His engine had what sounded like a piston "slap" or slight knock that was present above idle. Ford tech said "some of them do it" and kicked it back out the door. Around 400 miles later, it came apart. There was one shattered piston and broken rod and two holes in the block. They installed a new engine and he promptly made the mistake of trading it on a Chebby that is falling apart one piece at a time.
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Added another truck to my fleet
- Thread starter jgillott
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His engine had what sounded like a piston "slap" or slight knock that was present above idle. Ford tech said "some of them do it" and kicked it back out the door. Around 400 miles later, it came apart. There was one shattered piston and broken rod and two holes in the block. They installed a new engine and he promptly made the mistake of trading it on a Chebby that is falling apart one piece at a time.
jgillott
TDR MEMBER
That's not encouraging to hear. From the discussions over at ford-trucks.com, Ford really cheaped out on the 5.0L refresh. The oil consumption problem is just the tip of the iceberg......coated cylinders instead of cast iron sleeves. They also stopped putting the HD 9.75" rear axle in the 5.0L trucks. You get the 8.8" now with it.
I have a friend here that traded a 2015 5.0L on a 2018 5.0L. Thankfully, he hasn't had any issues with it yet, but is really worried about this old burning issue.
I have a friend here that traded a 2015 5.0L on a 2018 5.0L. Thankfully, he hasn't had any issues with it yet, but is really worried about this old burning issue.
jgillott
TDR MEMBER
As promised, I’m going to share a few thoughts on this truck now that it is coming up on a year in service.
There is just shy of 13K on this unit now. 353 total engine hours. 35 hours idle time.
I was anticipating 16K per year. There was a 2 month timeframe this winter that my wife drove the truck while our 2010 Ram was down. That drastically reduced the miles driven during that time.
To date, the truck has been back to the Ford dealer 4 times. The first time was for the seat belt pretensioner recall and a free oil change. The 2nd through 4th time have been for the recurring frozen door latch issue. I have previously posted the various Ford recalls and TSB updates dealing with that problem. The only update that I have to add is that I received a letter a couple of weeks ago from Ford stating that they have record of my truck being in for door latch repair 3 times and that they will be extending the warranty coverage on those door latches to 10 years, or until May of 2028. I’m still not convinced that Ford has this problem under control. But, I haven’t had any additional problems since fix #3.
I just checked my Ford Pass account and I have another free oil change and tire rotation available. I will be taking advantage of that most likely at the end of May or early June. ~5500 miles on my current change and the oil life monitor is showing 34% remaining.
I’m comfortable going to 7500 miles which is the upper end of Ford’s recommended OCI for severe duty. Other than a little bit of idling in the cold with the remote start this winter, I haven’t done any extensive towing or anything that would necessitate dumping it any earlier at this point. If you follow the Ford owners’ forums, there has been some extensive discussions concerning fuel dillution with these Ecoboost engines, especially the first gen 3.5l’s. As much as you hear the internet naysayers preach about the potential of 5%-10% fuel dillution on these engines, nobody to this point has been able to produce a valid sample supporting this idea on the gen 2 3.5’s when following Fords recommended OCI’s. Since I’m doing the free dealer oil changes with this truck, I obviously haven’t sampled mine. I may do so when/if the changes are on my dime. But, to this point, I haven’t seen a need to. Oil level on this truck simply doesn’t move. Doesn’t rise like many have pointed out when there is a fuel dillution problem. I’ll just keep following the owner’s manual at this point until I know otherwise.
Let’s talk about the truck. Other than the door lock issues, this truck has been solid. The exterior fit and finish of my particular truck is spot on. There have been some discussion on the Ford boards about some seams and gaps being off on some of the bed floors. My truck has a drop in liner and a bed mat over top of that so I honestly can’t say if I have that issue or not. The rest of the exterior is perfect. Paint shines nice when it is clean. I love the look of the body colored bumpers and blacked out grill on the Sport package. I was a little hesitant at first, but I love it now. With the Sport package, Ford includes a center console with rear HVAC vents and a floor shifter instead of the column mount.
The console is the size of a small cave and includes a 12v outlet that I often use to charge my phone while driving. On the back of the console above the HVAC vents is another 12v outlet, 2 usb plugs, and a 400w 120v AC plug (my truck has the built in inverter and there is also a dash mount 12v and 120v AC plug to the right of the radio).
Trust me when I tell you that these plugs keep the kids silent while traveling. No more running wires up to the front to charge their phones or devices. In front of the shifter is a small sliding door that has 2 usb ports. These can be used for phone charging and/or connecting your device directly to the Sync 3 system. I haven’t really messed with this feature since I just bluetooth my phone to the system.
The Sync 3 is absolutely awesome. The voice integration is spot on all the time. There is no setup or calibration of the system. Just push the button, talk, and it does what you want. I also really like the factory Nav system. The only disappointment is that the included maps were out of date the day I purchased the truck, which I believe is standard across the industry. The Sync 3 can run Android audio which I know nothing about had haven’t attempted to use it yet. One of these days I’m going to play with it when I have some time. All and all, I’m not using the system anywhere near it’s capability, but I like what I do use. Also to note, 2018 was the last year that Ford included a CD player. It disappeared across the board in 2019 from what I understand. I’ve only used it a couple of times.
My truck is equipped with the XLT premium 302a package with includes dual power heated cloth buckets up front, a power sliding rear window, chrome exhaust tip, led bed lighting, power adjustable pedals, etc. As I’ve mentioned before, the interior is big person friendly and I find it comfortable in all seating positions. All buttons are within easy reach, with a couple of exceptions. The headlight switch, fog light switch, and power pedal controls are down low on the left, at or below knee level. I find it very difficult to see down there when you are looking for something on that switch pad. I think that there could have been a much better place for that switch group. The other one that I can’t get used to is the placement of the cruise on/off and cancel buttons. They are on your left thumb on the wheel. Ford placed the cancel button on the inside of that thumb row and no matter how often I use it, I have to look down to find it. I think it would have been much better to have been placed on the outer row or as a raised button like it is on my Ram so that you could find it without looking.
This truck is a 3.5L Ecoboost, 10-speed auto, 3.55 gears with the eLocker, and the Max Towing Package (1857# payload rating via door sticker). To date, I have just shy of 3000 towing miles with it pulling my 5500# Jayco. It averaged between 11.2 and 11.8 mpg each tank full except for one 10.6 (it was a load of 87 octane when there wasn't anything else available at the pump). Ford recommends 91 octane when towing. I would buy either 91 or 93 depending on what was available.
I like to tow at 62-63 mph in most cases on the highway. The Ford likes 65. It will hold 8th gear at 63 but will allow it to shift into 9th at 65. Once it upshifts, you can drop to 64 and it will hold 9th but, as soon as it sees 63, back to 8th it goes.
In cruise, it allows a 2 mph swing +/- before a shift. If it drops 2, it will downshift and the power of that little engine pulls it back to speed almost instantly. If it gains 2 going down a grade, it will downshift until it pulls it back to the set speed. The engine, transmission, brake controller integration is absolutely stunning. I especially like the fact that the braking really feels proportional. I like to set my trailer brakes a little heavy so that I feel it pull back a little when coming to a stop. Even set somewhat heavy, you never feel it load hard going in to a smooth stop at a light or when in traffic. Someone did their homework on this design. It works that well.
I have setup the Pro-Trailer Backup Assist on this truck with my travel trailer.
It is really odd to take your hands off of the wheel and allow the truck to back a trailer in to a spot. Other than playing with it when I first set it up, I don’t personally use it. It is very foreign to me. However, my wife is now capable of backing a trailer up without issue. It’s worth the price of admission just to have her more comfortable with the process. I understand that they are now going to offer this system on the Super Duty line starting in 2020. I would recommend it for someone who is new to pulling a trailer. I would skip the option if you are experienced. You will never use it.
As you all know, I am absolutely in love with this little 3.5L Ecoboost. It knocks down 20 mpg all day long in my normal commute and has all the power you could ever want. I routinely get 600+ miles per tank (36 gal tank) on my commute with room to spare. Sport Mode will absolutely make you smile. There are many examples of these trucks turning low to mid 14’s in a ¼ mile in stock form. Since momma Ford still owns this thing, I obviously have never had it down the track. But as strong as this thing feels, I have no doubt that those times are legit.
The engine is quiet and comfortable and completely integrated with the 10-speed auto. There is never a time where it hunts for gears or hesitates. It simply just pulls in all conditions. There is an occasional downshift clunk, especially when coming to a stop. From the discussions I’ve read online, this seems to be common with this transmission design. It isn’t harsh in any way, you just notice it every once in a while.
There was quite a bit of discussion early on about the auto start/stop system. At first, I would disable the function with the dash button. I no longer do so and I can honestly admit that I don’t even notice the system anymore. You just get used to it.
OK, now for my areas of concerns. I have the longest available wheelbase on the F150, 157”. Though it allows the full crew cab and 6.5’ bed, it has just about the worst turn radius of any vehicle I’ve ever driven. You pretty much need to phone ahead if you need to make a u-turn. If you were buying one of these trucks and often had to make sharp turns, get the 145” wheelbase with the 5.5’ bed.
The second area of frustration that I have with this truck as delivered is the absolutely awful OEM Michelin Primacy XC tires that came on this thing.
They don’t do anything well except for dry pavement commuting. Marginal at best in the rain and completely helpless in the snow and ice. Why a truck would be delivered to the north east with these tires is beyond my comprehension. I’ll admit that on the really bad days this winter, I took my Ram to work to avoid any surprises with these tires. They are that bad. Giving credit where credit is due, based on the amount of wear in 13K, I have no doubt that they will be a 40K-50K tire. They just belong on something delivered to Florida or Arizona. Not here. I don’t have a cent out of pocket on this truck so far beyond my payment. If it wasn’t that I’m trying to keep cost of ownership to a bare minimum, I would have replaced these tires last fall.
Last, but not least, I need to schedule a service appointment for TSB 19-2041 for a warped dash issue. XL and XLT trucks have issues with the dash pulling apart near the defrost vents under the windshield. Sure enough, mine has the problem.
I’ve been holding off on getting it scheduled until I have some vacation time in June. From what I understand, it is a fairly complex replacement process and requires a couple of days.
Well, I hope this little review is helpful to someone. I know it’s not common to share such information on a competitive manufacturers site, but I firmly believe that this type of info is helpful in making a true comparison of competitive class vehicles across the market.
There is just shy of 13K on this unit now. 353 total engine hours. 35 hours idle time.
I was anticipating 16K per year. There was a 2 month timeframe this winter that my wife drove the truck while our 2010 Ram was down. That drastically reduced the miles driven during that time.
To date, the truck has been back to the Ford dealer 4 times. The first time was for the seat belt pretensioner recall and a free oil change. The 2nd through 4th time have been for the recurring frozen door latch issue. I have previously posted the various Ford recalls and TSB updates dealing with that problem. The only update that I have to add is that I received a letter a couple of weeks ago from Ford stating that they have record of my truck being in for door latch repair 3 times and that they will be extending the warranty coverage on those door latches to 10 years, or until May of 2028. I’m still not convinced that Ford has this problem under control. But, I haven’t had any additional problems since fix #3.
I just checked my Ford Pass account and I have another free oil change and tire rotation available. I will be taking advantage of that most likely at the end of May or early June. ~5500 miles on my current change and the oil life monitor is showing 34% remaining.
Let’s talk about the truck. Other than the door lock issues, this truck has been solid. The exterior fit and finish of my particular truck is spot on. There have been some discussion on the Ford boards about some seams and gaps being off on some of the bed floors. My truck has a drop in liner and a bed mat over top of that so I honestly can’t say if I have that issue or not. The rest of the exterior is perfect. Paint shines nice when it is clean. I love the look of the body colored bumpers and blacked out grill on the Sport package. I was a little hesitant at first, but I love it now. With the Sport package, Ford includes a center console with rear HVAC vents and a floor shifter instead of the column mount.
The Sync 3 is absolutely awesome. The voice integration is spot on all the time. There is no setup or calibration of the system. Just push the button, talk, and it does what you want. I also really like the factory Nav system. The only disappointment is that the included maps were out of date the day I purchased the truck, which I believe is standard across the industry. The Sync 3 can run Android audio which I know nothing about had haven’t attempted to use it yet. One of these days I’m going to play with it when I have some time. All and all, I’m not using the system anywhere near it’s capability, but I like what I do use. Also to note, 2018 was the last year that Ford included a CD player. It disappeared across the board in 2019 from what I understand. I’ve only used it a couple of times.
My truck is equipped with the XLT premium 302a package with includes dual power heated cloth buckets up front, a power sliding rear window, chrome exhaust tip, led bed lighting, power adjustable pedals, etc. As I’ve mentioned before, the interior is big person friendly and I find it comfortable in all seating positions. All buttons are within easy reach, with a couple of exceptions. The headlight switch, fog light switch, and power pedal controls are down low on the left, at or below knee level. I find it very difficult to see down there when you are looking for something on that switch pad. I think that there could have been a much better place for that switch group. The other one that I can’t get used to is the placement of the cruise on/off and cancel buttons. They are on your left thumb on the wheel. Ford placed the cancel button on the inside of that thumb row and no matter how often I use it, I have to look down to find it. I think it would have been much better to have been placed on the outer row or as a raised button like it is on my Ram so that you could find it without looking.
This truck is a 3.5L Ecoboost, 10-speed auto, 3.55 gears with the eLocker, and the Max Towing Package (1857# payload rating via door sticker). To date, I have just shy of 3000 towing miles with it pulling my 5500# Jayco. It averaged between 11.2 and 11.8 mpg each tank full except for one 10.6 (it was a load of 87 octane when there wasn't anything else available at the pump). Ford recommends 91 octane when towing. I would buy either 91 or 93 depending on what was available.
I like to tow at 62-63 mph in most cases on the highway. The Ford likes 65. It will hold 8th gear at 63 but will allow it to shift into 9th at 65. Once it upshifts, you can drop to 64 and it will hold 9th but, as soon as it sees 63, back to 8th it goes.
In cruise, it allows a 2 mph swing +/- before a shift. If it drops 2, it will downshift and the power of that little engine pulls it back to speed almost instantly. If it gains 2 going down a grade, it will downshift until it pulls it back to the set speed. The engine, transmission, brake controller integration is absolutely stunning. I especially like the fact that the braking really feels proportional. I like to set my trailer brakes a little heavy so that I feel it pull back a little when coming to a stop. Even set somewhat heavy, you never feel it load hard going in to a smooth stop at a light or when in traffic. Someone did their homework on this design. It works that well.
I have setup the Pro-Trailer Backup Assist on this truck with my travel trailer.
As you all know, I am absolutely in love with this little 3.5L Ecoboost. It knocks down 20 mpg all day long in my normal commute and has all the power you could ever want. I routinely get 600+ miles per tank (36 gal tank) on my commute with room to spare. Sport Mode will absolutely make you smile. There are many examples of these trucks turning low to mid 14’s in a ¼ mile in stock form. Since momma Ford still owns this thing, I obviously have never had it down the track. But as strong as this thing feels, I have no doubt that those times are legit.
The engine is quiet and comfortable and completely integrated with the 10-speed auto. There is never a time where it hunts for gears or hesitates. It simply just pulls in all conditions. There is an occasional downshift clunk, especially when coming to a stop. From the discussions I’ve read online, this seems to be common with this transmission design. It isn’t harsh in any way, you just notice it every once in a while.
There was quite a bit of discussion early on about the auto start/stop system. At first, I would disable the function with the dash button. I no longer do so and I can honestly admit that I don’t even notice the system anymore. You just get used to it.
OK, now for my areas of concerns. I have the longest available wheelbase on the F150, 157”. Though it allows the full crew cab and 6.5’ bed, it has just about the worst turn radius of any vehicle I’ve ever driven. You pretty much need to phone ahead if you need to make a u-turn. If you were buying one of these trucks and often had to make sharp turns, get the 145” wheelbase with the 5.5’ bed.
The second area of frustration that I have with this truck as delivered is the absolutely awful OEM Michelin Primacy XC tires that came on this thing.
Last, but not least, I need to schedule a service appointment for TSB 19-2041 for a warped dash issue. XL and XLT trucks have issues with the dash pulling apart near the defrost vents under the windshield. Sure enough, mine has the problem.
Well, I hope this little review is helpful to someone. I know it’s not common to share such information on a competitive manufacturers site, but I firmly believe that this type of info is helpful in making a true comparison of competitive class vehicles across the market.
Last edited:
BDaugherty
TDR MEMBER
jgillott
TDR MEMBER
15000 miles and nothing significant to report. Going to have an alignment done next week. Getting a little pull to the left now since the last tire rotation. These OEM Michelin tires have been absolute junk from the beginning so it wouldn't be surprising if I had a tire issue developing.
TFucili
TDR MEMBER
Michelin seems to have gone downhill. My wife's Acura came with OEM Michelins, and I thought that was going to mean finally factory tires that lasted. Had to replace them at @25 or 28K miles(can't recall exactly)with proper inflation, regular rotation, and no alignment issues. The Toyos we put on are wearing significantly better. I guess I'm a dinosaur, but if I am going to "put my name" on something, I am not going to make garbage just to get a contract.
jgillott
TDR MEMBER
Agreed. I'll see if I can get it to show in a picture, but it looks like the one I have on the left front now has a slight bulge starting in the sidewall.
Since momma Ford still owns this thing, I'm going to see if I can't get them replaced or at least significantly pro rated. Leaving on approx 3000 miles of towing soon with it and I'd like to have it taken care of before we go. First step is having the alignment verified by the dealer though.
Since momma Ford still owns this thing, I'm going to see if I can't get them replaced or at least significantly pro rated. Leaving on approx 3000 miles of towing soon with it and I'd like to have it taken care of before we go. First step is having the alignment verified by the dealer though.
jgillott
TDR MEMBER
True. I don't know about you all, but it drives me crazy when the wheel Isn't straight.
Another Ford on the rack. All we are missing is a picture of the cab removal
Says the guy with a busted up Mercury
Ozymandias
TDR MEMBER
So sad to hear about the Tires - Michelin was always top quality but also for a high end price.
I loved them always.
Especially the winter tires are great.
I loved them always.
Especially the winter tires are great.
jgillott
TDR MEMBER
jgillott
TDR MEMBER
Showing a leaser some lovin'!
I sense someone is thinking about keeping this one beyond the term
Any reason you didn't run the van to Florida? Camper too much weight for it?
Yea, I just may be hanging on to it beyond term. Even if I turn it in, it still needs to look good.
The Sprinter pulls and stops the trailer just fine. Crosswind is a nightmare with it though, especially with 27' of trailer out the back.
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Issue 128 – Digital Version
Digital Magazines
FREE!
TDR Test Drive - Digital Edition
Renew
Subscribe
Gift Subscriptions
Back Issues
Subscription Status
Address Change Form
Buyer's Guides
Ram Diagnostic Trouble Codes
The Perfect Collection
The Perfect Collection Vol. II
TSB Updates
Dodge/Cummins Historical Overview
Cameron Collection
What Makes Us Tick?
Product Showcase
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