Would like a little advice from the group, but don't want to start a war. We currently own a 2003 Ford F350 dually with the notorious 6.0L diesel with a standard 6 speed transmission. I have put a lot of time (and money) into setting this truck up to haul our Lance 1161. It also serves as my daily driver. It has 85K miles on it. One of the reasons for the low mileage is the amount of time it spends in the shop!Without getting into all of the details, the truck has been unreliable to say the least - EGR, head gaskets and bolts, ficm, hpop, rear wheel bearings, the list goes on and on. Once again, it is in the shop. It died on my way to work last week. Had it towed to the shop (again) and received a call that afternoon that it started and ran fine, No codes had been thrown, everything check out. The tech and I decided that he should keep it to see if he could replicate the condition. So far, nothing.So, I would just like to start a friendly discussion as to what I should do. I have totally lost confidence in this truck. Most times that it failed, I was fairly close to home - but if this continues to happen on the road, say, in the middle of nowhere, what then? It has happened before and was not pleasant. I could tell some stories.....Anyway, when do I cut and run? Do I abandon Ford completely and buy a new Ram with a Cummins and a 6 speed? What would you do? I'm open to suggestions. Sorry for the long rant.

Well, most important to me is the reliability of any vehicle. I would rather drive a dependable Yugo than an always breaking down Cadillac.I would be inclined to cut bait and try to dump it on a dealer. No way would I privately sell it because you can open a can of worms about selling a vehicle with known defects.As to buying another, it is all about preference. Personally, I would look at another Ford.

Ram is currently the only truck maker offering a stick so Ford is out. There are some terrific deals on left over Rams right now. Dump unreliable and go for reliability. You won't regret it

As BuckBarker posted, reliability is the weak link here. But, you are not liable if you sell a used vehicle since the purchaser would have to prove the engine was a "known defect", like it had been in a major accident and repaired. It may break down and require frequent repair/maintenance, but that is not a legal defect. The buyer is required to use "due diligence" and assumes the risk of future repair costs when he/she buys a used vehicle. You would be liable if you misrepresented the truck, like total miles. Even if you had been told the truck needed a certain repair, you are selling the truck "as is" and are not required to disclose the recommended repair to the purchaser. Consumer's Union rated both the Chevrolet and the Fords pretty much equally in reliability, with Dodge third on the list. Personally, I'd consider all three if you found one with the options you want at a reasonable price.

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/2012-chevrolet-silverado-2500-ltz-4wd-crew-cab-vs-2012-ford-f-250-super-duty-king-ranch-4x4-crew-cab-2012-ram-2500-laramie-longhorn-4x4-mega-cab-comparison-testsIt will be tough to keep brand loyalty out of this discussion, but after researching for months, we bought a Chevy Duramax. There are many tests like the one above by Car and Driver with similar results in the Chevy coming out on top. Good luck with your decision.

Bottom line...a daily driver vehicle (F350 dually or Subaru Forrester) has to be a RELIABLE vehicle. One that you can trust every time you turn the key to get you there...work, the store, the hospital, where ever.No compromises or lack of trust in my opinion - no matter what it costs to have that happen.

What Would You Do? | Good Sam Community

59 Replies

sleekcrafter
Explorer II
May 14, 2013
The term bullet proof has been coined for a marketing phrase. There is much more than just the EGR delete. Many trucks get more problems as they are serviced, by tech who are a little heavy handed. Not to say they don't know what they are doing, but are careless to the fact that other stuff gets broke in the repair process.
JoeChiOhki
Explorer II
May 14, 2013
If you want to stay with Ford, go with an older Ford with the 7.3L Diesel vs the 6.0, while nothing's perfect, the 7.3L was their last well known dependable series. The 6.0 line had nothing but problems and that which came after are still fairly young technologically.
DMas
Explorer
May 14, 2013
I guess this would be a good time to add that the truck is paid for and "bulletproofed". "Bulletproofing",by the way, only solves one issue - the egr. It does not remedy the turbo, ficm, hpop, or fuel injector harness, which is the current suspect.

This truck has been 10 years of fixing one thing, and having another go wrong. Seems like every time I think I have fixed everything that could wrong, something else pops up. So the idea of fixing it again doesn't sit well.

I have every confidence in my mechanic, also. It's an independent shop, not a dealership. He has told me all along that the 6.0L is a "disaster". It's all that he works on - I never see a duramax there, and rarely a cummins.
Lantley
Nomad
May 13, 2013
sleekcrafter wrote:
If the truck is paid for... I would bullet proof it. I know Brian from BTS has bought many orphan 6.0 and 6.4 trucks. There are known weak points in these trucks, and he can make a solid 450 HP truck out of them for under $4500. I have the 7.3 much better out of the box, but the 6.0 can out do me when fixed! I've got the BTS 4R100 after the second transmission failure. My point is if you want to keep it, it's going to be an investment, much cheaper than new truck payments.

You do make a valid point that it can be fixed. But $4,500 cash goes a long way towards a vehicle that does not need bullet proofing to make it reliable.
It should have been bullet proofed at the factory from day one :h
However much to my dismay bullet proofing is a $4500.00 option for the OP.
sleekcrafter
Explorer II
May 13, 2013
If the truck is paid for... I would bullet proof it. I know Brian from BTS has bought many orphan 6.0 and 6.4 trucks. There are known weak points in these trucks, and he can make a solid 450 HP truck out of them for under $4500. I have the 7.3 much better out of the box, but the 6.0 can out do me when fixed! I've got the BTS 4R100 after the second transmission failure. My point is if you want to keep it, it's going to be an investment, much cheaper than new truck payments.
dakonthemountai
Explorer
May 13, 2013
cewillis wrote:
DMas wrote:

Anyway, when do I cut and run?

Now.

I agree with this. I spent years and many thousands of dollars on my old 1977 F250 to upgrade, restore, refurbish, make pretty, haul, tow, etc. only to STILL have it not be reliable when I needed it most. I LOVED that truck, but I sold it when I finally gave up on trying to get confidence in it :(

Best of luck in whatever you do purchase!

Dak
jimh406
Explorer III
May 13, 2013
KansasKen wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_dhaWv9Z4k

Great link, btw.
billtex
Explorer II
May 13, 2013
Yeah...a lot of the OP's concern has to do with his confidence in the truck after all the trouble he has had.
If it were me, I don't think any amount of aftermarket $ would give me a high enough level of confidence, with a vehicle that has been so much trouble, to take my Family on extended trips.

We tend to keep our vehicle for 10 yrs min...but when they get unreliable...it is time to replace them...no matter how old/new they are.
Right now we have one 7 yr old truck, and one 14 yr old car. Both dependable.
The PIA factor is too great when you can't trust your vehicle.
When one of these gets shaky...it is gone.

B
KansasKen
Explorer
May 13, 2013
I have 7.3 2001 F350 with which I have had zero problems, though low mileage. You may or may not be aware of this guy, but I found his videos informing though he is a bit crass, and in some camps controversial, but has a whole lot to say about the various Ford diesel engines. I believe he has a video(s) on how to bullet proof the 6.0L. I know many have posted getting rid of it. I would just add that, depending on whether you are consider new or used, if you could achieve a reliable engine for 10% of the cost of a new truck, I might tend to go that way....assuming of course I had enormous trust in who is doing the work, and therein lies a major concern with that alternative. Search YouTube for Powerstrokehelp, the following url is one in which he compares the 7.3, 6.0 and 6.4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_dhaWv9Z4k. I bought my F350 in 2001 with the intention of buying a TC within a year, well that year went to 2011 but with the 6.0 problems and the later and latest EPA requirements on diesels, I'm glad I got the 7.3 when I did, btw I "saved" it for the TC, it only has 70K miles and is in mint condition.
jimh406
Explorer III
May 13, 2013
billtex wrote:
Well...except in the case of the infamous 6.0l...these issues are wide spread and well documented...as noted by the OP.

What's good about this is that they are well-documented since it is 10 years old. The fixes are, too. I'm not saying everyone wants to deal with customizing. Some people like customizing, some don't.

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What Would You Do?

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