We work on Duramax, Powerstroke, and Cummins late model trucks and nearly all problems fall into 3 catagories:
1. Wrong application. A diesel truck is not designed to be a daily driver. It's designed to haul heavy....any other use will cause problems. If a 1/2 ton gas truck or a Kia will serve your purpose, you don't need a diesel......
2. Improper maintenance and fuel. Following the manufacturers recommended service intervals helps a ton. Red fuel is designed for use in farm and industrial equipment. Use in a modern diesel will cause problems, mostly injector related. The use of the wrong oil in Powerstrokes will also cause injector problems.
3. Tuner/programmers. Yes they help milage. Yes they allow an incredible power increase. It's just too easy and too tempting to leave it alone. We're all power pigs here. Could you resist an additional 150hp at the push of a button? I can't.......ok, I'll step off my soap box now and move on
Johnny