ktmguy

Hello my name is jim (ktmguy)
I wanted to make some observations between the ford diesel trucks I've been reading about and the dodge diesel trucks: mainly that the dodge diesel engines seem to get far fewer complaints than their ford counterparts. As a matter of fact, except for the issue of aircondition complaints, I don't see any major reoccuring faults with the dodge trucks. I don't mean to bash ford diesel trucks this is just an observer who is trying to become educated so as to make in informed decision when I go to buy my own diesel pickup. Has anyone of you guys found yourself (former ford enthusiast) observing this also?

thanks, Jim

ps I still think ford makes a good product just not as good a diesel as the ctd evidently.

Geico266

Welcome to DTR

I think you'll find that to be very true. The CTD is a proven, reliable, strong, bombable, diesel engine that has had years of refinement and customer satifaction. I believe the other guys are still looking, and experimenting.

trik396

Just pop the hood and look at a Cummins. Inline 6 that is way over built for a pickup truck (good thing). Alot of room in the engine compartment.... Simplicity and reliability and power.
Now pop the hood on a new 6.0.... where do I begin... Way too complex, no room, Terribly unreliable which makes whatever power it has, useless...

MadDog01

KTM
I drive a 2000 ford 7.3 diesel as my work truck. I was very impressed with the power and torque of the truck, so I decided to purchase a diesel for my private truck. Now back to the Ford. If this truck wouldn't have been a company truck -- it would have been lemon law-ed!!! I've been on the end of a tow truck more times than I can count!! Now in all fairness to Ford, my co. purchased two trucks at the same time and the other 7.3 has been trouble free. Mine been through four trannies, three power steering pumps, Injector pump, Fuel filter housing and numerous high pressure oil lines. I'm sure that I forgot something!! Now again I have a couple of freinds that haven't had any problems. I'd stay away from Ford --- can't go wrong with CTD or Demax.

Good luck
Gary

Festus

All you gotta do is read my sig for my position on the issue.

goose2

The one thing that seems to get overlooked in witch truck to purchase is the maint. cost after the purchase. My friend just went to have his fuel and air filters changed on his 04 6.0 ford and get oil changed. The cost air filter $95.00, the fuel filters (2) $120.00 I didn't here on the oil filter. It also takes 15 qts. of oil.Not to mention the fact that you have to tare half the engine out to get the air filter changed. The dodge is $15.00 air filter, $11.00 oil filter and takes 12 qts. of oil.I can't speak on the fuel filter because I have never changed mine yet. As you can see it could cost you an extra $200-$300 every 5000 miles. The cummins is a no bainer in my oppinion not to mention the reliability of the cummins over the 6.0.

truckjunkie

I'm a convert from Ford. I owned a 97 F250 7.3L PSD prior to my the purchase of the truck listed below. I didn't have too many problems with mine - water pump, a couple of cam position sensors, ball joints, and normal maintenance over 130,000 miles. But on my research into buying a replacement truck I read about the issues with the PSD 6 liter, and also witnessed a couple of friends go through some significant problems with their 6 liter powered Fords within their first 10 to 20K miles.

If that wasn't enough I also got a comparable Dodge for about $4 less than what I was looking at in a Ford.

Now, almost 35K later, the only problem I've had with my Dodge is a) the weatherstripping on the front doors (warranty item - just need to get it in to the dealer), and b) I had to put an additional hose clamp on the upper radiator hose to stop a small seepage leak. That's it. I'm very happy with the Dodge, and anticipate many more miles of ownership.

snowmanx

I just bought my first Dodge diesel and I love it, only have 1300 miles since I got it, I didn't even consider the other two.

Smooshy

I like the 7.3... I own a CUMmins though

Oilguy

I do this for a living and when ever I get a customer that buys a new ford 60 I always tell them to start a savings account for their service costs... The cost of the air filter you mentioned is just the cost of the part... not the 20 mins it takes to remove the old one and reinstall the new one! The fuel filters on the 4X4 has the Ford tech cussing ford!!! They are mounted sideways in the frame rail behind the transfer case which mean you need about 3 FEET of extensions a 36mm Wobble socket to even get a grip on it and it feels like it wants to break off when you try to loosen the cap....And whenever the water in fuel light comes on... Which is very often... you have to find a 6mm allen wrench and crawl under teh truck and find the housing up in the frame and pop the nut loose and let the fuel drain all over you the frame and the ground hoping that it will make the fuel light go out.... 1/2 of the time it will not go out and you end up having to go to the deal and spend money to get it to go out.... Now the oil change on them is easier than a Cummins but the cost of materials make it about $10-$15 more per change.
All this and they are not as reliable as the Cummins I service...

I do like the interior of the Fords

Oilguy

Shanajustin

I've been on this planet a very short 30 years. Most of them occupied by GM vehicles, which I like. I have owned three Fords; a mustang and a couple of trucks, never a deisel; and hated all of them. On the other hand this only my second Dodge truck and you'd have to kill me to get it!

Peterbilt

You will find a lot of ex Ford drivers here including me. I couldn't afford the maintenance on the Ford. On my Dodge I pay the following:

Parts from Cummins: oil filter $6.98
fuel filter $12
At dealer" Air cleaner $14
Tranny filter $16

Good luck
Pete

TonyB

I was a Die hard fordnatic, growing up and until 2003. That's when we bought the Dakota for my wife to replace her POS chebby mini-blazer. What a fun truck! THE most room in a mini-mid size pickup!

I also started following the Ford diesel trucks very close about 2000. I watched the launch of the 6.0 VERY closely. When I buy a vehicle, I expect to own it for 7-10 years and put 100-200k on it. So, when ford botched the launch and subsequent support of the 6.0, I went looking elsewhere.

I did not like what I was hearing of overheating problems in the D-Max, which seemed to be worked out in recent years. And, I am NOT a chebby fan. So, no for chebby.

My buddy is a hard core dodge fan, so I was indirectly following the DC/Cummins developments until about late 2004, when I really started to follow dodge closely.

You WILL hear of everyone's problems on a site like this, PERIOD! You are NOT likely to hear of anyone's happines with a product or service unless it is a bar-none example of what customer service should be.

So, where does that leave us? You need to filter through what everyone is saying about the product you are researching. For me, I was buying a motor & trans that I wanted MANY trouble free years of service from. The rest of it is easily supported, both in and out of warranty. One big dissapointment for me: DC discontinuing the 7/70 warranty. At least there's still 100k on the motor!

HTH

Tony

XLR8R

I was forced to drive company-supplied F**d diesels for years; my experiences with the trucks and the dealers is why I will throw F**D under the bus as long as I have breath left in me...

... not that I'm holding a grudge or anything

rockdonon

I have a 7.3 4X4 and it's been trouble free. I had an 04 5.9 SO Kalifornia Cummins4X4 and the powerband of the 7.3 and 5.9 SO are about the same. Traded the 04 SO for an 06 4X4. What a difference................Hands Down the vote is CUMMINS !! Also stated earlier Just Pop the HOOD !