So rhe 6.7 takes several thousand to make it reliable?
Is that the norm or an exception?
Incorrect. The poster got bad fuel, which wiped out his high pressure system. His proactive turbo replacement may or may not have been necessary.
Job 1 6.7s had the following common issues:
-trucks built prior to April 2011 had a heat treat issue with the exhaust valves, which would cause them to come apart and wipe out the motor.
-Transmission valve bodies had some funky activity regarding low speed, low throttle percentage shifting. Ford issued a TSB for this, and the solution was valve body replacement.
-2011 model year trucks had plastic oil pans which were leak prone. 2012 + came with steel and they are a direct bolt on replacement.
-11/12 turbos had turbo bearing issues due to the inherent design, and that is why the 13/14 turbos were a slight improvement, and a hard boost limiter installed on the PCM. Most problems showed up in tuned scenarios. 2015+ turbos are a direct bolt in swap and have been exceptionally reliable and support just under 600hp
Some 6.7 notes:
-I have had multiple job 1 6.7's, some of which dropped valves, some of which did not. All well over 200k miles.
-I had a job 1 6.7 with a modded 2015 turbo, stroker hpfp and stock everything else last over five years and 50k of abuse, on stock everything including trans. Dyno'd 668 / 1248. I sold it and its still ticking in the same form.
-13+ trucks had my ford touch with the updated dash and centre console. Also platinum trim became available.
-Cold side intercooler pipes had a habit of splitting under high heat/boost/load scenarios. Host of cheap aftermarket options available. Updated on the 17+ models.
-Rads often leak at the seam as they are a plastic end tank. Most commonly because of failing cab mounts or high suspension articulation circumstances. Don't be tempted by the solid aftermarket options- they fail even sooner as they dont allow for flex.
-Clean fuel is of utmost importance if you want the fuel system to survive.
Conclusion:
11s are hit and miss but mostly hit. 12s are prteey solid but move to 13/14 for advanced tech and turbo reliability. 15/16 are the last of the "real steel" super duties and have been tremendously reliable. 17-19 are decent but had some body issue growing pains (leaking windows / roofs, poor panel adjustment, wiring gremlins), but still had the 6 sp trans. 20+ have subtle engine changes and the 10 sp trans which i HATE.