2011 Silverado/Sierra

[JESSE1]

The 6.4 came out in June '07 in the new '08 models. It was used in the '08, 9 and '10 year models so actually it was around for 3 1/2 years. It's a very powerful, smooth engine, don't know any reason to avoid owning one. If Ford and International were still partners I'm sure it would still be used.

 

[Diamondpilot]

What kind of truck are you looking for exactly? I priced a bunch last year. 1-Ton 4x4 diesels. I ended up buying a used 6.0 Ford Diesel. So far the 6.0 has been fair but I either have an injection problem or worse. I need to have it looked at but I'm too scared to see the repair bill. Right now it runs ok, just real rough at start-up and until it gets warm, then no problem. I'm gonna do a EGR/Cooler delete sometime in the near future.

I priced the Duramax 1-Ton 4x4 (I need single cab for my truck, which is very hard to find used) at about $40K, +/-2K, depending on options etc. Dodge was slightly cheaper, maybe in the $36K range. Ford was about even with Chevy, but no way I would get the 6.4 when they only put the engine in the truck for 2 years. IMO, the 6.4 engine should be avoided like the plague. I know they are somewhat similar to the 6.0 but only having 2 model years makes it an odd duck and I predict that resale value is way lower than a comprable 6.0 or the newer 6.7.

I would pick the duramax simply because it's the most proven engine right now....

What oil are you running? If Rotella change. I have 2 6.0's and have heard of the same issues along with high fuel consumption running Rotella. This engine has hydraulic injectors that are opened by oil pressure. The story I got is Rotella foams causing issues. I run Dello 400 or Mobil Delvac with no issue on 2 trucks and 160,000 miles.

Chris

 

[Diamondpilot]

The 6.4 came out in June '07 in the new '08 models. It was used in the '08, 9 and '10 year models so actually it was around for 3 1/2 years. It's a very powerful, smooth engine, don't know any reason to avoid owning one. If Ford and International were still partners I'm sure it would still be used.

I am with you. ONLY complaints I have heard on the 6.4 is high fuel consumption. 14mpg at best. I know well over 6 guys with them and they all love them for the comfort, power, and amenities. I have read that if you delete the DPF you can get 20mpg. Also, the tech I know at Quadzilla said they make crazy power for not much money.

Chris

 

[brain55]

What kind of truck are you looking for exactly? I priced a bunch last year. 1-Ton 4x4 diesels.

I would pick the duramax simply because it's the most proven engine right now....

I need a truck capable of towing 16K+ lbs. daily. I have a 28 ft. gooseneck trailer with a complete mobile shop inside for repairing CUT's, construction, and other equipment. I will easily put 20K miles a year on it primarily towing. It must be at least a 1-ton dually with 4wd and diesel engine. I agree with your statement about the Duramax being the most proven right now, along with the Allison. If I buy the GM product it will be a new one, it doesn't make much sense to not buy all of the improvements they made for 2011 model year. The only reason I am looking at the 2008 F450 was that it was local, in stock, I like the bigger chassis, and it was similar in price to a 2011 single cab K3500 Silverado/Sierra.

Brian

 

[Dargo]

I agree with your statement about the Duramax being the most proven right now...

I would strongly disagree with that statement. I feel, without any doubt, the Cummins engine is by a large margin the most proven engine in pickup trucks.

 

[schoolsout]

Well, I'm going to bite the bullet in the next week or so and buy a new truck. I have been fighting my 2001 GMC Sierra K3500 with the 8.1L and Allison for the last 2 years. It was a great truck and was nearly flawless for the first 165K miles.

I decided to have the engine and transmission gone through even though they hadn't shown signs of failure because I was going to start towing heavily everyday again and wanted to avoid buying a new truck for a few years.

I had both done at reputable shops, that I had done plenty of business with over the years. Unfortunately, my plan backfired. The engine almost immediately doubled its oil consumption and eventually had to come out and be rebuilt again. I think the transmission has been out 6 times now in the last 45K miles. I think it actually went 25-30K one stint but is acting up again right now. My workhorse has become unreliable and is costing me business. It is hard to go out and sell work when I am not sure if I will be able to make it to the job.

I avoided buying the Duramax the last time because it was the first year and I wasn't sure how they would hold up. Now that they have proven themselves I wouldn't have anything else. I'm pretty gun shy about looking at a Ford after their 6.0 fiasco. I have never been a Dodge/Cummins fan and I still don't think they have a transmission that will hold up. When I bought my GMC the transmission was the deciding factor. I was confident that the Allison would hold up to daily towing and I was right (at least until I "fixed" it).

The salesman is thinking I will need to order a truck. I am hoping to find one with most of the options I would like, mostly because I need a truck sooner than later. It has to be a dually with the Duramax/Allison, 4wd and cloth interior. The rest is negotiable. There is about a $10K price swing between what I have to have, and what I would like to have. I would prefer power windows and door locks, bluetooth and navigation would be nice. The factory navigation requires an extended cab which sucks, I only need a regular cab. Power seats would be a plus also.

He is telling me that I can order one with the 4.10:1 gears, but everything I have seen shows only the 3.73:1 ratio being available with the diesel. If I can actually order one with the 4.10's that might be nice with all of the towing I do.

Brian

Is Dodge using an Aisin transmission? I thought I read somewhere that they were.

If that is the case, they make good transmissions. Used in Isuzu/Mitsubishi Commercial trucks. I sell Isuzu and very, very rarely is there a transmission issue.

 

[schoolsout]

I am with you. ONLY complaints I have heard on the 6.4 is high fuel consumption. 14mpg at best. I know well over 6 guys with them and they all love them for the comfort, power, and amenities. I have read that if you delete the DPF you can get 20mpg. Also, the tech I know at Quadzilla said they make crazy power for not much money.

Chris

I've traded out many customers with the 6.4L that have had nothing but probs...

 

[schoolsout]

The 6.4 came out in June '07 in the new '08 models. It was used in the '08, 9 and '10 year models so actually it was around for 3 1/2 years. It's a very powerful, smooth engine, don't know any reason to avoid owning one. If Ford and International were still partners I'm sure it would still be used.

Hmmmm.....warranty disputes on 6.0 and 6.4 engines was part of the reason for break-up.

 

[brain55]

I would strongly disagree with that statement. I feel, without any doubt, the Cummins engine is by a large margin the most proven engine in pickup trucks.

Let me restate that. I think the Duramax/Allison is the most proven engine/transmission combo right now.

Brian

 

[Bigkrank]

A shop around has replaced several 6.4 engines in Ford trucks w/ Cummins, looks factory.

That being said, Duramax/Allison seems to be the hot ticket around here, sure like my 2007.5 as far as powertrain.

 

[Dargo]

Let me restate that. I think the Duramax/Allison is the most proven engine/transmission combo right now.

Brian

Rock on. I'm cool with that line of thought. However, I will say that I'm extremely happy with my '06 F350 powertrain which includes the 6.0 PSD and Torqshift automatic. I've pulled HUGE loads with it for the last 3 years and also have taken it to the track and either run with or outran the new Camaros and Mustangs at the track. No matter the brand, isn't a good truck when it's reliable, powerful and the owner is pleased with it? Really, that's all that matters. I'm honestly sorry to hear about the owner of any brand having breakdowns and problems. We all work too hard for our money for that stuff. I couldn't ask for anymore out of my truck and I don't see any signs of it not making it another 7 years for me; I keep my trucks about 10 years. Good luck with whatever you buy.

 

[Peacock]

I have worked at a Dodge dealer nearly the last 7yrs. We have seen very little trouble out any of the diesel transmissions since '03. The 48 and 68 transmissions are very solid. I spent 4 yrs as a Ford auto tech and specialized in auto transmissions. I'd take the 48 or 68 Dodge trans over 4R100 or 5R100W anyday.

 

[TheGoose]

The 6.4 came out in June '07 in the new '08 models. It was used in the '08, 9 and '10 year models so actually it was around for 3 1/2 years. It's a very powerful, smooth engine, don't know any reason to avoid owning one. If Ford and International were still partners I'm sure it would still be used.

My dad is fixing to get rid of his '08 6.4L, which has already had a cab-off repair. In his words, "It's just a big of POS as the 6.0. He personally runs an '03 D-Max with 245K on the clock. He just spent $4K on injector repairs. Overall, the truck has proved to be very reliable and capable. He's on his same transmission, and he regularly tows equipment and trailers that weigh 10,000 lbs.

What oil are you running? If Rotella change. I have 2 6.0's and have heard of the same issues along with high fuel consumption running Rotella. This engine has hydraulic injectors that are opened by oil pressure. The story I got is Rotella foams causing issues. I run Dello 400 or Mobil Delvac with no issue on 2 trucks and 160,000 miles.

Chris

Seems we are on a different page. The rotella is supposed to be the cat's meow. I have heard so many conflicting stores on oil for PSD's that I don't think anyone knows the truth. I think I'm running T5. I heard that there is an additive (Rev-X) that is supposed to solve the injector issues. Of course it's $80 a pop. Sounds more like snake oil....

I am with you. ONLY complaints I have heard on the 6.4 is high fuel consumption. 14mpg at best. I know well over 6 guys with them and they all love them for the comfort, power, and amenities. I have read that if you delete the DPF you can get 20mpg. Also, the tech I know at Quadzilla said they make crazy power for not much money.

Chris

I just know my dad says his 6.4 is as big of a POS as his '03 6.0. He personally owns another 4 d-max.

 

[TheGoose]

The problem is that it's never actually the engine. It's always the transmission, or the emissions equipment, or the support systems. I'll bet very few people have had a failure with the ENGINE. Heck, even for all the problems with the 6.0, most of them are related to emissions systems failure.

Dodge is the one I am least familiar with. I actually like their new design. I heard they had tons of problems on their first truck with DPF, but so did everybody else.

I would strongly disagree with that statement. I feel, without any doubt, the Cummins engine is by a large margin the most proven engine in pickup trucks.

 

[TheGoose]

I was recently in the same boat. I use a hoist for water well repair that is connected to the body of the truck that has a lift capacity of 12,000 lbs and a height of 38 ' when fully extended. The truck, with hoist, tool bed, and no tools or extra parts weighs a little less than 14,000 lbs. I priced the D-max 4x4 3500 single cab with the minor options. I was getting prices from $38-$42K for the base truck (with a bed). Since I didn't need the bed (cab + chassis) I think I could get one for about $38K plus taxes etc. So right at $40K. Dodge came in a little cheaper at about $36K. These are plain jane trucks but with A/C, no leather, no fancy stereo or navigation. A few had power windows/locks. Of course the dealers know exactly what options to lump in with the more expensive ones to get that extra $$$ out of you...

I would not own a diesel truck with a DPF unless it had DEF. The non-DEF mileage is terrible. The DEF increases the fuel mileage and eases the load on regenerating the DPF. I hope I didn't confuse you with these terms. DEF = diesel exhaust fluid, DPF = Diesel particulate filter.

Right now I just don't trust the Ford. They just completed their 1st year with the 6.7, and I think most reasonable people would agree that the 6.0 and to an extent, 6.4 was a failure.

Opinions on the Dodge vary from "worst truck ever " to "best truck ever". There seems to be no middle ground. I do have a cowboy buddy who has one with the 6.7 who drives it like it was stolen and so far it has been proved to be good. Of course, he doesn't sweat the small stuff like me.

I need a truck capable of towing 16K+ lbs. daily. I have a 28 ft. gooseneck trailer with a complete mobile shop inside for repairing CUT's, construction, and other equipment. I will easily put 20K miles a year on it primarily towing. It must be at least a 1-ton dually with 4wd and diesel engine. I agree with your statement about the Duramax being the most proven right now, along with the Allison. If I buy the GM product it will be a new one, it doesn't make much sense to not buy all of the improvements they made for 2011 model year. The only reason I am looking at the 2008 F450 was that it was local, in stock, I like the bigger chassis, and it was similar in price to a 2011 single cab K3500 Silverado/Sierra.

Brian

 

[Lt CHEG]

Is Dodge using an Aisin transmission? I thought I read somewhere that they were.

If that is the case, they make good transmissions. Used in Isuzu/Mitsubishi Commercial trucks. I sell Isuzu and very, very rarely is there a transmission issue.

I believe that the Aisin transmission is only used in the cab and chassis 4500 and 5500 series Rams. I agree that I've heard lots of good things about the Aisin transmission and frankly if Dodge would put it in their 3/4 ton and 1 ton SRW trucks, I'd strongly consider a Ram, although the 6.7 liter Cummins Turbo Diesel is NOT the 5.9 by a long shot. However, I still think if for no other reason than robust design AND ease of maintenance I'd prefer even the 6.7 Cummins over all the rest once they add urea injection.

 

[HHR]

I believe that the Aisin transmission is only used in the cab and chassis 4500 and 5500 series Rams. I agree that I've heard lots of good things about the Aisin transmission and frankly if Dodge would put it in their 3/4 ton and 1 ton SRW trucks, I'd strongly consider a Ram, although the 6.7 liter Cummins Turbo Diesel is NOT the 5.9 by a long shot. However, I still think if for no other reason than robust design AND ease of maintenance I'd prefer even the 6.7 Cummins over all the rest once they add urea injection.

The Aisin transmission is offered in all Cummins powered 2500-5500 models.
The 2011 4500 and 5500 currently have a urea injection system.

 

[brain55]

I stopped and looked at the F450 again tonight. I offered them $37,000 with a 3 year/36K mile bumper to bumper extended warranty. They took the offer. I left them a $1000 deposit to hold it while I sleep on it. They showed me the Oasis report and it hasn't had any warranty work done to it. I'm not sure if that is good or bad. They didn't seem interested in doing the update on the EGR cooler under warranty before it actually failed. I'm still torn, I'm not sure what to do. I think the price is fair. I'm still concerned about buying a used truck.

Brian

 

[JESSE1]

I haven't had any warranty work done on my F-450 in the 3 1/2 years I've had it except for two computer flashes. Ford just released a new flash that increases the sensitivity of the engine sensors and reduces engine power to prevent a catastrophic engine failure. I don't have the letter in front of me but it covers a variety of potential problems, including high oil level and high engine temps. I just had it done last week, truck runs great. Check with the service department to make sure the truck has had this done before you take it off the lot. You're gonna love the truck.

 

[General Lee]

I stopped and looked at the F450 again tonight. I offered them $37,000 with a 3 year/36K mile bumper to bumper extended warranty. They took the offer. I left them a $1000 deposit to hold it while I sleep on it. They showed me the Oasis report and it hasn't had any warranty work done to it. I'm not sure if that is good or bad. They didn't seem interested in doing the update on the EGR cooler under warranty before it actually failed. I'm still torn, I'm not sure what to do. I think the price is fair. I'm still concerned about buying a used truck.

Brian

You be alright :thumbsup: Your getting an extended warranty that will give you some piece of mind. If your happy with the price go for it. Ford isn't the top selling truck brand for nothing, they are good trucks. Get it and put that baby to work! That is what she was built for.