In the market for a new truck

[FLO_RIDA]

Have a 2016 F150 now with a 3.5 ecoboost and I very much dislike it. The vibrations in this truck are horrible and I'm told from Ford oh it's normal. So needless to say I'm not going to fight Ford anymore because I have fought with them before with my past other two diesels and you get no where in the end. I'm looking for something in the 1500 class for example GMC. In the pickup world who has it going on?  Chevy GMC Toyota. I'm looking for a crew cab and I'm looking for reliability. I'm so sick of Ford I truly am. I have had nothing but problems. Im looking to do a trade in. 

[Refresh]

Describe the vibrations. I love my 3.5 ecoboost. Its quiet and does everything better than my other v8 f150. I plan to get add a 17+ f250 diesel in a year or two...

[FLO_RIDA]

A constant vibration at low speeds from 20-60. Feel it in the seats and steering wheel. It is like a rumble that when the tranny is say in 5th gear and the rpms are low this thing vibrates hard. Driveshaft has been changed two tires have been changed. And now the rotors are warped with only 9500 miles on it. Really, rotors at 9500 that is so sad?!!  And also the vibration is like something is off balance. Sometimes the vibration feels like it is in something that turns because the vibration tone and feel will sound louder then die down then come back up then go back down. It is so annoying. 

[BushPig]

6 minutes ago, Hondaracer1318 said:

A constant vibration at low speeds from 20-60. Feel it in the seats and steering wheel. It is like a rumble that when the tranny is say in 5th gear and the rpms are low this thing vibrates hard. Driveshaft has been changed two tires have been changed. And now the rotors are warped with only 9500 miles on it. Really, rotors at 9500 that is so sad?!!  And also the vibration is like something is off balance. Sometimes the vibration feels like it is in something that turns because the vibration tone and feel will sound louder then die down then come back up then go back down. It is so annoying. 

Torque converter and lock up problem?

Can you lock it into 4th?

[FLO_RIDA]

How would I go about locking it in 4th?  

[BushPig]

4 minutes ago, Hondaracer1318 said:

How would I go about locking it in 4th?  

What does your shifter look like. Is 5th an OD that can be switched off? Can the box be manually knocked back a gear or hold a gear till you're going faster?

I leave OD off full time unless I am driving faster that 100kmh. Not for NVH though.

[Refresh]

I dont have any of that vibration you describe. My rotors also warped around 10k miles...

[Mxer59]

I got a Silervado 1500 and love it it's a 2016 I got it used; previous was a Ford nothing but issues f250 broke down every other week, and previous was a 07 GMC Sierra but lowered and it was loud and vibrated a lot rattled first year of body change. My 16 has 20,000 on it smooth ride, quiet cab, v8 5.3 but at cruising or steady speed switch to v4 super happy with truck 

[bassjam]

First I’d tell you to try out another dealership.  Your truck should still be under warranty so somebody needs to get it right.  You’ll probably lose a decent amount of money by selling and getting something new.

But for other options, I actually went just went through this and bought a new truck in December.  I spent the entire year prior to that doing research and lurking on all the forums.

Ram – Pass.  They look darned good.  But from what I can tell on the forums the interiors start to look ratty after a few years.  In my own observations I saw a LOT more 2-3 year old Rams with rust starting to form around the wheels and on the bumpers than with the other trucks.  But, they do seem to have the nicest ride with the rear coilovers and the hemi engine is strong.  I think the Ram of today is better than the Dodge of 10 years ago, but I still think they’re probably the worst as far as reliability.

Tundra – Pass.  It’s a decent truck, but it’s old compared to the others.  Fuel economy is probably the lowest of the bunch.  But the engine is strong.  A lot of people say theirs has that “Toyota” reliability.  But there’s a lot of people that have had nothing but trouble.

Titan – Maybe.  It’s a first year model, but they’re offering 100k mile bumper to bumper warranty.  I never drove one, but apparently the engine is very strong.  It doesn’t look as good as the “Big 3” trucks IMO, but it looks nice enough that I’d still drive one.  In the end I decided I wouldn’t buy a first model year and ruled them out.  My last truck was a 2005 Nissan Frontier, which was a first year model.  I had a lot of issues over 190k miles and 10 years.  It’s still the best truck I owned in spite of that, but I’m older now and tired of working on cars and trucks.

Silverado/Sierra – Maybe.  I think the Sierra is the BEST looking truck on the market right now.  If you get a higher trim, it comes with the 8 speed transmission which has had a ton of issues.  The 6 speed on the lower trims is decent, but I was wanting an SLT or LTZ which came with the 8 speed.  I test drove 3 with the 5.3 V8 and all felt like pigs.  I really wanted a 6.2L, but they were out of my price range.  The ride is smoother than the F150, but it drives larger than it feels (meaning it feels big in parking lots).  Also, if you sit in one you’ll notice the steering wheel points to your right nipple.  Not a huge deal, but WTF can’t GM figure out how to center the steering wheel?

F150 – Maybe.  Some people think aluminum is bad, I say good for Ford for trying.  No real common large issues with transmission or any of the engines (which I think are all spectacular).  Seems to be more small issues though, like seat motors and cooled seats that don’t work.  The ride is more sporty and it drives smaller than it is.  It didn’t feel that much larger than my Frontier when driving it, which is a good thing.  I absolutely loved the 2.7 ecoboost, and would have gotten that engine if I had gone with a new Ford.

My plan originally was to buy new, either a 2016 or 2017.  I think I would have gone with a GMC, but I still went back and forth between that and the Ford.  For me it was taking a risk on a bad transmission with GM, or risk having more small issues with Ford.  If the Titan had some more history, that may have been an option as well.  But I ruled out something new, even with the end of year incentives.  After crunching the numbers (and the wife and I started talking about having a 3rd kid) we decided to lower our budget by $10k and get something a year or two old.

So the plan changed to buying used.  Again, GMC was high on the list in either a 2014 or 2015, but I discovered the headlights SUCK in those years.  I live in the country with tons of deer, so that was a deal breaker for me.  There’s actually a class action lawsuit over the 14-15 headlights.  I ruled out a 2015 F150 because I refuse to buy a 1st model year car/truck.  So I ended up with a 2014 F150 with the 3.5 ecoboost and I’m happy so far with about 8k miles so far I’ve put on it, 40k total now.  It was the last year for that generation and for the most part all the bugs were worked out by then.  The ecoboost scoots, and even more so after I put a tuner on it.  But there’s days when I see a newer Sierra and I think, “damn, that’s fine looking truck”.

[4Sevens]

I recently bought a '17 F150 with the 3.5 ecoboost and I love it.  Rides smooth and quiet and damn is it fast.  I've put 4,500 miles on it and no issues at all.  Very happy with it.  The 10 speed transmission is great and it is rated for over 600 HP so should be no issues with it.  Cruising at 100 mph it runs at 2,250 RPM and gets 16mpg too.  

[FLO_RIDA]

Well from driving it tonight. I really feel like it is on decel u can tell it between 52-48mph. But when I went up a hill about a month ago the truck was in 5th at 38mph and 1200 rpm and she was vibrating really good. So today I locked it into fourth by putting it in fourth on the shifter and putting it in tow mode. She didn't seem to vibrate that much. I mean I love the truck but the vibrations are killing me. It so feels like the tires are causing it. I don't know anymore. I feel like any truck I buy will have its own issues. Back in the 70's and 80's my dad had GMC and never had any issues he loved the GMC. 

[BushPig]

2 hours ago, Hondaracer1318 said:

Well from driving it tonight. I really feel like it is on decel u can tell it between 52-48mph. But when I went up a hill about a month ago the truck was in 5th at 38mph and 1200 rpm and she was vibrating really good. So today I locked it into fourth by putting it in fourth on the shifter and putting it in tow mode. She didn't seem to vibrate that much. I mean I love the truck but the vibrations are killing me. It so feels like the tires are causing it. I don't know anymore. I feel like any truck I buy will have its own issues. Back in the 70's and 80's my dad had GMC and never had any issues he loved the GMC. 

I reckon it's a converter lock up issue. What happens when you go after than 52mph? it goes away?

What revs does the engine do at that speed?

Warranty claim this shit if you can easily replicate the issue. That's BS you spend your hard earned money on a new truck and they can't help you.

Edited June 2, 2017 by BushPig

[bassjam]

13 hours ago, Hondaracer1318 said:

Well from driving it tonight. I really feel like it is on decel u can tell it between 52-48mph. But when I went up a hill about a month ago the truck was in 5th at 38mph and 1200 rpm and she was vibrating really good. So today I locked it into fourth by putting it in fourth on the shifter and putting it in tow mode. She didn't seem to vibrate that much. I mean I love the truck but the vibrations are killing me. It so feels like the tires are causing it. I don't know anymore. I feel like any truck I buy will have its own issues. Back in the 70's and 80's my dad had GMC and never had any issues he loved the GMC. 

Try rotating the tires.  If that's it the vibrations may go away, or at least change the way you feel the vibrations and let you know if that's the issue.

I once bought a one year old truck at a dealership 2 hours away.  Test drive went great but on the drive home I started getting a HORRENDOUS vibration every 5 miles that would last for about 1/4 mile.  I was sick to my stomach thinking I bought a lemon but after rotating the tires that evening the vibrations went away.

[FLO_RIDA]

The rpms are between 1100-1300. It feels like there is a lot of torque on the engine and everything is vibrating because the truck is lugging. Basically think about a dirtbike lugging in third gear. That is what the truck is doing in 5th at 38mph "lugging". Not only that but the same hill, when I go down the hill the the truck goes through gears 123 right before it and I let off the gas to coast down the hill so the truck goes from 3rd to 4th while going down the hill. When the truck shifts into fourth while coasting no throttle applied she bucks. She will buck for only about three seconds and then everything smooths out and she idles in fourth gear coasting down the hill.  That pisses me off too. 

[bassjam]

1 hour ago, Hondaracer1318 said:

The rpms are between 1100-1300. It feels like there is a lot of torque on the engine and everything is vibrating because the truck is lugging. Basically think about a dirtbike lugging in third gear. That is what the truck is doing in 5th at 38mph "lugging". Not only that but the same hill, when I go down the hill the the truck goes through gears 123 right before it and I let off the gas to coast down the hill so the truck goes from 3rd to 4th while going down the hill. When the truck shifts into fourth while coasting no throttle applied she bucks. She will buck for only about three seconds and then everything smooths out and she idles in fourth gear coasting down the hill.  That pisses me off too. 

You probably don't want to put any more money into your truck, but it almost sound like your transmission programming is a little off.  A tuner will make a world of difference if that's the case.  I didn't have any transmission issues, but it still firmed up my shifts and lets the truck stay in each gear a little longer.  Not to mention the power on a 93 octane performance tune is unreal, I actually had to step down to a 93 octane "tow" tune because I had trouble spinning the tires too often.

I also just saw your rotors are warped.  It's very rare to have warped rotors, what you probably have is a buildup of brake pad material on them.  This can happen when the truck is driven in stop and go traffic the fist time, and when you come to a stop the brakes are held for too long in one spot and some of the material begins to stick to the rotor.  After time you end up getting a small amount of buildup that causes that warped rotor feeling.  That's why your supposed to do several hard stops after installing new pads and rotors, it's to build and even glaze around the rotor and prevent the buildup.  I'm betting if you got your rotors turned whatever issue you have with the brakes would go away.

 

https://www.zeckhausen.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=6446_6443

[8675309]

Have a 2016 F150 now with a 3.5 ecoboost and I very much dislike it. The vibrations in this truck are horrible and I'm told from Ford oh it's normal. So needless to say I'm not going to fight Ford anymore because I have fought with them before with my past other two diesels and you get no where in the end. I'm looking for something in the 1500 class for example GMC. In the pickup world who has it going on?  Chevy GMC Toyota. I'm looking for a crew cab and I'm looking for reliability. I'm so sick of Ford I truly am. I have had nothing but problems. Im looking to do a trade in. 

Buddy had a new 14 or 15 gmc1500, beautiful truck but shuttered under load towing 5,000 lbs. Gm bought it back after they could not fix it. My 04 jimmy was awesome though.

[Piney Woods]

6 hours ago, Hondaracer1318 said:

The rpms are between 1100-1300. It feels like there is a lot of torque on the engine and everything is vibrating because the truck is lugging. Basically think about a dirtbike lugging in third gear. That is what the truck is doing in 5th at 38mph "lugging". Not only that but the same hill, when I go down the hill the the truck goes through gears 123 right before it and I let off the gas to coast down the hill so the truck goes from 3rd to 4th while going down the hill. When the truck shifts into fourth while coasting no throttle applied she bucks. She will buck for only about three seconds and then everything smooths out and she idles in fourth gear coasting down the hill.  That pisses me off too. 

You should be having a serious, detailed conversation with upper echelon Ford folks. Soon. Ridiculous!

[FLO_RIDA]

I will

[BushPig]

On 2017-6-3 at 4:57 AM, bassjam said:

You probably don't want to put any more money into your truck, but it almost sound like your transmission programming is a little off.  A tuner will make a world of difference if that's the case.  I didn't have any transmission issues, but it still firmed up my shifts and lets the truck stay in each gear a little longer.  Not to mention the power on a 93 octane performance tune is unreal, I actually had to step down to a 93 octane "tow" tune because I had trouble spinning the tires too often.

I also just saw your rotors are warped.  It's very rare to have warped rotors, what you probably have is a buildup of brake pad material on them.  This can happen when the truck is driven in stop and go traffic the fist time, and when you come to a stop the brakes are held for too long in one spot and some of the material begins to stick to the rotor.  After time you end up getting a small amount of buildup that causes that warped rotor feeling.  That's why your supposed to do several hard stops after installing new pads and rotors, it's to build and even glaze around the rotor and prevent the buildup.  I'm betting if you got your rotors turned whatever issue you have with the brakes would go away.

 

https://www.zeckhausen.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=6446_6443

Agree immensely. I hate to imagine the shuddering my GM LLT would make if I drove it under load at 1100rpm in 6th (manual tranny)

I'd be looking at a shift point tune for sure. Many vehicles seem to kick up a gear too early. 

Or just drive it in 4th.

[RawbW]

Anything pre75 in ca, anything pre 2000 ish elsewhere