2004 Ford F-350 diesel

Only if truck is 7 to 8 thousand less then a similar GM or Dodge. There is a reason used Ford diesels are so cheap.

I have a n 04, its a good truck, yes I spent $4K for engine work more as a precaution than anything else. The 6.0 is being recognized now as a viable truck engine but as with anything used its buyer beware. If the deal is good prior to purchase get a scan gauge and take the truck for a good test drive of at least 30 miles if possible. go to one of the 6.0 websites (http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums, Powerstroke.org) and read up on POTENTIAL problems. not all had/have the issues discussed. There are many still out on the roads pulling and being used daily. Ours has low milage as it is not a daily driver but is the vehicle of choice if going somewhere without the need of an rv since we purchased a MH. It rides better than most cars IMO. I do run a hypertech economiser tune, installed a 4 inch turbo back exhaust system and other than the engine work I had done thats it. The tubes the one guy mentioned had a recall some years ago and I guess some never had it done. But do your research and yes they are comfortable and get fair to middlin mileage. I get around 18 on the highway but have gotten better also. I just saw an 04 with an asking price of $18K on a lot and an 05-6 for $15K but it had twice the mileage than the 04. The 04 supposedly had the main repairs completed.

I had a 2004 F250 6.0 and then a 2007 F350 6.0. Almost no problem with either. Towed my 5er great. And I would guess the majority of owners were the same. But there have been more than enough owners that have had significant problems with the 6.0 to give it a really bad reputation. Might get a good one. Might not.

I highly recommend watching the you-tube video about the best Ford diesel year as explained by a mechanic that specializes on Ford diesels.
What year Powerstroke is best?

I have a 2005 with the 6.0 diesel an 52,000 miles. No real problems with it and it rides vey comfortably, but having said that I'd buy a 2011 or 2012 when they went to the 6.7.

There's no reason to buy a 6.0 that more than likely will have problems. The 6.7s have more power and get better fuel mileage.

Bill

I have a friend with the 6.0 engine. He had to spend money to rebuild the engine, but loves it. His fuel economy is pretty low, but it has a lot of power. I notice that the turbocharger was repaired or replaced recently... I would find out what that is all about.

If it were me, I wouldn't be scared to buy a 6.0, but I would be prepared to put $5K or so into the engine to bulletproof it if necessary. I have never owned one, so I speak only as the friend of a 6.0 owner.

Loved my 06 F350 but hated the problems I had with the engine. I spent over $5000 in less than a year trying to get the truck running correctly. New egr, egr cooler, oil cooler, fan clutch, changed out Ford Gold coolant to Cat ELC coolant, rebuilt entire front brakes, oil leak from turbo area we couldn't figure out, front hubs would not auto lock and finally the CAC tube would not stay on while pulling. I couldn't get rid of the truck cast enough.

I'm sure others will be along shortly to tell you their horror stories as well. Not all are bad though. It's a **** shoot on getting a good one.

It is was me, and this is my opinion, run don't walk away from the truck, there's a reason its so cheap. Look for answer 6.7 F250 or a GM or Ram.