Ford 6.7 reliability???

We have 7 of them at work ranging from 2011 to 2017 and I’m specing out a 21 for purchase this spring. Ours are (1) F250, (1) 350, and (5) 450’s. The 250/350 are supervisor trucks and the rest are work trucks. They have been great trucks. We have had a few minor issues with them but nothing major. We have not had any turbo issues or fuel system issues. I’m looking for one at home as well to replace my personal truck.
 
fatty said:
Towing anything or running around empty?
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Both. Have a Cat skid steer with VTS tracks that’s over 10k plus attachments I haul on an aluminum Eby trailer. I’m sure if you drive like a 16yr old launching from every light you could break something. I don’t drive it easy but I’m not out to break it either.

Keep in mind you only hear about the bad ones, not the tens of thousands that have zero issues.

You guys must be used to Dodges where a 60hp box smokes the junk driveline.
 
kleann said:
Biggest thing is leaks. Check for oil and coolant leaks, they like to leak from multiple places, most of them not being easy fixes. Turbo oil/coolant fittings, upper and lower oil pan, vacuum pump, radiator, coolant crossover, rear cover.
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Just wondering, do they still use a plastic oil pan?

I’ll admit, I know nothing about them, but when they first came out, we had one that got towed to the shop. Fellow traveling through from out of state had straddled a tire tread on the interstate and it hit underneath the truck. He didn’t realize until it was too late that it had busted the plastic oil pan. He was livid. We sent him to the local Ford dealer. Seems I remember Ford supplied an engine and parts but he paid labor. It’s been a long time ago.
 
My 2019 has a metal oil pan. Which reminds me of another thing I dont like. The drain plug is on the back instead of the bottom. If the oil is warm it shoots a couple feet out right when you remove the plug.
 
BigPapa said:
Just wondering, do they still use a plastic oil pan?

I’ll admit, I know nothing about them, but when they first came out, we had one that got towed to the shop. Fellow traveling through from out of state had straddled a tire tread on the interstate and it hit underneath the truck. He didn’t realize until it was too late that it had busted the plastic oil pan. He was livid. We sent him to the local Ford dealer. Seems I remember Ford supplied an engine and parts but he paid labor. It’s been a long time ago.
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Plastic oil pans were gone by job 2 2011 trucks.
 
I showed up for info, but figured I'd add my experience.

MegaCabRam said:
I really like the truck and the way they’re built but some of these comments aren’t to reassuring. The ease of working on a Cummins is so hard to get away from.
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This is why I am in a Cummins/Aisin combo. I don't trust the booger eating goombas or scam artists that inhabit most dealerships enough to buy something under warranty or that I can't work on myself. Many "diesel" shops are barely better. I'm sort of a reliability freak, which is why I keep my 12v 2nd Gen and I am putting a 12v into the wife's Excursion.

I was in the same market as you. Was going to buy a higher mile truck in order to get a newer truck with a nicer trim. My Ford buddy has an awesome lifted 6.7L F350 on 37's. I rode in it, drove it, towed with it and was set on buying one. I love the looks, fit and finish, interior design, frame, trans, all of it is better than Ram in my opinion. Then he popped the hood and starting talking about the coolant systems and all the other crazy shoehorned in there. There was no motor, just 10lbs of shit in a 5 pound bag. I was phased but not broken.

I asked a local company how they liked their 6.7L Ford fleet and the showed me their lower mileage F450 with a snapped crank. Sure the other F450 was ok, but dang, a snapped crank?! A local welder's 6.7L F550 dumped a motor just over 200k, tows nothing. Maybe not the norm, but I don't know of any 6.7L Cummins locally with that sort of failure. Even if I did, I feel confident, I could do that work myself. Then I started leaning back towards Cummins.

My buddy's 6.7L truck is doing fine at 130k, he doesn't tow much and it's tuned. He touts his flawless stock 6R140 transmission, but I'm doing fine with an Aisin at 210k. If there was no Aisin I would be in a Ford, period. Seeing PD Diesel Power "Paul" on youtube tow 400,000-500,000 miles with Cummins/Aisin trucks gives me a good amount of confidence since I usually keep trucks 10-15 years/200-350k if the body holds up.


Don't get me wrong, I really like 2011-2016 Super Duty trucks, a lot, almost as much as I like the 2017-2019 Super Duty's. I'd love to own one, I like everything about them more than my Ram, except the Cummins. So, for now I trust the motor/brand that hasn't let me down for the last 13+ years. With the 2021 Cummins going back to the CP3, I'd say my next "new" truck would be one of those with an Aisin...or a F350 with a 12v :st:
 
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Disclaimer: I respect your opinion entirely.



Thinking about the reliability of a 12v and talking about a late model 6.7 cummins is hardly logical. Almost zero difference in Underhood work space between Ford and Ram current year models.

Don't forget, the 6.7 fords are reverse flow heads so the ease of access in the valley is night and day between the older international motors.

There are plenty of fleets moving away from Cummins due to engine failures but not much of that gets talked about on here due to everyone thinking Cummins are the best.

One big thing that isn't looked at much is parts cost. Replacement parts for the Ford engines are shockingly cheap, since they have been making them in house.
 
All we run at work (electrical contractors) now are 2011-2014 F450 and one F350 cc. Total of 15 trucks, regular maintenance. They don't haul a lot of weight but are fitted with an enclosed steel work body, varying amounts of tools/stock/ladders, probably 10-12k average total weight. Just about the only problem we have had are motors, 4th one just came back about a month ago. I dont get into details because it's not my money, nor my problem, but I know 3 of them were broken glowplugs causing dropped valves, supposedly. Highest mile truck we have is right around 140k.The 350 CC that just came back had real low miles, as it's our rack body and doesn't go out every day, has less than 35k miles on it.
 
Gorms said:
All we run at work (electrical contractors) now are 2011-2014 F450 and one F350 cc. Total of 15 trucks, regular maintenance. They don't haul a lot of weight but are fitted with an enclosed steel work body, varying amounts of tools/stock/ladders, probably 10-12k average total weight. Just about the only problem we have had are motors, 4th one just came back about a month ago. I dont get into details because it's not my money, nor my problem, but I know 3 of them were broken glowplugs causing dropped valves, supposedly. Highest mile truck we have is right around 140k.The 350 CC that just came back had real low miles, as it's our rack body and doesn't go out every day, has less than 35k miles on it.
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No such thing as broken glow plugs causing a dropped valve-its the other way around FYI.
 
sootie said:
Disclaimer: I respect your opinion entirely.



Thinking about the reliability of a 12v and talking about a late model 6.7 cummins is hardly logical. Almost zero difference in Underhood work space between Ford and Ram current year models.

Don't forget, the 6.7 fords are reverse flow heads so the ease of access in the valley is night and day between the older international motors.

There are plenty of fleets moving away from Cummins due to engine failures but not much of that gets talked about on here due to everyone thinking Cummins are the best.

One big thing that isn't looked at much is parts cost. Replacement parts for the Ford engines are shockingly cheap, since they have been making them in house.
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You can barely get Cummins parts now. Broken cranks are a pretty common issue on the ISX, aside from cracking pistons and heads. Can’t beg borrow or steal a turbo for the smaller ones, same with injection pumps. I can only assume it’s because they are all made in China like the rest of the internals.

Friend manages a Ford dealer, said they have pulled a few 450/550 engines out because of valve issues in the past but not much anymore. What’s different is Ford never even questioned them, just shipped new COMPLETE engines no questions asked. They were also a Dodge dealership and couldn’t get a bad injector warrantied without a mountain of paperwork and a rep’s approval.
 
Well I bought it, so far I really like it. Replaced some body mounts yesterday and now I’ve got a rattle towards the front of the motor I’ve got to find. It would stop when you turned the ac compressor off so I thought for sure it was the compressor but now it’s doing it all the time. Hoping it is the compressor and not the water pump...

What’s the best tuner out there for them? I’ve been away from diesels for a while and a lot has changed. The exhaust was stolen off of it before I got it so I need something for that. It was tuned with a small tune but I’d like something a little more.
 
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