Friend got a 6.0 - GARBAGE

[KevinK]

I LOVE my 6 speed cummins and the look of the dodge, but i'm real sick of the lack of quality that dodge has

I'm always surprised that people have had quality problems with their Dodges. Mine hs been the best auto I've owned as far as quality goes. Never a squeak, rattle, or electrical issue or anything like that at all. The Dodge has been immeasurably better than the Expedition we own. The Ford has got more annoying things going wrong with it than I can take. I would love to get rid of it. We're in the market for a new truck (need a bigger back seat), but my experience with the Expedition (not to mention all of the 6. 0 horror stories) make me pretty leary of a Ford.



Kevin

 

[FSecosky]

Okay, I'll admit, I am a college student, and 22 yrs. old. But, already I have owned a 6. 5L Chevy ('94 Z71 2500) and am very close with a racer friend who has a '97 F250 7. 3L. So, I do have a bit of experience and knowledge of each truck. The 6. 5L was surely a mistake by chevy, I have heard better things about the 6. 6L, but the Cummins is still a PROVEN motor that has been around in the same configuration a long while. My friend with the 7. 3L has had no problems with his, and all he uses it is to pull a ~6000lb enclosed car trailer, he has no mods, it is completely stock, automatic transmission, it shifts firm and solid. Long story short, I just bought a '93 CTD, I love it, yes. But, I did some shoppin' at the new dealers and online, and the Dodge trucks with the CTD ARE the cheapest to buy right off the lot compared to Ford and Chevy. Ford is next expensive and Chevy is the MOST expensive. The one thing I always heard about the Dodge, is that the engine was great, but everything around it was not too hot and was likely to fall apart around the motor. I do love the I6 though, it is such a great running engine.



Another racer buddy of mine, his brother is working in a transmission shop for the summer. He says that the truck they see the most for transmission repairs are DODGE trucks. Now, considering there are more fords (and probably chevys too) on the road than dodge, that does not sound too hot. But, i feel good about having the 5sp Getrag in my truck, I don't trust too many automatics--I went through 2 in an Explorer we had, though one was surely my own fault...



Dodge really did mess up with not making a REAL crew cab in their line of trucks, I think that has really hurt them. I am currently working at an engineering firm, and I heard that the reason dodge did not make an ext cab and crew line was that they did not have time before the roll-out of their new model line. What is this saying for their engineering support--what other areas that we can't see were scrimped on? We have had several layoffs at our firm, and it has really hurt our output as well... so I know what it is like not having the people you really need to go the extra mile and pay attention to the details in products.



Again, I do love my 'new' truck, and my friend with the '97 F250 was admiring it the other day as well, he said it was quite a good running truck--and he was pretty impressed. But, there are pros/cons to them all, though hands down the CTD is a true Diesel engine--I just wish that everything around it would catch up to the times... like, rack & pinion steering... we have recirculating ball?? are you kidding me? I am used to working on BMW's turning them into race cars... and when I get under the CTD and see all the different braces going this way and that, and the steering linkage attached in multiple places, I am just like "this could be Sooo much more simple than this... Oh well, off my horse now, I will be putting in a Borgeson shaft probably to cure my 4" of steering wheel play...



Love it... and I do believe this truck will hold its value better than a chevy and a little better than the fords... it sure is a classic workhorse.

 

[Bellon]

Jeez you guys are scaring the snot outta me The company just bought me an '05 f550 for a new service truck,I'm sure it's got a 6. 0 in it :{

I asked for a dodge and the GM (general manager) laughed at me. Maybe I should get AAA? I know a guy with an 03 6. 0, loves the truck, loves the engine, hates all the ferd stuff bolted to it. He has been thru 1 turbo, 3 turbo controllers, and 2 weeks ago the top came off an injector. He told me other things, but I can't remember what. Man, I coulda had a L6! (get it? i coulda had a v8?)

Hey guys, I too am not a Ford fan, but if you are, and still want a Cummins, purchase a F650 or larger, and get the Cummins ISB in it!



Two years ago, Ford came back to Cummins for the F650 and larger trucks.

 

[JL penner]

You can't order one of those right now. They are locked out. I hear they received too many orders at once.

 

[Smokin_Monster]

One of my Buddy's in-laws just bought a new Ford 6. 0 a little while back and today at 3500 miles the transmission puked! So much for that fancy transmission! :-laf

 

[TKingsbury]

Again, I do love my 'new' truck, and my friend with the '97 F250 was admiring it the other day as well, he said it was quite a good running truck--and he was pretty impressed. But, there are pros/cons to them all, though hands down the CTD is a true Diesel engine--I just wish that everything around it would catch up to the times... like, rack & pinion steering... we have recirculating ball?? are you kidding me? I am used to working on BMW's turning them into race cars... and when I get under the CTD and see all the different braces going this way and that, and the steering linkage attached in multiple places, I am just like "this could be Sooo much more simple than this... Oh well, off my horse now, I will be putting in a Borgeson shaft probably to cure my 4" of steering wheel play...



Love it... and I do believe this truck will hold its value better than a chevy and a little better than the fords... it sure is a classic workhorse.

Hey Forrest, I think you are missing the idea behind having a truck. A properly built, heavy duty 3/4 ton or larger truck with a diesel should NOT have rack and pinion steering. Your truck is not a racecar! Understand that a truck can be just that, a truck. Damn engineers :-laf

Travis. .

 

[BigGunZ]

NOTE: The Dodges cost less than the Fords at the dealer - want to revise your statement?



As for the boring debate about Cummins vs. Int'l, I've had my 6. 0 for 54k miles and not a single problem. Before you rant at the issues the 6. 0 has, read your own forums for awhile. Bottom line is that all domestic products have issues, and the problem trucks who have knowledgable owners post their problems on these sites. Therefore, you get what you read - negative posts about this problem and that problem on Fords, Dodges, and Chevys.



I buy what I like best - I don't care who makes it. When Dodge makes a crew cab short wheelbase, I'll look at one. Until then, I'm buying either Fords or Chevys.

This is a Dodge based forum, what would you expect? I highly doubt we'd see a whole lot of lovin' on any Ford forum towards Dodge... it's the nature of the game. That said, I've been a lifetime Ford truck owner until 3 weeks ago when I traded for my Ram. After testing all of the big 3's 1 ton offerings, I had to admit that the Dodge was the only one left that was still a truck lovers truck... Industrial, no fluff, minimal useless gadgets. Sure, they all have problems but at least the Ram doesn't suffer from "I wish I were a car" syndrome. A quick glance at the interiors (and GM's IFS) and you'll know what I mean.

 

[Sageair]

I have a 2003 6. 0 PSD work truck that is like my own in that I am the only one that drives it and it comes home with me. It is an F350 4x4 supercab,six speed cab&chassis with a utility body and weighs 10,500 lbs loaded. I now have 86,000 miles on it. I hate the lack of low end power but it has been totaly reliable and trouble free.

The 6. 0 are like snowflakes, no two alike but I'm glad I at least got one that hasn't left me walking. I think the crap about Ford having a higher quality cab than the dodge is just that crap. My 2001 CTD is as tight and squeak free as the Ford, and I much prefer the grunt of my H. O, but the Ford has been as trouble free as my Dodge.