For a used Ford Super Duty in mid October 2026, buy the 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel only if you tow heavy most weekends; for everyone else the 7.3-liter gas V8, offered from 2020 on, is the smarter money. A 2020-2022 F-250 or F-350 is the value sweet spot, but on any 2020-2022 diesel you want proof of the high-pressure fuel pump recall (24V957) before you sign. After that, tow, fleet, and emissions history matter more than the trim badge.
Super Duty trucks get worked. A lot of the F-250s and F-350s on dealer lots spent years pulling a gooseneck or sitting in a contractor fleet, and fresh tires and a detail job hide most of that. So the order we would go in is engine, generation, recalls, then history. The NHTSA database lists these trucks as "F-250 SD" and "F-350 SD", which matters when you search.
2017-2022: the aluminum-body trucks
The 2017 redesign brought what Car and Driver's 2017 first drive called new aluminum bodywork on a stronger frame. The optional 6.7-liter Power Stroke made 440 hp and 925 lb-ft back then, cost $8,595, and made up about 60 percent of sales, with a six-speed automatic as the only gearbox. The standard gas engine was a 6.2-liter V8 at 385 hp and 430 lb-ft.
The 2020 refresh is where it gets interesting for used buyers. C/D's 2020 Super Duty review lists a new 7.3-liter gas V8 at 430 hp and 475 lb-ft, the diesel up to 475 hp and 1,050 lb-ft, and a 10-speed automatic on most trucks, while the base 6.2 kept the six-speed. If you are looking at a 2017-2019 truck with "1,050 lb-ft" in the ad, that number belongs to a later truck or a tune. Ask which.
2023 and newer
The 2023 truck is new from the tires up, per C/D. The current Super Duty page lists a 6.8-liter gas V8 at 405 hp on the XL, the 7.3 gas at 430 hp and 485 lb-ft as standard on XLT and up, and the 6.7 diesel at 475 hp and 1,050 lb-ft or, in high-output form, 500 hp and 1,200 lb-ft, all with a 10-speed. That high-output diesel is what gets the 40,000-pound gooseneck rating. On C/D's 75-mph loop, a high-output diesel F-250 got 20 mpg and a 7.3 gas truck got 15. C/D notes the 7.3 can nearly match the diesel's strength for a lot less money, and the diesel powertrain warranty runs five years or 100,000 miles versus 60,000 for gas, which matters on a truck that is already three years old.
Recalls we checked by year
We pulled the NHTSA recalls API for the F-250 SD on October 15, 2026, from 2017 through 2026. The big diesel one is 24V957: the Part 573 report covers 295,449 2020-2022 Super Duty and medium-duty trucks whose high-pressure fuel pump can fail from aged biodiesel deposits and cause a loss of power. Warning signs Ford lists are extended cranking, a check-engine light, noise, and reduced power. The remedy is a PCM software reflash that adds pump cooling, not a new pump, so a truck that already has the symptoms needs real diagnosis. A follow-up, 26V158, covers 9,839 trucks that were repaired incorrectly under 24V957.
On the gas side, 22V087 covers 2017-2022 gas trucks with aluminum driveshafts whose underbody insulators can loosen and damage the shaft until it fractures, and 22V880 covers a driveshaft damper on 2017-2018 4x4s. 25V626 covers 115,539 2020-2021 trucks whose steering column upper shaft may detach. Newer trucks have their own list: 23V595 for a left rear axle shaft on some 2023s, 25V401 for a missing brake booster pushrod spring on some 2025s where Ford told owners not to drive until repaired, and 26V119 for a driveshaft weld on 2025-2026 trucks. Start with the NHTSA feed for a 2020 F-250 SD, then run the actual VIN through our Ford recall check by VIN steps. Our Ford VIN decoder notes help confirm the engine and the F-250 vs F-350 claim.
Tow, fleet, and delete history
Diesel trucks bring an extra risk: deleted emissions gear. The EPA's enforcement policy on vehicle tampering and aftermarket defeat devices is written under the Clean Air Act, and if you buy a deleted truck, that problem becomes yours. Ask whether the DPF, EGR, and SCR parts are still installed, then look underneath with a flashlight. Our post on whether CARFAX shows a diesel delete explains what a report can catch, and the Power Stroke history report post covers the diesel-specific red flags.
Fleet use is not automatically bad on a Super Duty. A maintained fleet F-350 with service every few thousand miles can beat a private truck that towed a big fifth wheel on cooked brakes. Read our guide to fleet use on CARFAX and look for regular service, not gaps. If you are still deciding between a half-ton and a heavy-duty, the used Ford F-150 buying guide is the place to start, and the used Chevy Silverado 2500HD buying guide covers the GM rival.
Report cost
On a $50,000-plus truck, a seller's screenshot is a bad trade. Pull your own: through us a CARFAX is about $5.50 as a guest or about $4.50 as a member, and a CARFAX plus AutoCheck bundle is about $6.75, versus roughly $39.99 to $44.99 retail as of mid October 2026; confirm at checkout. We are a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller and are not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck, or Experian.
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