Hi I am new here and found this forum looking for some information an a truck I am considering buying. First I apologize if this has been covered before.
I am considering buying a 1999 F250 extended cab 4X4 with a 7.3L auto. But it has aprox. 260 000 miles. It was a company business truck that has probably been worked. The comapany has its own garage mechincs so I think it has been serviced regulary but I doubt I'll see any service records.
I'll only be putting on around 20k a year on it myself. But here's my conserns.
1. Is this to many miles? For engine or transmission.
2. What may need to be done?
3. What is left in this truck?
I haven't put this many miles on my last three truck before I sold them. Never mind buying.

Thanks

 

Hi Boston James,

I own a '99 F250 ex cab, just exactly like yours... So while I might not have the experience the rest of these guys have, here's my two cents

Diesels aren't like gas motor vehicles. They can easily be expected to last twice as long. That being said, 260,000 miles, while it MIGHT not be all that high for a diesel, is a lot of miles. Most gasoline engines dream about racking up that many miles. And while the motor of this truck might be expected to live to 400,000 miles, the rest of the truck might be showing it's use.

The one thing that scares me about your story is the fact that this truck was a business truck, a fleet vehicle. If there is one thing that remains true in this world its that people don't take care of things that aren't theirs. Ever jumped a rental car just because you had full insurance on it? I HAVE! Id wager that this truck has been fairly abused through its life. I bet if you look hard enough, you'll be able to see signs of this wear and tear.

So service records...even more creepy. No matter how great these trucks are (and they really, really are) they can be big trouble if they haven't been taken care of. Diesels are expensive. Expensive to purchase, expensive to maintain, and definitely expensive to fix.

I would save your money and keep looking for a better deal. I was in the diesel market for 3 or 4 months before I found my stroke. She was used and had one owner, meticulously well taken care of...so there are deals out there. Don't get excited and purcahse something that just isn't a good thing.

 

Unless you are getting it for a song, all it takes is an automatic or injectors to the tune of $$$ to make your "high mile deal" not such a deal anymore.

 

like Smokin said .. 260K miles on a fleet/service veh ? run .. there are a LOT of deals to be had out there. Esp now with fuel costs, the stealerships are dropping prices on new trucks, so there are a lot of used GOOD PSD's on the market .. just take your time and look around. Don't make a rush decision or buy the first one you come across. Just my opinion

 

Mine has 430k. She has worn out a stock tranny at 301 and broke a defective one at and additional 40k. Now the current tranny just had a solinoid go out. Other than that the waterpump has gone 2wce and the radiatior. The rearend ate up a bearing but that is because of the vent hose allowing water in. They go a long time but I tend to agree, private fleet bad, im looking at one in the paper for 17999 with less then 70k.

 

Don't argue with common sense! James if you need some help researching available vehciles in your area, let me know. Doing it for around 4 months I got pretty good at it... just throw me a line.

 

I work in a company with a fleet of about 20 trucks. When I started, I was handed the keys to an '03 F150 4x4 with only 75k miles on it. I looked at its service record, and most everything has been done on time - particularly oil changes.

Doesn't help. This thing is a rag that has been beat up very, very badly - including a caved in front suspension cross member and crushed cross-over exhaust pipe. It rattles and squeeks almost as bad as a new Dodge.

It has been serviced but horribly abused - and I suspect that IF that truck you are looking at has been properly serviced (and with a Powerstroke, that is a BIG if), it has still been horribly abused.

("Hey, Fred - check this out. If I hold on the brake and floor the throttle, this thing does burn outs!")

("What's the GVWR on this truck?" "Who cares, just load it up.")

("Sure glad this ain't my truck!")

It sounds like a good parts truck.

 

thats right Fred. Naw it wont burn out unless I turn the corner hard. How about in the rocks? Dude that was cool, dont tell the boss. Opps I spilled my burrito sauce. Dude, the shop will fix that. Oil? whats that, Im just a min wage employee. This thing shifts weird, mash on it.

 

I'll reiterate what was said before, unless you are getting really good deal, take a pass. There's more out there. However, if you are thinking about going for it, I would suggest getting the fluids analyzed. We bought our 2000 F250 used - at the time it had 78k on it. I sent samples of the engine oil, tranny fluid, and diff fluid to Blackstone (http://www.blackstone-labs.com/). They gave me peace of mind for about $60 total for all analyses. Cheap compared to what could happen. I'm never going to buy another used vehicle again without doing that. BTW ours is a 4x2, so with this being a 4x4, don't forget your transfer case fluid if you go that route.