New 1/2 ton truck

[Steve300xcw]

Honestly the manual work rigs I was around were all IDI's or 7.3's. Overheated the trucks a pile o times. Not a lot of heavy stuff with those rigs. They were a lot faster to put the larger loads behind a semi, then they are these days.

 

[SDHNTR]

The absolute majority of people never read the operational manual. That is the hidden intention of those "reminders" on your dashboard.
The height of vehicle is another unknown fact. This is why the most of commercial and corporate / office cars have a sticker that reminds you about the height, so you don't drive under something you were not supposed to.

Btw the reason the most of manufactures have switched from 4wd (jeep, most of trucks, etc.) or fulltime 4wd (TLC, LR, G-wagon) to the AWD system is precisely because of majority of people were unable to operate them properly and blew the transmission or transferase. Who knows how many soccer moms left their 90s suburban in 4h and destroyed the drivetrain while doing 70mph on the I-80.
Obviously Mr @SDHNTR is not one of those guys!






That 6 speed, 6R140 TorqShift, was one of the most reliable gearbox Ford ever had, and arguably the best in class. But improper use of a truck will kill anything.
This the point I am traying to make.




Is there a difference between the transmission cooler sizes?

Neither one of them has a trans cooler.

 

[270quest]

Someone previsouly mention the 2015-2017 F150s with 2.7/6 Speed as being very reliable. My son has a 2017 XLT CC SB 4X4 with the 2.7/6 speed. Was a 1 owner "old man truck" that had 65k miles when we bought it for him last August 2025. Now has 72k miles and has been a tremendous vehicle for him so far. Hoping/expecting for him to get 200k miles out of it as he goes thru college and on to start his life.

 

[VomSteinbruch]

Neither one of them has a trans cooler.

That sucks.
I think they both have a radiator integrated cooler. Meaning the engine cooler and the transmission cooler are one unite, which is a flawed design.
Only after you add a towing package then it will come with "HD" cooler, and even then, I am not sure it is separate unite.

What a hall is going on with today's engineers, man. As soon as the boomers left the workforce everything went to shit.

 

[SDHNTR]

That sucks.
I think they both have a radiator integrated cooler. Meaning the engine cooler and the transmission cooler are one unite, which is a flawed design.
Only after you add a towing package then it will come with "HD" cooler, and even then, I am not sure it is separate unite.

What a hall is going on with today's engineers, man. As soon as the boomers left the workforce everything went to shit.

Yeah they only have the radiator heat exchanger, even with the tow package. I know modern trans oils can handle higher heat, but IMO, the better strategy would be to dissipate more heat in the first place. But that would involve an extra part that costs more money and 95% of truck owners will never need it. So the bean counters win.

 

[180ls1]

What a hall is going on with today's engineers, man. As soon as the boomers left the workforce everything went to shit.

FYI - all manufactures have an impossible MPG/Emissions standard to meet. This is the main driver of the reliability issues, they are pushing every area to the absolute limit and still coming up short of the GOVT regs.

 

[VomSteinbruch]

I understand that government bureaucrats who come up with these regulations often don’t have to deal with the real-world consequences of their decisions, but what frustrates me even more is the engineering side.

Can cost savings be achieved elsewhere?

This becomes a serious safety issue. For example, if I’m in a remote area doing drilling work and my partner gets injured, and I need to rush him to the nearest ER, what happens if my truck’s transmission overheats while driving on terrain that requires 4H for safety? Am I supposed to stop and let him die?

On a related note, and I don’t want to sound like I’m promoting Nissan, but the Frontier and both Titan models come with dedicated transmission cooling radiators. They are very under looked trucks, especially the XD.

 

[betelgeuse]

I have the 2024 Titan, it has a trans cooler. V8 400 HP. 2024 is the last year. The Endurance V8 is a very reliable motor. I sold my 2011 Titan that had 100.000 miles on it. I never had a problem with it. They are both the PRO 4X package. They came with all the gadgets.

 

[Whitefox82]

Update:
Bought a new 2026 Tundra 6.5’ bed crewmax with the standard v6 engine. Originally was leaning toward a Duramax baby diesel but then talked to a guy I know through work that has had nothing but problems with his. Then another guy through work that has a 2024 Silverado with the 2.4L? and has been waiting on parts for an engine repair for months now. In the end, I just trust Toyota more to make things right IF I have an issue. AND, I am still going to be running my 2012 v8 Tundra daily for work anyway so I now have a second truck if the 2012 shits the bed at some point, which there is no indication of it doing and has been nothing but the best truck I’ve ever owned so far. Hopefully I get another 100k out of it and this new truck proves as reliable over time.
Thanks for all the replies, very helpful!

 

[BigMiss]

115k miles on my 22 Ram 1500 Bighorn with the 5.7 Hemi. I had a lot of issues with the Uconnect infotainment system when I got it, but that was eventually sorted out with their over-the-air updates (they're done automatically when the truck can connect to wifi.) Everything else has been flawless. Brakes will be due in the spring, along with getting my third set of tires. The only other maintenance outside of oil changes and tire rotations has been getting the differential fluid changed.

My dad has a 2016 Ram 1500 with 5.7 and 150k miles, and my BIL has a 2021 1500 with 5.7 and 75k miles. Neither of them has had any issues, and they've done nothing but oil changes and tire rotations.

Based on my history with this set of trucks, I'll look at Ram first when it's time for a new one.

My local dealerships have Bighorns listed for 47-50k right now - heavily discounted, and good financing deals too. If I were in the market for one, I'd jump on one of those deals as I paid 62k for mine

As of yesterday, this post is no longer accurate. My truck is at the shop getting a full rear diff rebuild at 116,500 miles.

 

[Boarmaster]

I’m getting in the market myself. My 2017 Silverado with 130k on it is running fine but I take a lot of hunting trips and I would be more comfortable in a newer truck out there on the highway. About a year and a half ago I had a new transmission put in it.

I haven't done enough research on what engines are good to go or giving owners headaches. I’m a 1/2 ton GM or Ford guy. Need a crew cab short box , 4wh drive and leather not much else. I don't pull anything but a small utility trailer but always had V8 engines.

I admit I am a bit nervous about these engine problems
I hear about. I am single with one vehicle so cant have my truck sitting in a repair yard 6 hours from home waiting on a new engine. I’m not sure the logic of buying a new truck for reliability and feeling like keeping the old one around for a spare.

 

[Whitefox82]

I’m getting in the market myself. My 2017 Silverado with 130k on it is running fine but I take a lot of hunting trips and I would be more comfortable in a newer truck out there on the highway. About a year and a half ago I had a new transmission put in it.

I haven't done enough research on what engines are good to go or giving owners headaches. I’m a 1/2 ton GM or Ford guy. Need a crew cab short box , 4wh drive and leather not much else. I don't pull anything but a small utility trailer but always had V8 engines.

I admit I am a bit nervous about these engine problems
I hear about. I am single with one vehicle so cant have my truck sitting in a repair yard 6 hours from home waiting on a new engine. I’m not sure the logic of buying a new truck for reliability and feeling like keeping the old one around for a spare.

Plenty of V8 option between Ford and GMC but most are now 10 speed transmissions and that’s the reliability concern. I was surprised with the horsepower and torque of the standard Toyota V6 turbo (also 10 speed), it’s basically right there with the GMC 6.6L V8. The Toyota Max engine blows that out of the way too, but you do give up the backseat under storage with the Max hybrid. The storage I need for work related items.

 

[Weldor]

To much computer controlled stuff, what happened to " it's a truck" ? These new trucks, all of them seem to be a basket of trouble and inconvience. That'a shame for the prices they are asking. I have a 18 Ram Cummins, has had a factory brake recall for as long as I can remember, Ram still has no know fix for it. How does that work? Like posted here "waiting on new engine, cams, you name it." Seems to me they should just have to buy them back at the price you paid. I will guarantee that they would have all these things sorted out in short order. JMHO. I won't be buying anything that's for sure and certain.

 

[WRO]

As of yesterday, this post is no longer accurate. My truck is at the shop getting a full rear diff rebuild at 116,500 miles.

My buddy had the exact same truck, did a motor at 150, tranny at 180, and finally walked away when it needed a new front end at 200..


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[WRO]

To much computer controlled stuff, what happened to " it's a truck" ? These new trucks, all of them seem to be a basket of trouble and inconvience. That'a shame for the prices they are asking. I have a 18 Ram Cummins, has had a factory brake recall for as long as I can remember, Ram still has no know fix for it. How does that work? Like posted here "waiting on new engine, cams, you name it." Seems to me they should just have to buy them back at the price you paid. I will guarantee that they would have all these things sorted out in short order. JMHO. I won't be buying anything that's for sure and certain.

I have a 2023 for work and it’s a disaster every time it needs warranty work, is spent 30 days in the shop with no rental offered in 2 years.


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[kcm2]

The new stuff is computer driven. Failures in the field are unfixable. Give me an older truck where I can band aid it back to civilation. My 01 Suburban works great, never lets me down and cruises very well. At 102k, it's got a lot of life remaining.

 

[WRO]

I’m getting in the market myself. My 2017 Silverado with 130k on it is running fine but I take a lot of hunting trips and I would be more comfortable in a newer truck out there on the highway. About a year and a half ago I had a new transmission put in it.

I haven't done enough research on what engines are good to go or giving owners headaches. I’m a 1/2 ton GM or Ford guy. Need a crew cab short box , 4wh drive and leather not much else. I don't pull anything but a small utility trailer but always had V8 engines.

I admit I am a bit nervous about these engine problems
I hear about. I am single with one vehicle so cant have my truck sitting in a repair yard 6 hours from home waiting on a new engine. I’m not sure the logic of buying a new truck for reliability and feeling like keeping the old one around for a spare.

Do you have the active fuel management system?