2004 Ford F350 6.0 liter diesel and 5.4 liter gas

Summary:

Great trucks, just avoid the 6.0 diesels

Faults:

Diesel - Turbo issues, transmission failure.

Gas - No problems with power trains.

Ball joints have a short life.

Seat covers don't hold up well in working conditions.

Windshields crack easily.

Tailgate handles break easily.

General Comments:

As a business owner, I have owned fourteen F-350 super duty crew cabs. Four of them were 6.0 liter diesels, and the rest had 5.4 liter gasoline engines. All but two of them were purchased new. All of them were worked hard, and were maintained by a fleet mechanic.

Surprisingly, the gas engined trucks held up better than the diesels. Most of them giving over 200,000 miles of good service (pulling large trailers and hauling materials). There were a few minor issues, but nothing that kept them from getting the job done. Would recommend them to anyone.

The diesels were a huge disappointment. I would have expected greater reliability from the diesel engines, but no such luck. Two of the four had complete failures of the turbo system, and the other two had to have some (shady) bypassing of some of the EGR systems in order to prevent reoccurring power loss. The transmissions failed in three of the four diesels with less than 100,000 miles on the clock. My father also owned a 6.0 that blew up, and (sadly) will never own a Ford again. Again, the 5.4 liters were excellent trucks.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th February, 2012

2004 Ford F350 XLT 6.0 turbo diesel

Summary:

Nice looking and powerful

Faults:

1st to go were the bushings about every 35,000 miles. Have had to have them replaced.

2nd were the front hubs. They have now been replaced 3 times. The last time, Ford agreed to replace them and install them at no charge.

3rd, the E.G.R. valve failed at 20,000 miles, then again at 60,000 miles, and again at 118,000 miles, which in turn caused the E.G.R. cooler, the oil cooler, and the head gaskets to fail... final cost for this time 4600.00.

5th, the driver's side upper and lower ball joints; possibly just normal wear, but still another cost.

After all this, I still like the truck. It has a custom interior and custom paint. Pulls my 5th wheel camper and my 19ft boat together with lots of power. Hope my troubles are approaching the end.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st December, 2011

2004 Ford F350 Super Duty diesel

Summary:

Terrible

Faults:

I will never buy a Ford again due to their poor service and bad business ethics.

Many, many issues. Recall issues regarding exhaust system clamps. Most recently $2900 to replace the EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) system that was clearly covered under the manufacturer's warranty. They said that since the oil cooler was bad as well, it may have caused the problem and therefore voids the warranty. I will never buy another Ford vehicle again simply because of the business ethics they use.

Many other issues have plagued this last vehicle. I have purchased 5 new vehicles from the same dealer before this occurred.

General Comments:

The truck is great when it is running. The high cost of service is killing me, since the dealer has not respected the warranty.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 14th July, 2011

15th Jul 2011, 09:22

Should the oil stuff be covered under warranty? I've read in a few places that Ford denying what is covered under their warranties.

15th Jul 2011, 17:20

You didn't mention what engine you have. But the 6.0L diesels have many design issues related to the EGR valve and EGR cooler. This includes the failure of the oil cooler and turbo, due primarily to coking. FORD has ignored these issues, and apparently are still in litigation with IH, who was the source of the engine. I'm a FORD fan, and I also am very disappointed in how FORD has handled the issues with this engine.

26th Mar 2012, 07:05

The oil cooler is one of the design flaws that both IH and Ford have been avoiding with this engine. It is not up to the task, and contributes to many of the other problems associated with this engine, such as EGR issues and head gasket failures.

5th Feb 2013, 08:20

Sad to say Dodge will not stand behind their warranty as stated in the sale contract