Newer diesel with least problems
Thinking about a newer diesel truck to replace my very trustworthy 2000 7.3 Ford F250. However from all the horror stories of failures I have recently read I am very concerned about long term reliabi...
Forum Discussion
I work for a state agency and I get to drive, maintain and track the performance of many different trucks, mostly diesel. Our pickup fleet switched from Ford Powerstroke to Chevy/GMC Duramax around 2010. The switch was prompted mainly due to increased costs associated with engine repair, primarily turbo problems. Fleet vehicles get ridden hard and put away wet for most of their life. This gives me a bit of a different perspective on the diesel truck debates that I typically see here on this forum. Most users here have trucks that they care for like members of the family. I understand that as I have a Ford 6.0 that is well maintained and kept in top running condition. I would hate to see my personal truck have the life of one of our fleet vehicles.
The previous Fords were a combination of 6.0's and the earlier 7.x liter motors. Some were good running trucks and others seemed to be constant headaches. The fleet managers made the decision to change brands after running the numbers on maintenance costs over the average life of a truck in the fleet. Trucks are usually sold when they near 200K miles.
The Duramax motors have been reliable and good performers for the most part. As noted by others in this discussion it is usually sensors and emission systems that require fixing. This tends to be under warranty during the first couple of years, so the cost is not borne by the department. Personally, I like the GM trucks because they ride well and require little care and feeding. I am not so much a fan of their cargo capacity or layout compared to the Fords (personal preference, mind you). There are some routine maintenance procedures that are much more complicated than our older Fords and this causes some of us heartburn. Oil and filter changes are a pain on the newer 3500 series, especially fuel filters. Hate that the DEF fluid fill is under the hood where you end up spilling the stuff. But overall I have to say that the reliability of the GM trucks has been very good. I cannot say what happens to them when they top out over 200K.
We do not have many Dodges in the fleet so I don't have info on them. The fleet managers are constantly reviewing their purchase decisions and could change to Dodge or back to Ford anytime. It is a numbers thing entirely. We won't know until they show up at the sheds.
This brings me back to my own choice of a 2006 Ford 6.0. I love the layout and features of my King Ranch F350. I traded an F150 for it in 2011 when the 6.0 had the reached the lowest of the low reputation. It has been a good motor for me and currently clocks in at 180K. It has had no problems other than having a bolt dropped in an intake when I had the oil cooler replaced and EGR cooler bulletproofed at a dealership. I lost a piston, glow plug, set of valves, connecting rod, etc. They made good on the repair with both new head gaskets (the heads were fine), head machining, factory replacement parts and ARP head studs. She runs like a top now. I hate doing major repair at home since I have to work on trucks at work, but that experience taught me that not working on my own vehicle is always a gamble. At least it didn't cost me and I did get free head studs out of it!
If you are going to operate a diesel you need to be acquainted with how the motor is performing. There are products you can use to extend the life of the motor and drivetrain - I am a big believer in cetane improvers, synthetic oils and some other additives like Archoil. These seem to keep my injectors clean and happy, even when I have cold starts in below zero temperatures. When people start running them hotter than intended by the manufacturer they stand a much greater chance of having problems and living shorter lives. I do not chip the truck and I monitor it while driving using a cell phone app. So my truck gets babied and I love the thing.
What would I buy if buying new today? I would look at all three major brands and find the best deal on a truck that really rang my bell. All of the diesels of today are getting more reliable and powerful. There is no denying the track record of some of the legacy motors such as Cummins, but today's trucks are just better IMO. I just wish they weren't so doggone expensive.
And now I could go on to talking about Caterpillar, Detroit, John Deere, Mack, Kenworth, yadayada... But that is not in our purview!
The previous Fords were a combination of 6.0's and the earlier 7.x liter motors. Some were good running trucks and others seemed to be constant headaches. The fleet managers made the decision to change brands after running the numbers on maintenance costs over the average life of a truck in the fleet. Trucks are usually sold when they near 200K miles.
The Duramax motors have been reliable and good performers for the most part. As noted by others in this discussion it is usually sensors and emission systems that require fixing. This tends to be under warranty during the first couple of years, so the cost is not borne by the department. Personally, I like the GM trucks because they ride well and require little care and feeding. I am not so much a fan of their cargo capacity or layout compared to the Fords (personal preference, mind you). There are some routine maintenance procedures that are much more complicated than our older Fords and this causes some of us heartburn. Oil and filter changes are a pain on the newer 3500 series, especially fuel filters. Hate that the DEF fluid fill is under the hood where you end up spilling the stuff. But overall I have to say that the reliability of the GM trucks has been very good. I cannot say what happens to them when they top out over 200K.
We do not have many Dodges in the fleet so I don't have info on them. The fleet managers are constantly reviewing their purchase decisions and could change to Dodge or back to Ford anytime. It is a numbers thing entirely. We won't know until they show up at the sheds.
This brings me back to my own choice of a 2006 Ford 6.0. I love the layout and features of my King Ranch F350. I traded an F150 for it in 2011 when the 6.0 had the reached the lowest of the low reputation. It has been a good motor for me and currently clocks in at 180K. It has had no problems other than having a bolt dropped in an intake when I had the oil cooler replaced and EGR cooler bulletproofed at a dealership. I lost a piston, glow plug, set of valves, connecting rod, etc. They made good on the repair with both new head gaskets (the heads were fine), head machining, factory replacement parts and ARP head studs. She runs like a top now. I hate doing major repair at home since I have to work on trucks at work, but that experience taught me that not working on my own vehicle is always a gamble. At least it didn't cost me and I did get free head studs out of it!
If you are going to operate a diesel you need to be acquainted with how the motor is performing. There are products you can use to extend the life of the motor and drivetrain - I am a big believer in cetane improvers, synthetic oils and some other additives like Archoil. These seem to keep my injectors clean and happy, even when I have cold starts in below zero temperatures. When people start running them hotter than intended by the manufacturer they stand a much greater chance of having problems and living shorter lives. I do not chip the truck and I monitor it while driving using a cell phone app. So my truck gets babied and I love the thing.
What would I buy if buying new today? I would look at all three major brands and find the best deal on a truck that really rang my bell. All of the diesels of today are getting more reliable and powerful. There is no denying the track record of some of the legacy motors such as Cummins, but today's trucks are just better IMO. I just wish they weren't so doggone expensive.
And now I could go on to talking about Caterpillar, Detroit, John Deere, Mack, Kenworth, yadayada... But that is not in our purview!
