Ford vs. Chevy vs. Dodge Trucks

Serendipity

A landscaper friend of mine is looking for a full-sized pickup truck. Which do you prefer? Which truck manufacturer would you rate as more reliable? I want your opinion here.

Thanks!

ND13

I prefer Dodge, then Ford, then Chevy.

For a landscaper, if he's buying new, Dodge's lifetime powertrain warranty is a huge deal.

Serendipity

Something gives me the feeling Sid thinks Ford is the best

Serendipity

ND13 wrote: »

I prefer Dodge, then Ford, then Chevy.

For a landscaper, if he's buying new, Dodge's lifetime powertrain warranty is a huge deal.

Are there any strings attached? Is it really a lifetime powertrain warranty?

rskarvan

Hmmm... Here is my take on things.

Dodge makes a great truck. But, they have been known to have transmission problems.
I really like the reliability of the Cummins diesel. Chrysler is probably the poorest of the 3 when it comes to corrosion protection.

Chevy makes a pretty ok truck. The Isuzu Duramax is a fabulous engine. Quiet. Powerful. And, very fuel efficient. I drive a Chevy Duramax.

Ford makes a great truck too. I personally don't care for their Navistar engines. Lots of warranty/recall issues with that engine. Also, the UAW at Navistar is on-strike right now and I'd be reluctant to buy anything from a plant that can't quietly settle its labor issues.

rskarvan

appadv wrote: »

Are there any strings attached? Is it really a lifetime powertrain warranty?

Yes, of course, there are strings. I think you have to have the truck "inspected" every year to keep the life-time warranty valid. Also, any lifetime warranty is only as good as the life of the company. If Chrysler ends up in Chapter 11, woops...there goes your lifetime warranty.

Chrysler has recently been privatized and its financial future is uncertain.

Serendipity

rskarvan wrote: »

Hmmm... Here is my take on things.

Dodge makes a great truck. But, they have been known to have transmission problems.
I really like the reliability of the Cummins diesel. Chrysler is probably the poorest of the 3 when it comes to corrosion protection.

Chevy makes a pretty ok truck. The Isuzu Duramax is a fabulous engine. Quiet. Powerful. And, very fuel efficient. I drive a Chevy Duramax.

Ford makes a great truck too. I personally don't care for their Navistar engines. Lots of warranty/recall issues with that engine. Also, the UAW at Navistar is on-strike right now and I'd be reluctant to buy anything from a plant that can't quietly settle its labor issues.

Thanks.

She's basically looking for a full-size truck to haul stuff around.

Systems

1) Ford
2) Dodge
3) Chevy

BTW: All 3 of them have uncertain futures.

Kex

We own a 1994 Chevy K1500 Silverado, bought new, that has almost 190,000 miles now. Mostly towing a horse in a (heavy) steel trailer. I honestly don't think there is much difference in any of these big trucks, apart from the quirks of brand loyalty: you will hear stories of longevity, high mileage and success as well as tales of extreme woe, incredible flaws and certain doom for the owners of all three brands. The Dodge powertrain warranty is tempting though, and the mandatory inspections are free (to be performed within sixty days of every fifth anniversary). It only applies to gasoline engines, I believe.

If it were me, I would find which truck has the best service department locally for reliable maintenance, fault finding and repair. Other than that, I would choose on preferred equipment and features, not to mention the best deal of course. We will probably stick with Chevrolet if we ever replace this truck, just because we have not been let down so we have no valid reason to change, not because we believe Chevrolet is vastly superiour to Dodge or Ford.

treitz3

I can't speak for the other trucks, as I have only driven them and not owned them. I have a Chevy 2500HD for my work truck and haul 10,000 lbs all the time. Other than light bulbs going out on brake lights and one headlight bulb going out and the fuse on the cigarette lighter going out [often ], I have had no problems with this as a daily driver / hauler. Plenty of power when needed and a comfortable truck when you are driving for 12+ hours straight.

I'm pleased with the truck overall. 88,000+- miles.

Serendipity

treitz3 wrote: »

I can't speak for the other trucks, as I have only driven them and not owned them. I have a Chevy 2500HD for my work truck and haul 10,000 lbs all the time. Other than light bulbs going out on brake lights and one headlight bulb going out and the fuse on the cigarette lighter going out [often ], I have had no problems with this as a daily driver / hauler. Plenty of power when needed and a comfortable truck when you are driving for 12+ hours straight.

I'm pleased with the truck overall. 88,000+- miles.

Wow, 88,000 miles and not a single repair? Thats amazing!

Kex

Our first repair was at 137,000 miles, and eight years old I think. I'ld have to dig up the old paperwork to confirm that though, if anyone is interested.

Serendipity

That's just mind blowing. EIGHT YEARS?

Impressive.

treitz3

appadv wrote: »

Wow, 88,000 miles and not a single repair? Thats amazing!

Thanks for making my night. I thought this was the norm? Nope, no repair besides fuses and light bulbs. Oh, I had to replace the original (5) 10-ply tires at 75,000 miles. Other than that, nothing besides gas, oil and a tranny flush at 60,000 miles which is needed anyway for service.

My vinyl seat [fleet truck] is ripped where I get in and out, but that is to be expected as I get in and out of the vehicle on average 30-40 times a day and have been doing so for 3 years. I'm surprised the brass bushings on the door haven't worn out by now. They did on my last work truck around this mileage.

I guess I'm lucky and that's one more thing to be thankful for during Thanksgiving.

MSALLA

I have had all 3 for work and personal use. The chevy is the best hands down.

Demiurge

Ford trucks. Never an issue with one. Have an F-350 now and it runs like a dream, and she does take a beatin' from time to time.

Besides...Even Mike Rowe endorses 'em, and who doesn't like Mike Rowe?

VR3

Between those 3 -

I definitely find Ford to be the best

On a different field...

Toyota/Nissan/Ford are all about the same to me, with a slight edge to Yota!

Serendipity

Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote: »

Between those 3 -

I definitely find Ford to be the best

On a different field...

Toyota/Nissan/Ford are all about the same to me, with a slight edge to Yota!

Didn't you or your mom have a Toyota Corolla?

How was it's reliability?

audiobliss

Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote: »

Toyota/Nissan/Ford are all about the same to me, with a slight edge to Yota!

Yeah, you TOTALLY just lost all credibility!

And for those who are going to take that seriously though it was mainly intended as a joke, I still stand behind the statement. I personally prefer the big three for a truck period. However, though that's just personal opinion, when it comes to heavy duty trucks and heavy towing, that's not personal opinion. The big three win hands down. That's fact.

WilliamM2

appadv wrote: »

That's just mind blowing. EIGHT YEARS?

Impressive.

You find 8 years impressive? I drive a Mazda, it will be 10 years old in January, never a single repair, unless you count the battery being replaced this spring (9+ years old). My wife drives a Ford Contour, it will be 8 years old in February, not a single repair. And to think, I warned her not to buy it because it was a Ford!

Of course reliability is very dependent on how well you take care of things.

ND13

WilliamM2 wrote: »

Of course reliability is very dependent on how well you take care of things.

It's everything.

Jstas

WilliamM2 wrote: »

You find 8 years impressive? I drive a Mazda, it will be 10 years old in January, never a single repair, unless you count the battery being replaced this spring (9+ years old). My wife drives a Ford Contour, it will be 8 years old in February, not a single repair. And to think, I warned her not to buy it because it was a Ford!

Of course reliability is very dependent on how well you take care of things.

Dude, depending on what Mazda you have, you likely bought a Ford too.




As for my opinion on the trucks, I've driven the Dodges and Chevies and Fords and I like my Fords. I've driven the Rangers and the F-series trucks and even the vans. My 20 year old Ranger has 170,000+ miles on it and it didn't stop running until I took it apart. My brother's Ranger is 10 years old with 123,000 miles and runs like a top too. My dad has owned 5 Ford F-150's and has averaged about 8 years of ownership for each of them and each one went over 120,000 miles and no issues. He's on his 5th F-series and he'll likely hold on to this one for 10 years too. I have my Lightning which just clicked past 92,000 miles and it's 6 years old. Only one major problem and that was due to a manufacturing defect on a limited production, boosted engine. I would expect it to have at least one issue. But Ford fixed it, no questions asked.

I'd buy another Ford in a heartbeat. I've put every Ford I have owned through the ringer and they all take the beating and come right back for more. The F-series is a good truck all around and the Ranger is unstoppable. It's a shame the Ranger is going away next year.

Honestly though, they are all known for some issue with something but you really can't go wrong with any of the big 3. Tell your friend to figure out what she wants in a truck, go to the websites and find the model of truck that fits the needs best and then go to the dealer and ask them to let her drive one of each that matches her research the best. Then make the decision based on the drives and of course price, warranty, support and so on. I don't think she would be unhappy with a Dodge, Chevy or Ford.

exalted512

My dad was in charge of our local electricty co-op's fleet for quite some time(15+ years). He found out that even though the initial cost of the truck was more expensive, the GMs were less expensive by several thousand dollars at the end of their life span. That why I'll stick to GM as far as trucks go. My old 96 GMC had two 'major' repairs on it. The first was the AC clutch at 167000 miles, the 2nd was the master cylinder at 198000. I sold it when it has 213000 miles on it, and it still ran absolutely great.

The Dodge lifetime warranty--doesnt apply to diesels and is not transferable. So if you dont plan to keep your truck for a lifetime, then it really doesnt apply much. Also, if hes a commercial land scaper that deals with big plots, the cummins is a VERY heavy engine...and it likes to sink.
-Cody

dudeinaroom

I love Chevys, and loath dodges. If you want a pretty truck for driving around town get a dodge. If you want something with a nice ride and be able to tow a camper/meduim trailer get a Chevy. If you want a work truck get a Ford. Good heavy duty towing, and you can pull that chevy and dodge out of the mud at the same time when they get stuck.

Dodge is named for a reason, thats what you should do:D

WilliamM2

Dude, depending on what Mazda you have, you likely bought a Ford too

Nope. It's 1998 Protege ES. The last year they were actually made in Japan.

steveinaz

We've had a Chevy, currently have a Dodge RAM, and I drive a Ford at work. I'd rank them like this:

1. Ford: Pricey but has a stiffer suspension, just feels/handles better with heavy loads
2. Dodge: Best bang for your buck, but doesn't feel as capable with heavy loads--down on power compared to the Ford.
3. Chevy: Sloppy steering and so-so hauling capability/handling turned me off w/the Chevy.

I'd break it down like this, if you are going to do:

70% passenger hauling/30% payload hauling = Chevy
50% passenger/50% payload = Dodge
40% passenger/60% (or more) payoad = Ford