That's not true one bit. I don't even have a 6.0 and I think there great motors. They need some help to reach their full potential, not all 6.0 had problems. My uncle has a 04 four door fx4 offroad lariat top of the line it is completely stock never done a think to it besides change the oil and regular maintenance. And he's pulled a 24 ft enclosed trailer to Texas and back at least a dozen times and two of those times were with cars in the trailer. And uses it for his landscaping business and plows with it. It gets 16 mpg on a bad day city. And I I know this because I drive it often.and it has 140000 on it he's owned it since 35000 miles. And all make and models have their issues dodge had rust and trans issues in their automatics cheaps front suspension fords have there's to. It don't matter if you buy a dodge ford chevy gm their ALL going to have issues some year/models may not show them as early but their still there and will need to be addressed.

Sent from my dumb phone!

 

The early 6.0s had the problems. I run with a small group that has all 6.0s, minus the bowtie banger who is just .. ugh. Not one of our trucks has had a single issue. Mines a 06 which I believe the 06-07 6.0s were the best and with the least problems. Ive not had a single issue with my truck at all and believe me, I make this truck work.

To be completly honest, I think the 6.0 is a hit-and-miss motor. Some people have every issue in the book go wrong, others ... maybe us lucky few ... never have an issue other than the normal upkeep pf the truck

 

I love my 6.0 only problem has been the egr valve on it. So i am definitely happy with it. All other problems have been from either my stupidity or lack of concern with normal upkeep.

 

If you can figure out your way around replacing an oil cooler on a 6.0, I'd say it'd be a good buy.. But as you know and we all know, they have problems. If you can keep up with it and fix it yourself, it'd have more then enough power pulling a trailer or a camper or even going off road.

My suggestion is to get a crew cab. Extended cabs suck, I have one and the back seat has like 6" seating room.. You will definately want a crew cab, which you will not regret, also try to find one that you don't see a lot of oil residue under the body. Also try to buy one that didn't do much pulling.

===Good notes to look for on buying a ford 6.0:
--Clean engine (No noticeable leaks or sludge anywhere on the top of the engine) Good way to see if an egr cooler is failing is checking the coolant resevoir and under the cap, if it has a dryed white powder on it, it was probably overheated and over driven)
--No grime or sludge under the body (Means the owner kept up with it decently)
Check the transmission dipstick and oil to see if you notice any major blackness or grime in it, if the tranny dipstick is not red or semi red, then your looking at some burnt up clutch packs most likely, but the 54110's are amazing trannys)
--Make sure it shifts good and it has power when you floor it.
--Check inside of quarter panels to notice any offcolor or dents to see if it has been in an accident.

If you are really serious in getting one or going to look at one, post the ad on here and we will all skim over the pictures and advert to see if we can give you hints on what to look for and if the price is a good buy

 

I second the hate of the extended cab, I wish I went crew cab. At the time I just wanted a small/light truck since I planned on running down the local rice at the stop lights.

Just keep reading around here. My first thought however, is if you don't want to work on anything, don't get a diesel at all. They have a much more stringent maintenance schedule. Parts are more money, fuel is more money, etc. However, there are some good benefits. I'm just not sure if they benefit you at all. Mileage unloaded should be around the same as a gas job, depending on driving habits, but towing you will notice better mileage out of a diesel for sure. I think a lot of problems from all brands of diesels come from the "hype" that a diesel engine will just run forever. Though it's got some truth to it, it doesn't mean you can neglect maintenance, which I see a LOT. The 7.3 and 6.0 are NOT engines you want neglect on maintenance.

Keep the coolant clean, get rid of the egr system, and they're pretty solid trucks. The trans are one of the best in the business, the bottom end can hold up near 750rwhp with ease, the stock valvetrain has been spun up to 1200rwhp a few times... the'yre pretty solid once the petty stuff is taken care of.

 

I have an 03 and 04 6.0 liter. Stay away from the 03. Always has problems. 04 Has had a lot less issues. Like MDUB said, maintenance is key for the 6.0.

 

i love all of the big three. i searched for months before finally buying my DD. i drove a ton of chevys and a ton of dodge and a ton of fords. i originally bought a 2008 f250 psd xcab 4x4 and it died 2 blocks from the dealership.. just signed the papers... turned out to be just a blown fuse... but i didnt want the truck anymore..i took it as a sign! so i went back to the dealer (walked) while they towed the truck back and i was mad! and the dealer gave me my 07' for 18k otd with a 3yr 36k warrenty. truck has 6x.xxx miles and i am sooooo happy with my decision. i love the truck. just make sure you run an oasis report before buying just to see what the dealer did under warrenty. mine just had recalls and fuel gauge issues. but a 3 weeks after i bought it the fuelpump went and the turbo was replaced due to shaft play. but i have it back now running mint!

 

Is that why I personally know 3 guys that prefer their new found love (6.0L Powerstroke) OVER their Cummins? As I recall, one of the guys on here who was new to the dark side said something along the lines of "my only complaint with the truck is that I don't get to drive it enough." Do some research before you open your yap...6 or 7 years ago, yes the 6.0L was a nightmare, but that was because people didn't know the real problems and just kept throwing parts at it. Example: Blown head gaskets and the mechanic says that the EGR cooler is faulty and puts in a new one, less than 10k miles later the truck is back in for blown gaskets, mechanic and owner think that the EGR is at fault again right? WRONG! $100 says it was the oil cooler all along, does that mean that the EGR cooler wasn't also going bad? No. The problem that continues to grow in modern times is mechanics not doing their JOB and FINDING the problem, they just throw parts an money at it and hope for the best. “Those engines are junk. I've had to put six new turbos on it since I have owned it.” No, you didn't. You paid your mechanic to put six turbos on it and the sixth time he actually noticed what other factor was really the cause in the first place. There is SOOO much more knowledge about this engine now and once you know the down and dirty about it and get everything taken care of BEFORE it becomes a problem then you will have a solid and extremely reliable truck as long as you keep up on the maintenance.

 

I learned a few things being a 6.0 owner.

I like a challenge

Your warranty is only good as the mechanic working on it, which ties into what DieselDaddy said. I don't know how many times my truck went in for warranty work and came out with the same problem it went in with. VERY frustrating.

If you want something done right, do it yourself.

90% of the horror stories you hear about 6.0's are all traced back to the problems not being diagnosed properly the first time. I see WAY too many guys throwing parts at trucks instead of tracing down the original problem, again, tying in with what DieselDaddy said.

People who tell me 6.0s are junk, typically have never worked on one or even been around one. It's quite humorous.