How many miles can you get out of your Ford F150? If this was a question on your mind and judging by the fact that you are reading this, it is, then this is the post for you.
We will look into the different things you need to look into to improve the lifespan of your Ford F150. It is an iconic truck that has been a top seller in the American market for over 4 decades.
It is safe to say that the Ford F150 is synonymous with modern-day America and all the values it stands for. It is a solid, capable and reliable pickup truck that everyone loves.
How long does a ford f150 last?
A Ford f150 on average will last 225,000 miles this ranges anywhere from 150,000 miles to 300,000 miles when you maintain it well. This translates to about 15 to 20 years of driving if you are doing about 15,000 per year.
Basically, the Ford F150 ranks amongst the best figures on the market when it comes to overall longevity. Ford has gone to great lengths in producing engines and vehicles in general that last for a long time.
With their long history, nothing less is expected of them. It doesn’t mean that they haven’t had failures over the years though.
There are several cases where they have had models or engines that just did not measure up and were discontinued. Fortunately, this is not the case as far as the F150 is concerned. It has proved to be one of the best performers for them over the years.
How Reliable is F150?
The Ford F150 is generally a reliable vehicle. You can expect a 15 to 20+ years lifespan when you make the effort to take good care of it while averaging 10,000 to 15,000 miles per year. It ranks 7 th out of 17 trucks in America. As far as reliability rankings are concerned, the F150 scores 3.5 out of 5 overall. This places it somewhere in the middle of the pack when compared against other full-size pickup trucks in their category.
When it comes to maintenance, there are not that many costs that come associated with it. In fact, you can expect to spend around $790 per year on maintenance costs.
The engine is also quite reliable and capable of giving you an average of 150,000 – 200,000 miles before needing to be replaced. If the maintenance record is up to scratch, your engine will last longer.
The F150 has hardly had major issues throughout its production run. It has been rated the best selling and most popular pickup truck in the US over the past 4 decades since its inception.
Having said that there are some f150 years you should avoid. First of all, let’s look at the years of the Ford F150 to avoid. The worst production years to date have been the 2002 model, 2004 to 2007, 2010-11, 2013, and 2015-16. For the best experience with the F150, steer clear of these.
The best model years of the F150 have been the 1993-1994 model, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2009, 2012, and 2014. These have proven to offer the best value for money and overall experience.
What is the high mileage for a Ford F-150?
Since we now know the average longevity for an f150 is 225 000 miles then it is recommended that you avoid anything that is over the average longevity. Although mileage doesn’t necessarily mean wear and tear there is a strong relationship between high mileage and high maintenance cost.
Things You Should Know
One part of your F150 truck that will most probably need to be rebuilt in a high mileage F150 is the engine. Even though it is a great engine, it won’t last forever. When the time comes, you will need to replace it.
If you are considering rebuilding the engine, you can expect to pay anywhere between $8,000 and $10,000. This is just for the engine itself and not inclusive of labor.
If you factor that in, then you are looking at another $500 to $600 on top of that. So, unless you are capable of rebuilding the engine yourself, budget between $8,500 and $10,600.
In fact, $9,000 to $11,000 is a more realistic figure especially if you factor in unforeseen costs that usually crop up on some of these projects.
Another thing is Ford F150 trucks with the 10-speed automatic transmission have had problems that led to a recall of 1 million trucks. This particular transmission is designed with the ability to skip gears in order to make it more fuel-efficient.
However, if the gear skipping mechanism fails, it leads to rough gear changes which cause the truck to jerk violently. These jerks have been known to cause whiplash. As you can imagine, this can put you in great risk on the road. The 2011 to 2013 Ford F150s with the 10-speed automatic transmission are the ones you need to watch for and steer clear of.
Conclusion on How Many Miles a Ford F150 Lasts
Generally speaking, you can expect to get up to 300 000 miles out of your F150 truck. You will most likely not need to make any major repair work within this timeframe in most circumstances. It’s definitely a great investment that many owners would not trade for any other truck.