1989 Ford F150 XLT review from North America
"Maintenance Nightmare"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Rust:
I've replaced the oil pan. Yes, can you believe that something filled with oil rusts out? Incidentally, I live in Virginia and they don't use salt on the roads here so why the pan of all things rusts out is beyond me. Repair is very expensive: $600 bucks.
Exhaust Manifolds:
Yes, both have cracked which is apparently the norm for these vehicles.
Repair costs: $250 each side (I now have $500 bucks tied up in replacement exhaust manifolds!!! --- these things never fail on other manufacturer's vehicles)
Fuel System:
Both front and read gas tanks went at 75,000 - 80,000 miles --- internal sending units!! And of course, I'm on the third fuel selector switch ($100 bucks a copy)
Transmission:
The vehicle uses a Automatic Overdrive (AOD) transmission that is (frankly) not built tough enough for this vehicle --- first rebuild at 77,000 miles and it's ready for another now.
Note: fortunately it isn't the E4OD used by Ford these years. My son has one of these in his 1991 F-450 and he's now on the fourth transmission.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1989 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 5.0L Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 1 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 1 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 75000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 98000 miles |
| Previous car | Toyota 4Runner |
| Date of Entry | 21st July, 2002 |