This is a report card on my 1996 Ford F350 4x4 crew cab Powerstroke after 8 years and 120,000. I'm not complaing or disgruntled but want to share my 8 years experience with anyone considering a new truck like this. They are expensive; not just to purchase.

Purchase price: $32,000.
Maintenance : $10,000
Total miles : 120,000

What has had to be fixed? Transmission 2 times, water pump, window motor, FOUR turn signal switches, glow plugs 2 times, glow plug relay 3 times, master cylinder, wheel cylinder, brake pressure transducer, cam postition sensor 2 times and more. The mileage was fair when new at 16-22mpg but is now down to 13-16mpg and there is noticeably less power. So, you might ask, "why doesn't he sell that POS?" Well, a Toyota truck is too small and I don't want another Ford, Dodge, or Chevy. This F350 still looks like new and is very comfortable for a truck. It hauls my boys and toys camping, shooting, and boating. I like the space and freedom to carry stuff. That is expensive and I toss about 50 cents out the window every mile when you consider all the costs of ownership. But more important, I don't believe a new F350 will be less costly to drive or less hastle over the next 5 years.

Overall I give Ford the following report card:
Utility: A
Style: B
Customer Satisfaction: C
Engineering Design: C
Maintainability: C
Reliability: D
Quality: D

:useless:

A new '04 WOULD be less costly to drive and less hassle over the next 5 years. You get a 7 year 160,000km warranty on the diesel and 3 years worth of warranty bumper to bumper and powertrain, which can be extended easily to 150,000km if you want to invest in the warranty.

Glad the truck has treated you decently despite it's issues!

How is a new one less costly? Here is my 5 year 100kmi estimate.

1996 2004
sale 96 -12000
purchase 0 46000
tax 0 3680
registration 1750 4000
insurance 2250 3250
fuel 15333 12778
maintenance 8000 3500

27333 61208

A long warranty does not mean you bring your vehicle into the repair shop less. Bumper-to-bumper warranties do not pay for everything.

You may want to check the fuel regulator screen. Can cause loss of power and milage, your over all milage(120k) is time to clean

You cannot count the cost of purchasing the new vehicle and the taxes/fees involved in this comparison. You said

less costly to drive or less hastle

Price is not cost to drive, and warranty certainly takes care of the hassle.

A long warranty does not mean you bring your vehicle into the repair shop less. Bumper-to-bumper warranties do not pay for everything.

Yes a comprehensive bumper to bumper warranty DOES cover everything, except wear and tear items like tires, wiper blades, belts. All your electrical stuff is covered and considering how much computer stuff is in trucks today isn't that important? Get the full warranty covereage on the truck up to 150,000km coverage and your costs will cut DRAMATICALLY.

1. More fuel efficient diesel saves you on gas.

2. Full warranty covereage means you only have basic maintenance to
pay like oil changes and tire rotations or brakes for example.

Transmission 2 times, water pump, window motor, FOUR turn signal switches, glow plugs 2 times, glow plug relay 3 times, master cylinder, wheel cylinder, brake pressure transducer, cam postition sensor 2

These kinds o things wouldn't be out of your pocket, that's 10,000 bucks based on your estimate. What would you do with an extra 10,000 dollars that you didn't end up spending?

I'm not saying it's a better idea than keeping the truck that you have right now, i'm just showing you how the high-mileage maintenance costs and such things would be eliminated by getting a new one with warranty.

Thx frotrk, I'll read up on the reg screen and see if it helps. I hadn't heard about it.

Sorry landyatch I just don't see the savings. There are other costs that the dealer can charge under a warranty. As an example, I had a tranny problem where the E4OD was randomly dropping out of OD while in level cruise. The dealer tested the trans, it passed the test, and I got charged $75. The trans was under warranty. I complained to Ford and they said that was the dealer's perogative. That problem persisted but finally went away after the turn signal switch got replaced when the cruise contol failed. Come to think of it my dealer is probably the main reason I am very unlikely to buy a new truck in the next 5 years. By the way, I am not saying I won't, sometimes a new truck just feels right. I don't have another dealer within 70 miles and it is 90 miles to a big city dealer. I live on a remote desert in a very small town.

Sorry to hear about your troubles with the local dealer...i'd think that they'd waive the 75 bucks and declare it warranty to keep you as their valued customer happy.

I guess not every dealership is as top-notch as mine!

No worries on the not interested in a new truck, i'm just a big fan of warranty coverage. Considering my car is 22 years old, you can understand why. I've had good luck with it though, bought it from my Dad for 20 bucks 6 years ago, and other than tires, windshield, starter, and front shocks i've put nothing into the car other than the regular oil-change and tire rotation.

Keep on truckin! :smokin: