Things to look for in used trucks

[stickk]

I am looking to get an '03-'07 QCLB and would appreciate any advice on things to look for. My Price range is 10-15k so it is going to be a higher mileage truck. I know there are many people with high mileage CTD's so I'm not so concerned with mileage however any tips you have for weeding out abused trucks would be appreciated.

I have had an '06 mega ctd g56. Bought it new and had it for 5+ yrs. Great truck. Currently have an '01 PSD ZF6.
I am looking for an '03-'07 CTD QCLB Auto! I know the auto trans in these aren't the best and will cost some $$$ at some point, but I am prepared for that. However, manual transmissions aren't bullet proof either, I recently had to have a new input shaft and some other work done on my*ZF-6. Almost enough for a new dodge factory heavy duty 48** with a warranty!*

What I am familiar with:*Front end parts, my '06 had plenty of this before a 100k!*

What to look for in regards to the trans and engine? On the PSD's you check for blow-by out the*oil*filler*cap, same for the CTD? Other things to look for? Transmission-shudder while shifting, hard gear lever shifting? Other things to look for?

Thanks for your time

 

[Jim W]

Look at the free downloadable Turbo Diesel Buyers Guide this is in the LH column for you to review on the home page. The booklet is free to everybody and has a lot of useful information for anyone who is planning on buying a used diesel truck.

One thing to make sure of is that all of the TSB have been done on the truck; these are listed by year in the booklet. Also there is a section of the "Most Common Problems" right after the TSB in my copy.

Jim W.

 

[SnoKing]

That is less than one half of the going asking prices around this part of the country! 5.9 3rd gens seems to be all North of 30K! SNOKING

 

[stickk]

Jim, thank you. I will check that out.

Snoking, there is a wide range of pricing across the country and locally. I don't get too caught up into what people are asking for whatever it is they are selling. There is kbb and nada for a reason. If someone can get $30k+ for an '03-'07 5.9 because it has only 60k miles on it that's great. I just couldn't do that. I would buy a new truck at that point.

 

[Slide007]

Be sure to get a bigger transmission cooler on trucks 2001-2007
If you pull any weight it will over heat burn the trans up
About a $3,000 to $4,000 to replace

 

[Boaring1961]

I'd ensure it doesn't have the 1-2-1 shuttle shift issue my truck had when I bought it used. It was an annoying issue, but I resolved it completely by replacing a few trans components.

Also I paid $27,500 for a used 2005 Ram 2500 4wd in 2012 with 65k miles. It still has below 100k miles on it and might have a hard time not considering selling it for $35k if someone offered it since it's paid off at this point.

 

[Bob V]

I also think you will have a hard time finding a decent one in that price range. The 3rd gen injectors can go bad if over 150,000 miles, earlier ir bad fuel or filtering. A NEW set is not cheap,$3000 ish. A bad injector can also was down a cylinder or trash a piston. Be carful, you might be looking at some big engine problems. You probably wont find a manual transmission in you price range so you will have to settle for an automatic. Plan on it needing rebuilt. People generally sell when the granny starts to act up. Just my opinion, but if you find a $15,000 third Gen I would bet your going to end up putting some $$$$ to make it reliable.

 

[Prairie Dog]

The one thing I would look at is excessive blow by from the oil cap.
After that and assuming it runs and drives good, I don't think there's anything that would be a deal killer for me. Suspension junk and wear items aren't a big deal if the truck is in otherwise good shape.

 

[Crunch]

My truck has just under 258K on it and I haven't had the problems others have had. I regularly tow 12K. The biggest problems I have had are replacing two water pumps (both at about 100K miles apart), the fuel transfer pump once, 3 front wheel bearing hubs (2 left, 1 right), rear axle seals (had the bearings done while it was open) and the Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor replaced twice. The APPS was the highest cost per incident. The part sells for $600+, plus another hour or so of labor. The front suspension is the primary issue now. Still running the original injectors and it doesn't really burn or leak oil. If I keep the RPM's under 2000 on the highway I can get 20+ MPG when not towing. My truck was right at about $30K new, and I wouldn't sell it for that now. The wise words of my dad now make sense: "It's worth more than what I could sell it for." If you could find a low to mid mileage truck for $15 grand I'd get it, provided you trust its provenance, i.e. the way it was maintained and driven, not to mention how many salted roads it rolled in the winter.