CD Article: 2008 Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4x4 diesel

[CD_Editor]

Test Drive:


Over 80 per cent of Super Duty buyers (F250 and up) order the turbo diesel option because of its superior towing ability, reports contributor Howard J. Elmer.  The Super Duty's new 6.4-litre turbo diesel is also quieter, he says.
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[HeliDriver]

Good review.  Got a chuckle out of the 4WD comments, too.

I was surpsrised at the as-tested price: only 53 grand for what appears to be a loaded, diesel crew cab? Sounds like a hell of a deal to me. Last time I looked, a roughly equivalent GM was 60-65 large.

[articsteve]

This motor (6.4) could very easily sink Ford.  Extremely technical which has led to high rate of engine failures, poor fuel mileage and any significant engine repair requires the cab to be removed from the frame  .  I kid you not.  Pointless to own out of warranty.  The builder, Navistar, and Ford are locked in a major lawsuit. 



http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/f35/ford-techs-6-4-big-problems-210683/

http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/f35/mpg-anyone-have-problems-like-me-211752/

http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?t=188438

[Fuel]

Howard - Could you tell us what your fuel consumption was during the SSM trip?

Thanks.

Note: Given a round trip of 1,500 Kms and diesel at $1.00 per liter in Spring 2008, I would estimate 3.75 Km per liter or 27 L per 100 Kms or 10.5 MPG Imp.

[sailor723]

I liked the 4WD comments as well.......very true

[Honda Owner]

Let's hope Ford's New and Improved Powerstroke is better than the last one, which has a less than solid reputation for reliability.

Then despite tens of thousands of test kilometres on the new engine (where this problem never presented itself) - they end up with plugged air filters.

Tut, tut, you may not get invited to the next launch....there is a lot of free beer there. But such an observation leads me to think that more time was spent on DVD entertainment systems than air intake systems.

This is because the DVD is what sells the truck to the wife.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

This motor (6.4) could very easily sink Ford.  Extremely technical which has led to high rate of engine failures, poor fuel mileage and any significant engine repair requires the cab to be removed from the frame  .  I kid you not.  Pointless to own out of warranty.  The builder, Navistar, and Ford are locked in a major lawsuit. 



http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/f35/ford-techs-6-4-big-problems-210683/

http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/f35/mpg-anyone-have-problems-like-me-211752/

http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?t=188438

Ford's lawsuit is over the 6.0L. The 6.4 is completely revised due to the 2007 emissions changes. Almost all of the problems are due to the new system not de-carbonizing the particle trap properly. They have had a few CPU re-flashes in an attempt to solve the issue. All of the post 2007 truck diesels get worse mileage because of the tighter emissions controls.

The F250 diesel is worse than average in Consumer Reports reliability ratings, still better than the much worse than average the Tundra 5.7 got.

[articsteve]

The F250 diesel is worse than average in Consumer Reports reliability ratings, still better than the much worse than average the Tundra 5.7 got.

Why would you mention a gasoline powered 5.7 liter Tundra in a Ford diesel review.     Me thinks you have a bad case of Toyota envy    Apply cold pack often. 

Ford's lawsuit is over the 6.0L. The 6.4 is completely revised due to the 2007 emissions changes

All I hear locally is that the motor is a major turkey.  I play cards with a guy who has had 3 head gaskets installed on his 6.4.    Ford will not give him a new motor.  Each time the cab needs to be removed fom the frame.  It's insane.  The resale will be zero when the average Joe-the-buyer realizes this.  It must be an automotive first. 

This sounds like a lawsuit to me.  Besides who wants a motor from a company that is at war with Ford.

Automotive News:

Ford has not been having much luck with the 6.4-liter diesel engines for its Super Duty trucks of late. In the latest twist of a saga that began in January, Navistar, the company that makes those engines, had added additional charges to its $2 billion counter-suit against Ford.

Navistar has been the exclusive maker of Ford's Super Duty diesel truck engines since 1979. In January of this year, Ford sued Navistar over the price of the engine and excessive warranty claims. In February, Navistar halted shipments of the just launched 6.4-liter engines, saying Ford had stopped paying for them. Ford got a court order to compel Navistar to ship the engines (which Ford paid for) -- then Ford had to recall more than 8,000 trucks because customers were reporting tailpipe fires. Navistar has now filed a counterclaim that seeks more than $2 billion in damages, and alleges that Ford is planning to develop its own diesel engines prior to 2012. There is no indication as to which party, Ford or Navistar, has a better case. For now, though, while the engine issues can't be good for Navistar, it is far more damaging for Ford to have to deal with these kinds of problems with its newly-launched bread-and-butter vehicle.

[PJungnitsch]

The F250 diesel is worse than average in Consumer Reports reliability ratings, still better than the much worse than average the Tundra 5.7 got.

Doesn't look very comparable, though the last year of the F250 is improving. The F250 engine is pretty packed in there, I think I counted seven radiators, so any problems are going to be tough to fix.

That said all modern pickups pack a lot of the engine under the cab due to the slanted windshield/short hood designs, almost like the old snub nosed vans.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I'm still using my April issue which states:

First year reliability for V8 4WD models is well below average, although the 2WD model's is much better than average. As a result we cannot recommend it."

Given that this is the first year for the 6.4 and it is a comparison of a 4WD truck, that is the one I was referring to.

The 5.4L and 6.8L gas engines have been very reliable.

[Honda Owner]

The "Powerstroke" is known in the industry as the "Powerjoke." The 6.4 is no better. The last good one was the good old IHC motor Ford bought for years. But it doesn't matter because Ford knows its buyers very well. They will continue to buy anything with the name "Ford" on it. Really, they don't care.

From what I have heard, the problem is quality control in the assembly plants, specifically torque specs. GM had the same problem, which led them to source the Duramax from Japan.

Most guys buy diesels so they can be pretend truckers. If you really want to haul and a gas engine fits your needs, go gas on a domestic brand. You can buy a lot of extra fuel for the $9k or so the diesel costs you.

[chrischasescars]

Howard - Could you tell us what your fuel consumption was during the SSM trip?

Thanks.

Note: Given a round trip of 1,500 Kms and diesel at $1.00 per liter in Spring 2008, I would estimate 3.75 Km per liter or 27 L per 100 Kms or 10.5 MPG Imp.

I asked Howard about this; he said he didn't keep records from that trip. 

[articsteve]

I made a call to my comrades at PEN Ford in Owen Sound and it's 30 hours book to re&re the cab on this vehicle.  I asked wouldn't it be better just to pull the motor out thru the top and they said it didn't matter; cab needed to come off frame.  Can you imagine the rattles after one of those jobs. 

Apparently the motor is OK as long as it doesn't pull a heavy load.  If it does it will blow a head gasket.  The guy I play cards with tows a big backhoe on a heavy steel trailer.  He is now stuck with using his dump truck to pull it.  He's not happy.

[Trainman]

Around here, the loggers are not happy with their Fords.  I have clients who have been Ford buyers for as long as I know them who are now switching to Dodge.  Better power delivery, better fuel consumption, cheaper to own overall so far.

One big issue is the lack of grunt in the Fords, notably on the steep hills we have around here.  Yes, they will get up but even Beetles will be passing them.  Wrong gearing?  Wrong power band?  Who knows but it is costing Ford their bread and butter truck sales from the buyers who are still willing to buy this kind of vehicle.

And reliability has not been good for those who have been buying the Super Duties.

[kurtdaniel]

my friend has an older model of this,, and his very satisfied with it,,im planning to buy one too in a nearby shop named Phoenix USA..