2006 Ford F-150

One of the best has only gotten better. As the Ford F 150 gets more time under its belt, it continues to be one of the best in the industry in giving the consumer what they want at the right time. With almost a unlimited amount of options and trim designs, this vehicle will give you the ride comfort of a luxury car with the horsepower of a Mac Truck, wrapped up in a sleek and contemporary package.

The new Ford pickup has given, and taken away at the same time. While in 2004, Ford shied away from the 4.2 V6 engine, they brought it back in 2006 as the base line engine, which gave the consumer four different engine packages to choose from. Ranging from 200 to 300 horsepower, you can decide whether you are looking for a sleek cruiser around town or a heavy duty pulling machine. Also noteworthy in this era is the introduction of the 5.4 litre V8 flex fuel engine which gives you the option to run gasoline or ethanol as your fuel source. Environmentalists need a truck too eh?...

They did move to a coil over plug firing system, which in layman's terms means that each spark plug has its own coil firing directly on top of the spark plug, which indirectly made spark plug wires obsolete. While this does provide more firing power, a downfall to this on the F150 is the design of the V8 engines. If you have ever changed the spark plugs on this vehicle you will know exactly what I am talking about, but for everyone else Ford has stuck the engine more towards the rear of the engine compartment with about the back third of it under the windshield. What this means to most people is that it has become almost impossible for the regular at home mechanic to change spark plugs on this truck. You would need the new spark plug socket for this application which is around 8 inches in length to fit into the recessed spark plug holes, and the patience of a seasoned technician to accomplish this feat. Bloody knuckles are sure to happen, so be prepared. Another notable issue with this vehicle is the aluminum heads on this vehicle have had a bad tendency to strip out the spark plug holes if they are even attempted while the vehicle is warm. Happening so often in the 2004 editions, Ford had to put out a technical service bulletin on it and offer an aftermarket helicoil type re-threading system that some mechanics will question to this day. Also, if the aftermarket repair is not done correctly, you will end up having to put a new set of heads on this truck, which in the end is quite a bit of trouble to change the spark plugs eh? Please, if you are going to do this yourself, wait until the vehicle is cold.

Suspension on this truck has definitely changed over the years, with the most noticeable change happening in 2004 with the introduction of the dual wishbone front suspension, and dropping the pitman and idler arm to join the times with a rack and pinion steering system. This is a good thing. And in the words of Forrest Gump, "that is all I have to say about that". Rear suspension has had some minor changes that have made some major impacts with the most notable being that Ford has moved the shocks to a more outward position, closer to the tires, with the end result being a softer more comfortable ride. Lucky for the consumer, the F150 did not follow its cousin the Ford Expedition which changed to a independent rear suspension, but stuck with the good old solid rear axle. This provides more torque, and a firmer ride. Why change it if it isn't broke? One problem that has been seen with these is that with more power comes less rainy weather traction. While the F150 can definitely squeal the tires easily, while wet conditions exist the truck can get a bit squirrely. When the rainy season hits, you might want to weigh down the bed for the extra traction.

Overall a good buy for the buck. With the multiple options, and great design overhauls this is going to be another notch in Fords belt of dependable trucks, that will stand the test of time. As with all other used vehicles though, I would recommend a thorough check by a ASE certified mechanic before purchasing. And please remember, your vehicle will only treat you as good as you treat it. Keep on driving....