Case file · FORD-F-150-2015-2020 · Field document

Ford F-150 2015–2020 · Pre-purchase checklist

Bring this to the inspection. Every check below is specific to this generation's documented failure modes, not generic used-car advice.

1. Check 01

   Cold-start the truck after it's sat overnight: a 2–5 second rattle/tick from the front of a 3.5L EcoBoost is the classic worn cam phaser. Don't let a seller warm it up before you arrive.

2. Check 02

   On any 10-speed (2017+), drive it 35–50 mph on light throttle and feel for hunting between gears, hard 1-2 or 2-1 shifts, and clunks. A test drive that's all highway hides this. Make it shift in town.

3. Check 03

   On a 2018+ 5.0L V8, check the oil level and ask for oil-change records; excessive consumption (a quart in ~1,000 miles) is the documented complaint. Look for the revised dipstick.

4. Check 04

   Run the VIN on Ford's recall lookup (or NHTSA): confirm the brake master cylinder recall and the 2015–2017 door-latch recall were completed.

5. Check 05

   Inspect the aluminum body for corrosion at panel seams and around steel fasteners (galvanic corrosion) and check prior collision repair quality. Aluminum body work is specialized and expensive.

6. Check 06

   On EcoBoost trucks, look for turbo-related condensation/coolant issues and listen for intercooler 'limp' stumbles under hard acceleration in humid weather.

7. Check 07

   Check that any towing-heavy truck has clean transmission service history; the 10-speed and 6-speed both want fluid changes if it's worked hard.