WTK if used BT-50 is a good buy

[yvan300]

Did some searching on the forums and got a wealth of info. But I wanna get some more recent advice in the current economic times etc.

I'm looking to upgrade from my current car and get something a bit more reliable. I have no experience with diesel. I've been seeing some BT-50 's for sale for around 70-80k (the model before the newest one). That's within my price range once I sell my current car. What I wanna know is how reliable are these vans? From searching trinituner, I've seen people complain about the head cracking and the turbo leaking. I'm not sure if this is due to lack of maintenance or a common fault. Would the engine and turbo be relatively cheap to replace incase they go bad soon after I get the van? What about the durability and availability of the other parts of the van in general? I real eh wa leave my current headache car to get a van that giving same headache or costing me an arm and a leg to upkeep.

I was also thinking about getting a roro wingroad as well compared to the van. Within price range but I think a van would be better as its more functional (plus diesel cheaper). Third option was a roro toyota axio. Only seeing the hybrid models available. A bit weary of that as it seems like a recipe for headache further down the road, but I may just be paranoid.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[rmrunner]

Any vehicle bought used is a risk involved. But we all can't afford new so we settle for used. The bt50 is a work horse but most first owners give them good beating before selling. The part about the head cracking is a common fault. The clutch seals also wear out quickly. The automatic with common rail engine is a better buy but then again the transmission also has its problems. In terms of low maintenance and less headache the wagon is a good buy except for the bad roads. As for cheap diesel you speak of. At the rate your uncle imbert going it go be higher than gas just now

[supercharged turbo]

Head cracking is a common fault.Few I know of had to replace the turbo and as stated above,the automatic is a better buy...provided it was cared for.The vehicle relatively reasonable to maintain and parts eh hard to source.That van is not to be underestimated when it comes to power.

[tr1ad]

Once is WL, it's a 50/50 chance; most I've seen and purchased (diesel) always have had previous owners that just had the mindset that it's diesel it could take licks.

That being said , I highly doubt I'll ever purchase a used diesel ever again.

I'd quicker go for a wagon

Diesel "cheaper" but the service on them would be the same to my VW or turbo Subaru... And let's not go into the realm of diesel pump / injector servicing, one such service cost me 6500 and the problem wasn't solved

[shake d livin wake d dead]

buying second hand pickups is a risk by itself...vehicles does get real licks....first thing to look for is back pressure...save yah $$ and try to buy new.....if not, the risk is on you..

[pugboy]

a pickup is actually same or more expensive to maintain in the long term also when you factor the cost of much larger tires etc.

[babygirl]

Bt50 is a good option. Reason for head cracking is lack of proper maintenance. Guys in trinidad work them to a pulp and dont maintain PROPERLY. head cracking is a result of not replacing thermostat at specified interval and not changing coolant, or using improper coolant. Some just top.iff with water which has chlorine that shortens life of thermostat. I have a bt50 from brand new doing close to 200,000 km. The only thing i ever changed was the oils, timing belt, clutch, pressure plate and release bearing (Maintenance). It still also has the original radiator it came with. Some guys swear by replacing radiator with metal and this and that. My van does roughly 5000km in 6 weeks.
Bt50 and ranger both are good vehicles. Like any other vehicle maintain properly and you good to go.

[ADONI]

OP, I think all these guys cover it, excellent advice here!!!

[yvan300]

Thanks a lot for the info guys. I think I'd hold strain for maybe a year and buy new.

[DrunkenMaster16]

Bt50 is a good option. Reason for head cracking is lack of proper maintenance. Guys in trinidad work them to a pulp and dont maintain PROPERLY. head cracking is a result of not replacing thermostat at specified interval and not changing coolant, or using improper coolant. Some just top.iff with water which has chlorine that shortens life of thermostat. I have a bt50 from brand new doing close to 200,000 km. The only thing i ever changed was the oils, timing belt, clutch, pressure plate,Break Pads/ Shoes,drive shaft crosses, clutch fan, misc suspension rubber boots etc, misc hoses, gaskets, engine sleaves... and release bearing (Maintenance). It still also has the original radiator it came with. Some guys swear by replacing radiator with metal and this and that. My van does roughly 5000km in 6-7 weeks.
Bt50's are good vehicles. Like any other vehicle maintain properly and you good to go.

Minor edit's with my experience, but good write up.

Im pushing 210 000 km on a 07 with the original head/ block, transmission. I had to fix / upgrade the diff after shattering the lsd / spider gear, and the original radiator cracked. I opted for a metal replacement.

Honestly im looking at a low mileage 2010 BT as my replacement. Just maintenance is really important as said many times over and monitor your vitals.

[yvan300]

Bt50 is a good option. Reason for head cracking is lack of proper maintenance. Guys in trinidad work them to a pulp and dont maintain PROPERLY. head cracking is a result of not replacing thermostat at specified interval and not changing coolant, or using improper coolant. Some just top.iff with water which has chlorine that shortens life of thermostat. I have a bt50 from brand new doing close to 200,000 km. The only thing i ever changed was the oils, timing belt, clutch, pressure plate,Break Pads/ Shoes,drive shaft crosses, clutch fan, misc suspension rubber boots etc, misc hoses, gaskets, engine sleaves... and release bearing (Maintenance). It still also has the original radiator it came with. Some guys swear by replacing radiator with metal and this and that. My van does roughly 5000km in 6-7 weeks.
Bt50's are good vehicles. Like any other vehicle maintain properly and you good to go.

Minor edit's with my experience, but good write up.

Im pushing 210 000 km on a 07 with the original head/ block, transmission. I had to fix / upgrade the diff after shattering the lsd / spider gear, and the original radiator cracked. I opted for a metal replacement.

Honestly im looking at a low mileage 2010 BT as my replacement. Just maintenance is really important as said many times over and monitor your vitals.

Yeah maintainance is the key but then comes the problem of knowing what you getting. It'd suck alot to spend 80k on a used van and within a few months engine hadda change or turbo goes bad. Sigh

[dude2014]

Somewhere out there is a good BT for you. In case you have to do the repairs identified above, try to cost that, and be certain that you can meet the expense to do so, if you decide to buy one. Also get a mechanic to assist you in inspecting/looking over a few so you can make a choice.

As for the turbo and engine nah hearing how de A@se it will go bad in two months, if it good when you buy. Oil change, coolant, servicing your injectors, blah blah blah will have to be done.

Also check out the sad stories on spending $300K plus for a new one that sits in the garage and dealership dazzle you with bull fart when things go wrong ............

[kamakazi]

I would like to inquire as to what your current car is.

Diesel fuel is cheaper but the cost for replacement parts is much much more. Servicing costs a little more as everything is bigger in a diesel pickup vs a car. Diesel engines hate water in its fuel especially common rail diesels.

I advise persons if you do not have a mechanical bone in your body or a decent mechanic... Steer clear of diesel.

All that said
I like the bt-50 a lot...It is one of the most car like pickups I have driven(the models before the ones that require a heavy t license). I rather ABS equipped models as it is sometimes a life saver. In my experience the clutch engagement point in the manual changes as the engine heats up...It moves closer and closer to the floor....And when I say heat up I mean the engine has to be running for at least an hour. Didn't have it long enough to experience problems with cracked heads or overheating due to a stuck thermostat.