WOndering if the pricing is ok on this truck we are looking at? Some of the specs are F250 diesel 4x4 SD extended cab truck. This is a lease return truck, 140,000 miles. They are asking $16,900.00 for this vehicle. I ran book value and it seems to be in line with the value of this truck. The one thing that bothers me is what kind of "tune up" will this truck need being it has 140,000 miles. And being that it was a lease truck, the upkeep should have been pretty good. Any input would be very much appreciated.

 

Seems kind of pricy with the swamped used care market these days but the diesel makes it pricier. Although diesels can go forever the accessories cannot. With that mileage expect sudden failures of any component at any time. I personally have had good luck with my Ford's, 200k on one and 120k on the other with no major probs. Alternator and fuel pressure regulator were the 2 major failures on the 200k vehicle, nothing bad yet (knock on wood) with the Super Duty.

 

I can't really comment on the price as we reside in different countries.

Was it a private lease or commercial? Will they supply you with the name of the previous owner? If so, give the guy a call or stop by the company's shop and feel it out. It'll give you a pretty good feel for who was driving the truck before you and how it was likely treated. If you're fairly satisfied with that, I'd move on to the next step.

First thing I'd do is take it to an reputable INDEPENDENT diesel shop and get the PSD checked out thoroughly. Check injectors, pump pressure, turbo, etc,. The PSD will be the big ticket if it needs work. If your'e like most, myself included, working on diesels is beyond your capability, and paying someone to do it is VERY pricey. Just doing a couple injectors or a pump is the same cost as doing the tranny, more if you can do a lot of the other mechanical work yourself, so start there. This will likely come out of your pocket, but spending $100 now might save you a $5000 headache later.

The rest is routine maintenance stuff. Brakes, fluid changes, tires, etc... nothing too costly or major, especially if you can do the work yourself. The SD's are pretty simple to work on as far as chassis and drivetrain are concerned. Just make sure everything works and give it a thorough inspection before you sign on the dotted line.

Waxy

 

Just to add one more thought to Waxy's post, was it maintained by a dealer. If so get the maintenance records, look them over and see how, when and what has been done to it.
Good luck

 

I would NEVER buy a lease return of anything. A lease is a rental. Do you take care of your rentals? heck no, that's half the fun of a rental. you do the bare minimum required to keep it running, it's not your baby like it is when you buy one. I would run far far away.

That's a TON of miles on a barely maintained vehicle. There are way better deals out there with a lot fewer miles.

 

>I would NEVER buy a lease return of anything. A lease is a
>rental. Do you take care of your rentals? heck no, that's
>half the fun of a rental. you do the bare minimum required
>to keep it running, it's not your baby like it is when
>you buy one. I would run far far away.
>
>That's a TON of miles on a barely maintained vehicle. There
>are way better deals out there with a lot

There is definately some truth to this. However, a lot of people maintain their vehicles and drive them properly because that's how they were taught and they count on that vehicle to get them around. I know I treated my employer's trucks as well or better than my own. There's a lot of privately owned vehicles out there that I wouldn't touch with 10' pole either.

That's why you need to find out who owned the vehicle. If it was a fleet vehicle in a company that performed all the scheduled maintenance and was under the supervision of a mechanic for regular inspection, I'd feel pretty comfortable with it. Ask if they'll show you the service records. Most people won't mind diggin' that up for you, I know I wouldn't.

It pays to see the type of employees they have too, I've seen employee trucks with over 200,000 miles that were in excellent condition because the employee treated it as his own. I've also seen them completely thrashed at 60,000 miles.

I suspect this was a commercial truck because most private lease agreements would have miled out long before 140,000. It would have cost the person more than the price of a new vehicle in mileage penalties alone.

The price does seem a bit high to me, but I have no frame of reference for your area. I just base it on the mileage. Generally the attraction of buying a vehicle like this is getting it cheap enough that a couple things, or something major, can go wrong and you're still ahead of the game after fixing them. You'll have to decide for yourself if the price is right.

Waxy

 

 

I agree with Waxy, probably a fleet vehicle of some sorts. Who knows, with that kind of mileage and the truck platform it could have been a truck that pulled something around the country to show off. Like a hauler for trade shows and such. Another good thing is to get that high of miles it had to be interstate/freeway, which isn't as hard on the vehicle as city miles.

I bought mine just at 100k, everyone was afraid to buy it because of the miles. I have a nice shop and am capable of most small repairs so any minor probs. that may have popped up didn't worry me. Had the dealer give me the Ford service records, ran a carfax and checked over everything to my comfort. I got the dealer down about 4 grand from blue book. Just like Waxy said, I counted the savings as a future repair cushion in case something drastic happened to the motor or tranny.

If you really want it and are comfortable with it, wave a cashiers check in his face for the price you feel is fair given the risks. Usually works, like putting raw meat in front of a wolf, they can't resist.