |
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | F.O.R.D. Found. On. Road. Dead.LMAO. We had one with the 6.0. Spent thousands to get it right, only for it to break again. Sent it down the road. |
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 Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | http://www.f150online.com/forums/v8-engines/292225-5-4l-reliability-question.html |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1119
| ~BINGO~ - 2015-05-19 1:12 PM F.O.R.D. Found. On. Road. Dead.LMAO. We had one with the 6.0. Spent thousands to get it right, only for it to break again. Sent it down the road.
Yeah, Ford is not my first choice but it's the only one we've found so far that we agree on and has what we want. I drive a 97 Ford Expedition right now that we bought from my parents and it has the 5.4 engine in it. I have zero complaints about it and drive it everyday.
So our second choice is a 2008 Duramax - any opinions on that? It's $6k more, but I personally would prefer a diesel to haul with. |
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Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | TwistedK - 2015-05-19 1:08 PM hoofs_in_motion - 2015-05-19 1:06 PM Make sure it has EGR delete.
I have a 2006 F-250 super duty. Mine has been bulletproofed, the guy had spent over $4,000 on tires and rims before I bought it lol. I have absolutely no issues with mine. I looked at several others and wouldn't even consider them if they didn't have the EGR delete.
It's really the 2004-2006 with the 6.0 motors you want to have bullet proofed. The 6.4 engines are a whole nother ball of wax.
I guess I should have read better, 6.4 are junk. I wouldn't touch one with a 40ft pole lol |
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Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | MissouriJen - 2015-05-19 2:15 PM ~BINGO~ - 2015-05-19 1:12 PM F.O.R.D. Found. On. Road. Dead.LMAO. We had one with the 6.0. Spent thousands to get it right, only for it to break again. Sent it down the road. Yeah, Ford is not my first choice but it's the only one we've found so far that we agree on and has what we want. I drive a 97 Ford Expedition right now that we bought from my parents and it has the 5.4 engine in it. I have zero complaints about it and drive it everyday.
So our second choice is a 2008 Duramax - any opinions on that? It's $6k more, but I personally would prefer a diesel to haul with.
We are a Ford family, so I don't have to say anything else about that. I would choose a diesel over a gasser if I had the funds to allow it.
We have the 6.0 and 7.3 and we love both. Our 6.0 is nearing 250k and the 7.3 is nearing 220k. No issues, but my husband tends to them often and knows that he is doing. The 6.0 just requires a little more love, but the motor itself is a beast. I have no personal experience with the 6.4 but we see a lot of them on track and I have a friend that loves hers. |
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Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | Murphy - 2015-05-19 1:24 PM
MissouriJen - 2015-05-19 2:15 PM ~BINGO~ - 2015-05-19 1:12 PM F.O.R.D. Found. On. Road. Dead.LMAO. We had one with the 6.0. Spent thousands to get it right, only for it to break again. Sent it down the road. Yeah, Ford is not my first choice but it's the only one we've found so far that we agree on and has what we want. I drive a 97 Ford Expedition right now that we bought from my parents and it has the 5.4 engine in it. I have zero complaints about it and drive it everyday.
So our second choice is a 2008 Duramax - any opinions on that? It's $6k more, but I personally would prefer a diesel to haul with.
We have the 6.0 and 7.3 and we love both. Our 6.0 is nearing 250k and the 7.3 is nearing 220k. No issues, but my husband tends to them often and knows that he is doing. The 6.0 just requires a little more love, but the motor itself is a beast. I have no personal experience with the 6.4 but we see a lot of them on track and I have a friend that loves hers.
We have a 6.0 too with 96,000 miles on it. It is not bullet proofed. I do agree that they require more meticulous upkeep, but with hubby being a diesel mechanic, she gets the love. Pulling wise I LOVE the power. |
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Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | MissouriJen - 2015-05-19 1:15 PM
~BINGO~ - 2015-05-19 1:12 PM F.O.R.D. Found. On. Road. Dead.LMAO. We had one with the 6.0. Spent thousands to get it right, only for it to break again. Sent it down the road.
Yeah, Ford is not my first choice but it's the only one we've found so far that we agree on and has what we want. I drive a 97 Ford Expedition right now that we bought from my parents and it has the 5.4 engine in it. I have zero complaints about it and drive it everyday.
So our second choice is a 2008 Duramax - any opinions on that? It's $6k more, but I personally would prefer a diesel to haul with.
08 Duramax's are GREAT.... We sold our 05 with 243,000 miles on it and it had a cracked head gasket... ONLY thing we did was the EGR delete and chipped it. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2335
Location: IL | I have a f150 with the 5.4 gas engine and I (knock on wood) have not had any issues with it. I think it's a great engine. We do have a F350 with the 6.0 motor and we did have to fix all the problems with it. If I were you and I don't know what your pulling, I would want a diesel just cause of the fuel ecomony and towing power, but those 5.4 can pull a lot too. I get about 17.3 miles to the gallon on highway going under 80 mph cause that's when it really starts eating gas. I'm also not towing anything. With the F350 6.0 we get about 13 mpq towing a fully loaded 3 horse slant with living quarters. From my understanding all Diesels have issues wether it be FORD, Dodge, or chevy.  |
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 Special Somebody
Posts: 3951
Location: Finally horseback again.... | If you are going to go Ford, do yourself a favor and find a clean 7.3.
They are hard to find but well worth it. We have three, just bought another one today.
Fuel mileage on a 250 4x4 runs about 16-18 without a programmer, 22-24 with.
Plus they run forever
We had a 6.0 that was pushed off the wrecker at the dealership after one of many trips for repair, we left it with them and traded for a 2000 7.3, that truck has almost 300k now and still runs perfect |
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Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | MissouriJen - 2015-05-19 11:15 AM
~BINGO~ - 2015-05-19 1:12 PM F.O.R.D. Found. On. Road. Dead.LMAO. We had one with the 6.0. Spent thousands to get it right, only for it to break again. Sent it down the road.
Yeah, Ford is not my first choice but it's the only one we've found so far that we agree on and has what we want. I drive a 97 Ford Expedition right now that we bought from my parents and it has the 5.4 engine in it. I have zero complaints about it and drive it everyday.
So our second choice is a 2008 Duramax - any opinions on that? It's $6k more, but I personally would prefer a diesel to haul with.
No question. I'd go with the duramax. We have an 04. Awesome, awesome truck. Haven't had a lick of issues with it. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 232
Location: Winging It in KY | Just be aware that at 100K you will need to change the spark plugs. The 5.4L has a spark plug in it that is notorious for breaking off in the head when they try to change them. Poor engineering on the style of plug. The porcelain will break off at the neck of the plug. So unless you have a really good mechanic that knows how to properly take them out, you might be looking at a very large repair bill. The plugs will have to be extracted from the head. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 396
Location: Iowa | I have a 2012 F250 Gas and I love it, never has an issue and pulls like a dream with my 3 horse...hopefully your mom's was just a lemon. |
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | In 2008, as you have stated, they had/have the 5.4 L gas engine. The problem with that engine is as they get any amount of miles on them (around 100k and up), the majority of them have cam phasers go out, which is a very expensive fix. At auto auctions, we have heard they automatically red light those trucks because of that problem, even if they aren't exhibiting any symptoms.
Someone else mentioned spark plugs; I've not noticed an issue with spark plugs, but what we noticed is they have ignition coils/boots sitting right on top of the plugs. If you get ANY moisture in them at all, be prepared for a miss and the check engine light coming on. If you replace the coil or dry it out, it will work good again, but we have gotten moisture in them so many times it isn't funny anymore.
I love Fords and drive one every day, but if I were you I'd go with a 6.0 liter gas engine in a GMC or Chevy or with a 5.7 Hemi in the Dodge...you will be happier longer. I'm a big proponent of the Cummins diesel engine in the Dodge as long as they are the 5.9L, and not the 6.7L, they have too many emission controls limiting the gas mileage and the pulling power. You can buy the Dodges with the 5.9L Cummins around the price range you are looking, and possibly a little less (we have one for sale right now for less than the Ford you are looking at). JMHO.
Edited by mtcanchazer 2015-05-19 3:17 PM
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 317
Location: MS | Is yours flex fuel? I have a 2012 F250 gas and I hate it. Beautiful truck, it pulls like crap.
I traded my 2003 F250 for it. I wish I had kept it.
I'm about to sell it and buy a Dodge. |
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