Faults:

At 70,000 miles the Dome light wouldn't always shut off so I removed the bulb.

General Comments:

I bought this truck new and loved it.

It was a gorgeous, sweet, sturdy little truck, spruce green.

It always started right up, never stalled, never let me down, handled like a dream even speeding around curves.

I would have kept it longer, but the front & rear brakes, tires, shocks, serpentine belt, all needed to be replaced at the same time. Plus it still had the original clutch - with no issues, but who knows how much longer it would have lasted.

I cried a little when I traded it in, but I think I will love my new Ranger just as much.

Faults:

Most serious problem was with right brake line break (rust through) causing near total loss of braking control. Happened around 80k miles.

Intermittent electrical issues (interior lights, door ajar and check engine). With exception of inconvenience of no interior light (took out bulbs), not show stopping problems.

4-wheel drive component failure around 50k miles, total fix under $1,000 (think under $500 IIRC)

No transmission problems besides just a PITA sometimes to get truck into 1st gear. No major problems of any kind.

General Comments:

Solid truck, decent acceleration, great work horse. Will have to keep it until it no longer works, which is somewhat of a disappointment because besides a few flaws (noted above), this beast seems like it will be around for a few more years!

Faults:

Battery and Oxygen sensor while under warranty.

Starter and custom-molded Ford-exclusive fuel hose since warranty ended in 2000.

The truck was hit in the left rear in 1999. The fuel tank is to the left of center and the fuel line runs down the left side of the frame. I suspect that the fuel hose failure in 2002 might have been the result of some hidden damage done in that wreck.

Original shocks are bad at 100,000miles plus.

The truck hasn't seen a dealership since 2000, At both times times, I got right in without an appointment and was taken care of that day.

General Comments:

Very low cost per mile. Negligible maintenance costs over the 8 yrs., 2 mos. owned. Still no oil burning or leakage between changes. No transmission or clutch issues.

Original Firestone tires stank. I have 60K miles on the replacement Goodyear Wrangler AT/S tires. No unusual tire wear patterns, though I've never had the truck in for wheel alignment.

Cabin is a bit cramped. '98 and newer ones have 4" longer wheelbase--most of it accounted-for by extending the cab.

20-to-25 mpg in town. Higher in moderate weather when neither heat nor AC is required. Lower if operated outside of a 50-to-80 degree weather band and/or under a heavy load.

Poor acceleration from a stop with AC on--especially if carrying a load.Otherwise, performance is adequate.

Dome light problem referred-to by other posters is cured by lubing the door latches with WD40. The switches are built into the latches and when the latches get dry they engage well enough to latch the doors, but not well enough to shut off the switches.

I like the lower lift over height of a small truck vs. a full-size. I do city deliveries of bi-weekly ad papers and appreciate the ease of loading and unloading.

Faults:

Air conditioner has a slow undetectable leak.

Door switch keeps fouling, so the "door ajar" light is often on and the dome light stays on.

Hard to keep the wheels in balance.

General Comments:

I always wished this truck had another 20 or so horsepower. After 8 years, it has only let me down by having crappy A/C. It lost its cool after 3 years. Other than that, very small issues. This truck has taken me many places. It is comfortable and a reasonable size. It is well built and after 8 years, still looks good. The STX has the benefit of larger tires that actually fill the wheel wells. They got replaced by Ford during the Firestone fiasco. Not a fan of Firestone, but the Goodyear Wranglers that replaced them are worse (no grip in the oft wet climate here in the Pacific NW). This thing just goes and goes. Ford did something right with this truck. I'll be sorry to see it go, but my son is 12 and doesn't fit so well in the jump seats anymore. I'm here to review the replacement vehicle and thought I would give a good requiem for a truck that has served me well for a lot of years. Change the oil on a regular basis and it will take you anywhere.