I owned 6 Ford trucks between 2000-2022, including 3 F-150’s, and a F-250, F-350 and a F-450. The last 2 F-150’s I had were 3.5L Ecoboosts. I had another 2022 3.5L Ecoboost F-150 on order for a year when Ford was not able to get the chips and other parts (the same as other manufacturers) to produce it so I canceled the order and bought a new Subaru Outback Wilderness. What a change from owning all of those trucks!
I‘ve gotten new vehicles for many years in part since I worked in the auto industry and have been able to get them for somewhat lower than retail prices. I generally do not keep them for a long period of time, or put lots of miles on them (over 100,000 miles), but with a financial background I know very little about automobile engines, etc.
Since the original poster asked about F-150 3.5L Ecoboosts, I will share a couple experiences I had with the 2 that I owned.
In 2012, I bought a new 3.5L King Ranch, 4x4, 6.5’bed with a crew cab, and I put a Leer canopy on it. I drove it between PA and MT every summer from 2012 to 2018, and then drove it all summer in MT. It was a very nice vehicle, with no problems whatsoever, until we arrived in MT in May 2018. Then, at 70,000+ miles on the odometer, the air conditioner stopped blowing cold air. I backed the truck into our storage building, and this happened:
That’s what’s left of the truck on the far right side of the picture. Our insurance company sent a private investigator from Seattle. Ford sent 2 engineers from Detroit. Other people came as well. The truck’s remains were taken to Billings, MT where it was examined by 2 separate forensic laboratories to determine the fire’s cause. They were not able to conclusively determine the cause, but my best guess is it involved an electrical issue related to the air conditioner’s blower motor.
After we returned to PA later in that same summer I bought another new 2018 F-150 3.5L Ecoboost, similar to the one that had burned, but with a Platinum trim level, with lots of computer chips and many of the latest technology features. I drove that truck until the middle of the summer in 2022 when, at about about 29,000 miles on the odometer, the truck mysteriously began slowing down and I got a series of messages on the dash that said, in essence, “Take your truck to the nearest Ford dealer for service as soon as possible. DO NOT DRIVE PAST GO, OR YOU WILL BE IMMEDIATELY BE SENT TO JAIL.”
It was a Sunday afternoon at the time and I was driving home from a weekend fishing get together with about a dozen other guys. I was about 100 miles from my home with no Ford dealers nearby. None would have been open on Sunday anyway. Somehow, I kept driving the truck and I made it home. I’ll save you the details, but in summary, it took 2 different Ford dealerships nearly 1 month, and numerous service technicians and contacts with Ford for technical assistance, to determine the cause and fix the problem. I couldn’t begin to tell you what the problem was, only that Forrd paid for the entire repair. WHEW! I sold the truck almost as soon as it was fixed, and bought the Subaru Outback that I have now.
My wife has had 5 Subaru Outbacks in the past 7 or so years, but this is my first. We’ve had virtually zero problems with them, except mine got a pinhole leak in the air conditioner coolant reservoir several months ago that was replaced under warranty. I do miss the truck’s larger size, however, but my wife keeps telling me I don’t really need a truck anymore. I‘ve always slept in the back of my trucks when I go fishing, and have slept in my Subaru a number of times since owning it. It’s big enough to do that, but just barely with all the stuff I take with me. The navigation system and cameras on the Subaru suck, but I guess it’s okay otherwise. I like the MPG that we get on the Subaru’s, especially when compared to the Ford trucks, but honestly, I‘m thinking of getting a slightly larger Japanese vehicle in the next year or two - maybe a new Toyota Land Cruiser or a Lexus GX 550 Off Trail (or whatever it’s called) when they come out next year.
p.s. I’ll never forget attending a large meeting in Detroit one time back in the early 1980’s. Many of the automobile companies had people there. One evening I went to a hospitality room hosted by GM, and I remember talking to several GM, Ford and Chrysler managers who were huddled around, drinking some of the finest liquor, and complaining about the high costs of UAW union wages, compared the lower costs paid by the Japanese. After listening to them complain, I went to a large room on the ground floor of the building where many vendors had stands set up to display and sell their products. The whole room was empty except for a small group of Japanese men who were going around looking at all of the vendor offerings.
That that might explain why Japanese vehicles have the reputation for quality that they do, and why they have obtained a significant market share, and why there may be only Japanese vehicles in my future.
5.4L FWD, gets between 16 & 18 mpg.
But do I enjoy power windows , heated seats , defroster that actually works, yes I do .
Mostly just the maintenance now , oil changes etc . My diesel truck requires a bit more maintenance.
