It seems like a good idea: buy that big, beautiful truck that will get you over mountains, let you get your garbage to the dumps and tow trailers or RVs when you need to. But many truck owners quickly get buyer’s remorse once they’ve had their truck for a few months. After a few years, they start to wonder if they will ever buy a truck again.
In fact, a study found that most pickup truck owners don’t use their trucks for “truck stuff.” And when you consider how easily trucks break down, how expensive gas is and how much space trucks take up, it may make sense for some truck owners to get an SUV instead.
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Still, many truck owners buy trucks, it seems, for the image the truck projects, according to the experts in that study. So, if you’re one of those who either needs a truck for “truck stuff” or loves the image, how do you decide what truck to spend thousands of dollars on and which to avoid?
To get that answer, we spoke to two experts — here’s what they had to say about which trucks simply aren’t worth your money.
Ram 1500
The Ram 1500 truck currently retails starting at $40,275 for its newest model, according to Ram’s website.
“Although it may be equipped with a large towing capacity and a good-looking interior, it is not very dependable. Research indicates that it experiences above-average repair incidents and expensive service problems, especially on its air suspension system,” said Michael Kruse, DUI attorney with more than 34 years of practice in cars and driving safety.
“With the life of the vehicle, the owners will have to spend a lot of money doing repairs, thus lowering the value of the vehicle. The Ram 1500 loses its appeal when you consider that some of its more complicated systems will be more expensive to repair due to an increase in parts and labor costs,” he added.
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“The Hemi is a beast when it works, but these years were plagued with the cam and lifter failure issue. Once that lifter seizes, it chews up the camshaft and sends metal through your engine. You’re looking at a $4,000 to $8,000 repair, easy,” said Tyler Williams, president at All American Billet, which offers car repairs and part replacements.
Williams also said some common shop fixes for the Ram 1500 are:
Full top-end rebuilds
Replacing cam/lifters
Engine replacements in worst-case scenarios
Ford F-150
The ever-popular Ford F-150 currently starts at $38,810, according to Ford’s website.
“The other truck that is always overrated is the Ford F-150, especially the versions that have the turbo engines. These versions are applauded because they are more powerful, but the durability and performance of the engine in the long run are doubtful. The turbo-charged engines tend to consume oil above the normal levels and are very expensive to fix once they have gone bad,” Kruse said.
“Also, though the towing capacity of the truck is good, its overall fuel consumption is not as good as those of its competitors, thus owners can expect to spend more on fuel in the long run. Although it continues to do well in the market, the turbo-powered varieties of the F-150 are not as good as the hype it creates regarding the total cost of ownership,” he added.
“The 5.4L 3-valve Triton V8 (specifically in the 2004 to 2008 models) has multiple flaws: spark plugs breaking off in the head, timing chain issues and cam phaser failures. Repairs are labor-intensive and expensive,” Williams said.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Finally, the Chevy Silverado 1500 currently starts at $42,700 for the base model, according to Edmunds.
“Although the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is a good car in the full-size truck segment, it has been exhibiting a pattern of transmission failures,” Kruse explained. “Several of the owners complain of shifting problems and fixing the transmission may get costly when it breaks down early. Its ride can also be reviewed as mixed, since it has a stiff suspension and therefore it is not comfortable to use it on a daily basis, unless you need the heavy towing capacity.”
In the end, of course, it’s up to the buyer to decide which truck is best and worst, for them. There are so many factors to take into consideration. Car and Driver ranks the Ram 1500 as the best full-size pickup truck on the market. But those reviewers likely aren’t on the ground with real people, in real situations, like Kruse is.
He left us with these words to remember when buying a truck or any car, really: “Shopping for a truck, one should never focus on the fancy characteristics or towing capabilities that are attractive to some until one realizes that they are out of the budget or not practical in the long run.”
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I’m a Car Expert: 3 Trucks That Aren’t Worth the Money
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