Hello all, I am new to the site and new to the whole diesel power scene. I am looking at a 2005 Dodge 2500 SLT at a local dealer and was needing some advice from you guys at what to look for when buying a used diesel truck.

The body and interior are spotless. What should I be looking for engine bay and under carriage wise? Just the main areas please.

Thanks for the help.

 

Welcome aboard, super. How many miles are on the truck? When I buy used, I try to find out who had the truck before, and what they did with it. If it has a gooseneck/ fifth wheel hitch, they probably did some heavy towing with it. Not a problem with the Cummins, but if there is 225K miles on it already, be careful. Usually, a dealer will let you take it to a mech of your choice to look it over. You can also ask the dealer for the carfax report, to see if it has ever been wrecked. Make sere that it is local, and not from somewhere that you are uncertian about the weather conditions, (heavy salt b/c of snow). Other than that, I look at the underbody for rust, the major seals for leaks, and look at the maint log book with the owners manual to see if they at least wrote down the maint. Ask the dealer if there is any repair history for the VIN#.

Sorry I wrote you a book. I've bought a few used cars/trucks. Take your time.

 

The truck has 16,258 miles on it.

Thanks for the input.

 

Doesn't sound bad. What are they asking for it, if you don't mind... roughly.

 

They are asking $28,900 for it.

 

Carfax isn't all it's cracked up to be! I have directly asked Body Shop reps after my Van got wrecked and they said that CarFax will more than likely not show much if it was in an accident. They may get the info from the insurance companies, however it doesn't mean it will be reflected on the CarFax report.

Save your $40 for something more fun, it's not an absolute piece of mind. Even if the dealer is giving it away for free. Take the $40 towards a mechanical appraisal.

John