I had a 94 Dodge 1500 until it slung a rod @ 230K miles. I bought my 2002 Dodge / Cummins 4x4 immediately after that in March 2007 with about 100K miles. I just rolled over to 270K miles.
I had to have the transmission rebuilt @185K. ($2400)
Had to replace the injector pump and upgraded the lift pump last year...and fixed an oil leak while it was in the shop. ($3200)
I've replaced the wheel hubs about 6 times or so. Passenger side goes out 2 times for every driver hub. About $60-70 a piece and about an hour of labor.
Couple-three water pumps replaced and the radiator once.
Also had to replace the power steering pump and steering gear (not at the same time) a few years ago.
Constantly have to recharge the A/C...
My biggest gripe in all of it though...is the absolutely shi-t-t-t-t-y plastic Dodge used to build the interior of their 94-2002 generation trucks. The dashes are notorious for crumbling to nothing. Aftermarket replacements are available but it is a real pain in the azz. I've also had to replace the fold down cup holder, the dash bezel...and I am about to have to replace the glove box because one hinge cracked / crumbled.
They all have their problems. For every post (across various forums) you see of someone bragging that they've had 100K repair-free miles on truck ABC, there is another claim somewhere else that it is the crappiest, most troublesome piece of equipment ever designed and put into production.
The mechanical, second-gen Cummins as well as the 7.3L Fords are legendary. The second gen Cummins will have a lot of similar issues I pointed out above, minus the injector and lift pump. There is also a huge hotrod base and market for the second gen Cummins.
The 7.3s, good as they are, absolutely blow my mind to see what people are asking for them with 200K or even 300K...asking prices for a pristine 7.3 with only 100K are insane.
I'm eyeballing my next truck and hope to make a purchase this fall. I will be buying used but looking for a diesel 4x4 with less than 100K. I am not interested in any of the recent Fords and the frequency of issues I keep reading about on recent GMs has me cautious....when I pull the trigger, I'm probably going to end up with a Mega-Cab Cummins 4x4.
