I know that there are more recalls and TSB's on the powerstroke than you can shake a stick at. I had a buddy who's son worked for International and he tried getting FORD to fix just some of the things and they said they couldn't because they weren't broken on his truck yet (very low miles he drove a Company truck to and for work).

I'll stick with my Dodges for now but I will probably never buy a new one.

 

If everybody out there was like us, car companies would be going bankrupt, ooops, they already are. I agree with you guys in just hanging on to a great vehicle as long as you can. I don't buy cars cause I get tired of an old one, I only do it when I need one. Yes, it is a hunk of metal and no it wont last forever, but as long as you can make it last it's another car payment you don't have to make. That car payment can be your retirement (lord only knows if SS will even be there for some of us youngsters). One thing I always look at when buying a car is how hard is it to work on. Every year they make it harder and harder. Our trucks are relatively speaking one of the easiest trucks out there to work on. You open up any of the current truck models and it's a nightmare. back in 97 I bough my Ram, and my wife bought a 97 Honda Accord. Needless to say the Honda is gone and my Ram is still here. That Honda was a pain in the butt to work on and the parts were outrageously expensive.

 

Thats odd, my father bought his 04 F-150 brand new and has not had a single problem with it. The 6.0 as well as the 6.4 are crap shoots in my book. The 7.3 was a strong durable motor though. Ford definitely should have done what Dodge did with the cummins, and just paid the EPA fine of 500 dollars for each diesel that came off the line, instead of puting all this garbage on it, and then having to have a bunch of recalls. My father works at the Ford dealer down here, and there are a few people that bought the new 6.4 twin turbos and ripped out all the new high tech computer exhaust contraptions(voiding any warranty), and bipassed everything which eliminated all their problems. But why go that route when you can just get a cummins in the first place! Ford is supposed to be dropping navistar-international and building there own diesels in the near future according to the diesel techs at my dads work. Interestingly enough, you can get a cummins or catepillar motor in the f-650 and up. We can't bash Ford too much, there about the only American company staying alive right now. All that said, I do love my 97 ram and I don't see myself getting rid of it ever.

 

If you baby the 6.0's you wont have an issue out of them. Been looking at buying another dually, and have been torn on which to get. dodge has better power, and torque, but crap warranties. Ford, has less power, the worst MPG in it's class, but it has damn good warranties. Last dealer I talked to said that next year's Heavy duty wont have the powerstroke. They are cutting it due to the MPG issues.

 

Double posted.

 

I know people that that love the 6.0s and people that hate them, There not really bad, but its not internationals best. And I believe they are right about next years super duty's not having the powerstroke, the engine should be built by Ford themselves. The 7.3's are practically bullet proof for the most part.

Towing capacity is pretty close for the 6.0 powerstroke and 5.9 cummins

 

I babied my 6.0 with oil changes, fuel filter changes, no idleing. Ran the hell out of it on the highway, towing and empty just like you're supposed to...that thing was in the shop every six weeks for the same problems. At 3 to 4 k pop, I had to get rid of it.

Ford is building their own diesel next year but its because of all the paid out warranty claims that they've made the switch from Navistar. I don't think this motor will be any more reliable because its still going to have all the emissions crap on it.