Check
Sign in
All checklists

Heavy Duty Pickups

Heavy-Duty Pickup Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

A guided, do-it-yourself pre-purchase inspection checklist for used heavy-duty pickups: Ford F-250 to F-450 Super Duty, Ram 2500 and 3500, and Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500HD and 3500HD, gas or diesel. No mechanic needed: each check tells you what to look for and what counts as a fail, from the diesel engine, emissions system, transmission, front end, brakes and tires to fifth-wheel and gooseneck hitches and plow equipment, plus known problems by make. For half-ton pickups, use our Light-Duty Pickup checklist.

Buy this checklist

$29.00

90 days of access. Inspect and compare up to 12 items of this type.

Secure payment by card. No account needed: you create a password after paying.

Need a mechanic to inspect it?

Tell us where the vehicle or machine is. We'll put you in touch with a local mechanic or professional inspector, even if you are far away.

Find a local inspector →

What you get

  • No mechanic needed. Most checks need only your eyes, a flashlight and a tire gauge; a few optional deeper checks go further if you have the tools or bring in a mechanic.
  • A guided checklist written for this kind of purchase: every question says what to look for and what counts as a fail. Ready to use the moment you pay.
  • Inspect on your phone: answers save as you go, with photos and notes on any question.
  • Send it to a mechanic, supervisor, colleague, or employee by text or email. They need no account.
  • A report that puts the problems first, with photos, times and location.
  • Inspect and compare up to 12 vehicles, machines or trailers of the same type with one purchase, side by side, before you decide.

Known problems, checked

Includes 9 checks for known problems with this kind of purchase, marked so none is missed.

Comes with a guide to the known problems and red flags to watch for.

How it works

  1. Choose a checklistPick the one that matches what you are buying, and pay by card. No account to set up first.
  2. Add what you are inspectingEnter the item, the asking price and where it is. Add as many as you are considering.
  3. Inspect it, or send itWork through the checklist on your phone, or send it to a mechanic, supervisor, colleague, or employee to do for you.
  4. Read the report and compareSee the problems first, with photos. Put your options side by side and decide.

What it covers 74 questions

  • Identity, Engine and Exhaust12 questions
  • Transmission and Drivetrain12 questions
  • Suspension, Steering and Brakes10 questions
  • Wheels and Tires10 questions
  • Electrical, Electronics and Cab11 questions
  • Fifth-Wheel and Gooseneck Towing5 questions
  • Snowplow Equipment5 questions
  • Ford Super Duty Only3 questions
  • Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra HD Only3 questions
  • Ram Heavy Duty Only3 questions

A sample of the questions

  • VIN matches the vehicle
  • Transmission stall test
  • Ride height, left to right
  • Tire tread depth
  • Charging voltage under load
  • Bed floor around the hitch
  • Plow mounts on the frame
  • Fuel pump metal check (6.7L diesel)

This is a sample. The full checklist is yours when you buy.

Before You Start

You don't need a mechanic or to be a mechanic to conduct this inspection. Most questions need only your eyes, a flashlight and a few low-cost tools, and each one tells you exactly what to do and what counts as a fail.

Allow about an hour and a half, including a road test. Longer if you do the deeper checks.

For heavy-duty pickups, gas or diesel, single or dual rear wheels: Ford F-250 to F-450 Super Duty, Ram 2500 and 3500, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500HD and 3500HD. For half-ton pickups (F-150, Ram 1500, Silverado 1500), use the Light-Duty Pickup checklist.

Before you go, ask the seller to:

  • Leave the engine cold. Some checks need a cold start.
  • Have the title, keys and any service records ready.
  • Park the truck where you can walk all the way around it, not tight against a wall or another vehicle.
  • Agree a road-test route, and access for a mechanic if you are bringing one.

Go in daylight, with the truck on level ground, the parking brake on and the wheels blocked.

Never get under the truck while it is held up only by a jack. Use jack stands.

Answer every question as indicated. Skip sections for a gooseneck or fifth-wheel hitch, plow equipment or a make the truck does not have (answer Not applicable).

Questions marked "Deeper check" are optional extras that need special tools. Skip any you can't do, or ask a mechanic to do them.

Write readings in the note, and add a photo of anything that fails.

Bring (all available at an auto parts store for well under $100 in total):

  • A flashlight
  • A tape measure
  • A tread depth gauge and a tire pressure gauge
  • A basic multimeter, for the battery and charging voltage
  • A code reader for the port under the dashboard (many parts stores will lend one)
  • A clean card, for the blow-by test
  • A 7-pin trailer plug tester
  • Gloves and paper towels
Tools for a Deeper Inspection (Optional)

You don't need any of these to use this checklist. For the questions marked "Deeper check", or if you bring in a mechanic, these are the tools needed, as well as those in Before You Start:

  • A scan tool that reads every module and live data, including injector balance rates and transmission codes
  • A fuel pressure gauge kit, or a scan tool that shows commanded and actual fuel rail pressure
  • A cooling system pressure tester
  • A dial indicator with a magnetic base, for wheel bearings and front-end joints
  • A brake lining gauge and a brake fluid moisture tester
  • A digital multimeter with a DC clamp that reads milliamps, for battery drain
  • An inspection mirror and a pry bar
  • A floor jack and jack stands rated for the truck
  • Optional: oil and transmission fluid sample bottles and a lab
Sources and Standards
  • FieldDone pre-purchase inspection protocol for heavy-duty pickups (October 2026)
  • Your truck's own owner's manual and service information, matched to its VIN, year and engine
  • Installation instructions and ratings for any fifth-wheel, gooseneck or plow equipment
  • NHTSA recall lookup
  • Ford Pro manuals, guides and certificates
  • Mopar vehicle information and owner's manuals
  • GM manuals and guides
  • B&W gooseneck and fifth-wheel hitches