1988 Ford F150 Custom review from North America
"Indestructible if you know basic mechanic"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Electrical system shorted out often.
Head gasket leaked.
Clutch slipped.
The Radio, Wipers, Headlights and starter all wouldn't work toward the end.
The exhaust system fell off completely.
General comments?
In all fairness this truck had LOTS of mileage on it, as it had been abused as a farm truck for almost 10 years before I ever sat in the driver's seat.
Despite all the things that went wrong this is a reliable vehicle. I was never left stranded on the side of the road.
As with all Fords the electrical system needs constant vigilance, but apart from that it ran nearly 60,000 miles of hard use after being abused on a farm (including being rammed into by a tractor) for nearly 300,000 miles.
The vehicle is not for short people as it is very tall.
Ergonomics are good. However, the high beam button is still on the floor and foot operated.
Gas mileage was VERY good for the size and power of the engine.
The manual transmission is very smooth.
The six cylinder engine is in fact stronger than the base 5 liter V8 engine with the added bonus of vastly better fuel economy.
Recommended reviews
| Great 1st truck for beginning drivers! |
|
| Ford trucks are great! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1988 |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2000 |
| Engine and transmission | 4.9 Inline Six Manual |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 299788 miles |
| Most recent distance | 359100 miles |
| Date of Entry | 19th November, 2002 |