I will say that when my Ranger is 9-10 years old I'll look at the Ridgeline. It was a strong possibility when I got the Ranger but was 5-6k more with no incentives and I got a Lariat Ranger 2wd for 34k right before Covid hit strong.
Forums making it hard to buy a truck.
- Thread starter Nashcat
- Start date
Going off piste (slightly) ... why not look for something older with fewer electronic toys (to go wrong), and has a proven track record, then throw some of the cash budget at it to bring right up to original spec. As mentioned by others, Toyotas seem to run and run which is maybe why the UN run Landcruisers all over the world.
The service department is staffed with employees paid by the dealership. If we have problems with Honda service techs, why would anyone here think a Ford dealer employee would be any more trustworthy? I'd go with the trusted independent mechanic.
I was screwed by my Ford and GM dealers so I'm not a fan of either. Honda Ridgeline and Toyota both have enviable records for reliability. Isn't Ford an acronym?
Honda and Toyota have their issues... you can give me a make and model of ANY vehicle and I can find a forum where the members are having issues with them that make it sound like they were made of paper.
There are those that don't care for a specific brand due to their history or their perception.. Many hate Fords but I've had nothing but good experience from mine. I've had bad experience w/GM vehicles and I bought a new Jeep Wrangler once that had the water pump fail when I got it home - 10 miles later... LOL ... so, not a fan of Chrysler - aka FCA or GM.
I also reserve the right to change my mind.. heck, I NEVER thought you'd catch me on an BMW Motorcycle but I love this thing....
There are those that don't care for a specific brand due to their history or their perception.. Many hate Fords but I've had nothing but good experience from mine. I've had bad experience w/GM vehicles and I bought a new Jeep Wrangler once that had the water pump fail when I got it home - 10 miles later... LOL ... so, not a fan of Chrysler - aka FCA or GM.
I also reserve the right to change my mind.. heck, I NEVER thought you'd catch me on an BMW Motorcycle but I love this thing....
ChucksKLRST
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Life: You pay your money and take your chances..................................On Everything.
the Ferret
Daily rider since May 1965
Hondas and Toyotas have earned reputations for reliability. Does that mean you can buy one and never have an issue with it? No. It just means your CHANCES of having an issue with it are less than with some other brands.
My son, my family doctor (also a riding buddy) and a nephew all bought into the Ducati hype a few years ago and bought Monsters and Multistrada's. Their personal experiences with reliability will prevent me from ever buying a Ducati. A transmission lock up, electrical failures, oil leaks, brake issues. That doesn't mean someone else hasn't bought a Ducati and ridden it 100,000 miles without an issue. But I'm not taking a chance on that being my experience, which is why I keep buying Hondas and Yamahas. I'm happy with my decision.
The point being, IMO there are good Fords/Chevys/Dodges and there are bad Honda's, and Toyotas...but IMO your chances of getting a good vehicle are higher with a Honda or Toyota than with a Ford, Chevy or Dodge, and that's what I base my purchases on.
My son, my family doctor (also a riding buddy) and a nephew all bought into the Ducati hype a few years ago and bought Monsters and Multistrada's. Their personal experiences with reliability will prevent me from ever buying a Ducati. A transmission lock up, electrical failures, oil leaks, brake issues. That doesn't mean someone else hasn't bought a Ducati and ridden it 100,000 miles without an issue. But I'm not taking a chance on that being my experience, which is why I keep buying Hondas and Yamahas. I'm happy with my decision.
The point being, IMO there are good Fords/Chevys/Dodges and there are bad Honda's, and Toyotas...but IMO your chances of getting a good vehicle are higher with a Honda or Toyota than with a Ford, Chevy or Dodge, and that's what I base my purchases on.
BANNED!.....
ReSTored
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I always find it disappointing and surprising that many vehicles have well known issues re head gaskets, valves, transmissions, brakes etc... and yet that model is sold for years without any change or improvement to the component(s) in question to make them more reliable. Is this because the component is inherently flawed and unfixable, it would be too expensive to redesign, or the manufacturer just doesn't care and / or wants the service revenue post warranty?
We drove mostly Toyota for years, one Accord . Other than routine things like brakes and oil changes zero issues. Our 2013 Subaru Legacy 4 cylinder had an extended warranty added to it for piston ring / oil consumption problems as well as CVT failure............ While I never had an issue, I made a point of trading it in before the car was 8 years old, when the extended warranties would expire. Currently driving a 2020 Kia Telluride, zero issues so far and it continues to have a good rep for reliability.
If you are still experiencing sticker shock on new and used vehicle pricing hold off it you can for another 2 years and I think prices will be better then, mostly recovered from COVID production and supply chain real and fake issues.
We drove mostly Toyota for years, one Accord . Other than routine things like brakes and oil changes zero issues. Our 2013 Subaru Legacy 4 cylinder had an extended warranty added to it for piston ring / oil consumption problems as well as CVT failure............ While I never had an issue, I made a point of trading it in before the car was 8 years old, when the extended warranties would expire. Currently driving a 2020 Kia Telluride, zero issues so far and it continues to have a good rep for reliability.
If you are still experiencing sticker shock on new and used vehicle pricing hold off it you can for another 2 years and I think prices will be better then, mostly recovered from COVID production and supply chain real and fake issues.
Back in the 90's, GM had issues on some models with water leaks into the passenger compartment. We were told it was a problem that was really only an issue in Canadian Maritime provinces. As a result, the solution was to replace all the seals (doors/windows/sunroof etc) as well as the carpets and all sound deadening underlay in the vehicles that came in. The labor cost to do this far outweighed the parts cost, and we did this on many vehicles, sometimes more than once. As the issue was known, acknowledged, but localized, the fix was to placate the customer & do whatever was necessary to keep them happy (until they finally decided enough was enough!) - other than actually being able to fix the issue.
Stay away from the 2004-2008 Ford F150's with 5.4 Triton. Those years had those miserable sparkplugs that break off in the head almost every time you try to remove them, needing a special tool that (sometimes) got them out, or requiring a head removal to get them out. Pre-2004 Ford with the 5.4 are fine. Had a '97bI should have kept. So are the 2009 and up with the V8 until they came out with the V6 twin turbos. I know of three that had turbos go before 100K. Like $2500 to replace those. I'm like you, no turbos. Just bought a Toyota Camry for the wife, 2.5, no Turbo, no CVT (which is another thing I hope to never have to buy). Soon everything will . have turbos and CVT's. I'll put a new crate engine in my 2009 F150 (now has 165K) before I spend 70K+ on a new one. If I personally was buying a NEW truck, (which probably won't happen) I'd look at the the Ford F250 with a gas V8.
W0QNX
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Now is very near the time at least here in the USA. As I ride around I have noticed that ALL the new car dealership lots are overrun with new cars. I think Jeep and Ford are the worst off but all the lots are full. And I see this issue in the YT videos of late.
Also I tired to trade off my 2007 Suburban on something different but I had to laugh at what they offered me on trade in. Literally 1/3 of what I think it is worth. There is now a new and used car glut out and amongst us.
I did very well in Feb. of 2022 on my trade in of a 17 Civic for a 22 Civic EX and I checked last week to see if the new prices have moved up or down much on Civics. There is only a small change with price up just a few hundred on my spec car.
I have had a few Dodge trucks ,8 to be exact and a couple chevies . They have all been good vehicles but never really abused but worked . maintenance was always done on time and checked over regularly. I guess it is a crap shoot with any machine ,look how many SMC replacements done yet on VFR's not many replaced at all ,same system .
Sadlsor
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Makes me think of a certain Secondary Master Cylinder on certain Honda motorbikes.
I suppose that during the actual ST1300 production run, there weren't that many sitting around long enough to exhibit the problem. Likewise the CBR1100XX (a fine motorcycle!), which was only made from 1997 to 2004 in the USA. shorter than our 1300s.
Kevcules
Site Supporter
Yes , I believe it is.
Found On Road Dead............ Fix Or Repair Daily
I've never been a fan of Ford, Dodge/Chrysler, Hyundai or Kia. Especially now with VERY EXPENSIVE PARTS to replace "when" something goes wrong. Too many horror mechanic stories and general complaints. GM used to be a favorite. Easy to maintain and parts were cheap and plentiful. Not anymore....
I'm a big fan now of Toyota and Honda. All manufacturers have issues, but it seems that these two give me the best chance of success.
Buying vehicles is an expensive investment, I want to try and ease the pain of ownership.
Yeah, it comes down to numbers. Probabilities of you having problems and how much time it takes you to fix them. I've had '89 F150 for my auto-tuning shop and I swear, I spent more time fixing that thing than working on customer cars! Finally sold it off 5-yrs later with blown headgasket.
Just before that, I got '92 Toyota pickup (with legendary 22RE engine) from my mum's construction company to replace it. After couple years, all I had to do was put petrol and change oil, no problems! Firmly convinced me to get rid of F150. It heard me talking about that and blew headgasket!!!
Recently sold the Toyota pickup couple years ago after 20-yrs of service and 425k-miles. Sold for double what it cost me originally! And prices are still going up on those suckers!
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rwthomas1
Site Supporter
I'm responsible for a small fleet at work. We have pickups, utility/service body trucks, crane trucks, dumps, vactors, staff cars, heavy equipment, etc. The fleet is mostly Ford, and we use an independent shop for almost all the maintenance. All the maintenance approvals go through a corporate fleet management company and I have access to some of their data regarding what is reliable. Does that make the statements below anecdotal? Maybe.
If you buy new, and keep to about 80K, you will probably be fine. After that things start getting expensive. Ecoboost engines start needing cats, timing chains, and turbos around 80-100K. Every single F150 we have has needed cats. We have a '19 staff Escape that is blowing blue smoke at 77K, looks like a turbo. DOD/AFM stuff starts breaking at 100-130K. The more complex the engine, the more moving parts and sensors, the more potential they have to fail. 4 cams, 4 valves per cylinder, multiple variable timing mechanisms, multiple timing chains, multiple turbos, etc. They are also much harder to diagnose when things start going wrong. Fords annoy me in particular in that the entire cab has to come off the truck to do many jobs. That is absurd. Interior quality is down as well. The seats, etc. on everything after '16 has fallen apart much faster than the generation prior. Drivers seats worn out and torn after 70K when the 07-10 truck seats look better with twice the mileage. BCM (body control modules) these have been failing as of late. HVAC, windows, locks, horn, wipers, etc. all will either stop working or function randomly. Replace the BCM. Returnless fuel injection systems fail because the VFD that controls the pump is mounted under the bed (Ford and GM) and it corrodes away. All sorts of CEL's for that one. I can go on, and on....
Opinion: The pinnacle of reliability vs efficiency vs simplicity was trucks from 1990-2007, roughly. This was before BCM/canbus wiring, AFM/DOD, returnless fuel systems, etc. These years are also cheaper to repair. The issue is these are older vehicles and will require care, and it will take time to find a nice clean one.
The next step is '07-'16ish. These years have all the issues above but the build quality seemed decent. I can't explain it but the quality just seems to have taken a giant dump at that point. The '19's, '20's, '23's and even the '24 I have seem cheap, plasticky, and they are already showing wear I expect at 10+years. Its like almost every manufacturer decided to cut every corner they could.
Depends on use, how many miles you will be driving, etc. I'll be the first to admit that a new '24 with adaptive cruise, heated seats, climate control, nav, etc. etc. is a very nice place to commute from if you are spending a couple hours a day in a vehicle. Usually they are better on gas too, so if you are rolling miles, yes its very nice. However if the expected mileage is lower, and/or the use more infrequent, you do some of your own maintenance, budgetary concerns, etc. the older vehicle starts making more sense.
Me, I wouldn't be buying new anything, but I'm admittedly jaded from what I have to deal with everyday. And that all of my vehicles are older and dead reliable.....
If you buy new, and keep to about 80K, you will probably be fine. After that things start getting expensive. Ecoboost engines start needing cats, timing chains, and turbos around 80-100K. Every single F150 we have has needed cats. We have a '19 staff Escape that is blowing blue smoke at 77K, looks like a turbo. DOD/AFM stuff starts breaking at 100-130K. The more complex the engine, the more moving parts and sensors, the more potential they have to fail. 4 cams, 4 valves per cylinder, multiple variable timing mechanisms, multiple timing chains, multiple turbos, etc. They are also much harder to diagnose when things start going wrong. Fords annoy me in particular in that the entire cab has to come off the truck to do many jobs. That is absurd. Interior quality is down as well. The seats, etc. on everything after '16 has fallen apart much faster than the generation prior. Drivers seats worn out and torn after 70K when the 07-10 truck seats look better with twice the mileage. BCM (body control modules) these have been failing as of late. HVAC, windows, locks, horn, wipers, etc. all will either stop working or function randomly. Replace the BCM. Returnless fuel injection systems fail because the VFD that controls the pump is mounted under the bed (Ford and GM) and it corrodes away. All sorts of CEL's for that one. I can go on, and on....
Opinion: The pinnacle of reliability vs efficiency vs simplicity was trucks from 1990-2007, roughly. This was before BCM/canbus wiring, AFM/DOD, returnless fuel systems, etc. These years are also cheaper to repair. The issue is these are older vehicles and will require care, and it will take time to find a nice clean one.
The next step is '07-'16ish. These years have all the issues above but the build quality seemed decent. I can't explain it but the quality just seems to have taken a giant dump at that point. The '19's, '20's, '23's and even the '24 I have seem cheap, plasticky, and they are already showing wear I expect at 10+years. Its like almost every manufacturer decided to cut every corner they could.
Depends on use, how many miles you will be driving, etc. I'll be the first to admit that a new '24 with adaptive cruise, heated seats, climate control, nav, etc. etc. is a very nice place to commute from if you are spending a couple hours a day in a vehicle. Usually they are better on gas too, so if you are rolling miles, yes its very nice. However if the expected mileage is lower, and/or the use more infrequent, you do some of your own maintenance, budgetary concerns, etc. the older vehicle starts making more sense.
Me, I wouldn't be buying new anything, but I'm admittedly jaded from what I have to deal with everyday. And that all of my vehicles are older and dead reliable.....
ReSTored
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I had a few people at work that swore that a 3 year lease was the way to go. They drove about 24,000 km a year, did the basic maintenance things like changing oil / filters. Most never had to do brakes or tires. And they were driving a new model every 3 years. They had had the experience of purchasing new, keeping much longer and then getting bitten with high repair costs.
And I continue to be disappointed to read about the poor quality and the numerous repairs people seem to need to do to keep their pickup running. Poor design and / or poor build quality.
And I continue to be disappointed to read about the poor quality and the numerous repairs people seem to need to do to keep their pickup running. Poor design and / or poor build quality.
Poke around on Car Wizards utube channel. He is really good at explaining what engines to avoid and good used trucks. Ford 5.4 3 valve V-8s come to mind.
He likes this one.
He likes this one.
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