The Ford 7.3L Powerstroke is widely regarded as the most reliable diesel engine ever sold in the US. Million-mile examples are common. Its problems are almost all small electrical sensors - the bottom end is forever.
Most reliable diesel ever made. Failures are small parts - CPS, glow plugs, IDM. The block, heads, and rotating assembly are essentially unkillable.
CPS fails intermittently when hot. Symptom: no-start when warm, restart cold and runs fine. Carry a spare in the glove box - $30 fix.
View diagnosis →Cold-start hard, white smoke, rough idle until warm. Often the relay before the plugs themselves.
View diagnosis →IDM controls injectors. Cracks in the case from heat cycling let moisture in. Symptoms: misfires, no-start, P codes for injector circuits. Mounted on driver fender.
View diagnosis →Exhaust bellows between turbo and manifolds crack. Loss of power, soot stains. Aftermarket non-bellow up-pipes are a permanent fix.
View diagnosis →O-rings on the HPOP and standpipes/dummy plugs leak high-pressure oil, causing hard hot starts. Easy DIY fix.
View diagnosis →Exhaust back pressure valve sticks open or closed in cold weather. Many owners delete the EBPV.
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None really - even high-mileage examples are valuable
1999.5-2003 (improved injectors, more power, better intercooling)
Annual maintenance $500-800. Most failures are $30-300 each. Total non-routine over 300K (yes, 300K): $3,000-5,000. These trucks rust away before the engine dies.
If your Ford is throwing a check engine light, these are the codes most often associated with the problems above. Click any code for full diagnosis steps and typical repair costs.
Yes. It is the most reliable diesel Ford ever sold. 500,000-mile examples are routine. 1,000,000-mile examples exist.
Camshaft Position Sensor (CPS) - hot-soak no-starts. $30 fix. Every owner should carry a spare.
Yes if the body and frame are solid. The engine will outlast the truck. Inspect for rust, oil leaks at the HPOP standpipes, and turbo pedestal EBPV operation.
The bottom end is good for 600+ hp on stock internals. Most owners run 250-400 hp tunes for daily driving.
The 6.0L Powerstroke (2003-2007) - which is the OPPOSITE in reliability and is famous for head gasket and HEUI issues.