Faults:

This was a very good vehicle except for the following: When taking off from a start, the engine frequently died unless I really revved it up, which overheated the clutch, and that caused the clutch to start shuddering. Ford eliminated the vacuum advance years ago, and that's what their trucks need to reasonably take off from a start without having to restart the engine, which can be embarrassing and dangerous. No one wants to rev up an engine when taking off, because it will destroy the clutch. Ford just can't get it right... Vacuum advance, that's what it needs! I was disgusted with it after only 10,000 miles, and traded it off for a Dodge, which I'm happy with.

General Comments:

Never purchase a truck from Ford with a manual transmission, always insist on an automatic unless you want to put up with it dying at inappropriate times, and having to replace the clutch frequently. Go with Dodge instead.

Faults:

Driving the truck shortly after I bought it (2300 miles), it felt really sluggish, as if the transmission was slipping. Later that day, I was driving down the road and the dash lights start flashing, the chimes start going off, and I look down to see what is happening, and there is a message saying Trans Fault. I am not far from the dealer, so I take it to them and they shut the truck off and start it back up, and all of the problems went away. I had shut it off several times, and the slipping never went away, so I'm not sure that is all they did, although they say that is all they did.

A couple weeks later, I notice that the A/C will only blow out through the heater. This went on for 4 days, and I again took it to the dealer. They say that it worked fine, and since then it has.

When asking why this stuff is happening to a brand new truck, they answered that sometimes things like that just happen. They never happened on any other vehicle I've owned, and I've owned many; why this one?

The windshield cracked due to a structural defect. Ford won't fix this issue.

The stereo sometimes has a mind of its own.

Faults:

Nothing yet.

General Comments:

My first truck. Was looking to buy a cheap used car and saw ad for a new 2008 F-150 (in Oct 2008) for only $10,500!

I went to the dealer without finishing breakfast and bought it. It had 19 miles on it when I signed the papers - probably 15 of those from my highway test drive.

Air conditioning, lots of room behind the bucket seats, factory bed liner, and some clever little text message system and odometer combo.

I haven't seen any new vehicles that cheap since. Even the little Rangers cost more.

My 94 Festiva lasted 11 years before I sold it. I figure this full size truck will last me at least 12 since I don't load it up any more than I did my Festiva. (Maybe less - the Festiva had 4 passenger seating.)

Not a fast vehicle, but spunky and takes off well.