I’ve got a 2014 Tundra 5.7 that I mostly used for towing, but now I’m having some electrical issues and fuel system problems, so I’m ready to move on.
I found a 2018 F150 with the EcoBoost that I like. It’s got 68k miles on it.
How is it for towing?
How’s the real-world gas mileage?
Is it a good daily driver?
And what’s the longevity like for the turbo engine?
Which engine are you looking at? The 2.7 is pretty reliable, but the 3.5 has known cam phaser problems.
No matter which engine, the big issue to watch out for is the 10-speed transmission and the CDF drum failure.
I’ve got a 2018 with the 2.7. I don’t do a lot of towing, but I haul big loads occasionally, and the engine handles it well. I get around 21-22 MPG on the highway and 16-18 in the city.
The 3.5 has problems with the transmission too. The 10R80 is not a great transmission in general.
Hollis said:
The 3.5 has problems with the transmission too. The 10R80 is not a great transmission in general.
I have a 2018 with the 3.5, and yeah, the transmission and cam phasers are a nightmare. The transmission started clunking and hunting for gears at 35k miles, and I’ve had the cam phasers replaced twice already at 112k. I’ve never missed an oil change and have always kept up with maintenance.
We’ve got the 2.7, and it tows really well. We tow about 5,500 lbs, but I wouldn’t want to tow much more than that. Ours is a SuperCrew XTR 4x4 with a payload of 1,767 lbs, which is pretty high for the 2.7 from what I understand. It’s not the Max Tow package, but it has the transmission cooler, bigger fuel tank, brake controller—basically everything you need to tow.
@Skyler
Is yours the SuperCrew with the 5.5-foot bed? Mine has the same specs but much lower payload at 1,460 lbs (2020 with 302A package).
Pacey said:
@Skyler
Is yours the SuperCrew with the 5.5-foot bed? Mine has the same specs but much lower payload at 1,460 lbs (2020 with 302A package).
Yep, that’s the one.
Pacey said:
@Skyler
Is yours the SuperCrew with the 5.5-foot bed? Mine has the same specs but much lower payload at 1,460 lbs (2020 with 302A package).
Yep, that’s the one.
Are you sure you don’t have the 2.7 Max Payload package?
@Pacey
I might, honestly. I’m not sure how to check, and the VIN tool on Ford’s site doesn’t work for 2019 anymore.
The cam phaser issue is always going to be there, which sucks because it’s such a great engine otherwise. It’s got tons of power and torque. If you can find one that’s had the latest cam phasers installed, you might be in the clear.
I’ve got a 2018 with the 3.5, and I’ve had the phasers replaced. No problems since. The 10R80 transmission always seems to want to be in a higher gear and shudders when I accelerate lightly. I had it reflashed to try and fix that, but now I just drop a gear or two manually, which works better. It’s my daily driver, and I get about 19 MPG combined with no load. Still love the truck though.
I’ve got the 2018 3.5 with the Max Tow package. Just hit 100k miles, and my cam phasers are locked up after the second replacement. I’ve also had the transmission replaced, and the auto-learn feature disabled because the new one had the same problem. It used to be my daily and I loved it, but after all the breakdowns, it’s just my utility truck now. I drive an F250 diesel with the 8-speed transmission—couldn’t go through all that again.
Check if it has dual fuel injectors. They help keep the intake valves from building up too much carbon.
Cam phasers can be a problem on that model year.
The 3.5 tows like a beast, but you’ll pay for that power in fuel when you’re towing. When it’s empty, though, it gets pretty good fuel mileage.