The Torque Index blog
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Buyer's checklists and problem explainers for diesel and gas trucks, built from NHTSA owner complaints, manufacturer bulletins and recalls. Every number is sourced; every gap is admitted.
White, Black or Blue: What the Color of Diesel Exhaust Smoke Tells You
Pickup and Van Recalls in 2026: All 50 So Far, and the 11 New Since September
How a Modern Diesel Truck Engine Works, in One Diagram, and Where Owners Say It Breaks
Ford and Navistar: The 27-Year Partnership Behind the 7.3, 6.0 and 6.4 Power Stroke, and How It Ended
“Ford Needs to Recall Diesels Also”: The Cruise Control Switch Fires on the 7.3 Power Stroke
3.5 EcoBoost Rattle on Cold Start: Cam Phasers or Timing Chain?
“Would Not Go Over 10 Miles per Hour”: Sprinter Owners on Limp Mode, and the Cheap Sensor Behind Half of It
What Diesel Repairs Really Cost: 434 Bills Owners Reported to NHTSA
What Breaks When You Tow? 358 Diesel Owners Who Were Pulling a Trailer
Diesel or Gas Super Duty? What Owners of the 6.7 Power Stroke and the 7.3 Godzilla Report
Diesel Truck Terms in Plain English: DEF, DPF, EGR, VGT, FICM, CP4 and 23 More
Every Power Stroke, Cummins, Duramax and Gas V8 Since 1994, on One Page
How a Tractor Engine Ended Up in a Dodge: The 5.9 Cummins Story, 1989-2007
Is the 6.0 Powerstroke Really That Bad? Six Things Everyone Says, Checked Against the Data
EcoDiesel vs 3.0 Power Stroke vs 3.0 Duramax: Which Used Half-Ton Diesel, and What to Check
Diesel Truck Won't Start in the Cold? What Fails on Power Stroke, Cummins and Duramax
6.7 Powerstroke P0299 and Low Boost: Check the Charge Air Tubes Before the Turbo
Power Stroke vs Cummins vs Duramax: What Owners Report, System by System (No Rankings)
5.9 Cummins VP44 Failure: Symptoms, the Lift Pump Connection and What to Check First (1998.5-2002)
Buying a Used Duramax: LB7, LLY, LBZ or LMM (2001-2010)? What Each One Is Known For
7.3 Powerstroke Won't Start or Dies While Driving: What to Check First (1994.5-2003)
Diesel Truck Recalls and Warranty Extensions by Engine: Power Stroke, Cummins and Duramax
At What Mileage Does a 6.7 Cummins Have Problems? What 63 Owners Said
Buying a Used 6.7 Cummins (2007.5-2018): Which Era, What to Check and What It Costs
5.4 Triton Cam Phaser Noise: Cold-Start Rattle, Timing Chain or Something Else? (2004-2010)
Duramax L5P Problems: DEF Heaters, Injector Connectors and What Owners Report (2017-2026)
Buying a Used 6.4 Powerstroke: What to Check, What It Costs and Which Years
“It Just Shut Down”: Five Owners on the Day Their CP4 Pump Failed
CP4 Pump: Which Diesel Trucks Have It, Which Years Fail, and Why It Matters
Buying a Used 5.9 Cummins: 12-Valve, 24-Valve or Common Rail, and What Each One Breaks
6.7 Powerstroke Problems by Year: CP4, DEF, Radiators and the Best Years
DEF Warning and 5 MPH Derate: What Causes It on Ford, Ram and GM Diesels
P2609 on a 6.7 Cummins: What the Code Means and Why Not to Ignore It
2019-2024 Ram 6.7 Cummins Problems: CP4 Pump, DPF and the Grid Heater Bolt
6.0 Powerstroke Bulletproofing: What It Really Includes, What It Costs, and Where People Disagree
Ford 7.3 Godzilla Problems: Ticking, Lifter Failure and Ford's Idle Oil Pressure Fix
Duramax LML Problems: CP4 Pump Failure, DEF and What to Check (2011-2016)
Buying a Used 7.3 Powerstroke: What to Look For, Best Years and Costs
HEMI Tick in a Ram 2500/3500: Lifter Failure or Exhaust Manifold Bolts?
6.7 Cummins Problems: What Actually Breaks on 2007.5-2018 Ram Diesels
5.4 Triton Spark Plug Problems: Why 2V Plugs Blow Out and 3V Plugs Break
Buying a Used 6.0 Powerstroke: What to Look For and What It Costs
Public data, countedNHTSA owner complaints and manufacturer service bulletins, recounted from the raw records for every post.
Every fact tieredVerified, aggregated or contested, the same tiers as the rest of the reference. How we tag facts.
No paid placementWe sell nothing on this blog and rank no shops. Prices are shown as ranges.