Buying a used diesel truck is a significant investment, so it makes sense to thoroughly assess the truck before buying it. Some parts of the assessment involve checking the truck’s history and maintenance patterns, and others involve assessing its current condition. Once you engage the salesperson, there are six critical steps to checking out a truck.
Step one is to check the mileage and confirm that it matches the truck’s age and condition.
The lower the mileage, the better. Step two is to check the service history, especially its oil and transmission fluid changes. Is there paperwork from reputable service providers? If everything looks good, take the third step and take the truck to a preferred service department for a thorough inspection. Pay the money now to avoid buying problems you will pay for later.
Step four is to check the tires for wear and undesirable wear patterns. Step five is to start the engine to see if it turns over immediately, sounds solid, and check underneath for leaks. The sixth step is to test drive it to see how it handles different conditions. The steps may not occur in the listed order since the inspection comes last, but each step provides information about the used diesel truck to help you make a good investment.
