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VERDICT · ONE OF THE SAFER TRUCK BUYS ON THIS SITE

Ford F-150 5.0L
is it a safe used buy?

The best-selling vehicle in America, paired with its most dependable V8 option — a genuinely confident used truck purchase provided basic maintenance has been kept up.

GENERATION13th gen (2015–2020)
ENGINE5.0L Coyote V8
POWER385–395 hp
USED PRICE$22,000–38,000

How the engine fits this car

This generation's aluminium body meaningfully reduced weight versus its predecessor, which takes real pressure off the Coyote V8 — a comfortable, unstressed pairing even under reasonable towing loads.

A twin-turbo 3.5L EcoBoost V6 was also offered across this range — worth comparing if outright towing capacity matters more to you than the V8's simpler, naturally aspirated reliability profile.

Ford F-150-specific pros and cons

This is about the car itself — for engine-specific failure points, see the dedicated engine page below.

WHAT HOLDS UP WELL

  • Coyote V8's reliability reputation, detailed on the engine page, is about as strong as it gets
  • Aluminium body resists rust better than the steel bodies of earlier generations
  • Strong towing and payload capacity for the class when properly equipped
  • Enormous parts availability and specialist familiarity keep repair costs reasonable

WHAT TO WATCH

  • Aluminium body panels are more expensive to repair after collision damage than steel equivalents
  • Infotainment system on early examples within this generation feels dated compared with later updates
  • Interior material quality on base trims trails some rivals
  • Fuel economy, while reasonable for a V8, trails the EcoBoost V6 options in this same generation

Pricing on the used market

Mileage band
Typical price
What to expect
Under 70,000 mi
$31,000–38,000
Later production, often still well-equipped
70,000–120,000 mi
$26,000–31,000
Sweet spot, verify basic maintenance history
120,000+ mi
$22,000–26,000
Still a confident buy with documented maintenance

The engine itself

This generation of F-150 is a defining application of the 5.0L Coyote V8. Full detail on this engine's strong reliability track record lives on the dedicated engine page.

FULL ENGINE BREAKDOWNFord 5.0L Coyote V8 — Reliable or Not →

Pre-purchase checklist for this generation

Beyond general maintenance history, there's relatively little engine-specific risk to flag on this combination — one of the more confidently recommendable trucks on this site.

Inspect aluminium body panels for collision repair history, since paintless or improper aluminium repair can be a hidden issue.

If the truck has been used for towing, ask about typical load and frequency, and inspect transmission behaviour under load during the test drive.