who not to buy a truck from

Very informative.

 

Used trucks are just that...used. Somebody got rid of that truck for some reason, and the dealer who sells the truck often times knows very little about the history of the truck.

WHENEVER you buy a truck, take it to a shop that you trust...independent from the dealer selling the truck...and have it thoroughly checked out. Don't just get it DOT inspected and assume it is good enough...have them go over the truck with a fine tooth comb and find out as much info on the truck as you can. Get the VIN and the engine serial number and contact the manufacturer of each to get as much info on that particular truck as possible...warranty claims, possible service history, etc. Have the truck run on a dyno, too. Look it over for signs of previous damage and repairs. Look at common wear items...do they look as you would expect for the miles on the truck? Are they "new"? Does it LOOK like it has been taken care of? Examine the various components...how long have they been on the truck? Look at the fluids...have they been recently changed? I'm cautious both of fluids that appear to have never been changed, as well as of fluids that have been changed recent enough that the truck hasn't been run down the road since. Excessively old fluids show a lack of maintenance, and too new of fluids leave me wondering what potential problems are trying to be masked long enough to sell the truck.

Even if you do everything right, you can still end up with a bad truck....and even if you do buy a good truck, you can kill it pretty quick by putting it to work doing a job it wasn't designed to do. A truck is a tool, and every tool has it's intended use. Buy the right tool for the job and it will last longer.

 

It's just like used cars, "Buyer Beware".

I would not buy anything for over scrap value without a thorough evaluation by a third (uninterested) party.

Oil analysis is a fairly smart start.

Any truck that is priced too cheap should raise red flags. If someone is trying to make you a special deal on a certain truck, you can bet it's a lemon they are trying to dump.

Better to buy from an OO who has service records and cares for his rig, rather than some junk that has been slip seated by a bunch of rookies and never taken care of.

 

when i buy a used truck (even though its been 10 yrs ago) i ask for the previous owners phone no. and call them up for a history. one other thing to get is proof the fed use tax was paid up from the previous owner. if not you are liable for it.