1999 Ford F150 5.4L V8 from North America

Summary:

If you are considering buying a Ford truck, figure on trading it in at about 50, 000 miles

Faults:

Brakes wear out very quickly - must be replaced or re-trued every 15,000 miles.

Anti-lock feature never worked.

Windshield wipers operate without being switched on.

Seat belt does not retract.

Temperature control knob has stopped working.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 21st September, 2004

22nd Sep 2004, 07:58

I have a 97 F150 with 165000 miles on it. The brakes don't have to be retrued every 15,000. A lot of it could be the way you drive the truck. 90% of brake problems are the way someone drives their vehicle.

26th Sep 2004, 17:37

First I've never heard of any vehicle that has to have the rotors cut every 15000 miles. However if you are having that problem there could be a more serious problem then you realize. Or maybe you just are too hard on them.

Second, if the problems listed in your review are the only ones you've had with the truck then it still sounds like a good vehicle. You haven't reported any major component problems although I suspect you might have to get a second opinion on your brakes.

I've owned two F150s and they have been the most reliable vehicles I've ever driven. The gas mileage sucks, but what do expect from a full sized pickup.

If you don't like the truck then why don't you trade it in on a nice Dodge? Then you'll really have something to complain about.

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1999 Ford F150 XLT 4x2 5.4 Triton from North America

Summary:

Awesome performance and awesome bang for the buck

Faults:

Car cell phone charger killed the battery. Was replaced under extended warranty.

I guess the gas mileage could be counted as a fault, but with the addition of a few airflow modifications my gas mileage has risen to roughly 15/24mpg.

General Comments:

Even with the quad cab and a 900+ lb. tonneau cover this truck really hauls.

Truck has surprisingly good grip in all weather conditions.

I can seat 6 medium sized people or 5 large people.

Nothing wrong with the truck at all.

Has a beautiful exhaust note when modified.

Intelligently made interior with the 60/40 seats.

AWESOME bang for the buck.

All in all I love my truck and would recommend anyone even remotely interested in picking one up.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th September, 2004

29th Jan 2007, 07:49

What mods di dyou do to increase gas mileage?

7th Oct 2007, 19:34

900+ pound tonneau cover? Whar are you using, cast iron??? My tonneau cover weighs 30 pounds tops, even a fiberglass cover would max out @ 200 lbs!!

1999 Ford F150 XLT 4.6 from North America

Summary:

A Great Value, A Great Truck

Faults:

Door ajar sensor works intermittently, which acts as if the door is open thus keeping the interior lights on until they time-out.

Tip of the gear shifter which protects the overdrive button broke off.

Electronic odometer comes and goes out of view, but continues to count miles.

General Comments:

This has been and continues to be a great truck. My problems have been minimal. It's never been to the dealer for a major service, therefore it has been very cheap to maintain.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th July, 2004

20th Feb 2005, 15:41

I have had the same problem with my odometer fading out, I was wondering if anyone knows why it does this? Is the repair expensive?

6th Jul 2005, 11:54

I just bought a 99. My odometer does the same thing. The dealer warned me about it ahead of time and also said he had an Excursion on his lot that did the same thing. It must be a common problem. He said he called the Ford dealership and asked them about it and they said the entire instrument panel would probably need to be replaced which could be $600. To me, it seems like it's just a loose wire, because sometimes if I hit a bump or if I flick it, it comes on.

Also, my windshield wipers sometimes come on by themselves, but I think the warranty will cover that.

26th Jul 2005, 14:24

In addition to last comment: The windshield wipers coming on by themselves is due to a fault in the multi-function switch. The odometer is due to a cold solder behind the instrument panel. This can be repaired just by re-soldering with a soldering pencil (if you want to try to do it yourself). Use a magnifier to find the bad one.

17th Aug 2007, 21:01

My 2000 F150 also blinks its odometer on and off, but I'm pretty sure it's still counting even when it's saying nothing. That's fine by me. I can live with it. If I ever need to get a mileage reading, I can just tap the cluster glass and it usually turns back on. Just as long as it keeps counting, that's all that matters.

9th Oct 2007, 12:52

On the "door ajar" light, spray some WD-40 in the door latch where it latches to the pin, it will take care of the problem. The sensor is in htere and can get gummed up.

2nd Jun 2009, 22:55

I own a 99, and have had all of the above problems, and have considered them minor and unimportant. But I have an A/C problem. No cold air, I changed a clutch cycle switch and still cannot tell if the clutch is engaging or not. Please give some advice on cheapest fix. Thanks.

18th Oct 2011, 23:26

Try spraying WD40 on the door latch and locking mechanism. It worked for my 99 F150.