2001 Ford F150 XL Triton 4.6L V8 from North America
Summary:
A good, reliable, truck if you take care to do preventative maintenance to keep it up and running
Faults:
Due to rust out, I have had a rear brake line and a transmission coolant line rupture. I have also had a fuel pump fail at about 68,6XX miles. I also had the universal joint that connects into the differential replaced at the same time that was in poor shape, and would make a rattling sound when the truck sat idling.
General Comments:
Very solid, driving vehicle. Mine was retired out of Pennsylvania State Police Service so it has most likely had unconventional treatment compared to a civilian owned counterpart. With this into consideration, the truck has handled its new life of being driven 60 miles/5 days a week very well so far. Because of this, I also never had any firsthand experience with a Ford dealership.
I have one of the more basic packages you could option the truck with, and have a delete on almost all of the power options other than the radio, which in my opinion is a very nice option to have if you are looking for something very simple that just does the job.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 16th January, 2017
4th Mar 2017, 01:56
Update March 3rd, 2017 - Replacing pads on all 4 wheels and rear discs at 71,2XX miles. No other problems have occurred; the truck is running beautifully!
25th Aug 2017, 00:37
Update 8/24/2017: The truck has now reached 77,800 miles. Now needs a lower radiator support to pass inspection for July '18. I have had a rust out open up in the bottom and side on the front of the passenger rocker.
Correction on brakes: Rear only was replaced previously and was redone completely with parking brake shoes (which are a pain to get into adjustment), rotors, and pads. Front brakes were done at about 74,XXX miles; I replaced the front pads and rotors. I also replaced the sway bar links at 76,XXX miles. Other than these, the truck is still running well with no major problems.
16th Feb 2018, 04:28
Update 2/15/18: The truck was involved in one vehicle accident into concrete barrier going approximately 30 mph at 84,9XX miles. The truck received moderate frame damage but is still driveable. No new non-accident related problems other than an ABS system glitch that engages the ABS when making low speed stops.
17th Jan 2017, 03:26
Original Reviewer - (Additional things I forgot to add).
First off, this is my first vehicle. The drivetrain on this truck seems to be generally solid on both this particular truck and most others of this generation across the board. (My grandfather had a '97 F-150 that failed PA inspection for frame rust at 161,000 with the drivetrain still completely operational. I have seen several others of this generation across the web also accomplishing these miles, and going even higher.)
The truck does have minor glitches here and there such as the 4x4 light occasionally getting stuck on for a short amount of time and my O/D off light occasionally flashing on and off for no real apparent reason. When this problem has come up for me, restarting the truck has fixed it without fail, but have read that for some people, this can indicate trouble codes being set at the computer.
I also have the typical bed rust out on the front and back corners, but only on the driver's side of the truck (8ft. bed if this has any significance) but is still fixable. Mine was given a vinyl floor from the factory and I highly recommend it if you can find one with this; it eliminates having to worry about ruining carpet if you live where you have to deal with large amounts of dirt, road salt, or mud on a daily basis. On the flipside, be cautious of rust forming where the vinyl goes under the plastic trim on the floor; mine has a good amount of surface rust that has formed there that will have to be addressed.