ell I need a truck for work, and I have at most $25K cash to spend on a truck. So im lookin at 03 and up CTD with rather high mileage, 60-90k range. 4X4 of course, and im only going for 6 speed manual just so I dont risk getting some POS auto (dads auto tranny went out at 27k miles on his hemi 2500).

I have been reading up a TON on this board and all over the net, and know all about the lift pump problems. But really what should my main concern be with a truck with this high of mileage? Im searching ebay and auto trader so I cant inspect a lot of these trucks myself, which is tough.

Any advise on what to ask about and look for while searching would be great. I did go look at a 04 2500 sport today, with 90k miles and it looked pretty clean but again I didnt know what to look for. Should I be worried about the previous owner pulling gooseneck trailers etc...? Sorry for all the rambling, just tryin to get as much info as possible! Thanks!

 

Welcome to DTR. Well, you will probably get a lot of replies to this thread, so here is my $.02. I have an 04.5 with the auto with 67k. In the past 6 months, I have replaced my water pump, ball joints, u-joints, axle shafts, sway bar bushings, and sway bar end links. This is the only repairs that I have done to my truck. If I was buying a used truck, I would ask to see service records and check to make sure the diffs and tranny have been serviced. You should probably ask about oil/fuel filter change intervals as well. I'm sure othe members will give you more criteria to look for.

 

ttt, thanks for that patriot2500. Anyone else?

 

I was in your shoes, and I was tired of looking at used trucks that were thrashed (only a few years old) and people wanted close to new prices.

I ended up buying a brand new 2007 2500 4x4 SLT Quad-Cab with the 5.9 (had to find one with the 5.9) - and I ended up paying $34K + TL. Plus, I have 3/36 warranty, and 100K engine warranty. I needed a vehicle that I didn't have to worry about fixing right away. I also wanted a truck that had not been modded/thrashed.

 

How many miles can I really expect out of an auto tranny vs a manual? If I found a nice 04 with 70k miles and an auto, would the fact that its an auto be enough to make me look else where even if it seems to be in better shape than some of the manuals? The guy said he has all his maintence done by the dealer and changes all his fluids regularly. Im just soooo hesitant to get an auto over the manual... should I be?