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5.4 3v or 5.0 ?

3K views 18 replies 10 participants last post by  deathbypsi 
#1 ·
Im in the market for a new to me truck. Im looking at 2010-2013 F150 4x4 trucks. Looking for some input from owners of each or both on how good or bad these motors are. My old man has a 02 fx4 that I have serviced since new and the 5.4 2v in that thing has been a total POS..dropping coils,spitting plugs,lossing gears,electical issues,leaky manifolds.

Did all this bullshit carry over to the 3v 5.4 or did Ford make a better mouse trap? Or do they have all new issues? I havent heard any bad news on the 5.0 trucks so that why Im askin here.

Im gona daily this thing and use it to pull my 18' open trailer with either my 4wd Ranger truggy or my little turbo Ranger drag truck.
 
#2 ·
We have a 2012 i believe at the shop and it has the 5.0. And we also have a bunch of older ones with 5.4. Power is night and day and the 6 speed auto with the 5.0 is badass for towing. I would love to have one. And i wouldnt take one of the 5.4 liter boat anchors if they gave it to me. I think it has somewere around 30,000 on it and it has been problem free as far as i know.
 
#3 ·
my sister leases a new f150 every 2 years. she has had just about every possible combo.
the 5.4 3v has decent power compared to a 2v, but still has issues. the later models dont spit plugs, but will still drop coils.
my 02 v10 has only dropped 2 coils in 130k though.
her new 5.0 6spd auto is sweet! it has great power!
if you can, hold out for a 5.0L!
 
#4 ·
I have not had too many complaints with my 2009 5.4 3V with the 6 speed. I drove a 2006 5.4/4 speed, and hated it. I've towed up to full size blazers with it, and it does well, not a huge HP motor, but good torque.


That being, I have noticed twice in the last 2 months a stumble when extended idling (once in a drive thru, once in a traffic jam) that seems suspiciously like a misfire. Any info on 'dropped coils' in these?

I would love to trade mine in for an Ecoboost. But I will be holding out for the redesign coming up.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Hold out for the 5.0. I have an 06 3v with the 4 speed and 3:73 rear end, and it's so so. I think I get about 14 mpg. My dad has the identical combo and he claims 18 mixed driving. They are both on the turd-ish side of the spectrum. I know that we didn't buy race cars, but still. :teehee: They do tow very nicely, however. My dad had an 02 with the 5.4 2v and ran it until a little over 300k with little maintenance. Plugs and a couple coils twice. The spark plug problems on the 3v motors have always worried me, but whatever. I've driven the 5.0 and the ecoboost, can't go wrong with either, IMO.
 
#7 ·
#11 ·
Well crazy day!

I made an apointment Thursday afternoon at Dave Knapp Ford in Adrian Mi to meet there today at 1pm to drive truck and buy {cash} if I liked it. At 11am this morn the sales manager Herman called me {woke me up} to make sure I was still coming at 1pm. I told yes and asked if there was a problem and said no he was just getting his apointments together....
I jump in the shower and at noon Herman calls me again. First thing I ask is if the truck sold..he says no but its a super busy day for him and asks if he can push me back to 2pm.I told him im driving 45min to get there and that puts me real close to not being able to leave for work on time at 4pm. He says it will be quick and he wants to put me in the truck today so I agree.I leave my house at 1pm and start driving to dealer.At 1;40 a guy at dealer named Sam calls me{Im less than 10min from dealership} and asks AGAIN if Im on my way.I tell him I will be there in 5minutes.He says its no big deal but the truck I wanted was sold 20min ago......sold 20 min ago! Instantly I feel like I was kept on the hook while they already were workin on a deal with somebody else..So I go off on the dude on the phone and thank them for killing all my free time for today and to FUCK off.

I then drove to Toledo and went to Brondes Ford and struck up a deal with a real good sale guy named JJ and walked out with a sweet 2012 Blue xlt 5.0 4wd for less money than the white 2011.
 
#13 ·
My new ride...



Drove it to work 100 miles round trip lastnite and wow have trucks changed since my last new truck I bought in 2001. lol
 
#18 ·
I thought my old 94 with its built 351 moved out good but this 5.0 is amazing.Turn off the traction control and its a beast!
I had Sundance pull some similar shit on me when I bought my truck in august. Fawking hate dealers :whiz:
...and they keep coming! Dealer was pushing me to buy the extended warranty to cover the truck til 100k for 1995.99 and I was just plain out of cash so they said I could come back within the next two weeks and buy it. Well lastnite I went to Fords ESP website and found that "1995.99" ESP plan and its real cost is actually only 1139.00
Congrats on the new truck. I'm picking up my new (gasp) minivan tonight; I'm really hoping the dealer pulls no shenanigans.

I was looking at my neighbors 2013 5.0 yesterday, all I can say is damn there is LOTS of room in the engine bay! Compared to the 2010 5.4 F-150 I’m used to, the 5.0 should be a dream to work on.
My buddy who just bought a 13 2500 DOdge Cummins summed it up best when I showed him the truck. I opened the hood and first thing he said was "wheres the rest of the motor?"
 
#17 ·
Congrats on the new truck. I'm picking up my new (gasp) minivan tonight; I'm really hoping the dealer pulls no shenanigans.

I was looking at my neighbors 2013 5.0 yesterday, all I can say is damn there is LOTS of room in the engine bay! Compared to the 2010 5.4 F-150 I’m used to, the 5.0 should be a dream to work on.
 
#19 ·
After the snow we have gotten over the past two weeks here is my impression so far. I Hate Traction Control.

Unfortunately this truck doesnt have a factory Traclok or E-diff. I found out just pulling out of my driveway out on to the busy street in a little bit of snow was almost a near death experience. As soon as the rear tire started spinning the stupid TC kicked in and killed all engine power {and forward progress}leaving me sticking halfway out into the dam street barely crawling. I twisted it into 4hi and was able to get out and moving in time to avoid getting plowed in the ass.

On the street I feel the truck is almost undriveble on snow in 2wd and TC turned on. Whoever decided to make the default setting for the TC on is a moron.This crap should be off until you decide you want it on. So im basically forced to drive around in 4hi where my old 2wd 94 with a t-lok would have no issues.

After some reading on F150 Forums I discovered that even though I push the button to turn the TC off it still really isnt off.:confused: In Fords great wisdom they decided that even though you choose to turn TC off they are going to still let it kick back in whenever your moving over a certain {slow} speed.Only after you turn the TC off can you hold the button down another 8-10 seconds will it turn off the "Advanced Traction Control" and give you back control of the truck. Next to the dipstick on this motor its the dumbest thing I have ever experienced in a Ford truck.


Had a couple buddies planned a day at Bundyhill yesterday so I decided to take a drive up there with the GF just to play around with the 4wd a little and see how this thing worked.Huge pain to constantly have to remember to go through that button bullshit everytime I restarted the truck.After a while I just let truck run and never turned it off.At the very least Ford should have made the TC turn off once you click it into 4low.Once it was turned off the truck would just plow through about a foot deep snow with no issues...in Hi or Low. The few times I forgot to turn the TC off/off it would kick in and render us stuck in just a few inches.



However I did get to do its first Cummins recovery! {sorry Mike!}
 
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