When to bite the bullet and buy a new truck?

[KBforester]

I've got a 2000 Tacoma and I'm looking at a $1,400 repair bill for exhaust, suspension, and power steering. Another month of driving will put me at 200k miles.   

I'm a forester, an average day will have me doing about 30 miles of logging road driving and about 100 miles of blacktop driving. One day a week I have to travel an extra long distance, about 400 miles. Quite a bit. I estimate this coming year I'll be putting on about 50k miles.

Should I repair? Buy new? Buy Used? I know this is subjective, but I can't decide. I don't really like driving. I don't really get pleasure out of owning a car/truck if that makes a difference. Its a necessary evil. I just hate the thought of putting $1,400 into something that's going to cost me that much more in 6 months. I also hate the thought of buying a $25,000 truck that depreciates in value so rapidly. I've heard it rarely makes sense when to buy a new car. I just don't know. Any thoughts?

I've also thought about buying a car, and leaving the truck in the woods. Sound crazy?

[Holmes]

Is your Tacoma one of the trucks that the frame is rusting away.  If it is you got your moneys worth out of it.  I have a 1 ton van I drive and my goal is to get it to 200,000 miles and then get rid of it. 25,000 miles to go.

[KBforester]

Its in the Year range. But it isn't rusted. Its originally from Alaska. I'm guessing they don't use road salt. Every mechanic I've brought it to says "Well this obviously isn't a Maine truck" . Although I have put 100K miles of it in Maine. Anyways... no Toyota won't give me 1.5 the blue book, they tested it.

[snowstorm]

if you buy a new truck you will only be unhappy for 5min. per month....when you write the check for the payment

[fuzzybear]

I leave the truck in the bush and drive back and forth with the car. A LOT more economical than driving the truck. If I happen to need the truck it can come home and leave the car there.  I have a strong box to keep tools in that I don't need to carry back and forth.  Everything else goes in the trunk every day.
FB

[Autocar]

Iam not to far from thinking about replacing my 2001 F-350 the 7.3 is still going strong with 250,000 miles but the bed is about rusted away and the cab is starting also. I can't afford what there asking for the new ones, I wish International would start building some kind of pick-up again.

[tyb525]

I'd never buy a brand new vehicle. Great used trucks sell for half the new price all the time.

[KBforester]

I'd never buy a brand new vehicle. Great used trucks sell for half the new price all the time.

Yeah, I see that with American full sized trucks... not so much with the Tacomas. I mean, its great if your truck holds value, but it makes it hard to break down and buy used.

[sprucebunny]

I'd fix it a couple of times. My 4runner with the same engine made 265k. It still runs but it's rusty.
Meanwhile, I'd look for good deal on another 5-10 year old Tacoma.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

With the price of gas THIS COMING JUNE, I'd buy a horse and a buck board.  :D

[caveman]

After recently facing a similar situation, except the repair was much more expensive, I decided to have my 2000 F350 repaired.  The truck is in good shape and the price of a newer one was out of sight.  I could have purchased a used truck for less than it cost to fix mine but many of used ones looked like they were used as hammers or had a kabillion miles on them.  I'll know in 10 years or so if I made a wise choice.
Caveman

[KBforester]

With the price of gas THIS COMING JUNE, I'd buy a horse and a buck board.  :D

exactly. I was thinking about a full size... but not any more. I wish there were more options for small pickups. Including a small diesel option.

[bill m]

I spent most of last year looking for a good used Tacoma at a reasonable price and could not find one. They hold their value really well so I bought a new one. This is my 4th one.

[Woodchuck53]

Evening Caveman. What repairs have you to do on the F-350? What engine do you have? I have one

   also now and need some more info on them. It has the dreaded 6.0 Turbocharged. Thanks Chuck

[celliott]

With the price of gas THIS COMING JUNE, I'd buy a horse and a buck board.  :D

exactly. I was thinking about a full size... but not any more. I wish there were more options for small pickups. Including a small diesel option.

Ford did have plans for a 4.4L  turbodiesel V8 for the F150- supposedly 30% better fuel economy than gas V8, but they scrapped that idea in favor of their new ECOboost engines.  I like the small diesel pickup idea. This guy swapped tractor engines into 1\2 ton trucks.  40MPG with a F150? Worth the extra diesel cost!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yERnZ7jAjg

[sandhills]

I'm at that exact croosroad as of today, the tranny went in my 01 chevy that has 200k plus miles.  I know the pickup and engine, so I think I'm repairing it, I told my wife even if I spent $10,000 (which is actually more than I could right now) on a different pickup I'd still be buying something with over 100k miles on it and the one i have is worthless without a working transmission.  I bought mine out right for $1500 a year ago, knowing the tranny wasn't right so even if I spend another $2000 on it, it's not going to owe me much and at least have a little resale value when it works......until the engine goes a week later  :.

[Al_Smith]

Well I've got a '77 F-250 with a 300 six and 256 thou .It's retired to the woods but I still use it occasionally . It's still road worthy .

Danged thing runs on 5 sometimes ,sometimes runs on all 6 .Engine is a tad bit tired .Well it doesn't owe me anything .I gave 900 for it in '94. Geeze as heavy as it is it would scrape out at over 600.

[Larry]

When I was working my employer paid me good money.  They also expected me to be available for call out 24 seven in any kind of weather (usually bad).  Too meet there expectations I bought a new truck every 5 - 7 years.  Any signs of a reliability problem and it was history.  Wife also worked for an employer with the same requirements, so she had a new car regularly.

Shortly before I retired I bought a new 1997 F350.  I like to think of it as my forever truck.  Put a new clutch in it last summer and replaced the fuel lines.  I don't mind spending money on repairs as I really like the truck.  If it goes in the shop for a week so be it...I don't go anyplace.  I also like the low tax and haven't carried comprehensive insurance on it for years.  Looking forward to the day when I can get an antique license plate...even less money.

Just pick your tolerance level and do something between those extremes.

[mooleycow]

like larry says pick your tolerance level.  got 96 dodge diesel, running great.  mazada 4x4 got too costly to repair.  found dodge 4x4 v8.  loves gas.  runs like scalded dog.  pulls good.  purchased from dealer for 20,400.  hate payments.  was 3 years old and 30,000 miles on it.  like buying at 50% off, just 3yrs old and 30,ooo.  knock on wood, no repairs yet.  came with new set 20 inch tires too.  now we are back to 4 wheeling on the beach and fishing, hunting the swamps too.

[caveman]

Woodchuck53, My 2000 F350 has the "bullet proof" 7.3 liter (444ci) turbo diesel.  It had 137,500 miles on it in October when it began smoking white, burning a lot of fuel and generally running poorly.  I took it to the local guy who several folks recomended.  He replaced the wiring harnesses and two injectors.  It ran well for 10 miles and started doing the same as before.  I took it back.  His Snap On diagnostic tool said there was nothing wrong.  He finally took the oil fill cap off while it was running and there was so much blow by that it blew the cap out of his hand.  I eventually purchased a remanufactured engine from Ford.

My truck has not been abused too bad.  The oil, Shell Rotella, was changed at 3500 mile intravals and I do not pull stupid heavy loads and always allow the engine to cool down prior to shutting it off.  Some folks just have the luck.

The advice I have heard about improving the 6 liter Ford diesels involves installing an EGR delete kit and replacing the head studs.  When they are running properly, they are impressive engines. Caveman

[Piston]

Just think, if you put $1,400 into your truck and get it running good again, and it lasts more than 4 or 5 months, your still ahead of the game.  You would spend $1,400 in just a few months with a payment on a new truck.

My little Ford Escape has 240k on it and is still going strong.  It's had an exhaust tick for about 100k now but hasn't gotten any worse.  If I had to put $1,400 into it to keep it running I probably still would.  However, I only drive very rarely so our situations are a lot different.

[Brucer]

I used to own a 1980 GMC full-size half ton diesel. Bought it when it was 3 years old. When the engine started giving me trouble I had it rebuilt. When the body rusted out I had all the sheet metal replaced. When the transmission let me down I had it rebuilt. I was still ahead of the game because I spent less for all that than a new truck would cost.

I had to replace the starter a couple of times, the alternator once. I had to add an extra oil cooler to haul my mill.

It finally died on me in 2008, 28 years old, and I could no longer get parts for the diesel. In spite of all the repairs, I still spent a lot less than if I'd bought new every 10 years. Now I have a much improved "modern" truck -- so improved that I can't reach over the side to grab anything in the box, and I can no longer scramble up into the box with the tailgate open >:(.

[Busy Beaver Lumber]

This is my 1988 chevy one ton with 85,000 original miles and not a spot of rust. I have all of about $5000 into this truck. Very reliable and will pull just about any load since it has a 454 motor. Can be a bit hard on fuel since is only gets 10 miles per gallon, but I only use it about once a week, so no big deal.

For what I have into this truck, you could not even make a down payment on the cost of a new truck. I am with Ty and the others that say that you should go and buy a decent used truck and let some other poor fellow each the heavy depreciation costs that come in the first few years of ownership. For the past 10 years, I have been buying low mile, used cars for me and my family members and have been very happy with these purchases and saved a ton of dead presidents.



  

  

 

[Black_Bear]

I am with Ty and the others that say that you should go and buy a decent used truck and let some other poor fellow each the heavy depreciation costs that come in the first few years of ownership. For the past 10 years, I have been buying low mile, used cars for me and my family members and have been very happy with these purchases and saved a ton of dead presidents.

What's good for Indiana may not be good for Maine. The extensive salt use in winter leads to premature rusting throughout the truck. A 3 year old Maine truck frame will look different than a 3 year old Indiana truck. But, its hard to disagree with the logic of buying used, considering the big hit you take driving a new truck off the lot. I've bought used all my life.

KB, if you are shopping call Don Scott at Downeast Toyota in Brewer. I bought my 2003 Tundra from him in 2006 when I left Orono and he was great to deal with. I bought it with 41K miles and it now has 240K miles and runs daily. The truck is bulletproof. He also inquired about hiring a forester in the near future and I gave him your name. I work in western Maine and couldn't help him, and you were the first forester that came to mind, mainly because of this board. Even if you're not shopping you may want to call him about the work he wants done. E-mail me if you want more info. 

[snowstorm]

a good reason to buy new... depreciation if your self employed and you make any money at all you almost have to buy something or you end up paying more in taxes