hey all you cummins fans. i have a 2nd gen dodge and the gas is killing me. i'm looking for a nice dodge ctd, my budget is around 15,000 and i was wondering if you guys could give me some input as what i should look for in buying a used cummins (tranny, front end, how many miles is 'too many' miles, motor issues) i want the diesel power and toughness. thanks a lot guys every bit counts.

 

For $15,000 you are probably looking at a 2003 or early 2004 CTD (if you want a 3rd Gen) with over 100,000 miles. Of course, the engine should be good but you may find problems with u-joints, ball joints, or auto tranny (manual should be fine). I'd steer away from anything that has been chipped or otherwise modded since that might indicate abuse. Look for one equipped for towing as that probably means it has seen all highways miles. Also, for best mpg, look for 3.73 gears. The 305/555 CTD should get 20-21 mpg with the 3.73 gears.

Good luck with your search. Be sure to put up some pictures.

 

my father in law picked up a late 90's dually witha lot ofmods (chip,exhaust, etc) and it wasnt abused. its a 5 speed and has since installed an exhaust brake and several other items.

dont jump on the first one without lookin and researchin.

 

Even gassers have problems with those when the mileage gets up there. Tranny problems aren't as common for gas engines (unless is was used as a tow rig, but then why buy gas?). Anyway, don't let 100k+ scare ya, tires and joints and all that are going to have to be replaced at some point anyway, manual trannies might be looking at a clutch at that point too. Don't be too scared of a 2nd gen either, just make sure you're aware of what you're getting into (lift pumps, injection pumps, those wonderful track bars).

 

If you do look at an 03-04 and ever plan on upgrading anything be aware that my experience is that they are the "bastard children" since then are not quite all that the 04.5+ are but still a "step up" from 02-... I love my 03, and outside of having to search for SOME (by no means all) aftermarket parts, I have no complaints, I got mine 2 years ago with 95k on it and I have put 20k on it, and I have only had issues with front u-joints, but that is something I had issues with on my 1500 that had 125k on it so nothing new on chassis issues.