Advice on Purchase - Diesel Forum

andrewvanh · 10-27-2008, 11:15 PM

I have driven diesel vehicles all my life...unfortunately they have been VW. I love the smell in addition to other things about them. I want to buy a truck and need some advice. I have been looking for quite a while and found a 2004 in my price range. The truck has 206,000 miles on it with the 6.0. It recently had the ball joints replaced but I don't know any other history on it.

I would like to know from this forum which I consider unbiased experts, if it is something I should buy. I need something that is reliable and don't have any experience with diesel trucks. I would be driving it very little and almost never pulling anything. I know that I could buy something that is less than a F250, but why? I will occasionally need the truck part of it and might as well have everything else even though I won't really use it.

With 200K on it, do things really start breaking or if they have used it that much already will most of the bugs be worked out? It is a lariat crew cab for 11,000$.

Thanks in advance as any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Go diesel.

hitecdan · 10-28-2008, 01:17 AM

I would do a background check on the VIN number. Also, Ford advertised that the 6.0L could go 350,000 miles before a rebuild. Later they revised that number down to 250,000 miles. But who knows, these engine could go 500,000 miles. It's still a little early in the history of the 6.0L to really get a feel for it's longevity. But the engine is not the only consideration that has 200K miles on them. Other sub-systems, batteries, alternator, A/C, brakes and other components may need fixing or replacing in the near future. That goes for transmission too.

I would say if the history is clean and you understand that the engine and other parts may need rebuilding or replacing in a couple years, Then it may be a good buy.

soflasmoker · 10-28-2008, 02:10 AM

I would keep looking an 04 6.0 isnt something you really wanna mess with and its got 200k on it i just saw an 05 with 43k 4x4 crew cab xlt for 15500. These things arent worth ne thing rite now.

OMCUSNR · 10-28-2008, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrewvanh

I have driven diesel vehicles all my life...unfortunately they have been VW. I love the smell in addition to other things about them. I want to buy a truck and need some advice. I have been looking for quite a while and found a 2004 in my price range. The truck has 206,000 miles on it with the 6.0. It recently had the ball joints replaced but I don't know any other history on it.

I would like to know from this forum which I consider unbiased experts, if it is something I should buy. I need something that is reliable and don't have any experience with diesel trucks. I would be driving it very little and almost never pulling anything. I know that I could buy something that is less than a F250, but why? I will occasionally need the truck part of it and might as well have everything else even though I won't really use it.

With 200K on it, do things really start breaking or if they have used it that much already will most of the bugs be worked out? It is a lariat crew cab for 11,000$.

Thanks in advance as any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Go diesel.

I've got an 03 with only 75k on it. I'd look around some more. There are probably lower mileage trucks out there in that price range.

The economy is pretty depressed right now, and financing might be a problem for a used truck.

Make sure you get the vin & have an OASIS check run on it. Also maint records if possible. And if it has any mods give it a real close going over - I'll include a lift & intake as suspicious. To my way of thinking guys that mod trucks tend to thrash them alot more than stock haulers.

OMC

OT · 10-28-2008, 12:08 PM

A..if its worth 11K to you, go for it. Hi mileage/used vehicle..just remember..if 6L breaks..could cost BIG $ (depending) to fix. Good luck!

Eubee · 12-04-2008, 10:41 AM

FWIW: I recently bought a 2003 6.0L from a local dealer. I knew before I bought it that it would need: valve cover gaskets, ICP sensor, front shocks, two front ball joints, and possibly a general tune-up. Truck had 162K when I bought it; and I paid $8700 for it. It was a documented southern truck, so there was no rust on it (kind of rare in central Michigan). Carfax came back lean, so I bought it.

JIM_C · 12-04-2008, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrewvanh

I would be driving it very little and almost never pulling anything. I know that I could buy something that is less than a F250, but why? I will occasionally need the truck part of it and might as well have everything else even though I won't really use it.

Thanks in advance as any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Go diesel.

I wouldn't buy a 6.0 unless you plan on driving it at least several times a week. They don't like to sit around. It's your money and, I think, an excuse to drive it more

Volcanman · 12-04-2008, 01:51 PM

Any engine with 200,000 miles is going to need some work done to it. Some a lot more than others. The 6.0 seems to need a few adjustments to be reliable, however, with that many miles on it, maybe the kinks were already taken care of. Ford is claiming 250,000 miles for the 6.0? Big price to pay if you are only going to get 50,000 more miles.