I just purchased a 2000 4dr 4x4 diesel 122,000mi for $13,000. After I got it home, I pulled a carfax on it. It has over 400,000 miles on it! I took it back to the dealer & they said I didn't have to keep it but, I like the truck & would like to keep it if we can come up with a new deal. My question is, is it worth keeping? I've been driving it & this is what I came up with. The truck starts & runs great, even around the freezing mark. Sometimes the OD light will blink but will go off after a while. I looked underneath & the trans is all nice & shiny like it's new or been rebuilt. I didn't see any stickers or tags on it. I also noticed the motor mount bolts have been removed at one time like the motor been out. There is a guy's name wrote on the driver side valve cover with yellow paint & some numbers & letters wrote on the turbo with the same paint. I don't know if it's been rebuilt or replaced. The date on the sticker on the valve cover matches the date on the sticker of the door jam. So I'm assuming it's the original engine that been rebuilt.

So it seems that both, the engine & trans have been replaced or rebuilt. I just don't know if I should keep it (with a big discount)or turn it back in. Any suggestions?

 

I would guess that your truck has been reassembled from parts obtained from a salvage yard. It is certainly not worth the $13,000 you paid. Would I buy it at all? No way. You could get a better truck with less mileage for $13K. Don't walk, RUN away from this truck, or if you MUST have it, pay no more than $2K.

 

My thoughts exactly! Yellow paint marker usually is used by salvage yards, If the name was on them he probably set them aside for him. I would not keep it, the history of it seems a good recipe for many many costly problems.

 

I would take it back. Just knowing I was deceived by the seller would haunt me for years to come while driving it.

 

I agree with all the above. You never know what has been done to that in it's 12 year life to pay $13K. I'd take it back and find a better deal somewhere else if it were me.

 

I agree..

If your looking for a few 7.3 powered superduty's, I know of 3 that the most expensive unit is around $17,000 and only has 135k miles.

I would also report the dealer to the local BBB and your states attorney generals office. Who knows, this may have been an honest mistake but this dealer/seller could make a habit of this.

 

As previously stated, yellow paint markings means that the parts have come out of a salvage yard. You cannot tell me the dealership did not know this.

A blinking OD light means your transmission has issues. It WILL need some sort of repair work very soon, as they never fix themselves.

The dealer will just do the same thing to the next guy who walks onto the lot if they are not slapped. Return the truck, but first take pictures of what you found. Report the dealership to your state's Attorney General's office for fraud.

 

my suggestion , since you have some question about the truck take it back, since dealer was nice to offer you that.

But I need to know if you paid cash or financed the purchase ( in house or with Bank).
if is Financed in house( at dealership) _ make sure you get all the original contract back , and get written agreement with dealer that Contract Null and voided( In case the contracted being copied).

and if Financed with bank do same thing , and make sure Bank knows the contract is null and voided.

if the dealer does all this in good faith, try to do more business with him if he has more of these type vehicle, but this time get someone check the vehicle for you up front.( Car fax is not accurate)

 

^^^what he said^^^^

Specialtools owned a dealership for two decades. He knows what he is talking about right there...

 

Agree, I've had 4 rebuilds on that POS tranny. I fixed it finally by welding the reciever hitch shut, pulling the GN hitch, and buying a 450 with a stick for towing.

Try the carfax before the papers are signed.

 

take it back, that truck is way too overpriced for what you got. If you search around and are willing to drive you can still find some low mileage 7.3's. There is a '02 F350 SC LB 4x4 with 7.3/auto with only 14,000 miles for sale in MN on car soup. The truck was only used to plow out the owners driveway and it comes with the plow and he wants $21,000OBO.

 

Yeah the dealer didn't do it on purpose. I found the truck online at one of their other lots & they had it brought to their lot because they already had all my info. I got it financed thru a bank they use.
How many miles can you get on them PS anyway?

 

If the carfax is correct then somebody tampered with the odometer in some way (replaced it, probably with a junk yard one), which is a crime. Not saying it was the dealer, it could have been someone who traded it in at the dealer.

As others said:
-the transmission is packing up a knapsack to take a hike.
-yellow marking paint is from a wrecking yard.
-that truck is not worth anywhere near $13,000.
-take it back and find another, they are all over.

 

What about the 6.0? There's a buttload of them for sell around here.

 

I think I'm gonna go against the grain and suggest that if the dealer can make the deal work you may be better off keeping the truck. A couple of things would have to happen first though:

1. The transmission would have to be evaluated and repaired by a good transmission shop or Ford dealer. That blinking O/D light indicates there is a problem with the transmission.

2. Have the truck checked over by your local Ford dealer or otherwise competent shop.

3. LARGE refund from the selling dealer and an agreement to fix the transmission problems and anything else identified as wrong by the inspecting shop. Remember that the resale value of this truck is going to be very low, so any deal you work out has to be fair in this regard.