# Good deal?



## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

My wife's uncle heard that we were looking for a truck and has offered us his older truck. I test drove it and really like it.
It's a 2008 dodge 2500 trx4, which has the off road package with a higher 3.92 gear ratio. 
It's got the 5.7 hemi.
He just put in a new A/C system, new driver side seat, new high end shocks and brand new tires. 

The interior is in great condition and exterior doesn't have a scratch.
It's got 138,000 miles, which is a little below average. 


At $12,500, it seems like a pretty good deal, considering how the market is right now.
I think I'm going to get it.


What do you guys think?


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## Brettski7 (May 11, 2020)

Looks and sounds like a pretty decent truck. Been thinking of getting rid of my Tundra for a diesel to pull the RV easier and have little better gas mileage but probably won’t happen. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

It's your money, family, and decision to make. Personally.... I avoid doing business with family just to keep peace if something went south. 


In my vehicle buying experiences over the last 30 years, I've came to the conclusion that when buying a "used vehicle", your buying someone's problem. 


I hear from time to time, these guys finding the "Holly Grail" of vehicles. The one that some old man had for 10+ years and only has 10K miles on it.....Why doesn't that happen to me???


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

taxidermist said:


> It's your money, family, and decision to make. Personally.... I avoid doing business with family just to keep peace if something went south.
> 
> In my vehicle buying experiences over the last 30 years, I've came to the conclusion that when buying a "used vehicle", your buying someone's problem.
> 
> I hear from time to time, these guys finding the "Holly Grail" of vehicles. The one that some old man had for 10+ years and only has 10K miles on it.....Why doesn't that happen to me???


You make a good point about buying from family. I'm going to address this in my other thread.


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## caddis8 (Sep 10, 2007)

My brother has a similar truck and that transmission has been bad forever. I think he has had 3 put in. To be sure, he may be tough on them. But Overall, that's a pretty decent deal and if your uncle is a good dude, why not? Help both out. If something goes really wrong, then you two can sort it out like gentlemen. I would rather bless someone's life I know than give money to someone I don't. Just me.


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

One thing I'm having trouble finding is there are not very many trucks in that model for sale. Not anywhere is the country. So it might be because it's a good truck and people are hanging onto them or dodge just didn't make very many in the first place.


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## BigT (Mar 11, 2011)

Seems like a decent deal to me. I am not familiar enough with the year and model. 

I would certainly look into the transmission deal as mentioned earlier. I'll bounce it off my dad who is a transmission mechanic and see if he has anything to say about it.


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

caddis8 said:


> If something goes really wrong, then you two can sort it out like gentlemen.


A person is selling a used truck and a person is buying a used truck. Used vehicles are sold as is. There is really nothing to sort out- if the something goes wrong (even the next day) the buyer fixes it and gets on with life. Best not to even mention it to the seller.

Ridge- I have family with a similar 2008 Dodge truck, just a few less miles (it isn't the off road package). Been ok for them with no real issues. I'd wager you'll have to replace tie-rod ends or ball joints sooner than later. 
A 12 year old truck with 140k miles will have issues. I've found trucks that old and older have plastic parts that become brittle and fail. Something as simple as a zip tie can break and a wire harness becomes ruined. So just go into hoping for the best and knowing something negative may happen. What else are you going to find for $12k?


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

BigT said:


> Seems like a decent deal to me. I am not familiar enough with the year and model.
> 
> I would certainly look into the transmission deal as mentioned earlier. I'll bounce it off my dad who is a transmission mechanic and see if he has anything to say about it.


. A quick Google checked showed 2001 and 2014 as the very worse transmission problems. 2007 was also a had year but 2009 and 2010 listed as much better years. Nothing said about 2008. Hopefully they fixed the 2007 problems by then.


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## TPrawitt91 (Sep 1, 2015)

My step dad had a 2019 Ram 2500 with the 6.4 hemi and it’s transmission went out at 29,000 miles early this year. Dodge hasn’t fixed anything regarding quality of their transmission haha. 

Dodge mechanic when asked what can be done to have better life from the trans, he replied “just change trans fluid every 30k and should be good.”

My step dad looked at him all crazy with his 29k trans that just blew up. 

Dodge can’t seem to keep those transmissions in one piece.


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## caddis8 (Sep 10, 2007)

Packout said:


> A person is selling a used truck and a person is buying a used truck. Used vehicles are sold as is. There is really nothing to sort out- if the something goes wrong (even the next day) the buyer fixes it and gets on with life. Best not to even mention it to the seller.


If not family, I agree. But with family, both want to work things out as neither is out to hose the other.


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

caddis8 said:


> If not family, I agree. But with family, both want to work things out as neither is out to hose the other.


I guess for me it would be more important not to mention it within family. Especially in Ridge's case where the uncle is knocking off $2,500.


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## caddis8 (Sep 10, 2007)

I get it. But if it were me selling the vehicle, I'd want to make sure the other person didn't feel like i was hosing him. 

Minor stuff would be no big deal because cars break. But if there was something big that showed up, I'd want to make sure we came to an agreement. But that's just me.


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