need some input from fellow f-body family

[Trash man]

well im looking to get outta my lil aclaim to fame(boss named it that, kinda stuck) and while my friend was showing me his new(to him) 01 Powerstroke F-350(reg cab, long bed, SRW) i found a nice looking F-250. its a 1999, power stroke super duty, supercab(ext cab), short bed, 4x4, auto, has 90K on it, black. they want 15K for it. its stock cept for a bank exhuast, k&n cai, and a programer. just wnated to kno if u guys kno anythign wrong with them or what their drawbacks were. thanks

[fastTa]

well im looking to get outta my lil aclaim to fame(boss named it that, kinda stuck) and while my friend was showing me his new(to him) 01 Powerstroke F-350(reg cab, long bed, SRW) i found a nice looking F-250. its a 1999, power stroke super duty, supercab(ext cab), short bed, 4x4, auto, has 90K on it, black. they want 15K for it. its stock cept for a bank exhuast, k&n cai, and a programer. just wnated to kno if u guys kno anythign wrong with them or what their drawbacks were. thanks

They are decent trucks. They aren't the best towing rig, but they hold their own and the Powerstroke might not put down as much power as the Cummings, but it will run forever if taken care of.

Decent price given the mileage and options. If it makes you happy, go for it!

[Trash man]

just towing my bird around on a open trailer to the track

[FroSSty]

My dad bought a used 01 Ford f-350 four door non-dually in late 02...He really wanted a Chevy but couldnt find one it that same format. He has had some problems with it wanting to stall and not idleing correctly. He was going down the expressway one day and it just stalled out for no reason. No power steering sucks in those trucks...even at higher speed. He has had it in the dealer as much as he has had it on the road. Still to this day it is not running right even after thousands spent on "repairs". Of course this is just one story that I know of about those particular trucks. Good luck...

[Steel2686]

just wnated to kno if u guys kno anythign wrong with them or what their drawbacks were. thanks

The biggest problem they have is that blue oval on the front.

[Trash man]

lol figured u would chime in, its ok we own 3 right now (bros focus, dads 96 t-bird, and mom 01 exploder sport)

[DeWynter]

My family owns 3 of them and one with over 350,000 km on it. They all run fine and have had no problems.

No power steering sucks in those trucks...even at higher speed.

I dont know about you yanks and your trucks, but up here there is no such thing as manual steering in a truck, unless its a Nissan.

[TODD 2000 V6 CAMARO]

I dont know about you yanks and your trucks, but up here there is no such thing as manual steering in a truck, unless its a Nissan.

Hey hey hey....Yankees are north of the mason Dixon line. South of that the term "Yank" does not apply. Canadians and Europeans.....sheesh.

[DeWynter]

Hey hey hey....Yankees are north of the mason Dixon line. South of that the term "Yank" does not apply. Canadians and Europeans.....sheesh.

Ok then what are the rest of ya all called then thar?

[FroSSty]

My family owns 3 of them and one with over 350,000 km on it. They all run fine and have had no problems.

I dont know about you yanks and your trucks, but up here there is no such thing as manual steering in a truck, unless its a Nissan.

Its got power steering on it but it doesnt work real well when the engine dies...

[Dave-S]

You should be fine with with any powerstroke produced before the 03 models.......but be very very leary of 2003 and up models. Ford has had numerous problems with this engine. Here is an excerpt from one article for an example of what I mean and you can find a lot more information on the net as well.

The 6.0-liter Power Stroke engine has been troublesome from the day it was launched in the fall of 2002. It replaced a somewhat unrefined 7.3-liter diesel.

The powertrain was built by a longtime Ford diesel supplier, International Truck and Engine Corp., of Melrose Park, Ill.

For this version of the engine, International Truck designed a unique high-pressure fuel-injection system.

Most automakers use only electronic controls to operate the fuel injectors in a common-rail system. But the Power Stroke's fuel injectors are operated by a high-pressure oil pump as well as electronics.

According to several of the 150-plus complaints posted on the Web site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, some trucks never even made it home from the dealership before the fuel injectors or turbocharger failed.

The engine also has been plagued with leaky fuel injectors, oil leaks, broken turbochargers, wiring harness troubles, faulty sensors, defective exhaust gas recirculation valves and bad computers.

Since the engine debuted three years ago, Ford has issued at least 77 technical service bulletins. That is far above average, even for a new engine. These bulletins tell mechanics how to diagnose and fix various problems.

By comparison, there have been eight service bulletins for GM's Duramax diesel V-8 and for the diesel engine in the Dodge Ram truck. Both engines debuted at about the same time as the Power Stroke.

After just a year on the market, International almost completely redesigned the Power Stroke's fuel system, replacing or redesigning nearly 500 parts. That helped reduce the number of problems, but did not cure the engine of all its ills. Ford has voluntarily recalled the engine at least twice to fix various problems.

The troubles have caused a rift in relations between Ford and International.

The engine can be repaired and made reliable, says International spokesman Bob Carso. Engineers from Ford and International have fixed the problems that plagued the early versions of the engine, he said.

But Carso says the engine is extremely complex and requires "outstanding diagnostic capabilities" to properly identify and repair the faulty parts.

Less help from Ford?

When the Power Stroke's troubles surfaced, Ford tried hard to keep customers happy. In the summer of 2003, Ford took the unusual step of buying back 500 trucks, mostly because of fuel system problems.

But two diesel technicians say Ford has changed the way it deals with the engine problems.

"When they first started out with the 6.0-liter, Ford had a team that was looking over every bit of it and just doing whatever it took to get them fixed," says Mark Ward, a master diesel technician at Landers McLarty Ford in Bentonville, Ark. "And then that just shut off like a light when Ford found out how much losses they were having."

Ward contends Ford is trying to shift more repair costs onto consumers.

"We used to replace turbochargers left and right if the fins had any damage to them," he says. "Now they (Ford) won't accept a turbo back with any fin damage. They are saying if there is any (turbocharger) fin damage whatsoever, it has to be from a dirty air filter. You have to inform the customer that Ford won't pay for that. It's $700, plus the labor."

The fin is the part of the turbocharger that is driven by engine's exhaust system.

"When the 6.0 is running properly, it has much better performance than the 7.3 did," says Charles Ledger, a Ford master technician from Oroville, Calif. "Unfortunately, the 6.0 is plagued with sensor problems." Ledger dispenses advice on his Dieselmann Web site (intellidog.com/dieselmann/home.html).

[raroZ28]

I wouldn't buy anything from Ford personally. They are just terrible auto's. Same story with everyone that has them. They're in the shop more than they're on the road, and they just cost a ton.

I always go back to my buddy who is a cop... They were getting new cruisers. Department was going between the volvo and the crown vic. They got the Vic's, because they were cheaper. After a year, the crown vic's had cost a lot more than the volvo's, I don't remember the %, and the volvo cost of repairs for another department was much lower. So in the long run the volvo was a lot cheaper, and it was a much better performing cruiser in every way.

Ford sucks so bad. My friends Focus has had so many front suspension problems... In and out of the shop so much it's ridiculous. Lucky it's a lease.

[Trash man]

cars stink theres no doubt but only one we really have problems with is my bros 00 focus. but their trucks are what keep the company alive. and like was mention be4, im not buy a gas job, im buyin a diesel so that means - International engine + ford body = tow truck. but we'll see what spring brings

[Fb0dY HoTTiE LS1]

personally i would lean more to dodge and chevy i just can't deal w/ fords yea a select few could be ok like i know someone w/ the harley edt. truck its nice but i would never own a ford........
ford = problems
focus = nightmare!
and yea dodge could be a little high in the price but you get you moneys worth with it and chevys are running nice too but dodge would be my first pick for a truck

[Trash man]

NKS

dodge isnt really a go cuz of balljoints and axel joints and tranny problems(ball joints alone take forever and they must be beat out and that takes forever)
chevy - iszuzu(sp?) motor, nuff said
Ford - cheap

also ford has a nice decal out there "i rather be strokin"
dodge has one " i rather be cumming then strokin"