Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

[Wassachu]

I realize that these years are old but I bought a new 1997 Ford F250 with a 5.4L motor. At 8000 miles the pistons strarted slapping. I went to Ford and they had no idea what the problem was. It sounded like a desiel when started. The tried a few things with no success. Then they decided they were going to replace the pistons. I said, "no way! Your going to replace the motor". I had to go to the Ford Settlement Board. I lost and they said they would replace the pistons so I waited. Later they had a change of mind and said I'd get a new motor but first they had to redesign the 5.4L motor. They thought the skirts on the pistons were too short. I waited and waited. 1998 past, 1999 was over half way through when they came out with a redesigned 5.4L motor. So all of those 1997, 1998 and 1999 Fords with the 5.4L motors had this potential problem. This one dealer had 15 bad motors so this wasn't a small problem. Finally I got a call from the dealer, they had a new motor in a crate waiting for me. I took the truck in, now turning 25,000 miles on this clackity clack motor. They installed my new motor.
400 miles later my fan belt squealed. I took it back to Ford and they replaced the fan belt. Shortly there after the fan belt squealed again, I took it back to Ford. They replaced the tensioners and pulleys. Later the fan belt squealed again. I went back and one trip at a time they replaced every component on the front of my motor, altinator, power steering pump, etc and it still sqealed. That meant something internal on my new motor.

I dumped the truck. After dealing with Ford and this truck my blood pressure was high and I needed a break. I bought a 2000 Tundra. My blood pressure is now normal.

So if buying a used Ford with an 5.4L motor in the years of 1997, 98, and 99 think twice.

 

[SeaKaye12]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

Your experience is a perfect example of why I have always dread buying a new car.

The manufacturers and dealers seem to go out of their way to make "service under warranty" as difficult an experience for the customer as possible.

First of all; most warranties are "Limited" Yeah, limited to stuff that rarely goes wrong.

Then; there's the "I don't hear anything" issue. You can have a 100% bumper to bumper warranty...but if the dealer says that they can't hear the noise...or that "they all do that".....what choice do you have but to wait it out. Chances are; by the time the problem gets bad enough to be obvious to them...the warranty will be over.

For the auto industry to get back on its feet...they have to do four things:

(1) Make a quality product in the first place and price it fairly for it's class.

(2) Offer a generous warranty on the entire product. No exceptions.

(3) When there is a problem...don't quibble....get it fixed correctly and quickly...the first time.

(4) Be sure that the people at the dealers who greet the public have the personality and training to cause their customers to feel comfortable and secure that their investment in that mfg's product was not a mistake.

Do those things...and people will buy a lot more new cars.

Thanks for reading,

Chuck

 

[JCF350]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

Bashing a product ain't encouraged here.
Ford took take care of their customers on this issue.

Finally I got a call from the dealer, they had a new motor in a crate waiting for me. I took the truck in, now turning 25,000 miles on this clackity clack motor. They installed my new motor.

Ford converted an entire engine assembly line to take care of this problem till they got caught up with it.
GM used the same piston skirt design but they didn't take care of it the same way.

400 miles later my fan belt squealed. I took it back to Ford and they replaced the fan belt. Shortly there after the fan belt squealed again, I took it back to Ford. They replaced the tensioners and pulleys. Later the fan belt squealed again. I went back and one trip at a time they replaced every component on the front of my motor, altinator, power steering pump, etc and it still sqealed. That meant something internal on my new motor.

Means nothing except the dealer couldn't fix the problem.
Remember when go to the dealer you are not dealing with the factory you are dealing with "Joe Smith's" auto repair who meets the criteria set forth by the factory (lots of dealers have more untrained techs than ones that have any factory training).

So if buying a used Ford with an 5.4L motor in the years of 1997, 98, and 99 think twice.

Ford replaced every one these that they could locate. So your chances of this are slim to none.

I dumped the truck. After dealing with Ford and this truck my blood pressure was high and I needed a break. I bought a 2000 Tundra. My blood pressure is now normal.

Big step down from a 250 size capacity wise.

 

[JB]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

Modern American vehicles are absolutely marvelous compared to the days before the Japanese started sending us cars that worked. . .and worked. . .and worked.

I had a number of Detroit vehicles that were worn out at 50,000 miles. Any that made it to 100,000 were considered local wonders. I did have one that passed 100,000. . .a 1954 Ford Ranchwagon. That was the closest thing I had to a bulletproof American car prior to the mid-80s.

 

[JCF350]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

In the 50's? Anything that made 50k was minor miracle.
Just think, we had non-detergent motor oil, bypass filtering on a lot of engines (change the filter every other oil change), open crankcase vents to name a couple.

Your talking about a change in lubricants and materials over those years. With lubricants being the main reason on longevity issues.

Yep those "underpowered" engines ran and ran, the rest of the car fell apart around the drive train.

 

[gss036]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

I had a 1975 Chev Malibu Classic that 185,000 miles on and was still running great when I traded it in. Every thing else was a mess thoug, tie rods, brakes and transmission mounts. But the 350 V-8 was still very stong.
I went throught the same scenerio with my current truck, Chev 1999(late run,same as 2000 model). 7500 miles started making noises, took it to the dealer service center and told them it sounded like I had stuck hyd lifters. The guy chuckled and said like, I wish> then told me it was piston slap and was common w/the Vortec engines. That started a long process filing complaints with GM, I called Detriot several times filing complaints. Then got a call from the local shop, they took the truck anf rebuilt the engine, new crank and pistons. It had 11000 miles by now. At 14000+, started the same thing and we start all over, then about a month later, got a call and they asked me to come it, they had a new in crate factory engine (complete). Installed it and the truck is still running great to this day. They told me the old engine had out of round cylinders????? Whatever!
I also had a 1985 Ford 250 4X4 diesel, when it got to 92000 miles, I started loosing antifreeze. I found it in the oil. Guy that ran the Ford truck shop said that was common with the run of engines. Said they developed a pin hole in the back cyinder(drivers side) and on every stroke, a minute amount of coolant would pass through the hole. This was not a sleeved engine and they could not fix it. I traded it on my 1999 Chev. Have not had good luck w/trucks.

 

[642mx]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

I had an F-150 that was a basket case too. I'm done with Ford & GM. After owning a Tundra for a few years and having 0 problems with it, I'm sold on the Toyota's.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

I drive a 97 Expedition with the 4.6l V8. It has 170K miles on it and going strong.

I have a put a starter, alternator, and water pump on it. Other than that, I feed it oil, brakes, tires, and lots of gas and it serves me well.

 

[avenger79]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

120,000 on my '02 5.4L Ford. The yhave had issues but so has anyone else.

I had a 1990 Toyota that made it all of 6 months. It was a bad year for them. there are no good or bad brands only luck of the draw when you buy it. my '08 Jeep at 3000 mi no longer has a horn. Seems they go out at the first sign of mud. --- Trail rated

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

Who needs a horn in the mud???? he he

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

It's not only cars. I used to trade my Harley electraglides about every five or six years for a new one. Never had a complaint till the last one I bought in 2002. Right off the bat I had a wicked bad valve noise, Would tap like the devil sometimes at start up and then would stop after a while, sometimes a minute, sometimes five miles down the road. Sometimes it would not tap at all. So I take it back with less than 500 miles on it. Dealer says he cant duplicate the noise. I take it home and same deal all over again. I know that it sure seems like one of the lifters is not pumping up right away. I take it back and tell them what I suspect. Long story short, after three trips to the dealer I tore into the motor myself and and found all kinds of stuff wrong. It turns out the cam chain tensioner was made of some kind of Bakelite and had chipped away, a piece of it somehow got up into the lifter blocking it up and that was the whole problem. So here is a 13,000 dollar bike that I had to fix and install gear drive cams in just to make it run well. On my dime. Last new HD I'll ever buy. HD lost a good customer , but they seem to be more worried about T Shirts and jackets these days

 

[JCF350]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

I had an F-150 that was a basket case too. I'm done with Ford & GM. After owning a Tundra for a few years and having 0 problems with it, I'm sold on the Toyota's.

Best keep an eye on the frame.

 

[642mx]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

Best keep an eye on the frame.

Thats the Taco, not the Tundra.

 

[rwise]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

I drive a fairly new ford E350 (gas) at work, it has had 4 new transmissions before got it (has less than 150K on it now) One of the other vans lost an engine and ford put in a new one (at our expense) a local mechanic ask *was it number 4?* and yes it was, he said *it is always number 4* mine spit out a spark plug on the way to OKC 2 weeks ago, ford put in a hili coil (well a thread insert) the local independent mechanic said there is a service bulletin on (again) number 4 and water runs down onto the plug and can come out threads and all! I think these are 5.4's but I am not sure,,,
FORD = Fix Or Repair Daily

 

[rwise]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

Oh ya, so many have spit out plugs that ford made a tool to replace the threads without pulling the head!

 

[JCF350]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

Thats the Taco, not the Tundra.

It's a Toyota ain't it. This what you hear from some folks, they will condemn an entire manufacturers product line over one problem with one particular product (I just chose that one to make a point).

Read an interview with auto engineer some years back there are perhaps 10,000 people involved in producing a new car from concept to the end of the production if just one person drops the ball the car is a piece of junk.

Next point my brother (who hates Fords) lost no time in telling me that Dodge's were gonna help topple Ford from #1. Didn't happen.
Heard the same thing with the Tundra. Didn't happen.
This on top of the fact that most Fords get sold as WORK! trucks and not as weekend "profilers". This why the average resale value on the Fords is less the other makes (they end up with higher milage and more body dents).

 

[642mx]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

It's a Toyota ain't it. This what you hear from some folks, they will condemn an entire manufacturers product line over one problem with one particular product (I just chose that one to make a point).

So I should say, watch your gas tank because the Pinto was a bomb waiting to go off?....pretty stupid point....

Next point my brother (who hates Fords) lost no time in telling me that Dodge's were gonna help topple Ford from #1.

Your brother is funny...lol. Dodges are the worst trucks made. Its not an opinion, its a fact that they have more issues than any other pick up made.

This on top of the fact that most Fords get sold as WORK! trucks and not as weekend "profilers". This why the average resale value on the Fords is less the other makes (they end up with higher milage and more body dents).

A lot of F-150's do get sold as work trucks. They are cheap for contractors and such. They cost less to begin with, and they're worth less on resale. You don't need to be a rocket scientist for that one.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

So I should say, watch your gas tank because the Pinto was a bomb waiting to go off?....pretty stupid point....

Not stupid point at all. What he said was exactly right. When a person has a specific problem with one model of a domestic manufacturer's vehicle, they automatically swear off all of that manufacturer's products. Yet when an American buys a Japanese car that has problems, they either never report it, or they say it was a fluke and not indemic of a company-wide failure.

So all those people that bought Honda Odysseys with bad transmissions, it doesn't apply to any other Honda products.
Ok, the Tacoma frame rusts out not the Tundra. So not all Toyota trucks are junk. But what about the driveshafts on the new Tundra? Or the breaking camshafts?

 

[JCF350]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

So I should say, watch your gas tank because the Pinto was a bomb waiting to go off?....pretty stupid point....

Yep, but you hear it a lot when your in the auto repair business.

Your brother is funny...lol. Dodges are the worst trucks made. Its not an opinion, its a fact that they have more issues than any other pick up made.

No disagreement here.

A lot of F-150's do get sold as work trucks. They are cheap for contractors and such. They cost less to begin with, and they're worth less on resale. You don't need to be a rocket scientist for that one.

You better hire one. Small contractors don't get the "big fleet" discounts and they don't buy the plain Janes either.

 

[tysonnathan]

Re: Fords 5.4L V8 Problems

My dad bought a new 1997 F-250 with a 5.4. He drove it for a few years before passing it down to my older brothers and eventually to me to learn to drive on. After 8 years and 260,000 miles we had done NO significant work on the engine. Only a few power coils here and there. The transmission was rebuilt at 185,000. I got it as a sixteen year old at 162,000 miles and ran it its last 100,000. It was a great truck..... aside from the slight oil consumption towards the end of its life.... but @260, I couldnt complain