The lease is up on my 2004 - 2500 QC 4x4 Cummins, auto this September.

My truck has 60,000km's on it (36,000 miles) and has been reasonably good, although it is at the dealership today getting the following repaired: upper and lower ball joints, sway bar bushings, front door seals, front door adjust, driver seat track (not sure if they are replacing this yet). In the past, it has had 2 sets of sway bar busings, rear driveshaft and u joints and front outer u joints. Mostly everything else has been good, with no engine or transmission problems.

I'm contemplating buying this truck at the end of the lease, or have considered replacing it with a 2007 model when they come out in the fall. I would need to have a good reason to do so. Some things that would send me in that direction: improved headlights, quicker engine warm up time in cold weather, improved fuel mileage (not that mine is poor now), quieter engine.

I have the money to spend but don't want to waste it on a vehicle that has not had any improvements since the 2003 model year came out.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

While the output of the headlights is better, the newer style turns me off. You could always get a Brite Box to solve the output issue.

I wasn't aware that the new trucks warm up quicker, unless you mean having a factory installed Jake Brake.

I wouldn't count on seeing your fuel mileage improve with the extra emissions stuff on the new trucks (I'm assuming yours is an '04 as stated and not an '04.5 with a CAT).

As for a quieter engine, my '03 is pretty darn quiet and I don't have to turn it off in drive-ups like I did with my '92.

You've already addressed most of the problem areas on your '04 (ball joints, u-joints, bushings). I'd keep it and put the money towards something else. The early '04 trucks were the holy grail of 3rd gens, and the '04.5 trucks are pretty nice too!

 

You will decide this for yourself, but you already have great truck, and just broken in ! Yours may be the best year built too. Fuel economy is likely impossible to beat with any newer ones. Now, if you need the Mega Cab or built in Navi or the new 6 speed auto, you may have to get the 07.5.

Although I have had several problems with the fuel supply,,,,, I have not repaired anything like you have.

Good Luck

 

Something to chew on: Have you bought diesel lately. Notice the sticker at the diesel pump that says "Warning! This fuel is not to be used in 2007 Model Vehicles" So where are you going to be able to by this Ultra Low Sulfer Fuel? And don't kid youself that it will get any better fuel economy. The only people who benefit from this is going to be the oil industry for the extra that they will charge. Oh, and it is supposed to be environmentaly safe, so says the government. If you ask me the medium and heavy duty truck sales industry is going to really get hurt by this. The value of pre-'07 vehicles is going to sky rocket, and no body is going to want to by the '07 unless they just have to have new. Okay. I am done with my rant.

 

As long as you have a true '04 (305/555) and not an '04.5 (325/600) I would just stick with what you have.

If I ever decide to move up in years it will be to a '03 or '04. The '04.5 trucks were plagued with injector problems because of the third injection event required to get the catalytic converter hot enough to do its job.

Also, considering you are just now at 36K you have more than enough life left in that truck to keep going.

 

The consensus seems to be to stick with my '04!

I have an early '04 (August '03 production), H.O. that hasn't had alot of hard miles, so I am a bit surprised by all of he repairs to drive train componenents in the past 3 years. The front U joints and rear drive shaft (plus u joints) would have been covered under the 7 year /117,000km (70,000 mile) warranty had they failed after the bumper to bumper runs out, but I would have been on the hook for the ball joints (upper and lower) which can't be a cheap repair (maybe they can get the truck driving straight instead of pulling to the right).

As for resale, I don't think I'll beat the residual if I sell it (i.e. they seem to be trading for the same as my buy out). There has been a flood of U.S. trucks heading into Canada in the past 6 months as our currency has recovered quite a bit (12% exchange right now). Three years ago, there were so many new trucks heading south from Canada that DC had to nationalize the warranty program so people would buy from U.S. dealers.

I think I'll hang onto my truck for now. I'll look at a 2007.5 when it becomes available and see if the new transmission makes a difference (not that the 48re is bad). I'm not concerned about the fuel availability as I believe we already have low sulphur diesel in canada - or at least I haven't seen any stickers on the pumps.

thanks