brooks379 wrote:
It’s been 4 years since I bought a brand new 2014 F350 4x4 long box SuperDuty with the 6.7 Powerstroke. I have been pulling a tt, equipment trailer and a horse trailer sometimes with 4 horses in it all over the south west. Before buying this truck I had a 350 with the 7.3 in it and thought that was probably the best truck Ford would probably ever make but this 6.7 with 102,000 miles on it has beat the 7.3 in every way !!! I’m getting on average 18 to 20 mpg empty and 11....12 loaded . The truck as only been back to the dealer once because of a check engine light, turned out It was because I didn’t plug the air cleaner sensor back in. I like all kinds of trucks but I would buy one of these again in a heart beat !!
Unfortunately this is the exception not the norm for diesel engines these days. They are better each an every year but still aren't close to as reliable as a gas engine.
I am a diesel owner, switched from a Ram 6.4 to a Ram 6.7 Cummins due to towing a 5th wheel that was to much for the gas motor. Swore I would never own a diesel but now I do. I haven't had one bit of trouble with my diesel. But per my job as a self employed mechanical inspector, I have more experience than most here when it comes to common failures on vehicles. That's what I do all day every day. I inspect cars, trucks, motor homes, semis, atvs, snowmobiles, motorcycles, tractors, ag equipment, if it has an engine and is a consumer vehicle I probably have done a mechanical inspection on it. I am hired by insurance companies and the manufacturers to provide an independent analysis of what has failed on a vehicle and why. I have done this for 10 years. And my business is as busy as ever.
Diesels have their place, they are made for towing and do it fantastically. But they are finicky, expensive to repair, and are far more common to need expensive repairs than an equivalent gasoline engine. There are thousands of diesels that go 100, 200, 300k miles without major repairs, but from experience, you are far more likely to need major expensive repairs owning a diesel than a gasoline engine. All 3 brands have their issues, they are better than they were. But by the average they still are a money pit. If you tow heavy they are the only way to go, but they are not the most reliable.
