2018 68RFE failure

[Dahlsfarrier2018]

This transmission subject has been beat to death, but I’m so tired of hearing how tunes, big tires, hot rodding etc are the cause of failures. My 2018 2500 4x4 just came home from a 4 week stay at the dealer because of the trans. I bought it new, completely stock, tow a 5200lb trailer every day and at 78k the trans let go. Check engine light came on and within 5 miles to get to a spot to stop i had 1st, 4th and reverse. Towed to the dealer and after they took it apart pretty much every part needed was on back order. Why you ask? Because so many are failing. It took the factory 2 weeks to authorize a complete reman and another week to find and get the trans to the dealer. I was told the problem has been the solenoid pack failing and then taking out the rest of the trans. The service manager told me unless I upgrade the trans that it WILL fail again. So for all the guys that have had good luck with the 68...I’m happy for you! I find it ridiculous that a truck like this has a problem with a light load and even more so that it took Ram 4 weeks to fix it. I’ve been in Dodge/Ram trucks since 1997, this is the last one.

 

[Ozymandias]

I get beer and chips....

 

[Dahlsfarrier2018]

I get beer and chips....

Hell, I brought my popcorn! Haha

 

[pwr2tow]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Every manufacturer has lemon vehicles, no ifs, and, or buts about it. Web forums about every manufacturer are loaded with cases, just search you'll see. At least it was taken care of under warranty.

Since this is your first post, just signed up today. Are you going to stick around?

 

[Dahlsfarrier2018]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Every manufacturer has lemon vehicles, no ifs, and, or buts about it. Web forums about every manufacturer are loaded with cases, just search you'll see. At least it was taken care of under warranty.

Since this is your first post, just signed up today. Are you going to stick around?

Yes, every manufacturer does indeed. In my opinion this 68RFE problem is very similar to Ford’s 6.0 problem. Some will agree and some won’t. I first joined TDR years ago, but haven’t been around and couldn’t remember my username or login. Yep, still going to be around...I still have a 2017 3500 and the truck i just got back. The ‘17 has the Aisin and it’s a solid truck. I’ll decide if I’m going to keep the ‘18 and do upgrades. I did buy a 2020 F350 for my business.

 

[pwr2tow]

My 18 also has the Aisin and it's a wonderful transmission. My 2009 and 2016 had the 68RFE, pulled a GCW of over 23,000 without a hiccup. The 2009's engine was even turned up an extra 90 hp with a Smarty S67ME programmer, no trans tune and she towed like a dream.

 

[HVAC2]

This transmission subject has been beat to death, but I’m so tired of hearing how tunes, big tires, hot rodding etc are the cause of failures. My 2018 2500 4x4 just came home from a 4 week stay at the dealer because of the trans. I bought it new, completely stock, tow a 5200lb trailer every day and at 78k the trans let go. Check engine light came on and within 5 miles to get to a spot to stop i had 1st, 4th and reverse. Towed to the dealer and after they took it apart pretty much every part needed was on back order. Why you ask? Because so many are failing. It took the factory 2 weeks to authorize a complete reman and another week to find and get the trans to the dealer. I was told the problem has been the solenoid pack failing and then taking out the rest of the trans. The service manager told me unless I upgrade the trans that it WILL fail again. So for all the guys that have had good luck with the 68...I’m happy for you! I find it ridiculous that a truck like this has a problem with a light load and even more so that it took Ram 4 weeks to fix it. I’ve been in Dodge/Ram trucks since 1997, this is the last one.

Interesting. So, fully covered under base warranty. What is the upgrade? FWIW, recent reluctor failure in a 2015 ED took 6 weeks. So a month with tech shortages and FCA poor parts inventory is now the new normal.

 

[Dahlsfarrier2018]

Upgrade would be a minimum of valve body and trans tuning. But then you spend additional money and could possibly have problems with any warranty coverage remaining.

 

[pwr2tow]

Upgrade would be a minimum of valve body and trans tuning. But then you spend additional money and could possibly have problems with any warranty coverage remaining.

There is no possibility of warranty, you will not have any warranty due to tampering with warranty parts.

Same applies to any product under warranty be it a toaster, blender or vehicle.

 

[HVAC2]

Odd advice from a ram dealer. They usually don't promote modifying a warrantied component.
My vetting of the RFE b4 buying a 2018 seems to show basic reliability. It maybe crude but offers a good track record. I obvious missed something.

 

[EZeis]

Run it till the warranty is up then make it bullet proof or replace it with an off the shelf built one. Did they update the solenoid pack? The issue maybe resolved. Service people are notorious for being wrong and blowing smoke. I myself never trust service people. Good tech, maybe. Service people stand behind the desk all day. Hell a lot of them know very little about the vehicles.

Wonder how difficult/costly it would be to install an aisin trans after warranty?


Earl

 

[pwr2tow]

Odd advice from a ram dealer. They usually don't promote modifying a warrantied component.
My vetting of the RFE b4 buying a 2018 seems to show basic reliability. It maybe crude but offers a good track record. I obvious missed something.

The 68 rfe is basically the same from 2007.5 - 2018 with just minor updates I think twice, so basically the same. The 2019 and newer 68rfe has some hard part upgrades.

 

[pwr2tow]

Wonder how difficult/costly it would be to install an aisin trans after warranty?
Earl

New wiring, new control modules, new programming, new/remanufactured Aisin, be easier and way less costly to just build up the 68rfe.

 

[AHutson]

I wonder if the parts supply problem comes from the recent trouble the showed up in the 2019's and 2020's? Which is odd because I thought the new 68rfe got a different valve body in addition to a different torque convertor? I will tried to find that info before posting, have to keep digging....

pwr2tow: I believe you are correct, only changes the 68rfe has had from 2007.5 to 2018 is programming as power output changed and the fine-tuned the shifting points and in 2010 they switched to a harder valve body due to excessive wear causing rough shifting in certain gears.

 

[Ozymandias]

Sorry, but we all know that the 68 is a proven good transmission from factory. I'm pretty sure that at least 95% of the members at TDR that own one are happy with.
That doesn't change overnight to "that Trans is crap and MUST be modified to even last as a daily driver".

 

[Cummins12V98]

Covered under warranty......... "I’ve been in Dodge/Ram trucks since 1997, this is the last one."

If they slapped in a reman it should have any updates available built into it.

CHITZ happens for sure but your story has not been played much so I guess you drew the short straw.

 

[Jim W]

Will I agree with Ozzy, as I have the 68RFE in my truck. I have been using a Smarty S67 set on CaTCHER level 3 which adds 60HP/120TQ at the rear wheels. This was installed in March, of 2009 and I have towed over 50,000 miles on this setting. The truck OD has now 135K miles on it. I have serviced the trans three times and it is going on the four service time this spring. I am using a Mag-Hytec deep trans pan with extra trans oil.

 

[Minnow101]

I’d guess for every stock truck (no deletes/no aftermarket tuning) with the 68 transmission that self destructs, there are 10,000 similar trucks with absolutely no issues.

 

[Dahlsfarrier2018]

I’d guess for every stock truck (no deletes/no aftermarket tuning) with the 68 transmission that self destructs, there are 10,000 similar trucks with absolutely no issues.

I have no idea of the numbers, but there seem to be more than normal failures around where i live.

 

[Dahlsfarrier2018]

Sorry, but we all know that the 68 is a proven good transmission from factory. I'm pretty sure that at least 95% of the members at TDR that own one are happy with.
That doesn't change overnight to "that Trans is crap and MUST be modified to even last as a daily driver".

Nothing changed overnight and I didn’t say modified to last as a daily driver, I’ve had three of them prior to this truck that went to 100k without problems. I normally sell my business trucks around 100k and get a new one. I pull a trailer everyday, highways/backroads/dirt roads...it works a bit harder than a daily driver but not anything a 2500 shouldn’t handle.