i second the lift pump issue, its coverd under your engines warrenty tho, for 100000 miles, also i hear of injector issues, i think if i could do it all again, i would find a 98 12 valve with a 5speed. imho i would rather have that truck than my 04, the seats are very uncomfertable depending on the model mine is basline the seats are like sitting on a brick...the power is nice but i miss the simplicity and cheapness of the older engine, but tuning on the fly is fun. i would rather a cummins powered dodge over any ford or cheby truck. i drive a 2007 6.0 f550 for work every day, it takes a beating but has no ***** comparid to my 04 cummins powerd dodge and also is less atractive to the eye. buy a dodge with the cummins get a 6speed if you want to save money or if you keep is stock get an auto, they are great trucks. buy and enjoy

 

got 137k on mine, had to change an idler pulley on it, dual mass flywheel went bad replaced it with a solid one from Southbend. Stay on top of the fuel filter changes and anytime mine starts idling a little rough I dump some Seafoam in it and that usually solves it. CR 5.9s don't like dirty fuel at all. Oh yeah I've also had to replace all the u-joints(steering knuckles,front drive, and rear) and 1 front wheel bearing hub assembly.

 

ahhhahaha thats the $h!t

 

I know I'm resurrecting an old thread, but for future readers looking for answers to the same question here is my experience;

I have a 2004.5 3500 4x4 Quadcab. Liftpump went out at 20k, dealer replaced it under warranty. I had the bullydog chip for awhile and burned out my trans at 109k miles. Had a tensioner pulley and water pump go out after that but don't remember the mileage. Batteries quit somewhere around 170k miles (got 5yrs out of them). Front driveshaft wore out somewhere around there, the bearing in the double knuckle wore out if I remember correctly and created a vibration that was rather annoying. Around 208k miles I had some trans shifting issues that I fixed with a couple hundred dollars in parts. (I had neglected the regular filter changes for 100k miles... I know... WTF was I thinking?) Around that same time my transfer case started making some nasty popping noises when I put it in 4wd. At about 228k miles I replaced the entire steering tie rod/pitman arm/ball joints and the vacuum pump for the cruise control. Now at 234k miles I'm having the starting problem that I believe is injectors. Needs ether for the first start of the day (I know, I've done the search and everyone on here says "don't use ether!!!") and after that it will start fine. Let it sit overnight and it needs another shot.

Other than that it's been a great truck. I've been staying on top of the maintenance as I want to get a million miles out of this truck.

 

I agree, with 125xxx I'm doing ball joints and front drive shaft U joints and replacing two tie rod ends. to the tune of 700.00,
As far as cummins there rock solid, just clean up the fuel. mopar on the other hand could have done better... I.E. window switch issues and those damn front wheel bearing's. good thing the after market is there...

 

Rip out the 6 liter and BOMB it with a CUMMINS!

 

03 and only out of pocket repair was 2 ball joints .

 

My 98 12 valve has 550 000 kms, and is still running strong. It has close to 400 hp's, get's great fuel mileage. And no major issues, except for the killer dowel pin, which is a relatively easy fix, and I won't have to worry about it ever again.

Just shanged the rad for the first time, 547 000 kms. If you take car of your truck, it will take care of you.

Corbin

 

Early Bosch CR injectors were a problem for Cummins and the Duramax. The fuel was just too dirty in places and the filters needed to clean it up just weren't available. The result is injectors failing. Stick a filter with a 5 micron or better rating on it with a good water separator and you'll have that problem handled. The lift pump is its own problem with numerous solutions depending on how creative you feel like getting..

 

The root cause of the Dodge fuel system vulnerability is the tank vents. They are open to the atmosphere allowing water and dirt ingress, which subsequently kills the LP and injectors alot quicker than it should. Better filtration and water separators help a lot. Fixing the vents along with better filtration and water separators will allow the stock pumps and injectors do just fine for a long, long time.