Looking to buy a Cascadia with 500k on it.

Can't give any advice but wish you the best of luck!

 

I own 2018 Cascadia with 475K miles on it. I call it ‘Crapscadia’. You fix one thing, next day something else brakes. If you can, buy a new one.
Only one exception - if you know owner and history of the truck.

 

The one box (emissions) will have to be replaced between 700-850K they cost around $8K to replace. If buying used I would have a minimum of $10K in reserves to start, and continually adding to that maintenance account every week.

 

Have you ever been inside a repair shop and took a look how repairs are done? Are words like one box, rear ends, u joints, bearings, injectors, oil pan, filters are familiar to you and do you know where those parts are located?
Serious question here. Owning an used truck is not the same thing as being a company driver

 

The way these companies do oil changes at 60k miles and then sell trucks in couple years, I'd be scared to buy any used truck with half a mil on a clock, no matter what anybody says

 

I had a 2016 I bought new and ran it to 550,000 miles.
Fortunately I bought the factory extended warranty.
Besides the usual little things, they/I fixed/replaced:
New water pump
New radiator
Injector cup seals
Various oil leaks
Front heater core
Sleeper heater core
New injectors
New one-box
DEF fluid injector
Radiator, yes again.
Transmission harness
Transmission computer
New clutch
A little over $60,000 worth of stuff.
The scary thing with that engine design is the oil suction manifold in the oil pan is made of plastic. They are known to either break or lose suction due to bad o-rings, then the crank can get damaged if it’s starved of oil.
It’s a fleet truck, when they get enough mileage it’s designed to be disposed of.

 

I don’t think there’s any good answer. Like everyone says. Never know what you might inherit. Being familiar with things help. I would really try to buy newer. Reason being, 4 yr old 500k Trucks were historically about half the price of new. Over 4 years the total cost was and about the same, considering the cost of repairs. The 4 yr old emission Trucks with 500k seem to sell at about 1/3 the price of a comparable new one. All that’s for a reason. The added cost of repairs. New being so expensive, I would try to get as close to new as possible, with the most warranty available. It’s a big risk. I’m sure you already know that. The 2018 and newer are supposedly much better. Last couple years has really been good for fuel economy. The autos especially. 1.5 mpg improvement can save $1000 per mo. running 10k per mo. @ $4.00 per gallon. That $1000 per mo. towards a payment is better than spending it on repairs, considering down time, aggravation, and to degree, residual trade in value. Just some ideas to consider when comparing. Get a warrant work history from the dealer. Provide the vin #, they can print you copy of anything that’s been done. You can also get the manufacture date, original in service date, to help paint a clearer picture. Possibly buy an extended warranty. Something I normally don’t believe in. But considering the magic number seems to be $13,000 for a complete emissions system overhaul. Well worth paying a bit more per mo. to avoid problems as long as possible. Prices are falling, and will continue to. Maybe hit bottom in December, the typical low period. It’s anyone’s guess. Avoid the bargain Truck from an Independent Dealer. Reputable Factory Dealer is best. Especially when you have problems afterwards. Take you’re time. Look around a lot. Don’t get too eager. Get familiarized and focus in on your wants and needs in a Truck. Along with pricing. You’ll find it.

 

I drive a 2019. About 2 years now. Its doing its 4th shop visit right now since feb. A phantom electrical issue is causing parts failures and 3 dealerships cannot figure it out. Its not my truck so i cannot refuse to take it to a dealership. But at the same time i speak my mind about it. I have worked 3 weeks out of last 8. These trucks are junk

 

A used Freightliner?

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--Lual