Need a Truck. Advice on Purchase.

[MyMonkey]

Ok folks. I need to buy a cheap older truck and need some advice on which models to avoid etc. Would like it to be full sized and include 4wheel drive with a v8. Now, I have read extensively on the topic of Ford, Vs Dodge, vs Chevy/GMC. Aside from inherent brand bias is there really a difference in reliability for one that is Mid to late 90's with under 200,000 miles?

It seems I see these for sale with well over 200,000 miles so I know they are capable of such feats. I just need to know if any others here have a reality based opinion on the reliability of the different trucks in this high mileage state and whether there is one brand with a clear advantage. Be it ease of repair, availability of parts or straight reliability.

Also want to know how high the mileage can be. Is there a ceiling for these trucks I should stay under? Or can they go on forever given the appropriate maintenance.

 

[Zombie]

depending how it is driven, and how it is maintained they can run for over 200k or they can break way before that...however parts will fail and you can't always trust it was done or done properly before. Chevy's in my experience have their issues typically nothing motor wise more electrical or door hinges, and dodge I've yet to find a major issue but I have limited experience with them.

 

[BluRaySS]

Well older Toyota's are about as tough as they come. Thing is finding one that someone has not beat to death. They have the best life span of any vehicles on the road. Nissan becomes okay once into the LATE 90's and early 2000's, but were never really great 4x4's as I understand.

As for the big 3.. If they didn't make a good vehicle they wouldn't still be in business(that and our tax $$$,$$$,$$$). What is considered now to be "older" Jeeps are absolute nightmares. Not only did they have some pretty serious reliability and ability issues, they are usually pretty beat up by the time the get a few years as well.

The late 90's Chevy's had major injection issues(CMPFI), and dodge was kicking out injector drivers like mad in the 90's and 2000's. Chevy's Vortec engines are amazingly long life if taken care of. If not well.....

 

[fordguy]

If you are looking for something with that many miles on it, basically I would say it all depends on how the vehicle has been maintained.

You can have a piece of junk at 60000 miles if it hasn't been maintained and you can still have a decent vehicle at 130000 if it has been maintained.

As far as what brand, I still would have to say if depends on how is was maintained.

If you find something at over about 100K miles, you probably will still have some things that will need to be repaired (timing belt for example), but stuff just needs to be replaced at some point.

I don't mean to discourage you and other on here can probably be more helpful, those are just my thoughts.

 

[BluRaySS]

If you are looking for something with that many miles on it, basically I would say it all depends on how the vehicle has been maintained.

You can have a piece of junk at 60000 miles if it hasn't been maintained and you can still have a decent vehicle at 130000 if it has been maintained.

As far as what brand, I still would have to say if depends on how is was maintained.

If you find something at over about 100K miles, you probably will still have some things that will need to be repaired (timing belt for example), but stuff just needs to be replaced at some point.

I don't mean to discourage you and other on here can probably be more helpful, those are just my thoughts.

+1 here! It is often more which one you buy as much as what you buy

 

[MyMonkey]

Ok. So, as I figured it will be all about how well taken care of the truck is. Thanks for the replys.

 

[doctorjj]

I would stay away from Dodges unless they have already had the transmission repaired/replaced. Fords have issues with the spark plugs blowing out of the modular engines 4.6/5.4. That can be a pain, but not to expensive to repair. Chevy's have those terribly expensive fuel pumps that go out, usually somewhere over 100k miles though.

 

[Hawgman]

I lived in Alaska for most of the 90's. I was incredibly unimpressed with dodge. The diesel engines were great but the drive live sucked. People had problems with the u-joints and front differential. Occasionally heard of front bearing in the locking hubs being a problem. And this was on pretty new trucks too. A lady I worked with bought a new dodge diesel 3/4 ton 4x4 and the front u-joint went in less than a year.
A guy I worked with had a 3 year 1 ton chevy dually 4x4 and his rear axle had to be replaced. All he did with it was hall a fairly small boat in the summer. Chevy's in general had serious paint flaking problems in that environment. Everywhere you looked there were peeling chevy's.
My whole experience up there left me a hard core ford truck fan. That kind of environment separates the wheat from the chaff real quick.
I have zero experience of any kind with full sized foreign trucks so I can't comment on them. The only thing that concerns me with old foreign trucks is finding and paying for parts. No matter how good it is, it's old and WILL break eventually.

 

[doctorjj]

I lived in Alaska for most of the 90's. I was incredibly unimpressed with dodge. The diesel engines were great but the drive live sucked. People had problems with the u-joints and front differential. Occasionally heard of front bearing in the locking hubs being a problem. And this was on pretty new trucks too. A lady I worked with bought a new dodge diesel 3/4 ton 4x4 and the front u-joint went in less than a year.
A guy I worked with had a 3 year 1 ton chevy dually 4x4 and his rear axle had to be replaced. All he did with it was hall a fairly small boat in the summer. Chevy's in general had serious paint flaking problems in that environment. Everywhere you looked there were peeling chevy's.
My whole experience up there left me a hard core ford truck fan. That kind of environment separates the wheat from the chaff real quick.
I have zero experience of any kind with full sized foreign trucks so I can't comment on them. The only thing that concerns me with old foreign trucks is finding and paying for parts. No matter how good it is, it's old and WILL break eventually.

I have a friend who worked up in northern Alaska somewhere and he told me on the cold mornings they would start the Fords so they could go jump start the Dodges. I asked him, what about the Chevy's. He said, there weren't any Chevy's up there where we worked. Haha!! True story.

 

[THE JOKER]

Older trucks are going to need repair at some point.Chevy/GMC parts are the cheapest and most available.