How do we find new 1997 Ford F-150 XLT or Lariats?

Brutus

The dealer invoice and MSRP pricing can be found under the "New Trucks" section. The 1998 Ford prices are the ones that first appear, but if you look to the left, you will see an option to click on 1997 models. That will give you the dealer invoice pricing for the 1997 F-150 models. Make sure to also look under the "Rebates and Incentive" area to see what may currently be available on the 1997 models. As far as what price you should pay, a good number to shoot for is generally: dealer invoice minus dealer holdback minus rebate/incentives plus 3%-5% profit. The holdback on Ford trucks is 3% of MSRP. Do the dealers still have a lot of 1997 models on the lots?

Ironbark

Thanks Brutus. Nope, not any '97 F-150s that I can find. So, what would the price be based on what I gave you here? Do we subtract the plus 3% - 5% profit too? Thanks.

Brutus

You really didn't give enough information to give you a good price. On the first vehicle, the dealer invoice price for F-150 XLT Supercab 2wd, shortbed, spec 507A is $18,441. Then you have to add the $640 destination charge. The thing that you don't mention are the other options, which can add thousands to the cost. For example, the auto transmission adds $824, the CD player adds $340, the 5.4 V8 adds almost $600. The 4wd will be thousands higher. What you need to do is figure out all of the options and then go into new trucks and add everything up. And remember, the 507a package includes a lot of stuff like air conditioning, power steering, etc. You don't add those options in again. You only add in the options that are on the truck and not included in the special package for the truck.

I can use a hypothetical situation to show you how to figure out a fair price. Let's assume you have a truck with a MSRP of $23,000 and a dealer invoice price of $20,000. Let's also assume there is a $1,000 rebate and the destination charge is $640. The dealer holdback would be 3% of the $23,000 MSRP price, which equates to $690. Now we are ready to calculate the true cost of the vehicle to the dealer.

Base dealer invoice $20,000
Add:
Dest.Charge 640
------
Total dealer invoice $20,640
Less:
Rebate 1,000
Holdback 690
------
Dealer cost $18,950

Th delaer cost is how much the dealer paid for the vehicle. Now, the dealer needs to make a profit. A 5% profit would add about $950 to the price of the vehicle. So, if you could get the truck for $19,900, that would be a pretty good deal. That is $740 below the total dealer invoice price (actual dealer invoice price includes destination charges). You're below dealer invoice because of the rebate. Ford is not currently offering any rebates on the F-Series. If you back out the rebate, a good deal on the truck would be about $20,950, which is a few hundred over dealer invoice price. Usually, that's what you're shooting for, a price within a few hundred of dealer invoice. That still puts you more than $2,000 below the MSRP price we used in our example.

There is one thing that I am not sure about in my calculation. I calculated the 3% holdback on the MSRP before adding in the destination charge. I'm not sure if you are suppose to add in the desination charge before you calculate the 3%. Maybe our Townhall host, Motormouth, will answer that for us.

You can also check out the value on the used vehicle you mentioned by going into the "Used Truck" section of this site. The first thing I notice about the vehicle you mention is the mileage. This site recommends a deduction of $.09 for every mile over $14,200 on a 1997 truck. That is a deduction of over $2,000 for a truck with 37,000 miles on it. It sounds like the truck you mention, assuming a 2wd shortbed Lariat, should have a base MSRP of closer to $17,500 plus any options.

I'm not sure where you live, but if you're anywhere near Oklahoma, there is a Ford dealer there who will sell you a new truck for $99 below dealer invoice. I live in Dallas and ordered my truck from him. My price of $99 below dealer invoice is $4,200 below MSRP. The airfare to get up there to pick up the truck will be $90.

Good luck!

Motormouth

Ironback is requesting info on "New '97 Ford XLT & Lariats" pickups, not '98.

I would assume that any dealer having leftover '97s this late in the '98 model year would be willing to discount more heavily simply to move the trucks before they qualify for "Antiques - Never Registered" status.

Motormouth

I meant to add that, the advise you gave him on how to find the '97 prices is excellent, thank you! But what I was getting at was there may be signifcant discounts to move the merchandise since any dealers who are still in possession of them may be paying monthly interest on them.

My guess, in this case is to use the guide as a starting point to work downward... but I'd look to maybe split the difference in cost between what the "new" '97 prices claim and what the "used" prices (low milage) list at. Of course, the dealer will point out that the vehicle is technically "new" since it has not been titled, but you can always counter with, "Yes, but you know as well as I, that it's nearly two model years old..."

Good Luck in your search!

Brutus

Motormouth,

He/she asked me to calculate the price on the three vehicles mentioned in the first post. One was a 98 XLT, one was a 98 Lariat, and one was a used 97 Lariat with 37,000 miles. That's the reason I ran the 98 figures. By the way, do you add the destination charge to the MSRP before you calculate the 3% holdback?

Motormouth

I'm not in that department... you would have to e-mail one of the editors for an answer to that. I'm just a sysop.

toomuch

Brutus
you said that I could buy a Ford truck in
Oklahoma for $99 below dealer invoice.
OK is a pretty big place can you narrow it
down for me. Because I will fly out there to
get one..

Brutus

toomuch,

They have a website at www.isbellford.com. They will pick you up at the airport in either Enid or Oklahoma City. If you know what you want, you can order by phone. That way, you only have to pay the one way air fare to pick it up. That's what I did. Of course, I don't have my truck yet. I'm at five weeks as of today, and was told to expect a 12 week wait.

toomuch

thanks for the info brutus

i will give it a shot....

Ping

Looking for any information pertaining to service recalls dealing with the transmission slipping from park to neutral. I was launching by boat and my truck slipped out of park into neutral on a incline and sank. It has 6200 miles on it. No one wants to deal with my problem where do I go and who do I talk to ????? HELP..I am about to get scammed for the money I put down and they want to sell me a new truck. The truck is 6 mos. old . It is a Ford F-250 styleside new body. They were actually rude... Ford reps that is

Brutus

too much,

The salesperson I dealt with was Danny Ware. Just call the 800 number and ask for him. He seems to be a straight shooter.

Brutus

Ping,

I don't know of any similar problems with the tranny. I'm not sure the tranny can be blamed. My guess is that any manufacturer is going to say that if you had the truck in Park on an incline and your foot was not on the brake, the emergency brake should have been on, especially if the driver was not in the vehicle and the truck was on a boat ramp. With the manual tranny in my Ford, I put the emergency brake on whenever I park anywhere. Even with an auto trans, I use the emergency brake when parking on an incline. Maybe I'm overcautious. It's just become a habit.

Ping

First I want to say that my truck is an automatic. I have since found a Safety Bulletin about this matter that should be brought to everyones attention. Safety Bulletin # 97S86 which is not listed here because the update is far behind. Ford Motor Company has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1997 and 1998 model year F-150/250 series trucks, Expeditions and certain 1998 model year Navigators. Safety Defect: If the transmission cable assembled to the steering column bracket is not fully seated, the transmission shift cable may slip out of the bracket. Should the shift cable become detached, the driver may not be able to shift the transmission gears or correctly determine the transmission gear position using the gear selector indicator. This condition could lead to unintended vehicle movement in a direction other than indicated on the gear selector indicator or result in a vehicle crash. In addition, this condition could prevent the vehicle from being restarted. This safety bulletin came out in October so this data base needs to update its files constantly to be of any effect to those of us who are looking to use it for a new purchase. Put your self in my shoes I was taking three young boys fishing, thank god they were not in the vehicle. I back up the boat put my foot on the brake, put the vehicle in park,which by the way because of the steep angle puts all the tension on the transmission and then set the parking brake, get out release the boat get back in not knowing that the tension is going to make it pop out of gear or that while I was out there It popped and just did not roll because the parking brake is on. I get back in the vehicle put my foot on the brake, release the parking brake, release my foot off of the brake and the vehicle rolls backwards as I give it gas I am now pinned in the vehicle because it is sinking the motor has stopped I cant get the electric windows to go down and I am trapped or could drowned, I could have left the kids in the car while I was doing this and three kids could have drowned in this instance. What would Ford have said in court over this one? They tell me that the problem was fixed, well all I can say IS SOMEBODY SCREWED UP BECAUSE THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. I was told by the dealership to watch my self because they "Ford" are the big dogs here, well I have news for them, I am a tradesmen and there are 6000 members in my local and my monthly meeting is comming up I am sure my brothers will want to know how I am treated and what the out come of "QUALITY IS JOB ONE " realy means and then there is also the news media... I will give them their oppertunity to deal fairly with this matter, but beleive me bad advertisement wipes out 1000 atta-boys. I shall keep this form informed as to the proceedings..... And you want to buy a 1997-1998 F-150/250? The dealer told me this vehicle was safe, am I to beleive FoMoCo that they have rectified the problem? I don't know but they are going to have to treat me with kid gloves and handle this matter correctly and fairly or in the long run this will cost them big money, Chevy and Chrysler are American made products, But I realy do like Fords...

Ping

First I want to say that my truck is an automatic. I have since found a Safety Bulletin about this matter that should be brought to everyones attention. Safety Bulletin # 97S86 which is not listed here because the update is far behind. Ford Motor Company has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1997 and 1998 model year F-150/250 series trucks, Expeditions and certain 1998 model year Navigators. Safety Defect: If the transmission cable assembled to the steering column bracket is not fully seated, the transmission shift cable may slip out of the bracket. Should the shift cable become detached, the driver may not be able to shift the transmission gears or correctly determine the transmission gear position using the gear selector indicator. This condition could lead to unintended vehicle movement in a direction other than indicated on the gear selector indicator or result in a vehicle crash. In addition, this condition could prevent the vehicle from being restarted. This safety bulletin came out in October so this data base needs to update its files constantly to be of any effect to those of us who are looking to use it for a new purchase. Put your self in my shoes I was taking three young boys fishing, thank god they were not in the vehicle. I back up the boat put my foot on the brake, put the vehicle in park,which by the way because of the steep angle puts all the tension on the transmission and then set the parking brake, get out release the boat get back in not knowing that the tension is going to make it pop out of gear or that while I was out there It popped and just did not roll because the parking brake is on. I get back in the vehicle put my foot on the brake, release the parking brake, release my foot off of the brake and the vehicle rolls backwards as I give it gas I am now pinned in the vehicle because it is sinking the motor has stopped I cant get the electric windows to go down and I am trapped or could drowned, I could have left the kids in the car while I was doing this and three kids could have drowned in this instance. What would Ford have said in court over this one? They tell me that the problem was fixed, well all I can say IS SOMEBODY SCREWED UP BECAUSE THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. I was told by the dealership to watch my self because they "Ford" are the big dogs here, well I have news for them, I am a tradesmen and there are 6000 members in my local and my monthly meeting is coming up I am sure my brothers will want to know how I am treated and what the out come of "QUALITY IS JOB ONE " really means and then there is also the news media... I will give them their opertunity to deal fairly with this matter, but believe me bad advertisement wipes out 1000 atta-boys. I shall keep this form informed as to the procedings..... And you want to buy a 1997-1998 F-150/250? The dealer told me this vehicle was safe, am I to beleive FoMoCo that they have rectified the problem? I don't know but they are going to have to treat me with kid gloves and handle this matter correctly and fairly or in the long run this will cost them big money, Chevy and Chrysler are American made products, But I realy do like Fords...

Ping

I used your advice in the claim above, the only difference being that I did not set the parking brake but as I have indicated this could have got me and the kids 11 & 12 year olds killed had I set the parking brake and the vehicle not moved until I released it. I can always get another truck when I am on the out side watching it go. Better on the out side than under water on the in side.

Brutus

Good luck in your endeavors. Maybe if you bug them enough, they will settle out of court. My guess is that the difference between what your insurance will cover and what you paid for the vehicle is probably only a few grand. Unless there are a bunch of other people out there who have had the same problem, it seems like it would be cheaper for them to settle even if they feel they are right. But you will probably still have to get an attorney, etc.

I think it will be a tough case to prove if it goes to court, since you will have to prove that the vehicle failed and it wasn't driver error. If you're taking this to court, I'm assuming that you have had a mechanic that has inspected the vehicle and is ready to testify that the tranny did indeed fail and pop out of gear.

Ford will argue that if you had your foot on the brake when you released the parking brake, the vehicle would not have rolled backwards even if it had popped out of gear. They will probably also argue that the truck slipping out of gear could not have caused the problem because you would have taken the car out of park and put it in gear while your foot was still on the brake. If you were in gear and you released the brake to drive forward and it popped out of gear, your claim might be easier. But your claim is that you were in Park when you released your foot from the brake and Ford will almost certainly ask why you didn't put in drive before releasing your foot from the brake.

I'm just playing devils advocate here. The nuisance route with a possible out of court settlement is probably your best bet, but you probably want to get some good legal advice before you decide to spend any serious money fighting the issue. The burden is going to be on you to prove that the vehicle failed.