Truck odometer miles, how much is too much?

[Back2PA]

I realize this question is nearly impossible to answer as there are too many variables, including luck, but just asking anyway to get a general sense of it.

Looking at used late 2000's trucks and many have been used as long distance drivers, racking up 2-300,000 miles. For example, looking at an ad for an '06 Chevy 1 ton with Duramax/Allison with 300K miles, the truck appears to be in beautiful condition, even the driver's seat which I've found to be unusual for high mileage trucks. So how much is too much? I'm asking hoping for a few specifics, not just "I'd never buy a truck with more than 150K miles on it". Primarily the areas of concern would be the obvious driveline and chassis ones, engine, tranny, front suspension, wheel bearings, transfer case, that sort of thing. By example, many years ago I had a Chrysler AWD minivan that actually served me well driving around in PA when the kids were young. I was told by many people that the van was known being pretty reliable, except for the transmission, which typically only made it to about 100K. Sure enough, with nearly exactly 100K on the odometer the transmission locked up one day in the driveway.

So in the case of this particular truck, is 300K worrisome? What about Ford (V10 & diesel) and Dodge products? I'd be looking at 1 tons. With regard to Ford, in other topics I've already been made aware of the 6L & 6.4L diesel issues which is problematic as that covers many years right in the budget I'd be looking.

 

[donniedu]

Hi miles trucks on the 200 to 300K range are probsbly worth 6 thousand dillars at most.  Basically the truck is worn out.  Everything under is going to need to be replaced or rebuilt.  Even doing the work yourself and buying used parts could cost you a small fortune.  You would be far better off spending more up front and get a good low miles teuck.  One you can run for a long time.

 

[Lou Schneider]

You have to look at the monthly cost vs. expected life of the vehicle.  A new truck may last 5 -10 years before needing work, or it may need major repairs as soon as the warranty runs out. 

A $50,000 loan for 5 years at 8% interest has payments of $1000 a month.  Plus your down payment.  For that same $1000 a month you can throw away a $6000 used truck twice a year.  If it lasts longer than that you're money ahead.

For example, my current truck is a 1999 Ford F350 with the 7.3L PowerStroke diesel.  The 7.3L is known for it's reliability and long life.  2WD and single rear wheels made it less popular than a 4WD dually, since I'm towing a 29' pull trailer I really don't need them.  The truck had 220,000 miles when I paid $7000 for it two years ago.  The previous owner ran a small trucking company and took very good care of it.  Currently it's pushing 240,000 miles, runs well and hasn't needed anything other than routine maintenance.  The large number of equivalent trucks for sale with 300,000 - 350,000 miles on them makes me fairly confident there's still plenty of life left in this one ... we'll see.

You do need a reserve to cover repairs, my break-even point is about half of the monthly payment for an equivalent new vehicle.  If a new truck has a $1000 a month payment, I can spend $500 for new brakes this month and $1000 to rebuild the front end two months from now and still be ahead of paying the bank for a new truck.

The truck runs great, but I'm well aware it will require major repairs at some point.  Replacing the diesel engine is probably a non-starter, if it bites the dust I'll donate the truck to a junkyard and start looking for another one.  A replacement gas engine or a rebuilt transmission will pay for itself if it extends the truck's life 6 months.  If the truck dies unexpectedly while I'm on the road I can put the trailer in an RV park and rent a car from Enterprise while I look for a replacement ... a big advantage compared to a motorhome where the house stays in the shop while the chassis is being repaired.  In any case, I'm well ahead compared to making payments on a new truck.

 

[LowellR]

This thread got me to look at the cost to maintain my 2009 Ram 1500 4x4. I keep a record of all the maintenance and see that I have spent $8148 for maintenance including 2 sets of tires in 94,000+ miles. A big unexpected expense was over $1000 to replace the fuel tank because a safety feature in the tank failed that was not accessible and the only options was to replace the tank. I think I will probably spend another $1000 or so to replace all the belts and hoses soon as a preventative measure. The Arizona heat is tough on rubber products.

 

[signcut]

As you said, it really just depends; if it's a newer truck with high mileage, then there's a better than even chance that they are mostly highway miles, which are usually the easiest miles that any vehicle can get. On the other hand, if it was towing... that could change that dynamic. Generally speaking, I'm not that afraid of high-mileage vehicles, but it also depends on what I'm buying them for; my beater commuter car was an entirely different kettle of fish than my tow vehicle.

My own guess (without knowing anything else) is that any truck with that kind of use that looks pristine inside has had the inside replaced. Could be wrong, obviously, but that would be my first thought. A websearch should give you any number of sites that will go into details about what to look out for in used diesels, often by manufacturer; that was my lifeline. Should be able to get some very useful information...

 

[Mike2910]

I have a 2001 dodge ram 2500 4x4 with the v-10 setup. I currently have 125000 miles on it and it runs like a champ. I did already replace the transmission with an upgraded one. Just normal maint. everywhere else. I plan on getting a 25 foot pull behind and hit the road next year. I would drive this thing anywhere.

 

[owgpz]

It depends on the engine, I think. I had a 1996 Dodge 12-valve Cummins with 120,000 miles on it that I gave to my son when I purchased a new truck about 5 years ago. In my opinion, it was hardly broken in.  He kept it for a while and sold it for $13,500 - not bad for a truck so old.

 

[garyb1st]

Our 1999 Ford f53 motorhome had 101,000 miles when we sold it.  It was the early addition V10 that some others have reported had a few spark plug issue.  Ours ran perfectly with one minor $150 issue in 3 plus years and 30,000 miles.  And while it's not a pickup and the gearing is likely different, it pulled between 21 -23,000 lbs combined weight very well.  Struggled on the hills but otherwise just kept on going.  As far as I knew, it had the original spark plugs. 

 

[Isaac-1]

My story is much like Lou's above, I have a 2000 model F250 crew cab that I bought in the summer of 2009 when diesel prices were hitting almost $5 per gallon, I paid $6,800 for the truck with about 150,000 miles on it at the time,  it currently has about 230,000 miles on the odometer, only gets used to haul stuff occasionally on the weekends, though I would not hesitate to take it on a longer road trip, for example I drove it about 350 miles round trip pulling  a small utility trailer one day last summer.    Still going strong, though some maintenance has been required over the years, brakes, shocks, ball joints, clutch, most recently I had to replace the alternator.  It has a few issues like the power locks not working ( a common failure for this model year), but overall does the job.  The F250 was bought to replace a 1995 Dodge 2500 5.9 diesel truck, which I think had 325,000 or so miles on it when we sold it, at the time it had a leaking oil seal on  the original turbo charger.

 

[Frizlefrak]

There are so many variables that come into play here.....maintenance, how it was used, how the vehicle was engineered to begin with, etc that it's impossible to say what mileage barrier is the cutoff.  I appraise vehicles for a living....I've seen 200K+ trucks I'd drive anywhere, and 75K trucks I wouldn't trust across town.  But as a general guideline, I'd say once you crest the 100K mile mark, you're going to be doing regular repairs of some type.  Yes, diesel engines can go north of 500K....but the rest of the truck usually can't.  Much of your tolerance for repairs should be directly proportionate to how much wrenching you can do yourself.  Changing an alternator might be $100 in your driveway....or $300 at a shop.  Same with a starter.  If you and your buddies can R&R a transmission in your driveway, you might be looking at $800 vs $4000.  You get the picture.

 

[garyb1st]

I'm don't have much mechanic ability, so usually pay for most everything.  But talking odometer miles without regard to everything else that can and will fail is a bit like putting the cart before the horse.  Just a few, carburetors or fuel injection, fuel pumps, water pumps, alternators, power windows, power seats, radios, suspension, emission systems, brake systems, belts, hoses, radiators, steering components, axles, mufflers, air conditioning, etc, etc.  All potentially costly repairs which are more likely to occur with an older vehicle, regardless of maintenance.  Things wear out.  They wear out from use.  If you're planning on using the vehicle for more than a month or two, I'd go with a low mileage vehicle.  No guaranty, but the odds are in your favor.  You can often verify the maintenance of a vehicle and if you're lucky and buy from a one owner senior you've just upped your odds. 

 

[Back2PA]

There's no doubt that it's not just the drivetrain that falls apart, and fewer miles is of course better (new is even better!) - no one would buy used if budget wasn't an issue. I mentioned in the original post I realized it was nearly impossible to answer, I was just fishing for generalities. As I look at vehicles I try to size up what they were used for - a high trim model with no dings in the bed and higher miles was probably driven on the highway, mostly empty. The one with the gooseneck hitch or snowplow mounts has worked hard for the miles it has. A buddy recently gave me his 2 cents: if buying gas stay as close to 100K as possible (or less) as they start getting tired around 200. Diesel, depending on use, one still might look at in the high 100s thinking there's probably another 100 in the drivetrain. Of course it's all a guess, and you could lose an alternator on any of them. I appreciate the feedback.