GeezingInVA
Well-Known Member
Hi,
Our 2004 XLT 4x4 w/5.4L and load-leveling was purchased new in December 2003, and only has 98K miles on it, although it looks older due to the same chalky doors plastic cladding everybody else has, too. We use it for long road trips, driving our Golden Retriever to the dog park and therapy visits, to pull our bumper-pull Double D slant-load two-horse trailer, pick up grain & supplies from the local Southern States Farmers Co-Op, and haul trash to the dump.
All in all, up until now it's been a pretty dependable hauler with very few non-routine-maintenance issues. Lately we've had a failure of three of the load-leveling sensors (requiring a rollback pick up trip/ride to the shop because the body was sitting lowrider-like on the frame), the passenger-rear window is stuck in the up position, (which is most likely the "best" non-operational position), and the driver-side exhaust header has the beginnings of the dreaded death rattle exhaust holes. The front passenger-side door sill has rusted to dust, leaving a huge jagged hole along most of the length of the sill, but it doesn't seem to be letting CO inside,... yet.
Hoping the 2016's have Sync3 so maybe we'll consider trading up, if I can believe the V6 EcoBoost really has similar muscle to the 5.4L to pull our trailer. Cheers!
...Karl
Our 2004 XLT 4x4 w/5.4L and load-leveling was purchased new in December 2003, and only has 98K miles on it, although it looks older due to the same chalky doors plastic cladding everybody else has, too. We use it for long road trips, driving our Golden Retriever to the dog park and therapy visits, to pull our bumper-pull Double D slant-load two-horse trailer, pick up grain & supplies from the local Southern States Farmers Co-Op, and haul trash to the dump.
All in all, up until now it's been a pretty dependable hauler with very few non-routine-maintenance issues. Lately we've had a failure of three of the load-leveling sensors (requiring a rollback pick up trip/ride to the shop because the body was sitting lowrider-like on the frame), the passenger-rear window is stuck in the up position, (which is most likely the "best" non-operational position), and the driver-side exhaust header has the beginnings of the dreaded death rattle exhaust holes. The front passenger-side door sill has rusted to dust, leaving a huge jagged hole along most of the length of the sill, but it doesn't seem to be letting CO inside,... yet.
Hoping the 2016's have Sync3 so maybe we'll consider trading up, if I can believe the V6 EcoBoost really has similar muscle to the 5.4L to pull our trailer. Cheers!
...Karl
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