Hi y'all,

I am brand new to the forum and have never owned a diesel before. Needing another vehicle, I started looking down the diesel route and found an 03 F250 that I really like. For those that have the time, here is the link:

2003 Ford F-250 SD - bmotors

What originally made me start considering the diesel was their rep for dependability and life. It is really important for this vehicle to be a strong running truck for me.

The truck will be my daily driver. It currently has 109K miles on it and has had three previous owners. It will probably see see around 50 miles a day - that is getting me to work and back. The roads I will be taking aren't highways, but they will allow about 55 MPH.

I have been doing as much research as possible attempting to make the right decision. One thing that concerned me was that lately I started reading of the the bad rep that 6.0s have. I have read of all the various aftermarket parts to throw on it and that they are work horses that need work. I don't have a trailer or won't need it for pulling at all. I got that these trucks don't do well for the short trips to the store and back which I won't do very often. It will mainly be my daily driver.

Other than changing the fluids I won't be able to put any extra money into the truck right now for aftermarket upgrades. Would it still be safe without those?

Basically I have gathered as much info on diesels as I can and I am looking for additional info from people with better knowledge and experience. Please offer y'alls opinions.

Oh, I am currently in Afghanistan and as such I cannot go test drive the truck. I will be having Carchex perform and inspection and test drive on it for me. Anyone in the Houston area that has a reliable mechanic? I would much prefer to utilize a diesel mechanic that someone trust and recommends.

I know this was long, but thanks for reading and taking the time to help out.

Take care...

Dillon

 

Hey Dillon,
First off, thank you for your service. Welcome to FTE! I can see why you would consider this truck, looks great with the lift, wheels and tires are right, white/black is classic. There is a thread here with many good points to consider when buying a used 6.0. I was going to post a link for you but I can't find it. The '03 was the first year for the 6.0, you may all ready know it had a stronger EGR cooler, leaf springs (instead of coils) on the front suspension, no STC fitting to worry about, and a HPOP that could be a pain. I would suggest getting a copy of the OASIS report from Ford. Knowing if this truck has been a problem child for the previous owner is important. I have a couple of friends and co-workers who drive 6.0's and have no problem saying they are great trucks. From time to time though, someone will pop in here and raise hell about what a POS their truck is. Some are just trolling but others sound intelligent and seem to have tried to be logical about repairs and still had a lot of bucks in a truck that wasn't right, so there are some turds out there. Getting someone who knows what to look for to check it out is a very smart idea and should keep you out of trouble. I think you will like driving a diesel, (except for maybe the fuel stops ) it's a whole different animal from a gasser. 50 miles a day should get you up to full operating temp and a weekend road trip every once in a while should keep it happy. Good luck in your search!

One consideration I forgot to mention is mods. If you plan on registering it in a state with emission checks, be sure to ask if it has EGR or Cat delete. Could be a price negotiation point if these items are missing.

 

The diesel trucks are well known for being heavy pullers. But diesel fuel is more per gallon than gas. The mileage or mpg is going to generally be higher on a gas truck unless you are pulling or carrying heavy loads.. Parts are cheaper for a gas in general..And it seems that fewer things go wrong on the gassers.. I think to buy a used diesel you need to be prepared to fix possible problems..
Personally from what you have described for your needs a gasser will fit you much better.. I don't mean offense, diesels are great but it might be best to wait in your case or get one with lower mileage so you can get an extended warr. plan..They will not warranty anything already over 100,000 miles. JMHO.. and I thankyou for your service too...and welcome to FTE.....