Trucks and their inherent issues?

[luvmy40]

I did not want to continue to side track the WDYDTYVT thread so:

 

What are the various reasons to NOT buy a Ford, Chevy, Ram, Nissan, Toyota, etc. Truck?

 

I have had very good luck(so far) with Ford F150 trucks. Sure, the fenders and rocker panels disintegrated after a few years, but mechanically they have all been very good. I never bought one new and I never had what turned out to be the "problem" engines. Until this latest one, that was simply good luck. This one I specifically researched and bought one with an engine that had a good reputation.

 

I am leaning toward a Ram for my next truck. Hopefully my current F150 will last me at least another 6 or 7 years. So then I'll be looking at trucks manufactured from 2015 on, give or take. Are the Hemi Rams experiencing any systemic issues?

 

Same question for any other truck out there. What are your personal experiences?

Edited May 3, 2019 by luvmy40

[Sylvester]

Only info I have on a Dodge (in my case) Ram is the only one I have had. I believe it was an 04 1500 and I bought it with 100k on the clock. Ran fine and serviced it regularly. Had a 4.7 V8 that was the issue. Not a good engine for Chrysler. Had multiple problems, one being sludge build up. I put Seafoam in the engine oil according to directions and ran it 3000 miles. Cleaned that engine like new and had to change pcv valves every other oil change. Put over 200k on it. Was that worth ?

 

[MiCarl]

We keep vehicles forever. I figure mechanical problems can be repaired but rust always wins. For that reason I go Chevrolet or GMC, even though I think GM trucks have more than their fair share of mechanical issues. Having said that, my 2007 Colorado that spent most of its life in the California desert is the only one I've ever seen with rust (rocker panels). And it's not stone damage, they're rusting from the inside.

Around here Dodge trucks seem to be rusting through 10 minutes off the dealer lot. Ford is better than dodge but as you know rockers and door bottoms don't hold up on them.

 

There aren't enough imports here to have an opinion on how they hold up.

[BlueSky]

I think they all can have their issues. Valve train/cams can be a problem with the "hemis" from what I've read. Chevy seems to still have cam wear problems on some engines. Ford starting in 2018 has the stop/start feature on all trucks that I don't like. The new 10 speed autos that ford and gm developed together has its issues. I think the new ZF 8 speed German design trans that RAM uses is a good trans. I don't have to worry about rust here in Wilmington, NC so that isn't a concern for me. Flyinfool very rarely hits my area. Toyota may be the most reliable truck but over my life time, every time I thought about buying one, the salesmen were so arrogant I walked. My

[cowpuc]

I think they all can have their issues. Valve train/cams can be a problem with the "hemis" from what I've read. Chevy seems to still have cam wear problems on some engines. Ford starting in 2018 has the stop/start feature on all trucks that I don't like. The new 10 speed autos that ford and gm developed together has its issues. I think the new ZF 8 speed German design trans that RAM uses is a good trans. I don't have to worry about rust here in Wilmington, NC so that isn't a concern for me. Flyinfool very rarely hits my area. Toyota may be the most reliable truck but over my life time, every time I thought about buying one, the salesmen were so arrogant I walked. My

 

 

,, there it is again,,, that @Flyinfool is getting almost as notorious as Murphy himself :rotfl::cool10:

[vzuden]

I buy new each time and run them to 250,000 to 300,000. About 30,000 miles/yr. I have always had GM and no problems except had to replace a transmission in my last one (beyond warranty). Switched to Ford F150 with twin turbo V-6 for the current one.

65,000 miles in just over 2 years and no problems except had to replace lug nuts. I have found Ford has a problem with rust under the cheap tin cap on them causing them to swell and the lug wrench no longer fits. Went with aftermarket and no problems (after switching from some that rusted immediately from Rock Auto - 2 sets - same thing. Got my $ back just had to pay shipping)

[tufftom4]

I have a 2009 Nissan Frontier that has had zero issues but I have to say it only has 57,000 original miles, my work truck is a 2011 GMC 1500 that I would consider a lemon it has 119,000 miles on it and has gone through 3 transmissions, ball joints and a whole list of thing. My last truck was a Chevy Silverado and was also a piece of junk, I always had great luck with Ford trucks and never had a Dodge. I went Japanese because they are considered bulletproof. I put a Bullydog tuner in it with a Banks 3" exhaust and a cold air intake and it is a rocket ship.

[Marcarl]

I have an 08 Dodge Ram, 1500, 5.7L 4WD. Love it, mostly just for the way it handles. Repairs are normal, no real issues at all. Been a good truck, 260km so far, just getting a little rust around the wheel wells, but that is easily overcome if undercoated right. Most guys looking at it guess it to be much newer, it was well looked after with undercoating before I got it.

[djh3]

Lately (say last 10-15yr) I have had Dodges. Got a 96 Ram 2500 with the Cummins. 128k I have replaced baljoints. Serviced oil and filters regularly. My other vehicle is a 2002 Durango 4wd with 4.7. Currently 203k. Ball joints (there was a recall on them back in 02 but have been changed again) Regular oil changes with synthetic and I run the longer Ford type filter instead of the short OEM type. When I worked @ the Dodge dealer most of the time we saw sludge problems it was people that drove shorter distances and did not change oil regularly. Now we have a 2011 Durango with the 5.7, only 83k on it and we bought it from a friend and I know the background of it for the last 5 or so years. The 5.7's they are seeing problems with from the reports I have got from my contact in the dealership is related to wrong weight oil. The 4.7 issues I saw were cam related oiling problems in head. But not a lot that I remember.

I thought I wanted a newish 1500 with the ECO diesel, but I read to many posts about issues with the little smoker so I skipped that. Ford 4.6 is about indestructible, ask a cop, the 5.4 was known to have "phaser" problems from oil flow, but it's pretty easy to fix. Here in Fla unless you drive it in the ocean not much rust issues.

[BigLenny]

January 2018, I was in the market again for a new truck. I am a sales rep for Grainger, and I drive 3000-4000 miles per month. My vehicle is my office. It has to be extremely reliable, or I can't make a living.

 

I had owned 7 Ford F150's in a row. I also owned a GMC Sierra in 2010 at the same time I owned an F150, because I had a buyer for the F150, but the deal fell through. That allowed me to drive both of them for a while, and I gotta say, the F150 was easily better quality than the GM product.

 

But, lets get back to January 2018. I began the process of looking for a new truck again. During that search, I found an article, I believe it was in Truck Trend, magazine, or maybe it was in 4X4 Magazine. Not sure exactly. The article was about how big peer pressure plays into the purchase of full sized trucks in America. It talked bout how if Grandpa owned chevy's and he raised his son on Chevy's, grandson better not get a Ford. Its a big culture thing. Chevy owners poking Ford owners, and Ford owners poking Chevy owners, and all of them poking Dodge owners. It's a big culture thing. It talked about how Toyota and Nissan haven't been able to break into that American peer pressure culture as much, which is why those 2 brand names fall far behind the American names in truck sales numbers. But, as I read the article, it finished up the last paragraph by saying "Peer pressure plays a huge part, because after all, if it was about quality alone, Toyota and Nissan would be at the top of the sale numbers heap". That one quote caused me to decide to take a serious look at the newly redesigned Nissan TiTan. I had looked at the Toyota Tundra, and knew of its reputation of top of the line quality, but the gas mileage 13/15, wasn't going to work for me. That would kill me in monthly gas expense, compared to the other trucks on the market. I test drove the Nissan 4 times, then went a mission of asking every Titan owner i ran across for about 3 weeks how they liked their Titans. I was stopping people randomly at Gas stations, the grocery store, and everywhere else I saw people with Titans. This resulted in great discussions about how much Titan owners love their trucks, and how good a quality they are.

 

Well, in February of last year, I made the scary leap of buying a 4X4 Nissan Titan SL. I had buyers remorse for about 2 weeks after I bought it because all of my buddies and relatives were wearing me out because I had bought a Titan instead of a Ford/Chevy/GMC/Ram. Making fun of me, and some still call it a Datsun just to try to bug me.

I have owned it for 13 months now, and have put 51,000 miles on it. It is on the road all day, everyday, and I can now say; it is rapidly becoming in the top 2 or 3 of my favorite vehicles I have ever known. The truck is a beast compared the Fords and GMC I owned. The 5.6 Dual Overhead Cam, 32 Valve engine is so much smoother, and a heck of a lot stronger that the Ford and GM engines I have owned. This truck only tries to be a truck. It doesnt try to be a luxo-truck, even though it is very nice and loaded with leather seats and such. It is a pulling beast that is a truck at heart. I get about 17-18 mpg average. ONe of the main buying triggers for me was, Nissan is putting (and still is on the 2019's) from the factory, a 5yr/100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty on it. You can buy so much more content for way less $ than the domestic brands.

 

But, you have to be your own man to own this truck. You can't be a follow the crowd type personality. I think the domestics make great products, but, this Nissan has stolen my heart. Very good truck at a great price, with a great powerplant. ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

[Flyinfool]

For me it come down to available options, My truck has to be a truck. That means a full size, extended cab, 8 foot box, and 4x4, with a V8. Right now that limits me to 3/4 ton or bigger, Ford, Chevy/GMC, and Dodge. None of the overseas trucks can fill this bill. Until I start regularly seeing 100K mile Dodges That are still on the original transmission I am limited to GM and Ford. I am kind of in the market for a new truck right now, but I do not like ANYTHING that is available, or the price tags. They have all turned into cars designed for idiots that think their phone is the most important thing in life. I do not want lane warnings or assist, or self activating brakes, or internet access or any of that crap. Even if I turn it all off and/or disable it, it is still there, I still had to pay for it, and when it malfunctions I still have to pay to repair it it it will likely take out something that the truck NEEDS to be able to move. The last thing that I want is a computer that can take control from me I think I am a much better judge of what is down the road that the computer that is reacting to what is nearby. Now granted that my years as a professional stock car driver (including several track records) may have my skill set a touch higher than the average person on the road.

 

As the modern cars get closer and closer to to being self driving, it is only a short matter of time before the hackers will start causing BAD issues. ANY system that can be accessed by anyone, can be hacked. Period. NO exceptions. Heck Jeep was hacked to where someone was able to take control of a car doing 70 on a public highway, Jeep had to recall 1.4 million vehicles.

[t_hole]

I drive an '06 Titan and love it. Bought it to pull my camper and what a beast. The 5.6 pulls like a freight train and with the right exhaust it sounds pretty good too. Being Nissan's first generation of full-size truck it had some issues (leaking axles, cracking exhaust manifolds) but nothing that left me stranded. Had the axle replaced under warranty and put headers & a new exhaust to fix the manifolds and that really woke her up! The motor/transmission is very stout and pretty rock-solid. The current version has beefier axles that were a know weakness on the 1st gen and the newer 6-speed transmissions help with the fuel economy a bit. I feel that being a perceived underdog in one of the most competitive and brand loyal markets, the Titan offers the best bang for the buck for those that are in the know and willing to give it a chance.

[BigLenny]

I drive an '06 Titan and love it. Bought it to pull my camper and what a beast. The 5.6 pulls like a freight train and with the right exhaust it sounds pretty good too. Being Nissan's first generation of full-size truck it had some issues (leaking axles, cracking exhaust manifolds) but nothing that left me stranded. Had the axle replaced under warranty and put headers & a new exhaust to fix the manifolds and that really woke her up! The motor/transmission is very stout and pretty rock-solid. The current version has beefier axles that were a know weakness on the 1st gen and the newer 6-speed transmissions help with the fuel economy a bit. I feel that being a perceived underdog in one of the most competitive and brand loyal markets, the Titan offers the best bang for the buck for those that are in the know and willing to give it a chance.

 

t_hole,

 

My sentiments exactly about the Titan. And, believe me, I NEVER EVER EVER EVER thought I would be saying that about a Nissan Titan. I have the regular Titan, but I have an acquaintance who owns the Titan XD which has the Cummins Diesel, and he loves his rig too.

This Titan is turning out to be a more tightly built rig than the Fords, and the GMC that I have owned.

But, as I stated in my original post, you gotta be your own, stand alone man to own this rig, and not have a hint of a follower personality, because people are gonna rib you about it being non American and such. I totally enjoy having things that are crazy high quality, but aren't part of the status quo. It's why I ride an RSTD instead of a Harley.

 

Look, all of the American trucks are high quality rigs, but, the Toyota and Nissan are right there with them in quality, but you get some things you don't get with the American rigs. In the Toyota Tundra, you get the advantage of owning the second highest resale value holding vehicle in all of the automotive market. The Toyota Tacoma is the #1 ranked value holding vehicle, and the Tundra is #2 . So, the cost of ownership will be less over time than American trucks. BUt, the downfall is they don't offer a 3/4 ton truck.

The Nissan offers far more content for less money than the American rigs. And, right now, Nissan is putting a 5yr, 100K mile bumper to bumper warranty on both the regular Titan, as well as the XD to entice people to try it. So, there is even more value savings.

[Condor]

I.ve owned and wore out 2 F250 Diesels, but now in my twilight years I wanted something more comfy. So I bought a Nissan Titan LE 5.6. I think the L stands for luxury. At the time it was rated as having the largest cab of all pickups. For smaller folks that's not an issue, but for me it's a big deal.. Love the thing ...... 'cept for the damn gas milage.. It gets about the same as my old '73GMC 4x4. Yada thunk that by now Nissan would have figured out how to squeeze more miles out of a tank of fuel...?? Nope.. they went with horse power. So off the line it;ll pin ya... :-)

[djh3]

Jeff I got 2 in the driveway with over 100k on them and original trans. My Durango and a 2500 Diesel stick.

[Flyinfool]

Jeff I got 2 in the driveway with over 100k on them and original trans. My Durango and a 2500 Diesel stick.

 

Neither one is a full size pickup with an automatic. I should have been more clear, It is the full size truck automatics that do not hold up.

 

One of my hunting buddies got a Dodge 3500 dually set up for a 5th wheel so he could get a big camper. After his 5th trans in 2 years the dealer said that they would no longer honor the warranty because he was "way overloading" the truck. He had not yet bought the big camper, he was only pulling a little pop-up a couple of times a year, and then less than 300 miles. Maybe 1200 lbs when fully loaded.

 

I would love a truck with a manual trans, but everything I have looked at you can only get the stripped down base mode with a manual. I do like some of the creature comforts. I have never looked into what is available with a diesel. I haul things that are big, not heavy. I can not justify a diesel.

[videoarizona]

I was a Dodge guy for 40 years. Cars and vans. Got very tired of replacing stuff on them. Brakes, compressors, water pumps, suspension pieces, you name it...it broke. Even one 318 gave up a rod at 160K miles. Went Ford...to many issues. Seriously! I liked them. Quieter than the Dodges for sure...but....unreliable for me.

 

Then in 2004, went with a brand new GMC Yukon XL. Never owned a GMC. Best dam vehicle I've ever owned. Never replaced anything until 206K miles when the right front wheel bearings started making noises. Easy replacement as they are a one piece module that simply bolts on!

Brakes, water pump, compressor, electronics, trannie...all were original! Remember, that truck towed my 2 ton sailboat all over the country for 15 years...not one issue. Finally traded it in a few months ago after 219K miles. She was still running great with that 5.3 aluminum block still not burning oil and getting 18 mpgs. Hard to see her go....but towing the trailer was an issue...the 4 speed didn't have enough gears.

 

I looked at the Toyota and Nissan but neither had the towing capacity I wanted. (9200 to 11K lbs depending upon hitch). Not very good mpg's either. Sure did like the build quality though!

 

I bought a used 2015 Sierra Denali with 6.2l V8. It pulls the trailer (6k lbs) like it's not event there. (420hp-460lbs of torque) Gets me over 20mpg's (have seen a steady 32mpgs in V4 mode at 70mph). I get 12 to 14 mpgs towing the trailer and 14 mpgs towing the boat at 65mph.

 

The only complaint I have is the ride quality suffers because the PO put on a 2.5inch lift kit and stiffened the suspension. With the 20 inch wheels and 60 ratio tires...she does ride like a truck instead of a luxury pick up. I'm getting used to it. Even the wife is really liking the comfort and quiet cab the Sierra has.

I'm hoping the truck lasts as long as the Yukon did. If so...It will be the last truck I own...time will tell.....

[BlueSky]

For me it come down to available options, My truck has to be a truck. That means a full size, extended cab, 8 foot box, and 4x4, with a V8. Right now that limits me to 3/4 ton or bigger, Ford, Chevy/GMC, and Dodge. None of the overseas trucks can fill this bill. Until I start regularly seeing 100K mile Dodges That are still on the original transmission I am limited to GM and Ford. I am kind of in the market for a new truck right now, but I do not like ANYTHING that is available, or the price tags. They have all turned into cars designed for idiots that think their phone is the most important thing in life. I do not want lane warnings or assist, or self activating brakes, or internet access or any of that crap. Even if I turn it all off and/or disable it, it is still there, I still had to pay for it, and when it malfunctions I still have to pay to repair it it it will likely take out something that the truck NEEDS to be able to move. The last thing that I want is a computer that can take control from me I think I am a much better judge of what is down the road that the computer that is reacting to what is nearby. Now granted that my years as a professional stock car driver (including several track records) may have my skill set a touch higher than the average person on the road.

 

As the modern cars get closer and closer to to being self driving, it is only a short matter of time before the hackers will start causing BAD issues. ANY system that can be accessed by anyone, can be hacked. Period. NO exceptions. Heck Jeep was hacked to where someone was able to take control of a car doing 70 on a public highway, Jeep had to recall 1.4 million vehicles.

 

RAM started using the ZF 8 speed transmission in 2013. It is German designed and is used in BMWs, Rolls Royce, Audi, and a host of others. I think it's a good transmission. Check it out.

[djh3]

Jeff, nobody is offering a stick anymore in anything under a 450 I think. Dodge you could get up until this year 3500 with a stick. Extra money but I have read guys getting an allison on their Dodge aftermarket.

[BlueSky]

The Tacoma and Frontier can still be purchased with a stick, but that's all I know of.

[djh3]

The Tacoma and Frontier can still be purchased with a stick, but that's all I know of.

Yea but them aint even full size trucks. Wont be long, anything under 1 ton will have an automatic except like the micro cars like the Focus and similar size.

[BigLenny]

I.ve owned and wore out 2 F250 Diesels, but now in my twilight years I wanted something more comfy. So I bought a Nissan Titan LE 5.6. I think the L stands for luxury. At the time it was rated as having the largest cab of all pickups. For smaller folks that's not an issue, but for me it's a big deal.. Love the thing ...... 'cept for the damn gas milage.. It gets about the same as my old '73GMC 4x4. Yada thunk that by now Nissan would have figured out how to squeeze more miles out of a tank of fuel...?? Nope.. they went with horse power. So off the line it;ll pin ya... :-)

 

Hi Condor,

Not sure what year model your Titan is. Those dudes used to be gas suckers, but Nissan completely remodelled them in 2017, and they get a lot better mileage now. 2017 is the model year I have, and I just looked at the avg MPG before I came in the house and jumped on the forum. It says its averaging 17.9 on this tank of gas. But, I've been running quite a bit of city stuff the past few days.

[Sylvester]

I believe that having a good long life pickup truck is a matter of pure luck. My 96 Ford F150 4x4 purchased new in October of 1995, now has 251xxx miles on the odo and has never been overhauled. Original everything but inner tie rods and wheel bearings. Normal maintenance and brake linings is all. Of course down here I have no issues with rust either. It has a 302 and the E4OD Transmission. I don't pull with it very often and then not much weight.

 

[cowpuc]

We just bought a new truck = 4 speed manual with creeper gear, manual transfer case with 2wd - 4wd hi - 4wd low, lock out hubs, 3/4 ton with floating rear axles, over load springs (rides like a TRUCK), manual windows, big inline 6 banger that purrrs like a kitten (just tuned it = put NGK v-power plugs in it - purrrsss like kitten).. I am a little let down it didnt have split rims (use to love swapping tires on splitters when working for Goodyear when I was a kid) on it but I guess those got decommissioned before 1982,, oh well,, cant have everything, but you can try!!

 

[baylensman]

Depending on who you talk to and their individual experience it's hard to by a bad new truck it's equally hard to buy a good new truck. Looking at JD power and Kelly and edmunds most new trucks run between 4.4 and 4.8 out of 5 stars on customer satisfaction. I manage a fleet i have chevy van approaching 300,000 miles that still run and aren't rusted ow i've had some maintaience issues with some of them, Have Ford pick ups with similar mileage and similar results, I have 2 dodges in the fleet that spend more than their fare share of time in the shop with No run issues. I also have a bunch of nissan diesel box trucks with over 300,000 miles that are still running strong.

 

Sit in a bunch find the one that feels like a glove or and old comfortable shoe. then start looking at your needs well over 97% of new truck will never goof road will never tow anything larger than a small trailer (jet ski motorcycle) and spend most of their life span being primary transpiration for 1 person. Will a 4 cylinder turbo or small V6 serve you and get you the fuel economy you need?

What bells and whistles do you want? Is four wheel drive important, wait for the Jeep, is Infotainment your main deal, get a dodge? Uniquenss is what your after a Susuki or Honda are kind of rare trucks. Plain old rugged truck? cant beet either a Blue oval or a Bowtie with a small V8.

 

That's my two cents as a guy who manages a fleet of over 20 small truck and 40 mid size trucks!