Family member gifted me a 2007 F-150, 2WD XL, V6 121k odo. I’m now the 2nd owner. Absolutely no rust (from the south) and in overall good shape, just sat in the yard for 4 years. Passed inspection. Cleaned it up and threw on new tires, been driving it nearly daily for a month now. Only main issue is it has a rear main seal leak. Is it worth taking to a shop for repair or just keep driving/keeping an eye on for as long as possible? Also how long should this vehicle realistically last, I’ve never owned a Ford but my mother had a 2004 F150 (biggest money pit ever, she had it for a couple years before finally getting rid of that pos.)
If it’s a small slow leak, you can simply put up with it and keep an eye on your oil. If it’s leaving puddles, it needs to be addressed. It’s not a repair the average vehicle owner can do, and it’s not particularly cheap to have a shop do because it’s labor intensive, but on a low mileage rust-free truck probably worth having done.
With good maintenance you can expect the drivetrain to last to 200k and beyond. The 4.2L Essex V6 was very reliable for the era, although as a legacy engine low horsepower.
Awesome good to know as you and others have been saying. I plan on barely driving it going forward as I have 2 other vehicles other than when I need to use it for the bed to throw stuff in. I wouldn’t even toe anything probably, and yeah I’ll definitely keep an eye on it