2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission My ram is a P.O.S. my to ten why not to buy one.

[RustyJC]

1996 Dodge Ram 3500 V-10/47RE. Owned 7/96 to 8/01. Total non-wear items:



1. Oil pressure sending unit

2. OEM battery (internal failure @ 9 months)



2002 Dodge Ram 3500 Cummins HO/6-speed. Owned 8/01 to present. Total non-wear items:



NONE.



Both trucks were used almost exclusively to pull 5th wheel RV's. The 1996 pulled a 10,900 lb Jayco Designer 3030RKSS. The 2002 pulls a 13,500 lb Jayco Designer XL 3610RLTS.



Go figger, I guess... ...



Rusty

 

[Excessive Force]

RustyJC,

I hear ya! I had a '98 SBQC 4x4 with a v-10. Problems were

Rearend,Rattling catalytic converters,Oh yeah an ENGINE at 67,000 miles !! One good thing though chrysler paid for the parts,and i paid the labor. Oh,one more thing LOTS OF REAR TIRES !! Man that truck would burn rubber with the 4:10 posi. I'd pass everything,but gas stations !!:-laf

 

[Joe G.]

I'm wondering about a few things. From the number of miles on those trucks I don't see how he could have got out of the driver's seat long enough to fix anything. Buying hard used trucks and expecting new reliability?? Something does not add up here.

 

[SBrandon]

let me add a little more insite to my trucks



95 dodge one ton, bought from a company in coleman mi, it was used as a delivery truck, originally out of texas, had excellent maint. Overall was a good truck, sold it to a good friend and he still drives it everyday it has been converted into his welding truck now has over 400000 on it. (this guy and his dad both use cummins as there work trucks his original truck still runs somewhere around here with over 600000 on it. his dad still drives his first gen with around with somewhere around 450000 on it. )



96 dodge cab and a half 2wd, was bought with 100000, still have, my younger brother drives it everyday has not had much wrong transmission, tps, and a few other wear iteams, trucks got like 205000 on it, in excellent condition.



97 dodge cab and a half 4wd was bought by my older brother had 120000 and was bought off one of his co workers for $10000 (what dealer was going to give on tradein) to pull a 35' carrylite. Had a suncoastal trans in it at time of purchase and had things like front end redone and heat problems, sold it to buy a 454, THat was a mistake, the 454 is now replaced by a ford?



98 dodge regular cab was bought 2 years ago in rockford Il. 78000 miles, it now has 135000, not many, I have used it about 8 times to pull my boat to the lake and back, not more than a 1000 miles were pulling a fifth wheel trailer, and the rest of the miles were empty. Not beaten, just one thing after the other after the other after the other.



Around here if some one has a cummins powered truck 60 percent of the time if it needs fixed or has a problem one of two names comes up MINE is one of them the guy who bought my 95 is another one of them and he usually calls me! I read this site Almost everyday when i come home from work, if I have a problem it has been answered a thousand times or more, RIGHT

so there is usually no reason for me to be asking question, just open the eyes push a few buttons and walla the answer will appear. (thats for all those guys throwing around that troll word).



In my own opinion the cummins motor is the best diesel on the market by far this is why I keep buying a dodge, but the dodge truck its self is less than desirable.

 

[Wiredawg]

Hope I'm not holding up an Lightning Rod...

... . in a thunderstorm, but I'm a life-long Dodge owner and both my 02 and my wife's 03 are awsome and trouble-free. All of my Dodges have held up to my abuse, w/ a little hangup here and there. But for the most part, they're getting better.



I always hate to see someone come up on the short end of the stick, but I guess it happens.



In closing, keeping up with all of the maintenance is important and w/ BOMBing, there is more maintenance and wear and tear than stock.



I hope everyone that's having a bad experience with their vehicles, yes even the poor devils w/ Fords and Chevys, get it all worked out. Life is great when it's trouble-free.



Wiredawg

 

[2ndgen2500]

wow... sounds like some of the trucks ive owned in the past, and they were all fords lol... i guess its all in the luck of the draw but so far i LOVE my truck.

 

[2ndgen2500]

oh yeah...

my sunglass holder broke

my winsheild washer fluid resiviour leaked

my brakes wore out!



start playin that fiddle!!!

 

[DJW]

With DTR who needs TV? best Entertainment around. Motto- If it's not Broke, Break it! the auto parts dealers need the money, keep America busy (probably with Import Parts) Strange, but now I'm getting a liking for Rice, walk in the Paddy field anyone? well on the banks anyway. Scrum Down

 

[Hammer]

I am Still searching for that big old crying towel for these guys. Sheesh,this has almost as much whining in it as a political thread.



I believe Wiredawg Has summed it up best,but,I'll use a old friend of ours favorite saying..... "LIFE IS GOOD"... . Andy

 

[Sled Puller]

Originally posted by Steve St. Laurent

, or sled pull then certain things will wear out faster.

What are you trying to say Steve?



He had a few oddball things go wrong, but the rest of that dudes list, has been fixed by one member or another on this site.



Use this site for which it was intended. KDP for example. No TDR member as an excuse, as far as I'm concerned, for getting bit on that one, thanks to CPFF.



Track bar-Lukes Link, etc.





The Ford guys WISH they had as many knowledgeable members to help cope with their pigs.

 

[bighammer]

You're right, Gene. We have a diverse and pretty sharp (not sure how I fit in ) group here. Our problems get worked over and solved with special tools, (Thanks CPFF) and talents, (Piers, Joe D, to name a couple) and just otheres who have had the same things happen to them. The Cummins part of the truck is pretty awesome. The rest of the truck is OK. With all this help and a little time for keeping up with the maintenance and necessary mods, your truck should serve you well.



I also know how frustrating a bad parts or design can really foul things up. Sorry about your troubles SBrandon. I hope you can get things worked out for you.

 

[Bart]

I don't have time to write much because I need to go pickup wife for lunch in my wonderful Dodge. If you think Ford 6. 0 is great look at the number of buy backs going on. Also look at Ford trying to get Detroit Diesel or someone else to build an F150 diesel because their having soooooo much trouble with International's 6. 0. No, I'll keep my CTD 125,000 and climbing. I carry and pull all kinds of things and CTD always comes though for me. Yea, I lost the automatic and the turbo and replaced the track bar and turned the front rotors twice because of the rear self adjusters don't self adjust. But now I have a KILLER ATS automatic, rebuilt turbo that I cool down EVERY time. I'm working on my CTD Dodge or 66 BRonco a lot of nights. The old saying is you either make vehicle payments or repair payments, take your pick. No, I say again I'll keep my Dodge CTD and you can have the rest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Canadian Cummins]

Must have come off the aasembly line on a Friday afternoon!!!

 

[KIseminger]

OK, I am going to reiterate(sp?) what already been said, but I notice it too.

I think there is more than meets the eye on this story.



1)Maybe you did get a POS, but it would be the minority, so don't even think about judging the rest based on this truck

2) For that many things to go wrong, it was either your own neglect or tampering with the engine

3)Don't begin to think that Ford and GM don't have their share of problems. Cases in point- The fire dept. I work for has a 97 PSD and have had constant starting problems, no matter how many times it gets fixed by the dealer. We've tried 2 sets of glow pugs, a fuel pump, and a fp relay. And what about the 6. 0 PSD software problem that could affect anything run by the computer. They have even had water pump problems just as yours has.

4)Sticks is right on; These Cummins will out last either of the V8 diesels hands down. How many PSD's or DM's have you seen come back on a lease that have 900,000 miles?

5)Bottom line, you are just being narrow minded because of this truck that you may have had something to do with in the first place so why don't you tell us the rest of story?

:{

 

[SBrandon]

Originally posted by KIseminger

OK, I am going to reiterate(sp?) what already been said, but I notice it too.



2) For that many things to go wrong, it was either your own neglect or tampering with the engine

:{

Maybe you didnt read this post all the way,, I did not say that the engine was junk, It's everything connected to it. And anyone who knows anything about longjevity and diesals knows a straight six will outlast the v-8's anyday, just look at the OTR trucks.

 

[CFAR]

This reminds me of a Diesel stop forum. We all have our complaints about Dodge, so lay off the guy.



at 40k my list or replaced



3rd lp

ball joints

trak bar (dtt)

steering box(psc)



Steering still sucks, original tires are getting bald, but at 54k now I can't complain too much, they wore evenly.



Every brand has lemons, its just the quantity. I bought a Cummins that just happened to be in a Dodge wrapper. Would I buy another Dodge? NO!!! But I'd buy another Cummins!!!!!

 

[KIseminger]

SBrandon, I think I owe you an apology. I think I went a little too overboard with my response and pretty much ruined the purpose of this forum. I would probably feel the same way you do if if I had that happen to my truck.



With that being said, allow me to rephrase my statement. I think is either a lemon or it was beat up by the person who owned it before you. Don't let this truck make a lasting impression on the other Dodges. Not to say they are perfect, they just have theor own sets of idiosyncrocies(sp?).

 

[JHutson]

This guy who says he has a POS this is not solely a diesel problem maybe it was road hard and put up wet. I myself had a 98 gasser and had to do the track bar, the front brakes4x, the plug wires2x, the transfer case and the the motor at 2100 miles and the radiator and they also had to flash the computor for pinging, all before 40000. The kicker was, it was built in the USA. I now have a 2001 24VTD with 25000 and I love it, And it was built in Mexico what does that say for good quality. I also believe it is how good you maintain things. If you take care of the little things early they won't become bigger ones.

 

[GIT-R-DONE]

Lets see...



1990 bought with 30,000, traded in with 110,000

routine maintenance, no problems



1991 bought with 80,000, sold with 112,000

routine maintenance, no problems



1995 bought with 30,000, sold with 75,000,

routine maintenance, no problems



1990 bought with 183,000, sold with 204,000

one problem , head gasket from previous owner

with 124,000, routine maintenance



2002 bought new, currently with 32,000

routine maintenance, no problems



There was never a point in time that I would not have jumped in any of my trucks and trusted it to do what I wanted, or go any where I wanted to go. Thats approx. 210,000 miles that I have put on my trucks with no problems other than routine maintenance. Guess I am one of the lucky ones...

 

[SBrandon]

Bought 03 chevy duramax two weeks ago

no problems.



Bought 98 ram two years ago

nothing but problems.