most reliable used pickup?

[jsmall]

Not a repair question, but hopefully some of you have some suggestions for me. I'm in desperate need of a truck for weekend trips to the dump and the hardware. Also has to serve as an everyday vehicle since I can't afford to insure 2 vehicles where I live. I only have a short (~ 10 mile roundtrip) commute to work so I can deal with the poor gas mileage. Looking for opinions on the most reliable late model trucks. I don't have the knowledge, space, or tools to work on this myself so reliabilty is key. I would like to get out of this for less than 10k, and I don't think I'm gonna get too much for my current car - it's a 1996 VW Golf and I have basically beat the s**t out of it. Currently leaning toward Ford Ranger or F150, or possibly Mazda B-series. Any suggestions are welcome, even from the Ford haters :)

[mdshunk]

I've always stuck with Fords, primarily because I find them easiest to work on and the parts are about as cheap as they come. The Mazda B series and the Ranger are the exact same truck with different labels. I've had three Rangers in the past, and none gave me any special troubles other than routine items each year for state inspection. I have an F150 and an F800 now, and they both provide good service for me. Since the F150 is so plentiful, you can get a bargain on it. I'd look for one with one of the more popular engines, since these have proven themselves over time versus an engine that only appeared for a spell.

I also think that the Chevy Silverado and the Dodge 1500 would provide similar service for a similar price. I think that the key is to look for the most popular model regardless of which manufacturer you go with.

You might also consider just spending a just a couple thousand and get a small dump trailer to tow behind almost anything instead of getting a bonafide pickup truck.

[xkvator]

and get a dump trailer to tow behind almost anything

...almost anything except a '96 VW Golf :D


depending on what you're actually hauling...do you need the fullsize? as MD said, Rangers are nice. i've had quite a few Silverados that never had a single problem. the key is to find one that was taken care of & is the right price. start shopping around...buy a TruckTrader...look at www.nada.com & www.kbb.com & www.edmunds.com for current values.
unless you really know what you're looking at, IMO, I'd suggest you stay away from the used car lots.
Look at the used truck inventory at new car dealers...the prices may be a little high at first, but that's part of the game...getting them to come down in price.

[mdshunk]

It would look funny seeing a VW Golf towing a dump trailer. I'm not sure that they even have the towing capacity to pull an empty trailer.

[Mr T]

I love seeing Cavilers, Civics, Escorts, Neons, other small carrs running around town blowing black smoke. Upon closer inspection there is a trailer hitch hanging off the back of it.

If it will tow your weight, check out the 4 cylinder Rangers. THey are Mazda engines, often with 8 spark plugs. (2.3L has 8 plugs, 2.5 has 4). THey are very solid and rugged engines. F-150s seem to be the best bang for buck when it comes to full size trucks.

Also at risk of getting abused again :D You can find rusted out Toyota pickups anywhere for next to nothing.. They look ugly as hell but those engines are good for 300k miles with very little maintenance. I know several people with them.. THey run clean and smooth, no smoke, yet you have to dodge pieces of truck falling off whenever you are behind one.

I would avoid any S-10 or related. From my experience, most parts are year specific, and wont work with any other model year. Such as the $600 fuel pump (a common failure item in the late 90's). FUll size chevys are decent. Some of the 5.7L engines have some small nusance issues (piston slap), but they seem good otherwise.

[jsmall]

Oh please don't hate on the Golf, it's been ultra reliable and actually fun to drive. I have the (non-turbocharged) 4 cylinder engine, but hey the car is tiny and with the manual it actually has some pep. But with a dump trailer that thing wouldn't be able to get out of it's own way. But I digress...

mdshunk I did not realize the Mazda B series and the Ranger were the same, thanks. The Mazdas seem to be a little cheaper where I am, but less plentiful. Tons of used Rangers for sale. And F150s, which I like better because of the larger bed. What are the more popular engines in the F150? I'd stick with a smaller 6 cylinder if possible because I'll need it for bulk more than weight. Not hauling lots of rocks here, mostly things like lumber and drywall.

xkvator I probably don't need the full size, but it would make it easier to get materials for a couple of projects I have in mind. I've seen those bed extenders and if they're not too expensive maybe a smaller truck would be more feasible. My dad has a Silverado and he really likes it, so I'll do some research on those. Thanks for the advice on the used car lots. While otherwise very (very!) assertive I am a terrible haggler. I've bought private sale a couple of times and had pretty good luck, but this time I think I'm going to go to a dealership because I don't want to deal with the hassle of selling the Golf, just want to trade it in. Or give it away as the case may be :)

Thanks for the info.

[Mr T]

I'd stay away from extended cabs.. You get a bigger bed in most cases..
I believe a 4x8 will stack well in a small truck once you are above the wheel wells.. Many newer trucks, and many bed liners have notches where you can lay 2x4's across the bed and it makes a perfect shelf for large items.. Youcan also make your own shelf with some 2x4's and plywood.

Ford and Mazda share products .. Rangers are mostly Mazda, The Mazda version is more popular then the Ranger in Europe. US owned car makers arent always competing with overseas makers, they are in bed with them more then we know!

WHen you visit dealers, dont mention your tradin untill you hammer out a price on your truck. If they ask, say I dont think so, or I will decide after I make a deal on my truck. You will get screwed less this way.

Many non-VW dealers are scared of VW's. They may not give you much for it becasue of that. VW has always been strong in many areas, but they still have alot of bad rep...most is unproven or just not true though. I am sure that some dont like VW cause it was a product of Hitler (and they were probably the most advanced cars in existance at the time too!)

[jsmall]

Mr T sorry did not see your reply while taking so long to answer the others. I love the old Toyotas! I learned to drive on one of those old pickups, it was a manual and I was really hard on it and it never complained. But again I digress...

I am absolutely not worried about looks (hey I drive a Golf) but more about the ability to pass inspection. Here in MD you can bypass the inspection if you have a car more than 25 yrs old and you register it as historic, but that won't fly for me since it will be my everyday car (mileage restrictions). So while tempting the older Toyotas are out. And the newer ones are darned expensive. Are they really that much better than a Ford? I think not for the price.

Thanks for the info on the S-10. Why the heck would the parts be made year specific? That's a major design flaw.

Ranger vs F150. Ranger vs F150. Hmmmmm.

[Mr T]

No clue.. Its a chevy thing.. I think they invented the Torx drive screw/bolt too....just to make you keep coming back to their dealers. Luckily patents expire. Their radios have a special (smaller) antenna plug on them. THe intent was to make you shell out $600 for their cd player. It didnt take long for companies to make adaptors for their antenna plug. Probably the same reason for the 1 year parts.. I had fuel pumps and clutch parts that way before on S-10s... It makes them expensive and hard to find. The only real change on s-10s over the 90's was the intake and injection systems on the engines. This also makes parts very expensive......I wonder if it is related to their need to cut 25,000 jobs now???

A few years back Ford applied for a patent on a Oval shaped screw head. THis would have been all over their cars, including the oil drain plug. The intent was to make you take the car to them for ANY service, or to make non-FOrd Dealers pay a arm and a leg for the Oval shaped tools.. Ford received very heavy compalints and decided to drop the idea. This was about 4 years ago.

[mdshunk]

Ranger vs F150. Ranger vs F150. Hmmmmm.
It will probably come down to which one you come across a good deal on first. Say, you're in the DC metro area. There's a half dozen really large auto auctions within an hour's drive. Maybe you could take a support person and check these places out? The first time I went to an auto auction, I just "watched" to get an idea of how the system works. It's an all night affair, normally. Some of them are all day. I have bought several vehicles at auction, with success. You can pay about 1/4 to 1/3 the price of what that vehicle would command on a sales lot. You have look over your choices that you'll be bidding on before the auction starts and start them up and look under the hood and such and make a list of the lot numbers that interest you.

[jsmall]

Had not considered auto auctions mdshunk. I think there's one in Capitol Heights, not far from me. Have you been to any auctions around the DC area you could suggest? And what about those F150 engines - which permutation of the 6 cylinder is the most popular/easily serviced?

Mr T, I think those kind of proprietary technology policies kill companies. Even Microsoft will bite the dust for this at some point. Just my opinion...

[Roger]

Jsmall....I have worked for Ford Motor Company some 30 years now. I have always driven fords. I have owned 6 full size F-150's and 2 rangers I put over 100,000 miles on everyone of them. A couple of them over 150,000. In my experience they were as reliable as one could expect. No major failures of any big ticket items. I dont say this lightly if they werent as good as some other truck out there then I would say so. You always hear horror stories about the american vehicles in my opinion thats total BS. I see just as many foreign trucks on the side of the road as any others. You wont go wrong with a Ford. There are a heck of a lot of leased trucks that come back to the dealer after 2 or 3 years certain models you can pickup up for that 10k you are wanting to spend. Its a buyers market right now. I would visit a Ford dealer and spell it out to one of the salesmen what you are after and that you want a lease end vehicle. These vehicles will be low mileage and in excellent condition.
If you are ever in the Market for a new Ford truck or vehicle please let me know and I will get my company x-plan discount for you. Typically this will be 5,000 dollars of the sticker price. Good Luck

[jsmall]

Roger, (darn it can't figure out how to quote), that was a heartfelt endorsement for the Fords. Which "certain models" would you suggest for light hauling, for example lumber and sheet goods?

[Roger]

The most recent 6 cylinder is the 4.2 liter V6. this engine I believe dates back to 1999. Havent owned one but have not heard anything bad about it. If you can find a 4.9 liter in-line six prior to 1997 you will have one heck of a reliable engine with surprisingly good mileage. Also pay attention to the 4.6 liter V8 I put 150,000 on one of these without a sneeze. I currently drive a 2001 F150 with the 5.4 V8 no complaints but it does like gas. About 14 to 15 mpg in town. Let us now what you end up with.....Good luck

[Roger]

Just now saw your reply. I prefer the full size models. The rangers and mazdas as Md stated are the same truck. They are just too small for my needs. Dimensional lumber and sheet goods dont like the small beds of these smaller trucks so the full size gets the nod if you want to haul contruction materials. I presently drive a F150 extended cab (not the crew-cab) it has a six foot bed which requires leaving the tailgate down at times. However if you get the sliding glass rear window you can haul long dimensiona lumber and other items like pvc conduit if you are nervous about hauling with the bed tailgate down. Just cant haul large quantities this way. Hope this helps.

[jsmall]

Roger I think the 'in-line six' you're talking about is also called a 'straight six'? Did Ford get rid of that in favor of the V6 when they started making the trucks less boxy? My dad told me that the straight six was an excellent engine. The V8 would absolutely be fun but I can't justify 15 mpg in an already polluted area. In fact I feel guilty about this truck purchase, but doggone it I need to be able to haul!

[mdshunk]

The V8 would absolutely be fun but I can't justify 15 mpg in an already polluted area.
There's a guy in my town that converts old restaraunt grease and french fryer fat into deisel fuel for cars and trucks. He has a little tanker where he comes right to your home or office and fills you up. Pretty cool. Sort of made me think about buying a deisel for the 1.60 a gallon he charges for the stuff. When the cars run on it, it smells like McDonalds at the tailpipe!

[jsmall]

There's a guy in my town that converts old restaraunt grease and french fryer fat into deisel fuel for cars and trucks. He has a little tanker where he comes right to your home or office and fills you up. Pretty cool. Sort of made me think about buying a deisel for the 1.60 a gallon he charges for the stuff. When the cars run on it, it smells like McDonalds at the tailpipe!

(figured out how to quote)
mdshunk I gave serious thought to this and almost bought a VW TDI deisel when i got my Golf. Even checked into where I could get the biodeisel around here. I decided it was going to be way too much of a hassle to drive 20 miles to fill up, and I don't really have the space here to make it at home. But absolute kudos to that solution.

[Mr T]

ahh Diesel.. the goat of engines.... (they will take anything)

I heard of someone who worked for a airline and fueled aircraft. They never drain their storage/transport tanks all the way due to risk of contamination. I dont remember if he filled up there, or somehow transported it home, but he ran his diesel truck on Jet-A fuel along with a quart of light weight oil for lubercation. All it cost for a fillup was the oil.

I had a 1987 Mercury Lynx (equiv to a escort) that was a diesel.. THey offered 2 models with diesel as a experiment.. I got over 50mpg, was a 2.0 liter engine, had 2 oil filters, and took 7.5 quarts of oil! It had 180k miles when it died.. Only thing under the hood we ever replaced besides oil and air filter was a starter and 2 fuel filters (one of them rusted through). HOwever the fuel pump died (of all places in the car dealers parking lot AFTER I signed it over). It is a mechanical pump....with a price tag over $2000.

[Roger]

Your Dad is correct the straight six or in-line was one heck of a motor. I'm not sure why they turned there backs on such an excellent engine. Probably to accomodate the design changes of the late 90's. Also horsepower is easier to achieve I'm told with the v configuration. The sixes were known for their ability to achieve high torque at lower rpm's.
Shoot girl why dont you just bite the bullet and get a F-250 super duty with the 7.3 liter diesel!!!! :D Then you'll be a hauling the mail for sure. Have that guy pour some of the french fry diesel fuel in that puppy and blow'em off the road while smelling like lunch. ;)

[jsmall]

Mr T I also had a Lynx in my senior year of high school - not a diesel. Blew a head gasket on the way home from school one day. Good times... And I just really dated myself.

Roger the F250 Super Duty is way more truck than I need or can afford. Yet I do admit that it would be really cool to drive said truck. I'm just attemptng to get the most economical and reliable truck for my purposes. Ah, to be able to have the horsepower without the guilt! (not to mention the expense)

[Mr T]

Another interesting experience with this Diesel Lynx... I met my now wife while in college. THe first time I brought her home to my parents, we went to a nearby (hour away) amusement park.. THe park closed at midnight.. We went out to my car, I started it. THere was a loud snap, she looked towards me and saw the battery light on (remember this is at night). She asked what that was, and I said, the alternator belt just broke. She knows what normally happens next (you are stranded) and started to panic... I didnt say a thing, put the car in gear and took off for home.. We drove the hour back to my parents. The next day I drove it into town (20 minutes), got a new belt, drove back, then changed the belt.

THe car had a 1050 CCA (dont know the A/hr rate) battery in it. The only thing that drew any current after the car was started was a fuel cut-off relay, and the headlights (there was no computer in this car). Ive driven the thing 4-5 days without a alternator belt before. Cant do that in a gas car.

It was also fun pulling this thing into truck stops.. You can see the truck drivers taking bets on if I make it out of the parking lot or not.. I'd always run it hard out of the fuel bay so that it let out the infamous diesel cloud of smoke. (also good at shaking tailgaters)

I do miss it

[jsmall]

Anyone know anything about the 3.0L V6 used in the Rangers with the 7 ft bed? I looked at a couple of the short bed Rangers today with the 4 cylinder engine but that 6 ft bed is not really what I want. Might be a moot point anyhow because the long bed Rangers appear to be rarer than hens teeth. Only found a couple for sale within 50 miles of me and those were both new. I believe that the F150 might win by default.

[mdshunk]

Anyone know anything about the 3.0L V6 used in the Rangers with the 7 ft bed?
The 3.0 was a ford SVO (special vehicle operations) carryover, and was a nice 60 degree v, and has become popular. The 2.9 was an extremely popular v-6 motor in the rangers for years before the 3.0.

One tip....
You can find out the popularity of engines by going on the AUTOZONE.COM website. You pick "coose a vehicle" in the upper left hand corner, pick the year, make and model of the truck. Next it will let you pick the engine size. This is where it shows in parenthesis the percentage popularity of each engine offered in that model year. It will help you to know if you're considering a model with a popular or more rare engine. Remember, popular engine = cheaper parts and most of the time more reliability.

[jsmall]

Awesome tip mdshunk, thanks! Was trying to find something like this on cars.com, edmunds, etc but I couldn't. They list a 'flex-fuel' 6 along with the regular one for 2002/2003 model years. Guessing this is modified to use ethanol or something?

The more I consider this the more I lean toward trying to find an older F150. What my dad would refer to as a 'yard truck' :) Point A to point B with no frills. And keeping the little Golf for everyday use. Insurance costs be damned.

Thanks again for the autozone link, I'm going to do some serious research with that.

[noel]

fords, ick

[jsmall]

... the 2003 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab! I think with this choice I may have managed to alienate each and every person who posted to this thread :D

This truck is absolutely perfect for my needs. The crew cab rocks for dog and grocery transport, it has a 6 foot bed so it is good enough for the occasional hauling of longer stuff, and I managed to find one in the manual transmission so it's still fun to drive. (Can you tell that I HATE driving an automatic?) Also it will allow me to get rid of the Golf and it's insurance payment. Believe it or not, that costs me almost $100 per month to insure :eek: Now, I just need some practice parking that Nissan - it is a very long vehicle. Right now it takes me several iterations, but I'll get the hang of it soon enough.

Anyone interested in a 1996 Golf? :p

Thanks to all who responded, it was very helpful and I appreciate it. And Roger, if Ford made a small truck with the four doors and the 6 foot bed I would have gone for it. This Nissan appears to be the only small truck out there with those two features. But it is made in Kentucky, so at least someone close to home is benefitting from this.

[mdshunk]

I was going to ask you to marry me until you bought a Nissan.

[jsmall]

Didn't realize polygamy was legal in PA, but oh well guess I missed my opportunity ;)

It's a great truck. Really! I tried like hell to find one of the F150 crew cabs that I could afford that didn't have like eighty gazillion miles on it and failed. And there is nothing comparable to this truck in the smaller models.

Did I mention it is made in Kentucky? :)

[bmwpower]

Toyota all the way.

[jsmall]

Toyota doesn't make anything like this. I checked, and the Tundra is $$$$$! That's the only one that has the four doors. But I do like the Toyotas. There, I said it. I am counting on a few more un-marriage proposals now...

[bmwpower]

Oh, I didn't realize you wanted 4 doors. My mistake.

Someday I will get a DC Tundra, not anytime soon... too much money as you said.

[Mr T]

Ive already been added to several ignore lists already for my comments......and since those people wont be seeing this..... :D (you probably are on them now too, BMW)

Toyota Tacoma's (their mini pickup) are impossible to find and can be a bit pricy through any dealer, but Ive seen more then a few old ones goin down the road with very little body left, but still running strong. Their engines are typicaly good for 300k miles before needing major work.

I drive a RAV4 (baby SUV) but I'm not hauling 4x8's around just tons and tons of small parts. It is by far the most fuel effecient thing I have found that handles all my crap (they pay us as little as possilbe for our milage, otherwise I would have bought another truck). WIth the 5-speed it has alot of pep, and will tow 1500 pounds.

Let the bashing begin!

[bmwpower]

My father is on his 4th Toyota pickup in 30 years. He drives them until it just doesn't pay to fix them... which is usually a long time. Sold the last one to some Mexicans who were going to make a low rider out of it...with close to 300K on the clock.

[jsmall]

My last Toyota pickup - actually the only one I owned, the other one I learned to drive on - went for more than 150k before the ex totalled it in a moment of driver inattention (happily he was not hurt). No doubt it would have gone more. But I desire a little more space than the little regular cab pickups provide. Plus, the dogs can't ride with me to the vet in the little truck because I have large dogs. I didn't really think about this when I first started looking but I realized pretty quickly, after driving a couple of reg and xtra cab Rangers, that I needed the four doors with the bench seat to make this work out. The Nissan won because it also had the 6 foot bed. The comparable trucks (Dakota, Tacoma, Ranger, etc) - some of them offer four doors but they all have that short bed except for this model of the Nissan. And even Nissan does not make the "long" bed in the crew cab any more, as of the 2005 model year. I had to search pretty hard for this truck esp. in the manual. So I'm pretty happy with it so far. Took it to the mechanic and had a thorough check over and he said it was clean and in good condition. So there you have it, I am a proud Nissan owner :)

[Roger]

... the 2003 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab! I think with this choice I may have managed to alienate each and every person who posted to this thread :D

Sorry I didnt realize this thread had continued. Hey its Ok you bought the Nissan. You are correct Ford doesnt make anything to compete with it. One of the things I've never understood about Ford....not making a 4-door midsize. One of my neighbors has this Nissan like yours and he likes it alot. I have a good friend who recently bought a 2005 Nissan frontier 4 door 4x4. It, as much as I hate to admit it, has some features that even turned my die hard Ford head. At any rate this thread has proved my point about foriegn and american vehicles, its not so much about quality but who is making the vehicle that meets your needs.

Mr. T , I didnt put you on my ignore list just took you off my buddy list....that means I still like you but I dont love you anymore.... ladyman_1

[Mr T]

Rog, I dont know if I was loosing more sleep before or will be loosing more sleep now that you said that comment.

Help me MD, I'm scared!

[Unregistered]

I only recently traded my 1989 4 cyl Ford Ranger that I bought used about 1992 or 93. Probably the most trouble free vehicle, car or truck, I ever owned. It was a standard cab with the long, 7 foot, bed. I loved that long bed. Could haul gobs of stuff. You could actually put 8' lumber cross cornered and close the tail gate.
Hope this helps.
Bill

[Oregonian]

Roger If you're still out there, or in anybody else has some thoughts, I could use some advice. We've got an F150 V8 several years old, just over 100 thousand miles. We've done all of the regular maintenance and never had a problem (except for the blowouts of the Firestone tires). We're planning to drive it over the Rocky Mountains next month.

Is that a good idea? What would you recommend we do in the way of preventative maintenance to prevent problems along the way? (I saw something about replacing pumps?) Thanks

[Roger]

(except for the blowouts of the Firestone tires).

I wish I had my Firestones back that Ford replaced, the new ones they put on ride like a tank track.....;)

We're planning to drive it over the Rocky Mountains next month.
Great, I've owned Ford pickups for many many years over 30 I think. I pretty much will not conider any other pick-up on the road.

Just dont get to close to a chevy their bad luck...:roll:

Is that a good idea?

Yes that aint nothin for a Ford


What would you recommend we do in the way of preventative maintenance to prevent problems along the way? (I saw something about replacing pumps?)

My choices for preventive maintenance are...in order of priority.

1.) Check out your brake system top to bottom. Remove about an ounce of fluid from a rear brake cylinder and the master cylinder resevoir. If discolored brown or cloudy flush the brake system and have all new fluid installed. Be sure to not let air into the lines. If ok top off master cylinder resevoir with correct fluid.
2.) If the transmission has not been serviced in the last 30,000 miles have at mimimum the fluid changed. New filter too but this can be a little pricey because they have to drop your tranny pan.
3.) Have your coolant system inspected for leaks and pressure tested. Change the coolant and flush the system if its been more than 3 years since you have had it done. Check all hoses and drive belts. If any hoses are real soft replace them. Any cracks in the belts then repalce. I wouldnt worry about any pumps the belts that drive them are the biggest failure items.
4.) Have any unusual sqealing noises coming from the engine compartment investigated. This could be a bearing about to sieze on a pump or other engine driven accessory.
5.) Wipers in good shape and pump works, and fluid topped off
6.) Tire air pressures to what is listed on the door post. Check every fuel stop
7.) Power Steering fluid good and and topped off. Check belt. No sqealing
8.) All lubrication points under the vehicle lubed and rearend gear oil checked for proper level. A small leak (wet area)is no big deal.
9.) Spare tire in good shape and not flat. All tools needed to change flat with the vehicle. Flash light and emegency reflectors for night use.
10.) Change the fuel filter....in mountain driving you want this part in good shape.
11.) Headlights properly adjusted
12.) All directional lights working
13.) Clean the air condensor coil and radiator fins
14.) If manual tranny gear oil and clutch and hyd.slave in good shape

If its been more than 60,000 miles without a tune up. Get a good tune up and plug change and plug wires. PCV and all other associated engine filters changed. Air filter etc...

Have a safe trip and watch out for the crazys.....smileyruno sniper_1

[Oregonian]

Roger Great advice. Thanks very much.

So I take it that you're not an advocate of replacing pumps just to be safe? And what do you think of these ads suggesting that headlights be replaced because they tend to dim over time? Thanks again

[Mr T]

I"m not Roger, but I'm still gonna reply...

If you havent overtightened the belt, the pump should be ok. Overtightening is what really kills them (bearings). 100K miles isnt too old for a pump yet. Take a good look around the shaft area of the pump. A going bearing will usually give you a few drips, before the constant stream occurs.

In cars with pumps that run off timing belts, they get replaced often as part of normal timing belt service because you are only 3 bolts away from the thing, and already a few hundred dollars in labor into the project. If the pump goes, it could break the timing belt. On many cars, this will do instant and very serious damage to your engine (bent valves, damaged pistons, ect)

Also, keep in mind that flushing out a radiator can sometimes expose existing holes that have been plugged with 'gunk'. Check the cooling system for a few days after you flush. The advantages of flushing far outweigh the risk of a pinhole opening (that will often reseal itself).

Dimming headlights due to age.....When was the last time you replaced a lightbulb in your house cause it got dim? THe only thing thats gonna dim a (normal) headlight is dirt buildup in the housing or on the bulb(usualy shortens the life quickly) If you are going to be doing alot of night driving you may wanna consider upgrading your headlights. Dont buy anything that isnt manufacturer recomended for your truck. Ive heard of people melting housings and wires cause of this. I would avoid stuff like Silverstars and such. They are very expensive, and have a typical life of about a year. (do your homework online) Often "high output" lights are a sufficient upgrade..Just keep in mind you are higher off the ground and may blind oncoming traffic with those extra bright bulbs. Adding driving lights may help too on those dark roads.

[fordrules]

I think my name makes my preferance obvious. But seriously, I've had 2 rangers and other than standard stuff-brakes, tires, fluids, belts no major problems. The one I have now has the sissy 2.5 but it gets good mileage and it can tow moderate loads. With good maintenance your truck will last. My current one is at 116,000 and climbing (Until it hits some broken down Chevy LOL just kidding.):D