How Many Miles Can A Ford F150 Last? Pickup Truck Secrets

Pickup trucks are made to last. A Ford F-150 is one of the most popular trucks in the US. We know all the good and bad sides of this car. When we wanted to find out how many miles it can go, we were surprised by a lot of irrelevant information. For saying something about the longevity of this vehicle, you need to differentiate between numerous generations, different engines and transmissions, and also versions of the truck.

So, after being unable to find any relevant information on Ford F-150's lifespan, we decided to investigate this topic deeply and write our own article. And things are really surprising when we take the last two or three generations. Now, let's talk more about what they can offer.

Here's what we'll cover in today's article:

1. How many miles can the new Ford F-150 truck last?
2. How many miles can the previous-gen F-150 go?
3. What are the most common problems with fresh F-150 trucks?
4. How can you make your Ford truck go more miles?

Let's get started!

New Ford F-150 - how many miles will it last?

The fourteenth generation of the F-150 is now available on the market. The previous generation was offered in 2015 while the new one appeared on the market in 2021. We still don't know much about the new generation, but we see that technically it didn't change much in comparison with the previous-gen F-150.

It doesn't mean that you can't expect some surprises with longevity. But we guess Ford engineers know what they do and how to make a good durable truck.

We believe that the new 2021 Ford F-150 can go 220,000 miles, on average. Some trucks that are used in the commercial cycle will drop at 150,000 miles just because they are not heavy-duty trucks. But some will live up to 300,000 miles with no problems.

Here are some good things in the new generation that make it durable:

• no diesel engines anymore - those weren't very durable in the previous-gen F-150;
• only cool engines starting with a 2.7-liter turbocharged unit and finishing with a V8 and a Raptor V6 engines with cool efficiency;
• only durable and long-lasting transmissions - all automatic transmissions can last for ages;
• body protection is not worse than in previous generations, so you can drive this truck for a long time;
• most trims don't offer technologies that would reduce the mileage of the trucks;
• huge towing capacity which helps owners avoid problems when towing or loading a lot of weight to the truck's bed.

The only problem is the hybrid version. We don't know anything about its durability, but we know for sure that many owners have already started writing bad reviews about the hybrids. They are noisy, not very powerful, they have limited towing capacity. The only good side of the hybrid F-150 is its fuel consumption.

Also, we have no idea about the F-150 Lightning EV which is going to be presented soon. The longevity of the electric pickup truck offered by Ford should be even more surprising. Someone says that it will be able to go 500,000 miles and then it will only need a battery replacement to go another 500,000 miles. But we are more pessimistic about these estimations.

So, the 14th generation of the F-150 can go around 220,000 miles - this is the average longevity of these vehicles.

What about the 13th generation (2015-2021)?

The longevity of the previous generation was even greater. In 2015, Ford made a revolution in the pickup truck world offering a beautiful model with new engines. The standard 2.7 EcoBoost and also the range of V8 and V8 engines as well as the turbodiesel engine were great to choose from. The diesel didn't prove to be very durable and problem-free, so it was withdrawn later.

All gasoline engines were made to last. And this is so important for a pickup truck. Now, about the longevity. We would say that the 13th generation Ford F-150 could easily go around 250,000 miles, on average. But it again depended much on how you were using your truck.

Here are some important things about the 13-gen F-150:

• it's a truck that we know a lot about and we can say exactly that the average longevity is 250,000 miles;
• this truck is not the best in terms of how many miles it can go, but it's still good;
• Ford used a lot of modern technologies, but nearly all of them appeared to be durable and reliable;
• the truck was perfectly protected from rust issues, so you can drive it in any conditions;
• the interior wasn't luxurious, but it was really cool in terms of the durability of all materials;
• both the rear-wheel-drive and the all-wheel-drive options are good in terms of how many miles they can go.

We are now speaking purely about longevity. We don't have time now to compare the F-150 with any other truck on the market. But we want to see the mileage of this vehicle which is critical. And after looking at the engines and the 6-speed automatic transmission, we can say again that this car easily goes around 250,000 miles.

But bear in mind that there are some factors that influence the potential longevity of your truck. And this may reduce the mileage sharply. Let's look at some of these factors.

What can influence the longevity of your truck?

1. Driving conditions. Do you go off-roading on your F-150? Do you drive the vehicle in the desert? These factors can sharply influence longevity.
2. Maintenance. Regular service and high-quality oil, filters, and gasoline are very important. You should bear in mind that these factors are key points of your truck's longevity.
3. Towing. Do you know the limits of the weight your truck can tow? If you tow more than allowed, the vehicle will not live a long and happy life.
4. Payload. Another important thing to remember is the payload. It will influence the rear suspension, the transmission, and also the engine of your truck.
5. Body damages. If you aren't a careful driver and you sometimes hit your car, you will lose body protection from rust. In a year or two, your vehicle will be all rusty.

What are the main problems of the new F-150?

Talking about the problems of a pickup truck is not that easy because they are very personal. But we still know some issues that happen often with the last two generations of the Ford F-150. Please bear in mind that these issues shouldn't be applied to any other generations. We are talking only about the two latest generations of the truck - it's important.

Here are some problems to consider:

1. Restarting issues. If your truck stalls for some reason, you will have to wait before restarting it. Ford hasn't commented on this while a lot of owners still say it's true.
2. Electric system issues. We know many cases when the electric system failed to work properly in Ford F-150 trucks. Usually, it's all about headlights or the media screen, but still, this is a very unpleasant thing you can experience.
3. Windshield issues. Unfortunately, in the two recent generations of the F-150 truck, Ford has been installing cheaper windshields and other windows. They crack easily after getting a small chip or dent.
4. Sunroof leaks. Sunroof has also proven to have some problems. It leaks and because of this, its electric system stops working. Not a very pleasant experience, either.
5. Bed rust issues. Usually, Ford trucks are pretty well protected from rust. But in recent generations, these trucks quite often have problems with rust on their beds. It's hard to notice rust there, so you'll see it when it's too late to paint.

We wouldn't say that the F-150 is a bad truck. It's not the best, but certainly not the worst pickup truck in the world. And we know for sure that this vehicle can be pretty long-lasting if you just know its weak points and know how to maintain this truck.

Also, drive carefully even though it's a truck that is meant to do some work. It's still a vehicle that needs careful driving because it has relatively vulnerable turbocharged engines, transmission, and other parts.

If we compare the Ford F-150's longevity with the durability of any other pickup truck on the market, we'll see that Ford vehicles are still among the leaders.

Final words

We don't think that 250,000 miles is a little for a truck. It's a lot, given you will drive around 20,000 miles a year. The new F-150 can be there for you for 12 years and even more. We know some F-150 trucks of the 13th generation that have already hit the 400,000-mile mark. But, of course, they have already had some expensive repairs.

Want to drive your truck for a longer period of time? Just maintain it well and drive carefully. In this case, your truck will give you even more wonderful features and will allow you to drive longer.