New Truck - Go with Diesel or....Gas model? Ford 3.5 Turbo took a dump.

Had to post this update on y bud's new 2023 Ford Super Duty. Great truck. He loves it with one exception - His dash went blank last week and he has no gauges.

Nice. $89k truck and no gauges. It's been at the Ford dealer for over a week. They claim they "know" what the issue is. (He calls them every day for the latest update.)

So far, they seem to be clueless. They told him the issue revolves around a "electrical part" that went bad and they ordered a new one. New part came in and it was the "wrong part". They said they were sorry. Mind you, this is a fairly large dealership here in the valley. Not some back woods affair.

All I can do at this point is shake my head.
 
The issue is that with the "max tow" package Ford states IT CAN TOW 11,000 pounds. Which is silly. He should be no more than around 7,000 pounds.
Completely agree. I had about 9500 on my hitch last year, WITH the Sumo Springs I have listed in the FS forum, and there were a few times I was reminded that if I did something stupid or if a tire blew… that trailer was running the show, full stop. The truck had no problem pulling or stopping the trailer; it was the fact that a 9500lb trailer makes quick work of a 5500lb truck if things go sideways, literally.

I finished the trip, vowed never to do that to myself or truck again, and pulled off the Sumo Springs, which were rated to add 1000lb capacity at 50% compression. Even with all that additional help and a properly distributed trailer, it squatted my rear down to about 3-4 fingers, double what the front was.
 
Well, clear evidence here that dealers are no longer in the situation that they were in 2021 when they had us over a barrel, and they're willing to deal. Useful for the community.

Anything else I could have said, has already been said, so I'll leave it at that.

Well ok one other thing, there's no way a couple of years ago this would have made sense due to the cost of diesel. But, in my area diesel is almost at parity with regular unleaded today, hope it stays that way for your friend's sake.
My initial thoughts aligned with yours. But then, we don't have numbers to know define what a "smokin deal" actually was. A smoking deal to the OP's buddy may not have been a smoking deal to you or me.

But like you, I was surprised they even chased the OP's buddy down to sell a new super duty diesel.
 
I'm not sure it's a deal of any sort! Both trucks (F150 and Super Duty) have screen issues.) Truck has been in service for over a week. You can't do anything with a truck that's just sitting there waiting for Ford to figure it out. If I were in the market, I'm pretty sure I'd be looking at vehicles. But that's just me. Something really irks me badly if I were to pay that kind of money for a brand new truck and couldn't drive it.
 
Supplemental comment. A few months ago I posted about a co worker who purchased a 2022 Chevrolet 3/4 ton on BITOG. I was amazed at how nice, clean, and simple the truck was both under the hood and the interior. Seemed a engine one could service very easily. And the interior was not all electronic, so even servicing things in the can seemed direct and very easy to do.
 
Ford and GM are the only options? That should narrow it down plenty for him, especially if he’s going to take your advice and stay away from any turbos and the coyotes. 🤔
You want suggestions? Ram with a 5.7l or a 6.4l. I will say that I am biased though. 😉🍻
If I needed a truck now it would be a Ram. I'm partial to the 5.7 eTorque design. GM cylinder deactivation if it's still operating as it did a few years ago has been problematic. For some reason specifically cylinder 6 likes to wipe out cam lobes according to the 3 guys I know with these trucks that all had the same problem. Ford hosed me on another vehicle, not my F150 and that left too sour of a taste in my mouth to have another Ford product. I've liked this latest Ram since it came out and if it had been out when I bought my F150 I would likely have had one of those instead. I may still have it if that was the case.
 
If I needed a truck now it would be a Ram. I'm partial to the 5.7 eTorque design. GM cylinder deactivation if it's still operating as it did a few years ago has been problematic. For some reason specifically cylinder 6 likes to wipe out cam lobes according to the 3 guys I know with these trucks that all had the same problem. Ford hosed me on another vehicle, not my F150 and that left too sour of a taste in my mouth to have another Ford product. I've liked this latest Ram since it came out and if it had been out when I bought my F150 I would likely have had one of those instead. I may still have it if that was the case.
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...em-relationships-6-automakers-studied.371691/
 
I'm late to the convo here, but I will give my two cents... 'cause I have been around the block.

I absolutely LOVE both our Diesel vehicles, but they have come with a lot of maintenance and expense.

Two years ago, I purchased a Class C RV with a Ford Chasis that has the 7.3l, V8 gasser (Godzilla) that I flippin LOVE... I adore that engine.

I have been shopping for a new pickup, as my EcoDiesel turns 10 years old this year and has 160k on the dial.

Every time I end up going to the Ford website and searching for an F250 with a gas V8. I just don't think I want all the maintenance and hassle of a diesel going forward, despite how much I love to drive them.
 
It’s tough, I love diesels but I’ve been driving Gas 1 tons for about 15 years now. It’s worked out great so far with no major engine problems. Current truck is a Ford 7.3L

That said, I don’t haul really at all, sometimes I’ll have 3000lbs in the bed but I never tow. If I did I would probably go for a diesel.

I really miss the early 2000s diesels, right before all the emissions crap started. I wish I could have bought my last truck with a 24v 5.9 Cummins in it…
 
Well... I'm sure I'm going to open-up a can of worms here. In a nutshell, I am trying to help-out a buddy that owns a 2019 Ford 150 with the 3.5L Twin Turbo and 59k miles.

Last week, he called me for help and pulled-over on the highway because of a high temperature reading. Checked coolant level and there was practically zero coolant left in the recovery tank. We added a full gallon of new coolant and temps got back to normal. He caught it just in time. Not only that, every time he started the truck, he heard a 'knocking sound" (Which was determined today to be cam phasers and timing chain "slap".)

Anyhow... the truck is very well maintained and only has 59k miles. He just came back from a reputable shop and got an estimate of almost $6k to replace and fix the water pump, timing chain and more... He's not happy and asked me what I would do. (I told him I would never have purchased a F150 with the Coyote V-8. Turbos and that boosted engine are a joke for long term.)

Sooooo.... He's looking at another Ford or GMC with two options - V8 or Diesel powered. No interest in any "Turbo" BS... Any suggestions?

I told him I didn't know much about the Diesel choices and was unsure if Ford offered a V-8 in any of their models (2022/2023)?

What stands-out for reliability these days? He tows less than 9,000lbs and needs to know what his best option is. NO TURBO's for him anymore.

Thanks!
Wouldn’t he still be under powertrain warranty or is the in service date past 5 yrs?
 
Wouldn’t he still be under powertrain warranty or is the in service date past 5 yrs?
He just barely made the powertrain warranty and the dealer took a whole week to determine this. After the level of repair work needed, they quoted him a trade-in deal and he decided he wasn't going to take a chance again for another long-term haul with that platform (3.5L). The dealer decided to bill Ford for the warranty repairs and made him a really good deal on a Super Duty truck. He's been pretty happy with the new Diesel Super Duty (With the exception of not having ANY dash gauges which was repaired (replaced) in the first week of ownership. I don't understand his loyalty to the Ford brand but it stems from his youth and family choices over the years.

IMHO.... finding a good long-term vehicle these days is a real crap shoot. No matter what brand. No turbo "anything" for me.
 
He just barely made the powertrain warranty and the dealer took a whole week to determine this. After the level of repair work needed, they quoted him a trade-in deal and he decided he wasn't going to take a chance again for another long-term haul with that platform (3.5L). The dealer decided to bill Ford for the warranty repairs and made him a really good deal on a Super Duty truck. He's been pretty happy with the new Diesel Super Duty (With the exception of not having ANY dash gauges which was repaired (replaced) in the first week of ownership. I don't understand his loyalty to the Ford brand but it stems from his youth and family choices over the years.

IMHO.... finding a good long-term vehicle these days is a real crap shoot. No matter what brand. No turbo "anything" for me.
Glad they were able to get it done under warranty even though he traded up. Surprised it took a week to determine warranty status. In service date is in their system for sure unless the approval process from Ford takes longer to determine these days.
 
I'm late to the convo here, but I will give my two cents... 'cause I have been around the block.

I absolutely LOVE both our Diesel vehicles, but they have come with a lot of maintenance and expense.

Two years ago, I purchased a Class C RV with a Ford Chasis that has the 7.3l, V8 gasser (Godzilla) that I flippin LOVE... I adore that engine.

I have been shopping for a new pickup, as my EcoDiesel turns 10 years old this year and has 160k on the dial.

Every time I end up going to the Ford website and searching for an F250 with a gas V8. I just don't think I want all the maintenance and hassle of a diesel going forward, despite how much I love to drive them.
In high school I worked on a farm and drove a 7.3L PowerStroke. Loved that truck, and am tempted to pay the ridiculous price for one now just for nostalgia reasons even though I really don't have the space or need for a truck. With that said I wouldn't own any newer diesel truck. The emissions system complexity and expense isn't worth the trade off. Gasoline engines (along with better transmissions) in pickup trucks have come a long way. You no longer need the diesel to tow over the gas V8 like back in the day. That same farmer that I worked for who owned the 7.3L PowerStroke now tows all that same equipment with a Ram 2500 with the 6.4 V8 quite easily.
 
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