DC had better get on the ball.......

[mikepvg]

i had a 94 CTD w/ over 200K before I traded in on a 04. 5 CTD. Personally, I feel I made a mistake. I should have stuck w/ the 12V's. Why? My 04. 5 runs like a BIG POS & I CAN NOT GET MT DEALER TO FIX IT! Half the time it sounds like its going to puke out a psiton & can barely get out of its own way. It smokes on cold start just as well as my 94 did! All I can do is keep trying to get my crappy dealer to fix it. I hope it blows up...



A 98 12v could be in my future.....



I pray that Toy or Honda step into the 1 ton diesel mkt. Do you think the BIG 3 would fric&^% fix their trucks then?

 

[DDiMarco]

I love all this feedback. I rarely have probs with my vehicles regardless of the make because I'm a believer in preventative maintenance and think that is a key element in keeping these vehicles running; not to suggest that folks that do have probs aren't the same. I also agree that the dealer is the key to a positive experience with our trucks. But things like the aforementioned (multiple lift pump failures etc) in my view, are unacceptable; DC has the engineering brains and talent to fix this stuff but its the almighty buck that dictates our level of satisfaction and that frustrates the hell out of me.

 

[ceaman]

i had a 94 CTD w/ over 200K before I traded in on a 04. 5 CTD. Personally, I feel I made a mistake. I should have stuck w/ the 12V's. Why? My 04. 5 runs like a BIG POS & I CAN NOT GET MT DEALER TO FIX IT! Half the time it sounds like its going to puke out a psiton & can barely get out of its own way. It smokes on cold start just as well as my 94 did! All I can do is keep trying to get my crappy dealer to fix it. I hope it blows up...



A 98 12v could be in my future.....



I pray that Toy or Honda step into the 1 ton diesel mkt. Do you think the BIG 3 would fric&^% fix their trucks then?

If your truck has a legitimate problem that the dealer wont or is unable to repair then look into the lemon law/ arbitration laws for your state. the other options are; send the card in that came in the back of your owners manual, Call DC customer service at the number in your book, or contact your local atty and let him use the scare tactics.



If they arent listening you arent yelling loud enough!!!!!

 

[PJ]

In my 51 years, I must say the the one car I have the least amount of trouble with was my 1982 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser Wagon. It had the 5. 7 Diesel that everyone hated. Well, I NEVER so much as ever had to walk a block because of that car. My wife drove it for the first 125k miles before I bought her a new 1990 Suburban. At that time, I gave the car to my brother who has a sales route that takes him about 3oo miles a day. He sells nuts and bolts to Ranchers in Northern Calif. He put another 200k on the car before he lost a head gasket. After that, he drove it another 50k and retired it behind the family barn. It, to this day, still runs and drives just fine and gets about 25mpg! That is almost 400k care free miles. I just checked and I forgot that I had a injector pump installed at 99k miles. Being that GM put a 10 year 100k mile warranty on the motor, it was a FREE repair that was complete in less than 8 hours. All we did was chenge the filters on a regular basis and change the oil every 5000 miles. That was it! Why can't my cummins be as good as that? I know that alot of people HATED the GM 5. 7 but mine was one of the few that was a gem and rode as good as a Cadillac! Im tempted to bring it out of retirement and put it back on the road! :-laf

 

[WStoops]

If your truck has a legitimate problem that the dealer wont or is unable to repair then look into the lemon law/ arbitration laws for your state. the other options are; send the card in that came in the back of your owners manual, Call DC customer service at the number in your book, or contact your local atty and let him use the scare tactics.



If they arent listening you arent yelling loud enough!!!!!

I sent in the card in the book, result: no reply.

I called customer service, 6 times, result: no reply but I did get a reference #

I e-mailed DC, result: no reply

I sent letter to Chrysler, result: no reply

I sent letter to dealer, result: no reply

I threatened, begged, pleaded, result: no reply

I asked for the reg mgr to call me, result: no reply

I filed the lemon law paperwork, result: reply.

Hearing is scheduled for Feb. 24th.

5 seperate dealerships have refused to work on it for vibration, all claim DC is working on a fix, right, for 2 years.

 

[WStoops]

Why can't my cummins be as good as that? I know that alot of people HATED the GM 5. 7 but mine was one of the few that was a gem and rode as good as a Cadillac! Im tempted to bring it out of retirement and put it back on the road!



If you're suggesting that GM POS was better than the Cummins, I think I can predict with some accuracy that you will not find much support for that notion here. As one who has complained about DC quite often on this site, I don't think they are any worse than the other 2 big guys. I personally saw one of those old GM diesels that actually broke in half. The block split right down the middle, front to back. Under 100k miles as I remember. The Cummins has had a few problems, I admit, but Cummins has produced over 1 million of these engines and they are worked HARD for the most part. Engine failures on bombed engines are not Cummins or DC's fault. If the thing grenades after having it's output doubled, not their fault. Even with my complaints, I still think the Cummins is the engine to beat for durability. If DC goes with a MB engine in the future it will be a disaster for them, IMHO. I just got back from Texas and drove (rental car) from Houston to Bryan and back. I have never seen Dodge Rams loaded like that up here in the NE. I would not have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes. The 8500 lbs I tow on occasion is nothing compared to what those guys are doing. Maybe you can find someone to install that old GM diesel in your Ram. That, I would pay to see. :-laf :-laf :-laf

 

[tschwab]

While the 3G ctd has had a few minor problems/teething pains it is far superior to the ford 6. o and the problems those guys are having. Check it out at dieselstop.com



Additionally, the guys that are having the most problems (not all) but the majority of the problems are on those trucks which have been BOMB'd. We have been spoiled by the 12V, where you could BOMB the he!! out of it and it never missed a beat. Due to such tight tolerances on the HPCR, andto meet EPA standards, there is little if any room to BOMB the 3G's, exspecially the '04. 5 and newer, and have it remain as dependable as a stock motor.



Say what you want, but the good old days of carefree BOMB'n like we did with the 12V are over. I have decided that there will NO BOMB'n in my future on my 3G, not only for reliability sake, but also to keep my warranty intact.



I would take the better handling, smoother ride, better braking, quieter, much more refined, better looking (IMHO) and saftey of the 3G anyday over the 2G.



Don't get me wrong, the 2G is a fine truck, but for me, I prefer the 3G.

 

[DKarvwnaris]

I suggest thay you get some Zoloft. . Actually, you better try Prozac at your age along with your Geritol

Oh, god, I'm dying over here.

Someone get a set of paddles out for these two, and make sure they're charged up. You guys are a riot!! My dad is only person I know who gets that riled up over 50.

Thanks for the laugh, its been a bad night, I needed this. Enjoy life, its much more fun knee slapping than Bi. ch slapping one another.

 

[David Oxland]

Take it back

Buy a Ford

 

[Dosdon]

Hey Dimarco I,m not a real fussy guy

but my 04. 5 cylcles a weird harmonic at highway speeds

so annoyingly that on a recent 200 mile trip I was

happy to get out of the thing. Dodge has refused point

blank to acknowledge my problem, and darn I know what I,m talking about , Ive been a tractor trailer driver for a good many year.

 

[DPKetchum]

D. C. flat rate is as good as anyones. Techs are paid well. All techs are ***** about flat rate. It goes with the territory.

 

[ACF]

In A Nutshell

I just went through a buy-back and yes it was long and painful but in the end D. C. stuck by the product and replaced it. I had the first truck for 11 months and 21K and other than the driveline vibration is was problem free..... as it should be being that new. So far on the 2nd day of ownership on the new one the dome light went out. There is no doubt that there is nothing like a big American diesel truck..... because well America is the only people that build them here. Every company builds cars and trucks that are good and bad, some more so than other. I really can't speak from personal experience with Cummins/Dodge because I feel one must own a vehicle a long long time to really see how reliable it is. And let us not forget that some people are just harder on their trucks than other, it does not matter what they drive they are going to ruin it. The most important factor in how a vehicle holds up is the driver..... period. I can say this though if you look at history it is tough to beat Toyota trucks overall for reliability and durability. I have plenty of personal experience here. I love my Cummins but if Toytoa built a big diesel (and they may) I know what I would buy. That just my personal opinion. And if they do build one it will be built here in the good ol USA... ... ... not in Mexico. Not that I have anything against Mexico but I am against exporting potential American jobs. Maybe in a perfect world D. C. would drop a Merc diesel in the Dodge and Cummins would go over to Toyota. Now that would be a truck.

 

[CUMMINZ]

wierd noise

The only time my 2004. 5 makes a strange noise is when I roll down both rear windows. It almost sounds like a wind vibration.



CUMMINZ NC

2004. 5 CTD, Flip-Over/RV2, 29' KeyStone Sprinter, Tornado, TST, 4x4, 4. 10LS, 315x70Rx17 BFG, 8" Factory cast aluminum, 2" front lift/w RC shocks, Line-X, Banks monster exhaust

My Truck at www.GoRowan.com/2004ram

 

[DPKetchum]

Lots of vehicles have this strange Hound of the Baskervilles noise on the hiway with back windows down or halfway down

 

[DPKetchum]

I was a service manager of a G. M. dealer in the late 80s to early 90s. Then a service writer at at D. C. dealer. All the manufactures are kinda the same way but G. M. was a much bigger fix it on the cheap or ignore more then D. C. every hoped to be. Nissan at that time and earlier was much more comsumer caring then the other two combined. Isuzu was junk,Mazda was better just a real pain to deal with internaly and their parts prices were OUTA SIGHT. The D. C. paint/fit and finish was fair better then G. M. and was as good if not better then the Jap stuff. Kinda surprised me.

 

[SHyans]

I might be willing to try some Viagra. Not so sure about the Geritol. As I recall that was for "tired blood", what ever that is. . Oo.

Careful, before you start BOMB'ing yourself, check your warranty... . Viagra may clog your "injector". Oo.

 

[WStoops]

Yes DC is sticking it up everybody butt that has a vibrator. They also told me forget it... go home. They are working on a fix and until then put up with it.



Guess what boys..... it's been ten months since I tried getting my vibrator fixed and started getting the cold shoulder from D/C.



The only good thing is I practically fixed it myself when I installed the 35" H2 setups. I still have the vibe a little at about 75 but not like it was from the factory... stock. I feel for the guys that have stock vibrators.



Dodge warranty sucks big time. I owned GM trucks all through the 90's and NEVER had them just throw me out on the street and practically say "tough luck". GM always fixed my vehicles.



The dealership said D/C will not even allow them to try and fix it. They said any component they replace will not get re-embursed unless it truly fixes the problem. The dealerships aren't taking that chance.



It's funny, I took my truck in for service with a short list.



Vibration 65-70mph

Passenger window hesitates half way up

Under hood light not working.





They fixed they underhood light.

They said they did not notice the passenger window slowdown (it's stone obvious)



And you already have the story on the vibe.



Dodge your service sucks and you know it and don't care.

I've been putting up with this for 9 1/2 months, but not for much longer. My Lemon Law hearing is scheduled for this Thursday. I think if everyone with this unfixable problem were to file under this law, DC WOULD do something. I could be wrong on that though. They seem to have turned a deaf ear to those of us with the problem. I still love the Dodge vehicles though. In terms of styling, comfort, option list, power, they are miles ahead of the rest. BUT, no matter how much lipstick, makeup and perfume you put on a pig, it's still a pig. If the state requires them to buy this pretty pig back, I have decided to go Durango Hemi. IMHO, based on my vibrations and drone, they have a lot of work to do on these Heavy Duty Ram Diesels and their customer service department before I would get another.



Wayne

 

[Yo Hoot]

It's common knowledge that D/C lacks in the follow up dept. compared to GM. I knew that when I bought mine and was dealt a big hand of it that comfirmed it. Talking to a lot of folks on this site and others, D/C needs to get their act together service wise. No wonder they have such a hard time getting out of third place and may lose it to Toyota.

 

[DKarvwnaris]

It's common knowledge that D/C lacks in the follow up dept. compared to GM. I knew that when I bought mine and was dealt a big hand of it that comfirmed it. Talking to a lot of folks on this site and others, D/C needs to get their act together service wise. No wonder they have such a hard time getting out of third place and may lose it to Toyota.

Do not think for a minute Toyota is in 3rd place. They have been top of the list for just about every category their trucks fit in to.

Toyota has the highest crash rating, best reliability, highest resale, what more can one ask for? If they they develope a true full size truck just a little bigger than the Tundra, they will most likely be #1 all around. Few ratings are ever inclusive of the diesel options for Full size trucks in their testing programs.

I would classify Toyota above Ford and GM both for the ranger, f-150, S-10, and whatever GM's 1/2 ton fullsize is called. Dodge would be somewhere below Nissan if it wasn't for the Diesel powered pickup options in my mind. A distant 4th or 5th place at best, not 3rd!!

 

[SHyans]

Toyota

I bought a new trailer last summer that was "within" the towing capacity of my 2000 Toyota Tundra. Power was livable but getting blown off the road by passing semi's was another story.

Reluctantly and with reservation, I bought my first American car which was this Dodge. Within 3k miles had both ball joints, track bar, etc replaced to cure Death Wobble. Dumped $60 worth of diesel into it yesterday and hand calc was 12 mpg. :{

Death Wobble is gone (or hibernating) but MPG has me remorseful. I've tried to improve mpg with Juice, AFE, TSB and a light foot. City mpg still sucks. Highway is 18 which is better than the 15 I was getting.

BIGGEST disappointment is not dealing with the degree of customer service from DC as I had become accustomed to after 25 years (5 new cars) with Toyota. SECOND BIGGEST dissapointment is the realization that all my fears were true, DC's product is not even close in terms of quality and value. 5 Toyotas in 25 years and other than some bad wheel bearings on the Tundra ("Why yes sir, that is all covered under warranty, we'll take care of it") only scheduled maintenance and oil changes AND ALWAYS a smile.

If Toyota comes out with a diesel ( and it has some "boys"), you can bet I'll be one of the first in line.

If I could forget about my DW, bad mpg and the service guy who won't even make eye contact with me when I come in to discuss my latest woe, I'd love this truck.