shelbyfv wrote:
IME, it's not the engine and transmission that cause headaches above 100,000. There's lots of other stuff that can and will go bad. Tolerance for dealing with that and the ability to get stuff fixed properly varies. Having a trusted mechanic or shop could sway the decision. I'm on the fence now with a 100,000 mile F150. Runs well, no rust, comfortable, etc. At my age I'll only be towing a couple more years. BUT.... I've had a water pump replacement that turned into a $1500 screw up. Later on a cracked radiator that I'm 99% sure was the Ford dealers fault, another $1000. I'm probably an idiot to keep going back to the dealer (I've tried two) but I don't seem to have another option. Financially it's surely better to keep fixing stuff for two more years as opposed to $50,000+ for a new truck, but having those two years w/o all this drama is appealing.
This is an accurate assessment, IMO.
And the "cost" (noone can predict exactly what the vehicle will need) is heavily dependent on the knowledge and ability of the owner to perform repairs. Personally I consider virtually any water pump replacement, for example, to be a $100-200 parts cost and a few hours of my time. And a radiator replacement to be $200-400 depending on the vehicle and again a few hours of my time. If $300-600, in my world turns to $1500-2500 for 2 repairs (and multiplied by whatever else might need fixed), high miles seems much less attractive.
And none of it is an exact science, it boils down to an unknown combination of how the vehicle was maintained and cared for, common issues, not so common issues, normal lifespan of some components and some luck.
Will you spend more on a 100k mile truck purchase + repairs in another 100k miles of use compared to a new truck and the first 100k miles of use? Not likely. But then you also need to figure the total cost of ownership (again not an exact science) including purchase price, repair cost (estimated, throw a number at it) and salvage value.
