Keep a truck past its powertrain warranty?

[jasin1]

Both of the above.
My 2019 2500HD is fully paid for.

Once something is paid for, it makes it so easy to not "want" to get back into a vehicle payment.

As mentioned, with no vehicle payments I am able to keep building my savings at a much faster rate.
Then when/if something breaks, the funds are there to fix it.

In the long run, you would spend less keeping a well maintained vehicle on the road than you would buying new ones every time the warranty runs out.

Yeah my 2012 was paid off when I purchased this truck in 2020 …it was nice..I only have a year of payments left…I don’t like going over 60 months

 

[Gearhead]

The only design gripe I have on my 2018 Ram is the Torsen rear differential. A few hours of heavy pulling at freeway speeds in the summer, stop for a quick refuel, maneuver around the truck stop, and you will think the truck will crab walk itself into the ditch.
I’ve had one failure where I had to be towed and can’t remember what it was. Paid for with 80,000 miles. Extended warranty just ran out.

 

[jasin1]

The only design gripe I have on my 2018 Ram is the Torsen rear differential. A few hours of heavy pulling at freeway speeds in the summer, stop for a quick refuel, maneuver around the truck stop, and you will think the truck will crab walk itself into the ditch.
I’ve had one failure where I had to be towed and can’t remember what it was. Paid for with 80,000 miles. Extended warranty just ran out.

I should have checked about the extended warranty when i purchased it…as a rule i wave them off without looking at it

 

[Rhagfo]

Not wanting to start a brand war, BUT I think you find that the Ram Cummins is an easier less expensive engine to have serviced. Most major components are easier to get to than the "V" engines in GM and Ford, I know replacing/upgrading the injectors on our 2001 was not too difficult.
The water pump is not too hard to get to and is only held in with two bolts, the CP3 doesn't look like it would be too hard to replace, haven't had to but I can at least see it.
The hardest repair on our 2001 was the tappet cover was leaking at about 300,000 miles. It required removing the VP44 electronic/mechanical injection pump that had to installed to a timing mark on a gear.

 

[jasin1]

Went and drove a 2021 f450 with 30k….had a flashing light added to the rear brake light attachment for commercial use…turned on a dime but this one dint feel like a new truck…had some kind of liquid stains on engine compartment and engine aluminum housings had corrosion…maybe liquid brine on the road?

It was a Canadian truck. i asked and yep…seems like a bunch of them have hit the market the last few years at the local dealers..especially the chevy dealer near me…the original window stickers are in french.
Found out with the exchange rate that the dealers sell newer model used trucks to the united states and make more money that way…I’ve heard but could be wrong that the factory warranty’s may not transfer from vehicles that were titled in another country.

I wanted to drive a f450 and it does “seem” more compact and sportier then my ram dually…definitely more maneuverable …I told the sales lady that it seems like it was driven hard and why were the tires replaced at less then 30 k she looked at carfax and said Canadian truck…one accident but no airbags deployed…i said ..yeah…no

Also stumbled upon a Ford forum where they were discussing the factory option of derating a trucks gvwr and how that is tied to hotshot truckers trying to stay under 26k lbs …i always wondered why someone would choose that option and thought it must be tied to insurance rates or registration cost but maybe it’s been for the hot shot guys all along..i’ve seen them on Ford and Chevys window stickers as a factory option

 

[DutchmenSport]

Agree with above post.... once you get the truck paid for, you never want to go back in debt again. The truck in my signature is now 10 years old and has 102,000 (plus) miles at this very moment. Yes .... I put approximately $2000 a year into maintenance and repairs, from new batteries, to new tires, to engine scheduled maintenance, and miscellaneous things, like window buttons that stopped working. But THAT is a lot cheaper than going into debt for another $80,000 or $100,000 for a new truck, a LOT cheaper.

 

[Rhagfo]

Agree with above post.... once you get the truck paid for, you never want to go back in debt again. The truck in my signature is now 10 years old and has 102,000 (plus) miles at this very moment. Yes .... I put approximately $2000 a year into maintenance and repairs, from new batteries, to new tires, to engine scheduled maintenance, and miscellaneous things, like window buttons that stopped working. But THAT is a lot cheaper than going into debt for another $80,000 or $100,000 for a new truck, a LOT cheaper.

is your $2000 based on shop service?

we have had our 2016 Ram for 5.75 years and put 77,250 miles on it in that time or 13,435 miles a year, as I do about 90% of my own maintenance that seems high. One oil change a year, fuel filters every 15K, although a set of tires would like be $2,000 (6).

 

[sourdough]

Brian I will be the odd man out. I won't buy a used truck....or anything else. If you can get a decent financing arrangement it makes zero sense to go spend 100k financed with a 5% interest rate and remove it from an account that's making 23% - none - I'll keep the 18% profit on that 100k. Made that mistake once; bought a new SUV cash thinking that I would be saving that interest fee....sheesh. If had kept the money vs buying the SUV outright, financed it at the going rate and left my money alone I would have been in very good shape (this was when the market was soaring as it came back from the 2008 debacle).

Everyone that likes older vehicles just drive them until they "break" then they fix them. The problem? They BREAK! What, where, how, damages...all up to the truck and what wants to break. YOU are left to deal with it in the middle of nowhere, Saturday night, 0 degrees....I don't need any of that. I kept 2 trucks past their "prime", BOTH let me down at the most inopportune times having me calling in favors from folks, a friend at a Ford dealership had to go down on a Sunday and set me out a fuel pump etc. When I limped in on that one I had to lay on a frying asphalt parking lot to replace that pump covered in gas - while FOUR people sweltered in the heat....ain't done it since. So there's my take on "buy new vs buy old" and "fix it when it breaks".

As far as new ones - the "Night" color scheme does not appeal to me. I like brighter colors and wheels although some of those wheel options skyrocket in price. I might go with the black options if I was buying a Hellcat but DW has talked me out of that.

I guess I'll be a Ram guy from now till I hit the "stop sign". Looking at the dimensions of the GM and Ford offerings in 1 tons it appears their efforts to keep enlarging the trucks has made them grow beyond my garage door (if I keep a crew cab...and I will). I really wanted a 7.3 Ford Godzilla but I'm not going to remodel the house for one - I'll buy a Ram Cummins first.

Don't overanalyze or go into the paralysis by analysis syndrome. Prioritize what you need want and select accordingly. For me I just decide when it is that I want a new truck, then do the prioritization, then go find the truck - which should be easy right now with the glut as opposed to 2021 etc. In my mind it doesn't matter to me....it never crosses my mind if I will like the truck 10 years from now or if it will last 200k miles - if it keeps me happy for 50-80k miles I'm good. Now....there's a whole nuther way to slice that apple!

 

[hondapro]

I thought about the extended warranty but really have no experience with them and what would be a good price for one….I did a quick search the other day and people said to stay with the manufacturer for extended warranty’s….one thing I wish I did is keep all my records for oil changes or I should say keep track of those receipts because I have them but it would take a lot to find them lol

i bought the extended Mopar warranty for my Ram here
www.buymoparwarranty.com
I would not buy a warranty from a aftermarket company. Also remember the warranty goes by the in service date from when the truck was bought new not the day you buy the warranty.
For example if your truck was bought new on 9/28/2020 and you buy a 8 year 100K extended warranty today 9/28/2024, your extended warranty will expire on 9/28/2028 or 100K miles whatever happens first.

 

[Badbart56]

Decisions, decisions! Some of you are spending $75K or more on a truck to haul your $75K or more fifth wheel campers and are expressing concerns over possibly having to spend $2000 in maintenance over the period of a year?

Or are concerned about having major repair cost once your bumper to bumper warranty is gone? Legitimate concerns, as repair cost these days are quite high but when you weigh the cost of a new truck every 4-6 years and having a perpetual truck payment of $1000 (or more) a month in addition to the maintenance and insurance cost, where are you saving? To each their own, if you're living within your means, do as you wish. I personally haven't bought a new truck (or any vehicle) since 1985, and maybe I'm just lucky but my repair cost have not been excessive over the years. And I generally hold on to one for 10 years or more.

I have worked at the dealership service department level for Ford and Chevy off and on over the years beginning in 1976, and have experience in managing a fleet of 30 or so trucks for TranCore from 2012 to 2019. I've not seen a great deal of catastrophic failures that weren't preceded by poor maintenance in general. Occasionally there were bad batches of engines from one manufacturer or the other but these were resolved at no cost to the buyers in my experience. Sure, you read about someone's nightmare at a dealership from time to time. But in general the Big Three stay on top of their issues.

As stated above, I buy used vehicles. The truck in my signature is a 2011 F-350 that I bought in 2017. It had 140K miles on it and was a one owner. The owner was the Army National Guard, Recruiting Office. The Army, or military in general, has always had stringent maintenance schedules. So I wasn't concerned about that. I had the techs at my local dealer (techs that had worked for me when I was a service writer) go over it and the only issues found was an oil o-ring seeping under the intake manifold. I had all the fluids changed with BG synthetics and have had no issues other than a reductant heater failure that was handled by Ford special warranty as a known issue for this year model. I now have 207K miles on it and would drive it anywhere. It pulls my Fuzion 405 with ease. Two years ago I did have an issue where apparently a rat or squirrel decided to build a nest under the intake manifold and chewed the main wiring harness, which resulted in catastrophic electrical problems, shorting out the ECM and multiple sensors and requiring a new main electrical harness. Thankfully I had full coverage insurance and they paid the $9,600 bill for that.

And I only paid $22,000 for the truck to begin with. And I've seen trucks of this same year model selling for that price and more today. My last F-350 was a 97 model and I sold it for more than I paid for it after keeping it for 13 years. My brother still has one of my trucks (a 98 Chevy C2500 6.5 diesel) on the farm and it has over 300K miles on it.

I know this doesn't work for everybody but I figure buying used keeps me from losing the depreciation on a new one, and if you figure 20% off the new cost, that will go a long way towards repair bills. And I do look for deals. I don't buy from dealers unless it's from their trade ins at wholesale price. Many dealers will take a vehicle in trade and just wholesale it because it's past 5 years old. And I had an inside line working at the dealer level.

And there are some good extended warranty companies out there. But do your research.

 

[flybouy]

My father typically bought 1 to 2 yr old vehichles. He said " let someone else pay for the depreciation and to get the factory issues fixed" I've bought many vehichles both new and used. Honestly I've had more issues with the new ones.

Some folks replace a vehichle when the floor mats get dirty and that's fine, but not for me. I bout the truck in my signature from a Ford dealer in PA when it was 18 months old. They sold it originally to a local who traded it in. The PO had all service done there and they had all the records. It 80k on the clock. It now has over 190k. I bought it for pulling the camper and for setting at the air port while I traveled for work.

The truck was a great deal as it cost $25k and came with a matching bed cap.I financed the truck before I retired through my 401k plan. I borrowed the $25k with no reduction in my account at no interest. They took the payments from my paycheck bi-monthly so it very painless. I would have been a fool to pay for it in any other method.

As for repairs, most expensive was a steering box replacement a few years ago. The rebuilt steering box alone was ~$1,000. The only other money spent has been maintenance. Brakes, shocks, tires, oil &filters with my labor. Flush radiator, new lower radiator hose, etc. are what I consider "normal" wear items.

Would I like a shiny new truck? Of courseI! Can I justify spending that much at my age? No way! I'm the only driver of this truck and we use the 2009 F150 King Ranch with 109k original miles on the clock. It runs and looks like it's closer to 5 yrs old rather than 15. Can't justify replacing that one either. Of course this is what works for us. Everyone is different so what works for you and what you with your money is your choice.

 

[jasin1]

My father typically bought 1 to 2 yr old vehichles. He said " let someone else pay for the depreciation and to get the factory issues fixed" I've bought many vehichles both new and used. Honestly I've had more issues with the new ones.

Some folks replace a vehichle when the floor mats get dirty and that's fine, but not for me. I bout the truck in my signature from a Ford dealer in PA when it was 18 months old. They sold it originally to a local who traded it in. The PO had all service done there and they had all the records. It 80k on the clock. It now has over 190k. I bought it for pulling the camper and for setting at the air port while I traveled for work.

The truck was a great deal as it cost $25k and came with a matching bed cap.I financed the truck before I retired through my 401k plan. I borrowed the $25k with no reduction in my account at no interest. They took the payments from my paycheck bi-monthly so it very painless. I would have been a fool to pay for it in any other method.

As for repairs, most expensive was a steering box replacement a few years ago. The rebuilt steering box alone was ~$1,000. The only other money spent has been maintenance. Brakes, shocks, tires, oil &filters with my labor. Flush radiator, new lower radiator hose, etc. are what I consider "normal" wear items.

Would I like a shiny new truck? Of courseI! Can I justify spending that much at my age? No way! I'm the only driver of this truck and we use the 2009 F150 King Ranch with 109k original miles on the clock. It runs and looks like it's closer to 5 yrs old rather than 15. Can't justify replacing that one either. Of course this is what works for us. Everyone is different so what works for you and what you with your money is your choice.

I have two wealthy friends that i’ve done work for over the years and they almost always buy used high quality vehicles……Just saw a news clip the other day where Matt Leblanc (joey from Friends tv show)…was shopping at a luxury used car dealership with his daughter recently…he is worth many many millions of dollars….nothing wrong with buying used if you don’t mind the risk of repairs if something goes wrong..

 

[jsb5717]

Just thinking outloud:

A person buys a new truck. At what point is it considered a used truck? At what point can something mechanically or electronically fail? If you're in the middle of nowhere and broken down does it really matter in that moment whether or not you've got a factory warranty?

Many newer, lightly used trucks still carry some factory warranty. There are also many warranties that can be bought for a used truck.

So does the risk change when buying used vs new?

 

[Peto]

Went and drove a 2021 f450 with 30k….had a flashing light added to the rear brake light attachment for commercial use…turned on a dime but this one dint feel like a new truck…had some kind of liquid stains on engine compartment and engine aluminum housings had corrosion…maybe liquid brine on the road?

It was a Canadian truck. i asked and yep…seems like a bunch of them have hit the market the last few years at the local dealers..especially the chevy dealer near me…the original window stickers are in french.
Found out with the exchange rate that the dealers sell newer model used trucks to the united states and make more money that way…I’ve heard but could be wrong that the factory warranty’s may not transfer from vehicles that were titled in another country.

I wanted to drive a f450 and it does “seem” more compact and sportier then my ram dually…definitely more maneuverable …I told the sales lady that it seems like it was driven hard and why were the tires replaced at less then 30 k she looked at carfax and said Canadian truck…one accident but no airbags deployed…i said ..yeah…no

Also stumbled upon a Ford forum where they were discussing the factory option of derating a trucks gvwr and how that is tied to hotshot truckers trying to stay under 26k lbs …i always wondered why someone would choose that option and thought it must be tied to insurance rates or registration cost but maybe it’s been for the hot shot guys all along..i’ve seen them on Ford and Chevys window stickers as a factory option

Probably an oil field truck. Look at the engine idle hours next time. Ford Factory warranties are honored on trucks bought in or from Canadia. Some used auto dealerships will not take them on trade though.

I bought a '22 F250 from Canada and turned around and traded it up within 3 months. Turns out the truck was a pig with lip stick on it.

 

[JRTJH]

I had made mention of the Ford extended warranty and the program Ford has where an owner can buy the factory extended warranty after the original warranty has expired. To buy the warranty after expiration requires an inspection by a Ford dealership (similar to their inspection for a used "certified previous owner" vehicle). Cost at our local dealer for that inspection is around $400.

According to the MOPAR link that hondapro87 posted, MOPAR has a similar "factory sponsored extended warranty" available (similar to Ford's plan) with a similar inspection requirement. The "cutoff" for the MOPAR plan is 80,000 miles. So, one alternative, depending on "catastrophic repair cost" vs "extended warranty purchase cost" might make it a "$4K wash" (my guess on the cost of the extended warranty purchase price for a 100K miles/8 year plan)...

So, the question becomes: Is it a gamble that a failure costing more than $4K will happen in the next 4 years" ???

For me, I'd put the monthly payment (after the truck is paid off) in my bank account until I had that $4K or more, and fund my own "extended warranty plan" that has no end date or end mileage.

 

[sourdough]

Just thinking outloud:

A person buys a new truck. At what point is it considered a used truck? At what point can something mechanically or electronically fail? If you're in the middle of nowhere and broken down does it really matter in that moment whether or not you've got a factory warranty?

Many newer, lightly used trucks still carry some factory warranty. There are also many warranties that can be bought for a used truck.

So does the risk change when buying used vs new?

A person buys a new truck and it becomes "used" the minute it is registered. Failures can occur with any vehicle at any time. There are a few considerations on buying a new vs used vehicle. The failure rate for a new vehicle, in my experience (approx. 40 for personal use) is far, FAR less than a used one. I will admit that I've only purchased maybe 1/2 dozen in my entire life - mostly when I was young and couldn't afford a new one. But of those nearly all had issues. Some due to unknown abuse by the prior owner, some due to excessive miles that left components failure prone...whatever. The bottom line is that you are buying a multi thousand dollar unit that you have no idea about and simply hope for the best. With a new car I know every mile driven, every mtce. procedure performed, every add on or modification....everything. That in itself is worth it to me. As far as depreciation, yes, they do appreciate immediately. The amount will depend on what you bought and the deal you made. On the truck I currently have I was offered 20k more than I paid for it when it was 2 years old (covid shortages). But let's just say there's a theoretical 8k depreciation hit because you bought it new. To me...who cares? The very first time I am left stranded due to a component failure on a used car I would gladly have paid that depreciation because I simply have no patience for that kind of stuff. I DO (or did) love to work on vehicles, modify them etc. but that is done at my own pace in my own shop without being stranded.

How a person views vehicle purchases is up to them. If buying used makes a person think they got a "really good deal" and "saved a lot of money" and "it's just as good as a new one" then by all means do it. My experience with personal vehicles (rather extensive) says it's not worth it to me. As far as the extended warranty on a used vehicle, yes, you can buy them. You cannot however undo whatever has been done to the vehicle. And again, the inconvenience of a failure at an inopportune time is not something I have patience to deal with. Had one fail on me once on the side of the road and I was very POd. Called a wrecker company, had them tow me to the nearest Ford dealership and I told the first sales guy I saw I wanted a new car and they could have the one on the wrecker. He asked what I wanted for it (after explaining it failed) and he said "$500" since they didn't know what was wrong with it. I told him to go for it. It was worth over 10k at that time.....over 30 years ago. These choices, like gas vs diesel, GM/Ram/Ford etc. are all personal preferences. What's right for one person probably isn't right for the next but whichever way one person chooses doesn't make the other person wrong.

 

[jasin1]

For the heck of it i checked on a warranty and because my 3 year 36k basic warranty is expired i am not eleible for the factory extended warranty…i can purchase a mopar used vehicle warranty but dont think i will.

I fell in love with a new Ford Lariat F350 in star white metallic 6 1/2 foot bed and 6.7 diesel at the dealer the other day ……But then i started looking at new toy haulers while browsing and realized that a srw will limit me if i ever decide to upgrade..I should probably just get a custom white or silver wrap for my murdered out black on black truck and get a set of polished aluminum wheels and it will be far far cheaper then getting a new truck..
Then when i inevitably get tired of that look i can switch it back..

 

[sourdough]

For the heck of it i checked on a warranty and because my 3 year 36k basic warranty is expired i am not eleible for the factory extended warranty…i can purchase a mopar used vehicle warranty but dont think i will.

I fell in love with a new Ford Lariat F350 in star white metallic 6 1/2 foot bed and 6.7 diesel at the dealer the other day ……But then i started looking at new toy haulers while browsing and realized that a srw will limit me if i ever decide to upgrade..I should probably just get a custom white or silver wrap for my murdered out black on black truck and get a set of polished aluminum wheels and it will be far far cheaper then getting a new truck..
Then when i inevitably get tired of that look i can switch it back..

Now THAT is an idea! Sort of like a new truck whenever you feel like it! I like a SRW but it definitely comes with limitations you have to be aware of. If a big fiver is possibly in the future I would be sticking with DRW.

 

[jasin1]

Now THAT is an idea! Sort of like a new truck whenever you feel like it! I like a SRW but it definitely comes with limitations you have to be aware of. If a big fiver is possibly in the future I would be sticking with DRW.

Yeah i think i’m gonna slow down and think this thru a bit

 

[jxnbbl]

But isn't this the classic clash between worlds. I once bought a motorcycle since I had a short commute and didn't want to drive my truck all the time...turns out I hardly used it. One reason was weather but more important I usually didn't just go to work before/after I went <insert someplace> to fix something and needed some collection of tools.


Then I refused to get a HD truck due to clearance issues since I would drive my truck in to Boston for sporting events and severely limited parking from "anywhere" to mostly outside lots. Then I only could find a 3/4 ton (covid production time) and bought a camper. Love camping, upgraded the trailer once and now want a 5th wheel but need that 1 ton for what we want. In this case, we will get it eventually but have to limit the trailer as we can't go to a dual wheel as it clashes with out parking requirement even though I'm restricted already with the 1 ton, dually would never work.