Pickup Truck Dilemma, Fix Old or Buy New?

[buckle97]

Quick background: Bought this 1998 Dodge Ram (Quad Cab, 4x4, 5.9l, auto) in 2002 with 60k miles on it. It has never been a daily driver but mainly used for trips and family outings due to the room it provides. I tow my 18 foot utility trailer with it.
This truck is currently sitting at 124k miles and needs a few things like tires, windshield, u-joints, fuel sending unit, and a radio (volume knob does not work). I had just about made up my mind to put the money in this truck and keep it when the check engine light came on last night. Should I take this as a sign that I should dump the truck?
I love the prospect of a newer pickup but I do not feel like paying for it. If I purchase another truck, it would likely be 3-4 years old with under 75k miles.
What should I do?

 

[Egon]

Figure out what the cost of repairs and what the difference between a newer truck is and go from there. Is it the cumins diesel?

Not verifiable but I have been told by several sources that I consider reliable that the newer trucks may not be built as sturdy as the ones of your age were??? Seems the front ends do not last as long??

 

[buckle97]

Is it the cumins diesel?

I should have been more clear; it is a Ram 1500 with the 5.9L 360 gasoline engine.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Its a good time to buy but buying something used with that many miles on it will put you in the same situation in a few years. If you are going to buy used look for something one or two years old with under 36K on it. The reason being is most manufactures bumper to bumper warranty is good for that long. This will give you piece of mind. Buying something with 75K on it will probably end up costing you the same in the long run as a 2 year old truck with 20K on it.

I would look at new. There are some good deals out there. There are also good deals on used now but not as good as 6 monts ago or even last summer. We bought a used 2007 4x4 truck with 16,700 miles for $20,300. It stickered for nearly $42,000 14 months prior but at that time people were running from trucks and buying Civic's.

Chris

 

[mlauk]

The check engine light is usually an emmissions part problem like the oxygen sensor or something. If you go to Autozone, they will diagnose it for free. If the engine and transmission are still good, I would keep it and repair the minor problems.

 

[dodge man]

I was in the same boat a couple of years ago, and I bought new, but it was because I wanted to not because I needed to. I had a 98 Ram 4x4 quad cab with the 5.2 V8 and bought a new 2007 Ram Quad Cab with the 5.7 hemi. My older truck didn't need alot of work but some. Check the bottom of your doors, are they rusting at all? They hold dirt and salt in there and it starts as surface rust and spreads after a couple of years. It will spread to the door skin and start to look bad. Mine had just started to rust at the point I got rid of it. They can be fixed but I didn't want to mess with it. If you can do your own repairs, you wouldn't have to spend a ton of money on it. You could fix all of it your self except maybe the wind shield.

As far as new trucks go, they are an improvement from your 98. The first thing I noticed with my 2007 is the power and the ride, both a huge improvement. The best deal is almost always a used one about 1-2 years old. In my area you can find a loaded Dodge 4 wheel drive quad cab for around $20,000. Usually less than 30,000 miles. I think for new they are still knocking close to $10,000 off the sticker price.

 

[wvpolekat]

The check engine light is usually an emmissions part problem like the oxygen sensor or something. If you go to Autozone, they will diagnose it for free. If the engine and transmission are still good, I would keep it and repair the minor problems.

They will pull the codes and reset the light for free, which is completely different than diagnosing.

 

[mlauk]

They will pull the codes and reset the light for free, which is completely different than diagnosing.

Okay if you want to be ****, yes they will give you the codes and sometimes the code will not tell you exactly what's wrong, but will tell you several things that could be causing the check engine light to come on.

 

[buckle97]

Check the bottom of your doors, are they rusting at all? They hold dirt and salt in there and it starts as surface rust and spreads after a couple of years.

I am in Mississippi; we don't have salt and this truck hasn't seen enough dirt to hurt it.

As far as new trucks go, they are an improvement from your 98.

That's what I have heard, but to be honest I haven't spent any time in the newer trucks. I'm thinking about moving up to a 3/4 ton so I really may not gain anything on the ride quality.

I do plan to have it scanned today at AutoZone and see if that gives me an idea of why the light came on. I'm not saying I will get rid of it just because of whatever problem this is, but I have a fear of putting any money in it and then it needing a major repair. I am reminded of a few years ago when I had my Ford Taurus in for new tires, brakes, tune-up, etc. and then the transmission died 900 miles later.
This truck is in extremely good condition inside and out, especially for a 98.

 

[dodge man]

I have a nephew that has a 3/4 ton cummins, and believe it or not, I would say it doesn't ride worse, just different. I put some E load rated tires on my truck and I know that hurt the ride. Also alot of the late model Dodges have 20 inch wheels on them, which I think hurts the ride as they are a 60 series tire. I swapped mine to 18 inch rims with a taller side wall, which in theory should have helped the ride but with the higher load rating, its kind of a wash.

For appearance, I kind of like the older trucks, but having the 4 full doors and the hemi makes for a real improvement. My kids are getting a little older now and the climb into the back seat of the old quad cab was getting old.