What new truck to buy for 20+ years

Without a doubt gadgets/systems/software cause most reliability problems but drivetrain reliability appears to be great across brands. New designs will produce occasional issues for all makers but are usually corrected quickly. Thankfully, the long power train warranties and recalls tend to cover those. As for real long term, so few keep anything that long anymore for it to matter. If they do, major repairs are still more economical than buying new. The only reason I am in the market is to upgrade to the newer systems available today. Better convenience and economy are my goals.
 
testerdahl said:
You guys are nailing it. The newer a vehicle with more gadgets, the less reliable. Older, less gadgets is more reliable.

The challenge with this statement is we aren’t talking about major items like engine and transmission. We are talking about infotainment screen issues.
Click to expand...
That's where it gets tricky. The big 3 have all had their issues with their engines in recent memory. GM lifters, Hemi Tick and other issues, ford coolant leaks, manifold warping and several other issues. At the same time, Toyota produced one of the worst powertrains I've ever experienced in a truck with the 3.5 in the 3rd gen Tacoma. They tried transmission flashing and still couldn't improve what felt like a mismatched engine and transmission. Just terrible. The 4.0 in the 2nd gen was rock solid and the issues with the 3.5 is why I believe it was never brought to the 4Runner. Is that a reliability issue or just sorry it's garbage, deal with it. I don't know but they, Toyota, seem to get a pass for it.
 
I have had my 2004 Silverado W/T 1500 4x4 for twenty years, it still runs and drives great, it has the 4.3 liter v6 with a 5 speed I bought it new with 4 miles, I factory ordered it that way, in hindsight the only thing I would have done differently is ordered the 5.3 liter auto.
 
When would you say trucks starting getting too "high-tech" and thereby less reliable? :unsure:
(The newer trucks probably won't rust out as fast as the trucks of old, that technology has gotten better.)

Is it just a matter of only buying new "base" model trucks? Or are those still getting too "high-tech" because of all the safety features required these days?
 
B.Davis said:
When would you say trucks starting getting too "high-tech" and thereby less reliable? :unsure:
(The newer trucks probably won't rust out as fast as the trucks of old, that technology has gotten better.)

Is it just a matter of only buying new "base" model trucks? Or are those still getting too "high-tech" because of all the safety features required these days?
Click to expand...
Even the base models have cameras, sensors, and infotainment screens.
 
testerdahl said:
So much fear about reliability and I think that’s fueled by the Information Age we are in where you can Google and find all sorts of information to back up your perceived notions.
Click to expand...
Good point. My newest cell phone is less reliable than my first one. But my new one can do so much more. Same with my laptop and Windows.
 
Dusdaddy said:
Good point. My newest cell phone is less reliable than my first one. But my new one can do so much more. Same with my laptop and Windows.
Click to expand...
I feel the opposite. My cell (S23 Ultra) is probably the best and most reliable phone I've ever owned. It use to be after a year things started going wrong and battery times dropped off a cliff. I've had this one for two years and it still lasts all day easy and no issues. My laptop is the same. I got a new Dell laptop from work last year and it's been rock solid. An occasional software issue (webex grumble) but no blue screens or random crashes. The battery also doesn't seem to be decaying nearly as fast as my previous handful. I've been using laptops for 20 years and the earlier ones were hot garbage. Not so much anymore.
 
Fightnfire said:
I feel the opposite. My cell (S23 Ultra) is probably the best and most reliable phone I've ever owned. It use to be after a year things started going wrong and battery times dropped off a cliff. I've had this one for two years and it still lasts all day easy and no issues. My laptop is the same. I got a new Dell laptop from work last year and it's been rock solid. An occasional software issue (webex grumble) but no blue screens or random crashes. The battery also doesn't seem to be decaying nearly as fast as my previous handful. I've been using laptops for 20 years and the earlier ones were hot garbage. Not so much anymore.
Click to expand...
Sure, some do but most don't. The point is that there is more opportunity for things to go wrong. And that's what many complain about with newer vehicles. Consider that PHEV vehicles generally have the worst reliability because they have all that EVs have, as well as all that ICE vehicles have. But I dismiss most of those concerns like I dismissed power-windows when they became common.
 
Fightnfire said:
What everyone has to keep in mind is when purchasing a new truck for upwards of 60k, and many over 70 or 80, is that one of the first things a new owner is going to do if/when something goes wrong is run to the internet and forums to see who else is having the issue and to complain. If you are not an active member of a forum, buy a new truck and 6 months later everything is going great the chances of that person running to a forum to tell everyone how great it is ...well it's miniscule.

I'm a member of Tacomaworld and a couple of GMC groups. There are problems up and down the forums on both sites, yes, even Toyota.

There is not an absolute leader in reliability in pickups. It's my opinion that Toyota was WAY behind with tech and options in the Tacoma and the Tundra and that is part of the reason why it is considered so reliable. They finally caught up with the redesign of the Tundra and the new Tacoma coming soon ...The Tundra already has some known issues, I would bet the all new Tacoma will be the same. With Ford, GM and Ram to a lesser extent redesigning every few years you have to expect some issues. Toyota made the exact same Tacoma for 18 years with a single drivetrain swap and the Tundra for 14. They better be damn good at putting those trucks together.
Click to expand...
You make a solid point People are more likely to voice complaints than praise, especially when something goes wrong, which can make it seem like certain brands or models have more issues than they actually do. Toyota’s reliability is definitely a big draw, but yeah, the tech and options were behind for a while. Now that they’re catching up, it’s inevitable that some issues will pop up. It’s the nature of redesigning vehicles so frequently every brand has its quirks.
 
I’m interested in how manufacturer’s react to problems as much as the problems themselves. The growing pains with the new Tundra don’t sound very confidence inspiring, but their quick decisive response to them does. Actual question: do GM, Ford, Ram do the right thing by their customers, or is the response as bad as the problem? Probably too broad of a brush to paint an answer with, but as a consumer on the cusp of parting with a lot of money ( and a wife who probably would suffer a new truck at the end of warranty coverage), it’s something I watch for.
 
C46 said:
I’m interested in how manufacturer’s react to problems as much as the problems themselves. The growing pains with the new Tundra don’t sound very confidence inspiring, but their quick decisive response to them does. Actual question: do GM, Ford, Ram do the right thing by their customers, or is the response as bad as the problem? Probably too broad of a brush to paint an answer with, but as a consumer on the cusp of parting with a lot of money ( and a wife who probably would suffer a new truck at the end of warranty coverage), it’s something I watch for.
Click to expand...

It is true how they respond does matter. But it also seems they only respond in that way when the NHTSA forces them to. There are other long-term issues with some designs but since they are not "safety" related, they don't step up and fix them. Issues with Ram and GM valve trains and Ford transmissions come to mind.
 
On a fun similar note, today is day 52 waiting for a part on a +$90K vehicle with only 2,400 miles and about 7 months from purchase. Not a terrible oil leak, but enough that I'm not driving it. Reached out the a fellow Nebraska executive at the manufacturer and he said 50 of those parts are coming in next week of the 33 on back-order. He's making sure one goes to my dealership.
 
Dusdaddy said:
It is true how they respond does matter. But it also seems they only respond in that way when the NHTSA forces them to. There are other long-term issues with some designs but since they are not "safety" related, they don't step up and fix them. Issues with Ram and GM valve trains and Ford transmissions come to mind.
Click to expand...
I thought about making a video on the least reliable truck engines since people love negative titles for some reason. It dawned on me, I could literally find a problem with EVERY single truck engine on the market. I didn't think a video like that would be very helpful. Plus, it is way too click bait for me.
 
testerdahl said:
I thought about making a video on the least reliable truck engines since people love negative titles for some reason. It dawned on me, I could literally find a problem with EVERY single truck engine on the market. I didn't think a video like that would be very helpful. Plus, it is way too click bait for me.
Click to expand...

Agreed. They all seem to have something, but maybe the one you have will not be affected at all. Or the one you buy could be the only one that blows up for something unrelated. There are lots of long-term issues out there, but how common are they really? That's why right now, I don't think I'd hesitate to buy any of them. The Tundra? Sure, why not? The new Ram engine? Sign me up, I ain't scared. My next truck will be the one I like the most for my needs, features I want, and price I want to pay.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top