Hi everyone, I finally found a decent priced truck on craigslist and it so happens to be a 2009 F-350 6.4l powerstroke with only 99k miles on it. Its a CCLB with the XL trim. The guy is asking $15000 for it and I'm going this weekend to take a look at it. Was wondering if y'all can tell me what to look for on this truck and if this is a good price. NADA and KBB value the truck at around $16-17K. On another diesel site I asked and they said to steer clear of the 6.4L . I've never owned a diesel but have owned various gas trucks so I'm not too familiar with them. Thanks

 

I'd dodge the 6.4L...

They are time bombs of engines and a wreck to get into for any repairs.

The parts are expensive, the labor is unreasonable, and you'd triple the purchase cost in short time for any repairs needed.

It's mostly the emissions junk that kills the engine.

 

The 6.4's can be great engines if they were taken care of. There are guys ehere that have 6.4's that swear by them.

Now the 6.4's have good about them and bad about them. The engines have a huge amount of torque and power and have the ability to pull with ease.If they have been take care of they can be reliable.

Now the thing about the 6.4's is they are not very user friendly to work on in the truck , for some of the deeper engine items it is a cab off fix which can cost some big money.

The learning curve on these engines is fairly steep for someone who has never owned a 6.4 before. Maintenance is the key to these engines and if you get someone who hasn't maintained it and you buy it you could be putting a real big dent in your wallet to fix any issues. You have to remember that although it says Ford on the truck that it is a Navistar engine and Navistar still has their hand in the pockets of 6.0 and 6.4 owners and the engines when it comes to the parts for either of the two engines.

There is a lot to look for with buying a used truck especially when it comes to the 6.0 and 6.4, but even moreso with the 6.4. I would encourage you to pass on the 6.4. Unless the maintenance records, oasis report and you have crawled on it, under it, and all over it and then had a good check over by a Ford Diesel Tech with various testing says buy me, then I would pass.

Diesels are great trucks but if you get a diesel that has issues and someone is looking to dump it on someone else and you get stuck with it, it can be very very expensive to fix and the 6.4 is in that category just due to the costs of the parts and the fact that a majority of the engine work is a cab off repair, it could really hit you in the wallet

The other thing is this truck seller the original owner and do they have all the maintenance records for it. There are a lot of guys who go to auctions and buy trucks cheap and try to flip them on CL and elsewhere for more than they paid for them, so you have to be careful off that


Mind if we ask what you need a diesel for? Do you pull a lot of trailers. heavy loads, work trailers, travel trailers etc? Maybe we could give you some suggestions or alternative trucks to have a look at.

 

I was considering to buy a diesel truck to replace my current truck ( '02 avalanche ) as a daily driver and become a macrobin hauler for the winery I work at. I also like the large bed since it can haul my dirtbikes easily lol. The avalanche can't do that.

 

The 6.4 is generally the least reliable, most expensive Powerstroke to own. Followed closely by the 6.0, which would be a better all around choice. If I ever wanted or needed a used diesel again, it would be a 6.7 or pay for a clean 7.3. No one I know, including myself, will go down the 6.4/6.0 road again.

 

When a major repair can cost the same amount as the truck it's a tough sell for me. The alternative diesel options are more expensive upfront perhaps, but the will likely be less in the long run. I'd opt for a gasser for the work you're likely to encounter. IMO there are two types of diesel buyers. Those that need them and those that think they are cooler for owning one. You don't sound like either to me (from your two post at least!)

 

Run away very fast..................been there.

 

Hey now there is a third option!

Those who want a reliable vehicle and don't want to change it every 200,000 miles. I plan to keep mine to a million. It's a whole lot cheaper than replacing the truck every 5-7 years.

 

Diesels are great for hauling, short trips (depending how short the trips is mind you) are killers for the 6.4 and 6.0 engines because there is not enough time for the engine to do a regen cycle, and when that happens is when all the problems start (unless it has been deleted)

Depending on the distance of your short tripsI would be a little wary of a diesel. Honestly you may be better off looking at a 6.2 or 6.8 for your needs. The 6.2 can haul heavy, lots of guys here that pull big 5'vers and equipment trailers with them same with the 6.8 engines.

The other advantage to a 6.2 or 6.8 is short trips will not foul up your engine and you can do short commutes with ease and no worries and if you need it to haul heavy it will do that too. You'd also have less in maintenance costs in regards to fuel filters, oil changes etc no def etc etc so you would save some cash in that respect

Now obviously it's your money and you can buy what you wish to but I would seriously not go to a 6.4 The risk with them is a lot higher and it is not cheap to fix from a parts stand point especially when it comes to the engine.

Dont get any of us wrong, we arent hear to tell you scary stories, as I said before the 6.4 can be a good engine if it was taken care of, but if it hasnt then your wallet could be taking a serious hit just do to repair costs.

If your serious about the 6.4 despite what we have all said, get a car fax done, crawl over and under it with a good strong flash light and look for leaks, get maintenance records (if there is none, then walk away unless it was always serviced at Ford ) Go to a Ford dealer with the VIN# and ask for an oasis report, and see what Ford did to this truck when it came thru their hands ( check the last date of service with them , that will tell you when they last saw it ) and have Ford check the truck over and do some testing of the engine with their IDS and a compression test

Hope that helps somewhat, this is just advice I think most here would give to folks looking to purchase a diesel