6 Of The Best Years To Consider If You're Buying A Used Ford F-250 Super Duty Diesel

Diesel has been slowly fading away in the American automotive market over the last few years. In the United States, diesel has long struggled to keep pace with gasoline already, despite it being the more efficient fuel of the two. Now, car companies have been putting their focus on electric vehicles that the desire to continue developing diesel fuel as an alternative to regular gasoline has definitely diminished. General Motors is cutting back on the Duramax diesel engines it is producing, and the EcoDiesel engines from Stellantis have ended production entirely. However, there is still one major American brand where diesel has become something of a staple. That company is Ford with its line of Super Duty F-Series pickup trucks.

It should be noted that diesel is not necessarily a standard issue fuel for a Super Duty truck, but it is a widely available option across the board, including for the smallest available option in the line with the Ford F-250. Since the Super Duty line was firmly established in 1999, the trucks have gone through five different generations, the most recent of which began with the 2023 model year. Within those generations, Ford has also utilized a number of different diesel engines in them as well. If you are in the market for your own diesel-powered Ford F-250, it can be a little daunting to go back over the 25 years of Super Duty trucks to figure out which ones are best to get used. After collating reliability ratings and reviews from a variety of different publications, here are six different Super Duty F-250 model years to keep at the top of your list.

If you want to go all the way back to the very first generation of the Ford Super Duty F-250, then the earliest you should look is the 2002 model year. This vehicle is already over 20 years old, so finding one that has acceptable mileage might be a tad difficult. However, if you do, the results could be rather good for you. First off, we need to talk about the diesel engine it uses. The first few years of the Super Duty trucks implemented a 7.3L Power Stroke V8 under the hood, which is what you would find here. One year later, Ford would switch this out with a smaller 6.0L Power Stroke V8, but the reason you should look for a model with the larger engine is that the 6.0L was at the center of a large class-action lawsuit that claimed it was defective. Ford ended up settling this suit, showing some validity to the problems.

Meanwhile, the 7.3L Power Stroke has no such legal issues. It isn't the most powerful engine imaginable with 250 hp, but it can produce 505 lb-ft of torque for the automatic transmission and 275 hp and 520 lb-ft of torque for the manual. Among consumer reviews of the Super Duty truck, it has received 4.5-star ratings from both Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds. On average, you are likely to find a 2002 model going for anywhere from $7,000 to $12,000 on average, depending on the trim. There are listings out there for models over $20,000, but those prices can be easily avoided.

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The 6.0L Power Stroke V8 was subject to a class-action lawsuit, but that does not necessarily mean that plenty of people who had that engine in their Ford Super Duty F-250 did not enjoy their experience with that particular model. No model year exemplifies that better than 2005. After its creation in 1999, this particular model year was the first time the pickup truck had undergone any sort of major refresh, save for the engine change that occurred in 2003. This included ornamental features like changes to the headlight and grille designs, but it also meant improvements to the chassis, in order to better handle heavier payloads.

While the engine is controversial, MotorTrend heaped great praise upon that 6.0L Power Stroke turbodiesel V8 in its initial review, impressed by its 325 hp and upwards of 570 lb-ft of torque for the SuperCab model. This is also the one model year with this engine's use that consistently receives praise for its reliability, something that would crater the following year, with CarComplaints rating it as the worst model year for the truck. Once again, finding a nearly 20-year-old vehicle with acceptable mileage may be a little hard, and any vehicle that old may be a turn off. However, you are locking in on what is easily the best Super Duty F-250 of this era, and you can find one for a relatively good price, hovering in the $10,000 to $13,000 range on average.

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The second generation of the Ford Super Duty trucks began with the 2008 model year, and although it lasted just three years. Out of the three, the 2009 model year is probably your best option. This year earns the best quality and reliability score from J.D. Power of the generation with 79 out of 100 and by far the lowest number of reported issues on CarComplaints. With this generation, Ford replaced the 6.0L Power Stroke turbodiesel V8 (prior to the lawsuit being filed by several years), and in its place, a brand new 6.4L Power Stroke V8 was created. The larger displacement volume also gave the Super Duty F-250 a boost in power, able to generate 350 hp and a rather impressive 650 lb-ft of torque to tow up to 12,500 pounds.

As for why you should aim for the 2009 model rather than the generation starter from the previous year, it is due to upgraded technology for the driving experience. Most notably, this model year introduces Ford Sync, allowing you to pair your smartphone to your F-250 via Bluetooth to play media along with making hands-free phone calls. In our modern automotive world, having a feature like that comes as a great benefit, even if the Ford Sync technology has evolved a great deal since this initial usage. There are many different trims for this Super Duty F-250, and depending on which one you are getting, they can be as low as $11,000 or upwards of $19,000.

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It is time to move into the third generation of the Ford Super Duty F-250 pickup truck, which launched in 2011. As is the case with many vehicles that enter a new generation, that first year was somewhat rocky, and there is a pretty big spike in the number of submitted issues on CarComplaints from drivers. Ford needed some time to iron out the kinks in its new design that featured a new steel frame that was thicker than any previous Super Duty truck, not to mention thicker than any competitor's heavy-duty truck as well. By the time we get to 2013, that is when this new generation of the truck really hits its stride.

Once again, Ford has swapped out the previous diesel engine for a newer, bigger one with a 6.7L Power Stroke turbocharged V8. The engine reaches new heights of power output for the truck at 400 hp. While that's good, this thing is a torque monster, able to generate 800 lb-ft. For someone wanting to handle that kind of force, the 2013 Ford F-250 certainly delivers about as good a handle as you could hope for. Customer reviews for the truck from both Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book average out to about 4.5 stars, and J.D. Power gives it a great reliability score of 81 out of 100. Since it's newer, used model prices are quite a bit higher than what's been previously recommended, ranging from $21,000 to $34,000 for the various trim options.

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In many ways, the 2015 model of the Ford Super Duty F-250 is very similar to the one from two years previous. In terms of the pickup truck's look, it is basically identical, both on the outside and the inside. What separates this particular year is the engine. This model year uses that same 6.7L Power Stroke diesel V8, but Ford swapped out the turbocharger that it once used for a newer, more powerful one that boosts its output even more. We see an increase to 440 hp and 860 lb-ft of torque, as if the previous iteration of this engine didn't provide enough torque already. For those looking for serious hauling capabilities, the 2015 model delivers, able to tow up to 16,800 pounds with a fifth-wheel or gooseneck hitch.

In terms of reliability, you are looking at roughly the same figures as the 2013 model, too. J.D. Power gives it the exact same score of 81 on that front, and it has only been subject to three recalls in its time. Essentially, this is everything that worked about the previously discussed model year but with more power. Depending on your needs, power could be all you are thinking about. With that extra power comes some additional cost. On average, a used 2015 Super Duty F-250 could be in the $24,000 range, and for your luxury Platinum models, that price could be more like $38,000.

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The last model year on our list comes from the Ford super Duty F-250's fourth generation. 2022 was actually the last year of this generation, which began back in 2017. The major redesign with this evolution was a completely redesigned body for the truck made out of aluminum, placing it more in line with the standard F-150 model that is so popular. This generation also sees a technological overhaul that includes options for a 360-degree camera and blind spot monitoring, bringing what had mostly just been a hauler's dream into the modern tech age.

As for what is underneath the hood, it is still that 6.7L Power Stroke turbocharged diesel V8 engine that was used in the prior generation. As the years have gone on, Ford has been able to improve that piece of equipment even more. For 2022, that V8 could deliver 475 hp and a staggering 1,050 lb-ft of torque. For all the haulers out there, the F-250 model can handle a maximum towing capacity of 22,000 pounds.

What makes all this more impressive is that it has the best reliability score of any F-250 model from Consumer Reports too, as well as an 83 out of 100 reliability rating from J.D. Power. As these are still fairly new trucks, the lowest you're likely to find one is for about $45,000, and going upwards of $75,000 for the top trims.

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In order to narrow down 25 years of the diesel-powered Ford Super Duty F-250 into just six models, a lot of different factors were taken into consideration. First off, no model year from the current generation of the pickup truck, which began in 2023, were to be included, as these are just essentially new vehicles, and they do not really have a used market at the moment. After all, this list was created to serve those looking at that used market. From there, reliability was an enormously important factor, which is why sources like Consumer Reports, J.D. Power, and CarComplaints were used for practical, driver-based experiences with the various model years. Reviews from publications like Car and Driver, MotorTrend, and Autoweek also played an important role in determining the quality of a particular truck, as did consumer reviews from Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book.

An effort was made to capture the full history of the diesel-powered Ford Super Duty F-250 as well. There needed to be representation from every era to show that there are highs throughout the truck's life. This gives perspective buyers an idea of the various technologies available in certain models, and more importantly, it showcases all of the different diesel engines that Ford used for this truck. Consequently, it also gives people a wide price range to sift through, as no two person's budget for a used vehicle is exactly the same.

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