I think this is my last one

[KPear]

I also have had the SRC, the water pump and alt replaced all in under 70,000 miles and almost 5 years of ownership. Yes everyone outsources parts but Fiat seems to have dropped the ball with follow through with quality. AS for the SRC I do not believe that was provided by Cummins for my truck. If I recall that was part of the ****ing match as to who was going to pay for replacing all of them when they started to fail early. I want to say that Cummins had specked out a supplier and Fiat went with a cheaper one. As we who ended up getting new ones well know those units weren't up to the task. I' m a simple man I just want a truck that works right. We've had more than enough time to have fixed these things before they hit the market. Our trucks are not a "New untested
Technology thing". They have been in the works for years now. I hope the next gen Rams have it figured out maybe they will change my mind........ One can only hope.

The water pump is being replaced for everyone via the recall.

As is the SCR.

I haven't heard of large #'s of alternators failing.

Cummins does in fact have an entire division devoted to emissions technology and does supply emissions controls for most of their engines. I'd be very surprised if FCA used a different supplier for the 6.7l cummins.

You all can complain, but FCA is actually addressing some of the major faults with recalls (water pump, SCR). Moreover, other OEM's in the diesel market have had similar issues and recalls.

I think some people here are falling victim to the 'grass is greener' syndrome. I'm also a bit confused as to why so many self-proclaimed 'long term' Ram customers here are just now finding reason to depart the FCA bandwagon. These newer trucks, while not perfect are vast improvements over the older ones in most areas. The trucks from only 10 years ago (when Ram was still Dodge) were close to being utter crap IMHO; the engines were decent but everything around them was of poor build quality. Go compare a 2005 Dodge 2500 to a Ford of comparable age and mileage....the Ford's have held up fairly well (excepting some of the major engine issues) while the Dodge's (the trucks themselves, not necessarily the engines) are falling apart.

So why now do some people here all of a sudden want to jump ship? It seems if they really had an issue with Ram's quality control, they should've done so many years ago.

 

[josephc1]

I had a 2006 Dodge. My 2014 Ram is hands down a better truck over all.

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

Love my 03 and haven't even sat in anything newer than an 08. I'm hoping the 03 gets me another 5 yrs. At 152k now I probably won't see 200k. I may not have all the bells and whistles of the newer ones but I don't have the headaches either.

Unless I fall into a load of money I don't see myself buying a new truck anytime soon. If that were to happen, Ram would be my 1st choice simply because of the Cummins.

 

[BIGNASTY]

THIS THREAD IS WHY IM KEEPING MY 04.5 in my stable no matter how many people leave notes wanting to buy it under my wiper blades. The new trucks are a MASSIVE PITA to put it nicely.

 

[jgillott]

So why now do some people here all of a sudden want to jump ship? It seems if they really had an issue with Ram's quality control, they should've done so many years ago.

I'm a slow learner. It only took me 25 years to realize that all of my Rams have ended up with the same issues over and over again. Rust, unfixable electrical problems, ball joints over and over again, constant stuck brake calipers, broken HVAC doors, and the list goes on and on. Every one of them have been exactly the same. At least I can give Dodge/Ram credit, they are at least consistent.

I've posted over in the 3rd gen section about the rust issues I've delt with on my 3rd gens. Just for kicks, here are the rear wheel arches on my 4th gen. This is after extensive rust proofing efforts since the truck was new.

Now, as I mentioned earlier in this thread, I needed a new truck this week in order to continue to do my job since 2 of the 3 of my Rams are currently down for major repair. I think I would have to have my sanity checked if I would go and do the same thing again and expect a different result.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

‘94, ‘96, ‘97, ‘99, ‘06 and ‘14. The ‘14 has been the worst out of all of them. I should have never sold my ‘06, it was better in every way.

 

[Beast2B]

Besides farming out pieces and parts to other companies, I also wonder about how many times Dodge/Ram has changed ownership hands in the last decade or two. Kinda like the plan to keep a truck for 2-3 years while under warranty with minimal upkeep and maintenance, maybe the overseers are just trying to wring out the cash cow and pass on the carcass to the next owner group?

 

[DavidC]

I'm a slow learner. It only took me 25 years to realize that all of my Rams have ended up with the same issues over and over again. Rust, unfixable electrical problems, ball joints over and over again, constant stuck brake calipers, broken HVAC doors, and the list goes on and on. Every one of them have been exactly the same. At least I can give Dodge/Ram credit, they are at least consistent.

I've posted over in the 3rd gen section about the rust issues I've delt with on my 3rd gens. Just for kicks, here are the rear wheel arches on my 4th gen. This is after extensive rust proofing efforts since the truck was new.

Now, as I mentioned earlier in this thread, I needed a new truck this week in order to continue to do my job since 2 of the 3 of my Rams are currently down for major repair. I think I would have to have my sanity checked if I would go and do the same thing again and expect a different result.

I feel your pain and people in rust prone areas have been fighting it for decades. Even during my Air Force times we had a corrosion control shop and the planes are made of aluminum and magnesium. Aluminum does not rust but has it's own way of self destructing.
Types of corrosion
The most frequently occurring types of corrosion are:

Galvanic corrosion: Occurs when the aluminium comes into contact with more noble metals, such as iron.

Pitting corrosion: Occurs if aluminium is in very humid environments, often with salts present (normally in dirt and filth) as well as in environments where water cannot come off the metal. Pitting corrosion is the most common form of corrosion on aluminium.

The only defense I know of is a good offense for keeping things clean and protected. It is a tall order for a vehicle on the ground driving on salt and sand covered roads. It will be interesting to see how Ford's aluminum bodies fare in the next few years in those conditions.

Dave

 

[jgillott]

I feel your pain and people in rust prone areas have been fighting it for decades. Even during my Air Force times we had a corrosion control shop and the planes are made of aluminum and magnesium. Aluminum does not rust but has it's own way of self destructing.
Types of corrosion
The most frequently occurring types of corrosion are:

Galvanic corrosion: Occurs when the aluminium comes into contact with more noble metals, such as iron.

Pitting corrosion: Occurs if aluminium is in very humid environments, often with salts present (normally in dirt and filth) as well as in environments where water cannot come off the metal. Pitting corrosion is the most common form of corrosion on aluminium.

The only defense I know of is a good offense for keeping things clean and protected. It is a tall order for a vehicle on the ground driving on salt and sand covered roads. It will be interesting to see how Ford's aluminum bodies fare in the next few years in those conditions.

Dave

My theory is that is can't be any worse than what I am dealing with now. I hope I right. If not, at least I tried.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

I've posted over in the 3rd gen section about the rust issues I've delt with on my 3rd gens. Just for kicks, here are the rear wheel arches on my 4th gen.

By chance, did this truck have the wheel well liners in it? There are countless year old trucks around here with their rear wheel arch’s already rusting out. I have a theory that it’s due to keeping the liners in. The salt, sand and road grime get behind the liners and it’s game over. You can’t clean it out with the liners in place. I took the liners out of the ‘97, ‘06 and ‘14 and none of them had any rust. I didn’t on the ‘94, ‘96 and ‘99 and they all rusted.

 

[jgillott]

By chance, did this truck have the wheel well liners in it? There are countless year old trucks around here with their rear wheel arch’s already rusting out. I have a theory that it’s due to keeping the liners in. The salt, sand and road grime get behind the liners and it’s game over. You can’t clean it out with the liners in place. I took the liners out of the ‘97, ‘06 and ‘14 and none of them had any rust. I didn’t on the ‘94, ‘96 and ‘99 and they all rusted.

Yes, the 2010 has liners in it. My 04.5 and 07 don't.

 

[grabinov]

As the original poster - and very interested in this thread and everyone’s thoughts - I thought I’d add the following:

I’m terribly sorry I sold the 04 I had for 10 years. In that time it had been flawless but for the transmission (a known weak point), which broke once, and which I fixed once. If you are the guy who bought it, can I have it back?

I have continued to buy Dodge/Ram because I enjoy this forum and through it I have become very knowledgeable about them and about the Cummins engine. This matters less and less as I cannot diagnose or repair this one like I could the others. That means I feel less personally about it. It’s never become my trusted partner.

This truck is simply not as reliable as my last one. Say what you will about it being a better truck - it’s had more failures, runs less consistently and just been more difficult. If relaibility is the measure, it’s not better. I like the way it looks and rides, and it’s powerful as a freight train. That much is better in my opinion.

Sometimes the grass ACTUALLY IS greener on the other side. In fact, the chance that any one brand could be “best” in a given year seems like one in three to me - though you can go through a bad period (the 6.0 and 6.4 Fords for example). Despite our claims, our expertise or our brand loyalty, it simply isn’t true that the Ram has been the best truck through all of the years we’ve been here. It may not be today.

If Ram lost Cummins, I’d not even be looking at them. If Ford got Cummins, I’d buy one tomorrow.

If I were to buy another Ram, it would be because of you and because of TDR. I’d do it knowing the Ford is a better truck in 2018. They became better because of what they went through in those mid years. It was improve or die...

 

[KPear]

Sometimes the grass ACTUALLY IS greener on the other side. In fact, the chance that any one brand could be “best” in a given year seems like one in three to me - though you can go through a bad period (the 6.0 and 6.4 Fords for example). Despite our claims, our expertise or our brand loyalty, it simply isn’t true that the Ram has been the best truck through all of the years we’ve been here. It may not be today.

If Ram lost Cummins, I’d not even be looking at them. If Ford got Cummins, I’d buy one tomorrow.

If I were to buy another Ram, it would be because of you and because of TDR. I’d do it knowing the Ford is a better truck in 2018. They became better because of what they went through in those mid years. It was improve or die...

Ford had a lot to make up for when it developed its brand new 6.7L Powerstroke. Their prior engines were ticking time bombs in some cases. I definitely agree that they stepped up their game and worked hard to improve both the engine and the platform around the engine. Their new trucks are vast improvements over the older ones and Ford arguably makes some of the best pickup's for the North American market.

However, people here need to keep their perspective on this topic. Perhaps Ford's trucks are better than Ram's in terms of overall build and quality; by how much is up for debate.
Some caveats to keep in mind:

• You are paying a bit more for a brand new Ford F-250/350 than you are for a comparable GM or Ram truck. Is that added cost justified by the quality gap between those brands? The answer to that question is subjective I suppose.
• Ford's trucks are jammed pack full of sensors, cameras and electronic systems. So when people say they're leaving Ram because of potential for electrical gremlins, they should be honest with themselves in acknowledging the same risk exists with Ford's trucks.
• Ford parts and repairs generally seem to be more expensive. As well, the cab has to come off for a lot of major and routine repair/maintenance operations. I think the cab-off requirement is a stupid and costly burden for the average owner.

I whole-heartedly agree that FCA has plenty of room for improvement with some of their build quality issues. With that said, FCA is taking ownership of and addressing most of the major faults via recalls. The 6.7l Cummins is still arguably one of the better towing/hauling engines out there and, according to many different tests, returns the best fuel efficiency (loaded and unloaded). And I certainly have a lot more faith in the modern Ram vehicles than I have in the previous iterations. I think with the proper recalls performed, these trucks are really no less reliable than those being made by the other 2 OEM's (GM and Ford).

I see these Ram diesels being used all over the place for a variety of work applications (oil work up in Prudhoe Bay Alaska, towing on state highways, utility work in the rural areas). The underlying platform is the basis for the only 3/4 ton rock-crawler on the market (Power Wagon). Plenty of owners are using the aftermarket to turn their diesel Ram's into overland/offroad rigs. So evidently, I'm not the only one who sees value in these trucks.

OP, if you want to try out a vehicle from another brand, have at it. It's your money and your decision. I would caution people on here to take the negative reports with a grain of salt. Forums, even this one, tend to exacerbate the negative feedback from some owners while ignoring the owners with positive or uneventful experiences. It creates an echo chamber of sorts which tends to distort people's perceptions of certain vehicles. I guarantee that you can go onto a forum for just about any modern vehicle and find negative feedback from owners. The positive feedback tends to go unreported and unnoticed because those owners have no real reason to discuss their uneventful ownership experience. Food for thought......

 

[Wayne M.]

No doubt the slide began when DCX started sapping the brand. It's undeniable. I can only compare by going by how my '14 Durango RT has been. It shares a lot of electronics, like 8.4 Uconnect, with the Rams. I see a decline in vendor quality and maybe design (too much plastic, not enough beef) but I have to say it's been a OK vehicle that'll give 6 people a hell ride.
I've mentioned in jgilliot's other posts, that while Ford has stepped up their game, Ram, I'm afraid, has maybe slipped up a bit. Complexity and bugs are hitting them hard.
Bottom line, my '04.5 is not going anywhere! Would I buy FCA again? Heck yea. A scat pack Challenger 6 speed, please!

 

[grabinov]

Ford had a lot to make up for when it developed its brand new 6.7L Powerstroke. Their prior engines were ticking time bombs in some cases. I definitely agree that they stepped up their game and worked hard to improve both the engine and the platform around the engine. Their new trucks are vast improvements over the older ones and Ford arguably makes some of the best pickup's for the North American market.

However, people here need to keep their perspective on this topic. Perhaps Ford's trucks are better than Ram's in terms of overall build and quality; by how much is up for debate.
Some caveats to keep in mind:

• You are paying a bit more for a brand new Ford F-250/350 than you are for a comparable GM or Ram truck. Is that added cost justified by the quality gap between those brands? The answer to that question is subjective I suppose.
• Ford's trucks are jammed pack full of sensors, cameras and electronic systems. So when people say they're leaving Ram because of potential for electrical gremlins, they should be honest with themselves in acknowledging the same risk exists with Ford's trucks.
• Ford parts and repairs generally seem to be more expensive. As well, the cab has to come off for a lot of major and routine repair/maintenance operations. I think the cab-off requirement is a stupid and costly burden for the average owner.

I whole-heartedly agree that FCA has plenty of room for improvement with some of their build quality issues. With that said, FCA is taking ownership of and addressing most of the major faults via recalls. The 6.7l Cummins is still arguably one of the better towing/hauling engines out there and, according to many different tests, returns the best fuel efficiency (loaded and unloaded). And I certainly have a lot more faith in the modern Ram vehicles than I have in the previous iterations. I think with the proper recalls performed, these trucks are really no less reliable than those being made by the other 2 OEM's (GM and Ford).

I see these Ram diesels being used all over the place for a variety of work applications (oil work up in Prudhoe Bay Alaska, towing on state highways, utility work in the rural areas). The underlying platform is the basis for the only 3/4 ton rock-crawler on the market (Power Wagon). Plenty of owners are using the aftermarket to turn their diesel Ram's into overland/offroad rigs. So evidently, I'm not the only one who sees value in these trucks.

OP, if you want to try out a vehicle from another brand, have at it. It's your money and your decision. I would caution people on here to take the negative reports with a grain of salt. Forums, even this one, tend to exacerbate the negative feedback from some owners while ignoring the owners with positive or uneventful experiences. It creates an echo chamber of sorts which tends to distort people's perceptions of certain vehicles. I guarantee that you can go onto a forum for just about any modern vehicle and find negative feedback from owners. The positive feedback tends to go unreported and unnoticed because those owners have no real reason to discuss their uneventful ownership experience. Food for thought......

Well said.

 

[jgillott]

No doubt the slide began when DCX started sapping the brand. It's undeniable. I can only compare by going by how my '14 Durango RT has been. It shares a lot of electronics, like 8.4 Uconnect, with the Rams. I see a decline in vendor quality and maybe design (too much plastic, not enough beef) but I have to say it's been a OK vehicle that'll give 6 people a hell ride.
I've mentioned in jgilliot's other posts, that while Ford has stepped up their game, Ram, I'm afraid, has maybe slipped up a bit. Complexity and bugs are hitting them hard.
Bottom line, my '04.5 is not going anywhere! Would I buy FCA again? Heck yea. A scat pack Challenger 6 speed, please!

My 3rd gens are staying also. Finished up the 2010 this afternoon (what a mess that thing was, took 6 days to get a part of the radiator shroud that got destroyed when it all came apart) and my '07 is going in the shop tomorrow morning to have whatever broke in the rear axle fixed. We have a local guy here that specializes in differentials/axles on these trucks. He does most of his work for pulling/competition trucks, etc. I am going to have him look it over. I trust his skill much more than mine when it comes to that job.

I'll reevaluate my situation once everything is back up and running.

 

[EDankievitch]

Maybe I ranted a bit harshly....
When my truck runs it is awesome. It pulls like there is No tomorrow when it works the radio is by far the best sounding system I'v ever owned. It'll drowned out the pinging of the CEL lamp alarm all day long. When it runs.... Maybe i'm asking too much? I bought a truck to use and haul trailers. it does that job well when it runs. In 5 years owner ship it's made two complete long distance trips (over 3000 miles) with out indecent of the CEL lamp lighting or going into LIMP mode. All other trips had something throw a code and a CEL. I average two to three trips of long distance a year. I just passed 88,000 miles. That's it I'm asking too much from RAM. To put this in prospective I owned my 89 for 11 years it had well over 500,000 miles on it it had one recall, the flex plate failed. I did a head gasket and an injection pump at 300,000 it just worked. last I checked it was still working for it's current owner. Yep I'm asking far too much from a new truck..... Wait I forgot I did replace 4 sets of driver's door hinges and one seat over the 11 years. The New Ram's do hold up much better than those old ones.....
My wife's Honda has the more miles on it, Yes it had a recall for the Cam actuator but aside from that it's never spit out a code it just runs. Aside from not having a DEF system it has way more electronics in it. The Radio always turns on. Everything in this car just works every time. I can't say that about my RAM, as there are days the computer forgets to turn it on. Roughly once every 25-30 starts it'll forget to turn the radio or the dash on.
I'm not happy with my last two Rams. The 2012 and this 2013. I'm stuck as I do not want to start another round of monthly payments with a new truck. I'm optimistic that Ram has gotten the RE Flashes and replacement parts right this time around and that the next 5 years of ownership will be uneventful. Hey one can hope... As I said before I was a Chrysler supporter way back when the rest of the world had written them off for dead. I want to believe they have a future and will get it right. But they will have to really improve things over my last two trucks to get my money on another. I don't think it's too much to ask.

 

[Mike Wenrich]

Well as long as we are kicking sand at RAM/FICA I want to join. Just yesterday I had a return of the gremlin that prevents me from removing my key from the ignition on the 14. It is not constant. Happens every so often. Had this happen when I was on the the road before and posted that a dealership experienced it as well but did not have the part, of course. A module that is behind the dash somewhere. Told me to disconnect the battery and reconnect until repaired. Well, went to my home dealer and because THEY did not SEE it being defective they could not replace it. What kind of support is that? So RAM takes care of recalls, because they have to for the most part, but not the gremlins. Now that I am out of warranty of course I will have to pay for the repair whenever it happens that THEY can SEE it. Or just pay and hope they get the correct part. My 04.5 isn't going anywhere either and I am seriously considering changing my lifestyle to do away with a heavy tow machine. The 04.5 has been a great truck. With eight recalls on the 14 and an Aison trans that causes so much lag it threatens my life at times, I too am done with RAM. Two recalls to go because they don't have parts yet. If the other brands are poor as well, then I won't buy one. I'm checking on what kind of gremlins a Toyota TDR might have. Can't pull my car trailer or tractor with it but I can use the 04.5 for that.

And why do we need key fobs that cause battery problems and key modules that don't allow release. My hard key works just fine. And so on. The tech world has outpaced my needs. I can read a map and know which direction I'm traveling. I have a brain and use it. I don't need to buy another one.....well yet.

 

[Wayne M.]

I have 2 questions for you guys who have 4 gen pickups and C&C's. --
1, How many fuse panels are there, and about how many potential fuses are there?
2, Can anyone say for sure weather the rear body markers are directly protected by fuses?

I'll explain where I'm going with this later. First I'd like some reply, thanks.

 

[Wayne M.]

There's another member in another thread on here that does hot shot work. He just freed himself of this madness, and the new electronic log book by going back to a pre emission medium duty.