Maintaining higher mileage trucks

[shelbyfv]

2011 F150 5.0, 90,000 miles. I'm happy with the truck and at 70, not too many more years of towing. I'd like to ride it out with this vehicle. I've been OK with dealer service and they are convenient. Recently I had the first non routine maintenance issue and it was astonishingly expensive. There are a couple of independent repair shops in town but I don't know how to judge their abilities. The dealer has the correct parts and only works on Fords. I'm leaning toward just choking down my feeling of being "taken" and continue with the dealer. I'm interested in others thoughts about keeping higher mileage trucks reliable. I have low tolerance for on the road issues. Just to be clear, I have zero interest in working on it myself.:R Dealer, independent, choose one depending on repair, or new truck? Thanks!

[Grit_dog]

If you name your pickup, you’re a little too attached!

[colliehauler]

I use a independent mechanic that I have trusted for over 30 years. I have several high milage trucks.

[The_ugly_duckli]

I'm 70 also and have a 11 year old, 2007 Toyota Tundra with 61,000 miles. Until recently it's been totally reliable. I thought about trading it in, but at my age I can't quite stomach truck payment. I've got a great independent mechanic that does great work with very reasonable hourly rates. My rational is that a lot of the work that needed doing equaled only one or two monthly truck payments.:) For instance, I just had a front wheel bearing replaced and new rear shocks installed. Bill was $460 total. That I can handle1

I recently did go to Toyota to have my catalytic converters replaced. They were totally rotted out. Cost was ridiculous!!

[ppine]

High mileage trucks deserve some care. They need maintenance regular maintenance. Become sensitive to changes in the sound or feel of your truck. I really love NellieBelle after 17 years and take care of her.

I disagree with people that think "diesel engines need to be worked hard." That means heat which is one of the only things that can kill them. I take it easy most of the time with my diesel. I like snythetic oil, and letting her warm up a little.

[patperry2766]

shelbyfv wrote:
Thanks all for the comments! For those curious, the repair was a water pump. It didn't fail but was making an intermittent weird moaning sound and I asked them to sort it out. Anyway, it was about $600 equally split, parts and labor. There were a couple of connection type parts as well as the pump and new coolant. They said labor is normally $120/hr, they discounted that to $100/hr. I don't have any idea what labor is at independent shops. The two shops in town always have 20+ cars sitting around, don't know what to think about that....

Just got mine back from the shop for a similar thing. Thought I was loosing a water pump at 110K miles, but it turned out to be a leaking radiator hose and a belt tensioner that was making all the racket. The bill was $340, but they gave me a rental car for free for the 4 days that they had it waiting on the parts.

I try to do all the wrenching I can, but I was in a position where I didn't have the time to diagnose and repair the problem. I figure that the rental car they gave me was probably close to $200 if I had to pay for it out of pocket, so that made the overall cost more palatable.

When I had the BCM go out a couple of years ago, they provided me a rental car for free as well. Sometimes going to the dealer is more expensive, but there can be benefits if you can find the right one.

[K-9_HANDLER]

Depends on the work to be done weather I use a dealer or an indy. Some jobs that are known issues for a make model odds (hopefully) are the dealer has seen it and dealt with it before. Tires/ brakes, exhaust, etc. go to the indy up the road.

[time2roll]

ktmrfs wrote:
My old S-10 pickup is at 280K miles with the original engine transmission and drivetrain.

My 1985 S10 v6 had 3 transmissions and 1 motor replaced before 80,000. Classic POS.

[shelbyfv]

That may be Canadian dollars.

[fj12ryder]

"Is the possibility of saving 7k in expenses over the next 10 years worth fretting over?"

Uh, it sure is to me. I can cover one whole heck of a lot of fuel and traveling expenses with $7500. $750/year buys a fair amount of fuel. Maybe if I had your money it might be chump change...

[4x4ord]

I'm not one for preventive maintenance. I think you're best off financially by driving what you have and if something breaks you get it fixed. Whether you use a dealer or not to do the work is not going to make a huge difference one way vs the other. Say you have terrible luck and over the next 10 years you spend $15,000 in repairs going to the dealer. Now assume an independent shop might save you 50%....Is the possibility of saving 7k in expenses over the next 10 years worth fretting over?//

[shelbyfv]

Thanks again for the replies. It's encouraging to read of the high mileage success stories! If clarification is needed, I wasn't asking for local shop recommendations ;)more the question of stick with the dealer or look elsewhere.

[valhalla360]

2011 with 90k...you have a decade and 100k miles or more before you could consider it old.

Sold the last two trucks as 250k and 200k...both were fine mechanically but the bodies were rusting away.

If you can find an independent mechanic you trust, it will be just as good of service and likely a bit cheaper (they don't have to send Ford a franchise check). If you want original Ford parts, just specify it and they will do it.

I suggesting asking some local buddies around town as the folks on the forum are unlikely to know a guy near you.

[Perrysburg_Dodg]

Ask around the town and find out how others feel about the local shops not on a site that no one knows these places. My two cents are, I have our vehicles repaired at our dealer as I 100% trust them. They will let the girls hang a bill and make payments when they needed two. They give us free loaners no mater what and charge us under there posted labor rate. No other dealer will do that and none of them are worth the cost it would take to blow them up!

As for non dealers, there is not a thing wrong with them! But like dealers there are good ones and bad ones. If the place is dirty with junkers sitting around stay far away! Labor rates vary from area to area but most are $80-125 from what I have seen. So if you like the work the dealer does $100 is right in line.

As for parts, the only parts the car companies make now a days are engines, transmissions and steering columns for the most part. FCA uses Wix filters branded as MoPar and Bendix brake pads/shoes. As for Ford and GM they are the same, Motorcraft and AC Delco use the same companies that supply their factories with their parts. The up side to using so called OEM parts is the warranty. MoPar parts installed out of the factory warranty are covered for three years unlimited mileage and I think it is the same for Ford and GM. So you are paying for a warranty along with the OE specs!

Don

[ktmrfs]

I'd hardly call 90K miles high mileage. My old S-10 pickup is at 280K miles with the original engine transmission and drivetrain. Other than regular service for oil/fluid changes and shocks the only other major work was ball joints.

My 2004.5 LLY diesel that our son now has just turned 175K miles. again nothing other than regular service till recently. Did need a new AC compressor this summer.

Find a good independent mechanic if you don't want to do your own service work and have them do regular service.