annabelle

188,000 on mine.....no major problems

slowstang232

i hear the 3rd gen 5.9L cummins has a really crappy fuel filter and the dirty fuel screws up the injectors


what probems have you had with your truck? major or not, i just want to know what i can expect

Alwaysworking

can you fix the four letter word you used don't want to get in trouble

pulltilbroke

watch the language

devilsriverlamb

I will be the first to tell you that I dont know squat about these trucks as most of the guys on here do, BUT I will give you the same advice that my dad gave me when i bought mine. "If some punk kid drove it save your money, and go find one that somebody had to pay for with their hard earned money, and HAD to keep it running to get to work." If you go with that advice you will more likely than not find a good truck that will be dependable.

P.S. It's not that hard to put 190000 miles on a truck in 5 years. My parents trade trucks about every three years because they put 200,000 on it.

Dieselnick

Slowstang, I'm not sure where you live, but where I am that would be a steal; and it sounds like it's what you are looking for. I wouldn't sweat the miles. It may need a few things, but at that price, they are worth doing. And someone already broke-in the arm-breaker 5600 for you.

Nick

96_12V

Sounds like a good truck for the money. The consideration you may want to think over is if this is the right time to be buying a diesel truck as a second rig anyway - with around $4.19/gal right now, and not likely to drop anytime soon, you'll be driving the Mustang more than you ever intended, or at least I would. Good luck it sounds like a clean, well kept truck that you may have to put some money into, but nothing too major. If it meets your needs, I'd give it a shot.

CTDieselChick

190,000 is nothing, shes just getting broken in. you have to realize, your going from a gas powered sports car that usually wont last past 150,000-170,000 when cared for to a truck that can hit 500,000 when well maintained no problem. thats why these trucks hold their value so well.

slowstang232

i had assumed this forum had a filter...my bad. and good job quoting my post so even when i do change my post, it still has the "naugty word"

both the guy selling the truck and my buddy (who is a cummins nut) tell me this truck is capable of 20mpg when driven nicely. if i get a gas truck i will be looking at ~16mpg.

500 miles @ $4.06/gal diesel, 20mpg = $101.50
500 miles @ $3.30/gal gas, 16mpg = $103.13

it all evens out in the end, the diesel will just last longer and hold its value better than a gasser.



by the way, i sold my '88 F-150 XL tonight

96_12V

I used to do very will with my CTD, having owned it nearly 7 years now. When I bought that truck, fuel was right around $1.69/gal, and being it was the Chicago area (and they have traditionally priced diesel a bit higher up there), it was always right at or just a little higher than regular unleaded, roughly about the same as midgrade gas. Myself and other diesel owners I knew began rolling our eyes a couple of years later when the price of diesel exceeded hi-test gas, and it's really not recovered since.

Fact is, my 325i 5-speed that ran mid grade or hi-test at around 26 - 30 mpg used to be nearly more expensive to run than my 2wd, 5-speed, regular cab 12-valve Cummins at 19.5 - 22 mpg. Especailly if I was filling up in remote areas where the diesel wasn't gouged by Chicago stations and taxes. But then my old unit "only" wieghs about 6800 lbs empty.

As to a Common-Rail 6-speed 4wd quad-cab truck getting 20 mpg on ULSD these days - perhaps, on nice, level roads with the cruise set exactly at 65 mph. Otherwise - not likely.

annabelle

LP at 128,000,rear axle seal,electronic 4x4 switch.

Torks03

I bought my 03 with 120k on her. Runs and drives like a cummins should

wheatwhacker

I got my 03 brand new. Now has 140,000, is paid off and I'm wondering if I should trade for a new 5.9. There are a few here at our local dealer for 37K, or, drive it for another 5 years without payments.
I figure my truck is worth 15K now and can trade for 25K OTD.
It'll depreciate another 10K in 5 years, cost maybe 5K for a tranny and the rest of the wearing parts.

Should I, should'nt I?

Kman9090

Like was said see if he has repair history on it. More thn likely the front end is shot. Ball joints, tie rods, u joints, etc.. check all those things very carefully. Then another thing is drive it around and watch the oil gauge and make sure it has good oil pressure and check it for diesel in the oil. Injectors are very big problem but less common for the 03's but non the less a problem. Buddy bought a new 04.5 with 30,000 miles and all ready has a leaky injector.

96_12V

This is just me, and I fully understand if others disagree with this philiosophy. Since this is a good 300k+ mile truck, wouldn't it make more sense in these somewhat uncertain economic times to stay in a paid-off rig? Also your depreciation over the next 4 - 6 years will be much lower than on in it's first four to five years. It's just my piliosophy but I would like to avoid life-long debt, which so many people seem to live with these days. Good luck with your decision...