New Truck--Dependability

[Cameron.25]

Seems like almost no new trucks are reliable always these days. No experience with the 5.0 and i feel like i may have just gotten lucky with the ford lottery, but my 2018 with the 2.7 and 10spd i got brand new has been very reliable. At 96k miles now, only thing that's been replaced that was necessary was the rear brake pads at 65k, front pads at 85k, EGR tube at 80k. Upgraded suspension wasn't a must but the stock stuff was very worn out from all the off roading when I replaced it at 85k with the front brakes

My brother in law got a 3.5 with the 10spd one month after I did and he's had nothing but issues and recalls it seems. Different production plant than mine. Currently getting a new transmission under warranty at 90k

 

[11boo]

Just look for a '21 and prior Tundra.

Should be a solid choice. My 21 continues to impress. Sometimes I wish I had kept the old 06 duramax, but 300k miles something was going to break.

My tundra came with a 38 gallon tank too. Good thing, she is thirsty.

 

[Marshfly]

I think all of the current trucks are about the same with respect to reliability. The issues are coming from government requirements for fuel economy and customer requests for modern technology. When you have to rapidly make changes for those two things you will see issues.

My suggestion...drive them all and pick the one you like best.

I have seen virtually zero issues with the 4 Rams I have owned since 2014. Two 3500s, a 1500, and now a Power Wagon. I keep buying them because they treat me well and I like the interiors.

 

[homebru.trout]

I'm going to go against the grain here and give props to the Nissan Titan. I bought a 2017 during the pandemic with just under 30K on it for exactly $30K...found it at a Chevy dealership and they werent excited about having it on the lot. I don't know of anywhere else you can get a 4 door, 4wd truck with a V8 for that price. I have done scheduled maintenance, brakes, and tires and that's it. I get 13-14 around town and between 17-18 or so on the freeway assuming the computer is close to right.

There are several tradeoffs I made with this truck:

• They haven't put any time or effort into significant upgrades or redesign since 2015. So Ford, Chevy/GMC are going to have more refined driving compartments and convenience features along with a fairly substantial jump in technology. This truck is utilitarian, even spartan by modern standards.
• The flip side of the coin to the point above is that parts haven't really changed since 2015. I'm able to do a lot of work myself if needed and even in a rural area the Advance/O'Reilly has everything I need.
• If you want to lift or customize, your after-market options are going to be limited. I haven't found an acceptable winch bumper, although steelcraft does provide options for a pre-runner bumper, light bars, etc.
• I will be the first to admit that the angle of approach/angle of attack is terrible. It will need to be lifted if you anticipate lots of offroad.

I have only towed heavy a couple of times and it did fine but didn't light the world on fire. Mostly I'm pulling a drift boat or a flatbed trailer and don't even know it's there. It was cheap, is reasonable on gas, and does everything I need a truck to do so it made sense for my application.

 

[keystone112]

My buddy at work has a 2023 F-150 with the 5.0 V8. He is very happy with it. Says it is better for towing than the V6 was in his last Ford.

I would give them a look.

 

[Chrisamx]

I have Ford Ranger, engine good, however ten speed transmission had to be replaced at 84,000 miles. I run into others with same issues. Blend door for HVAC in dash is susceptible to failure as well. My blend door replacement was covered under extended warranty, however, it is a about $4000 to fix if out of warranty.

 

[Billinsd]

You do better than my brother , he's at twelve it's a 07

I get 17mpg max on the flat highway

 

[Billinsd]

Neighbor just traded his 22 Tundra (Blown turbo's 3 radiators)

What exactly do you mean happened? Did warranty cover it?

 

[Billinsd]

The mileage is abysmal with the 5.7. The poor fuel mileage isn't so much related to motor design as it is the gear ratio.

What’s good mpg for a half ton? 26mpg? The last generation Tundra is boring, the interior outdated, and the mpg is poor. Everything else about it is exceptional, especially reliability!!! My Tundra has the 38 gallon tank, so my range is great despite poor mpg!! The reliability, and peace of mind put way the extra fuel costs for me.

 

[Billinsd]

I have seen virtually zero issues with the 4 Rams I have owned since 2014. Two 3500s, a 1500, and now a Power Wagon.

That’s fantastic!! I’d buy some lottery tickets if I were you.

 

[Marshfly]

That’s fantastic!! I’d buy some lottery tickets if I were you.

Have you ever owned a modern Ram or are you just repeating "DODGE SUCKS" history?

 

[go4thegusto]

On my 4th F150 in a row. All with 3.5 EcoBoost. Never had one in the shop other that a clicking front hub they fixed in 10 minutes while getting an oil change. Also was considering a Tundra but why.....??

 

[homebru.trout]

I have Ford Ranger, engine good, however ten speed transmission had to be replaced at 84,000 miles. I run into others with same issues. Blend door for HVAC in dash is susceptible to failure as well. My blend door replacement was covered under extended warranty, however, it is a about $4000 to fix if out of warranty.

...and that's $4K if you can get someone to work on it. My wife drives a 22 Expedition Max and with 30K miles it's having transmission issues...most likely due to software. Dealership said we could expect 12-14 weeks before they can look at it. Apparently we're not the only ones...

I love Ford's technology stack but that transmission is giving them fits right now.

 

[180ls1]

What power do you need?

The base v6's are generally the most reliable across the board and have 300ish HP.

 

[FI460]

Approaching 40k on my 2022 Tundra. It's been great. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

I think they're all pretty good trucks these days. Just go buy the one that you like the most.

 

[ODB]

I get 17mpg max on the flat highway

Do you have a lift/large tires? I currently have 17.5 but that’s from boise to the mountains and back. I can get 20 grandpa-driving the freeway.

I like my 21, but flat-out the build quality of the interior is much lower than my 02 that my kid drives. These nylon material seats suck, the plastic is low-density, and carpet is thin etc. my fabric 02 seats looks damn near new still and clean much easier.

 

[Cheesy]

The last generation Tundra is boring, the interior outdated, and the mpg is poor. Everything else about it is exceptional, especially reliability!!! My Tundra has the 38 gallon tank, so my range is great despite poor mpg!! The reliability, and peace of mind put way the extra fuel costs for me.

I bought a 2020 Tundraw Crewmax in August of 2019. 82k miles on it now. Have done absolutely nothing to it other than gas and oil changes. "IF" I drive it like my grandpa drove, zero heavy acceleration and deceleration, 70mph interstate speeds and not speeding, I could hit 17 in it. Drive it like I like to drive which is heavier accleration and beat the speed limit by 10% and I'm around 15 in it. Load it up with hunting gear and hit 80 and we are down around 12 or 13...

Yeah, it was a 13 year old design at the time, and that is exactly why I bought it. Knobs on the dash to grab and turn up the fan and heat instead of a stupid touch screen or push buttons. I never was one to care about an 'interior being outdated', its just a truck. I despise all the tech features on new vehicles. I don't know what half the buttons do in my commuter car or my wifes car.

I really wish I could buy a new 2003 Z71 with the 5.3 like I bought new fresh out of college. 230k trouble free miles. Might have had a total of $500 in repairs to it in its lifetime.

Like all the others have said, all the modern failures are due to manufacturers trying to eeek out fractions of miles per gallon to meet govt mandates and tech features. Wife has an Infiniti QX80 right now and warning light is on for the washer fluid being low even though it isn't. The sensor is integrated into the reservoir and requires 3 elbows and a lot of cuss words and an inner fender liner removal to kind of access it. All because people are too dumb to realize when their washer fluid quits spraying out it is likely empty.

 

[Cheesy]

I like my 21, but flat-out the build quality of the interior is much lower than my 02 that my kid drives. These nylon material seats suck, the plastic is low-density, and carpet is thin etc. my fabric 02 seats looks damn near new still and clean much easier.

I added Katskinz leather to mine a week after I bough it in August of 2019. 80k miles and 4 1/2 years later and it still looks new and a damp rag will clean them up easily.

 

[Rusty Shackelford]

Ford is having problems with the 10 speed transmission right now. My f150 started having problems at 77k. Found a used 21 Tundra and sold my ford. I average 17 mpg by not driving like an asshole.

 

[AZ8]

I think all of the current trucks are about the same with respect to reliability. The issues are coming from government requirements for fuel economy and customer requests for modern technology. When you have to rapidly make changes for those two things you will see issues.

My suggestion...drive them all and pick the one you like best.

I have seen virtually zero issues with the 4 Rams I have owned since 2014. Two 3500s, a 1500, and now a Power Wagon. I keep buying them because they treat me well and I like the interiors.

Loving my 2500 Tradesman with the 6.4! Just a beast!