alpinecrick;
Top of the morning to you sir, it's nice to see you posting again, it seems like it has been quite a good while since you and I have communicated and I trust this finds you well.
Since it seems to be a vehicular sort of morning on the 'Fire, I'll repeat a couple of bits of information and hopefully be forgiven for doing so.
For almost a year now, I've been employed in a management position at a local Big 3 auto dealership. About 75%-80% of our sales are pickup trucks and of course it follows that same percentage of the trades are pickups as well.
Without writing a small book or large pamphlet on the subject, it would shock most folks outside "the business" at some of the shortcomings we see in ALL makes that cross the threshold of our overhead doors..... Full disclosure we see very few Lexus, BMW or Italian sports cars... the rest I've likely laid hands on.
Prices of repairs these days, as you've noted, are nothing less than sobering - perhaps they lead one to want to be less than sober too for that matter. For instance personally, my cost on getting my trailer plug working on the left signal was a cool $1400CDN - and I sourced the very last signal module available in western Canada for a 2003 2500 Dodge to do that.
How well I recall putting a good used motor into my '80 Toyota 4x4 for under $1000 plus some time.
To the OP or anyone else looking at a used vehicle, the site I've found which ticks all the boxes with the most consistency is these folks.
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Hopefully that was useful information for someone out there looking to exchange their hard earned money for a vehicle.
All the best to you sir as we head into warmer weather and longer days.
Dwayne
