truck falling apart, dodge never again

[mgoncalves]

Cummins Cowboy, if your Dodge was produced in St Louis, may be the problem. Dodge trucks made in Saltillo, Mexico are more reliable and have less failures.

It's sad, but I'll second that. Two Mexico trucks and one St Louis Truck so far, every rumor there is about the St. Louis trucks, my truck had it.



As far as the Chevy, they're not perfect either. Mine goes in this week before it hits 36,000 miles. The list; Power steering groan (I'm told this requires a new steering box which will eventually do the same), ATF leak (Supposedly the cooler lines, again new ones expected to do the same thing), Transmission shift buttons non responsive since about 20,000 miles, climate control acting goofy, clunk in steering column (sounds like this is another common thing with no real fix)



I've already fixed the hood stops, they kept screwing down on their own leaving the hood to rattle. A little bit of loctite seemed to take care of that.



I've noticed a lot of oil leaking out of my pipe from the turbo to the inter cooler, but since I have an Edge juice/attitude with Hot unlock, I've turned a blind eye to this until something fails. Hopefully it makes it another year and it will be gone anyways.



New trucks are a crap shoot no matter what brand, good luck whatever way you go.

 

[LRutigliano]

My main concerns with my 01 and my 03 are the aluminum foil thin sheet metal. On the 01, when I washed the truck, I rested my elbow on the hood to reach the center of the windshield. Then noticed a nice dent in the hood where my elbow rested...



On the 03, I was more careful about the hood, but then noticed a nice dent in the rear fender where my knee touches the sheet metal (feet on the rear tire) while I latch/unlatch the 5er hitch.



When I had the slide in, when loosening the nuts on the Happijac tensioners, one the wrenches slipped off the nut and barely touched the sheetmetal, and I got a nice dent.



While camping, a 7yr old (maybe 50lbs) rested his elbow up against the rear passenger door while on his two wheel skateboard/scooter and dented the door.



OK, these are dents only I can see at the correct angle... My buddies can see them, wife thinks I'm crazy (I am... ). But this is a one ton HD truck, sheetmetal should be thicker/stronger.



On my 1970 Pontiac, I could stand on the roof, sit on the hood, etc and it NEVER dented.



Just imagine if I parked next to others at Costco or Lowes instead of parking way out back...

 

[mgoncalves]

On my 1970 Pontiac, I could stand on the roof, sit on the hood, etc and it NEVER dented.



Just imagine if I parked next to others at Costco or Lowes instead of parking way out back...

Two things, Unfortunately Pontiac does not make a 2009 Diesel pickup, and, who goes to costco and lowes anyways

 

[LRutigliano]

It's sad, but I'll second that. Two Mexico trucks and one St Louis Truck so far, every rumor there is about the St. Louis trucks, my truck had it.



As far as the Chevy, they're not perfect either. Mine goes in this week before it hits 36,000 miles. The list; Power steering groan (I'm told this requires a new steering box which will eventually do the same), ATF leak (Supposedly the cooler lines, again new ones expected to do the same thing), Transmission shift buttons non responsive since about 20,000 miles, climate control acting goofy, clunk in steering column (sounds like this is another common thing with no real fix)



I've already fixed the hood stops, they kept screwing down on their own leaving the hood to rattle. A little bit of loctite seemed to take care of that.



I've noticed a lot of oil leaking out of my pipe from the turbo to the inter cooler, but since I have an Edge juice/attitude with Hot unlock, I've turned a blind eye to this until something fails. Hopefully it makes it another year and it will be gone anyways.



New trucks are a crap shoot no matter what brand, good luck whatever way you go.

I agree 100%. When buying new, I only get what just came off of the shipping truck. Drive that vehicle, go on the freeway, do city driving, make sure everything works, every body panel is aligned. no scratches or dents, trans shifts fine, etc. If anything is wrong, walk away. Dont let the dealer fix any of the problems... you will be sorry. If the rig meets your approval, Then buy that vehicle, and request the dealer to not touch it. Don't let them wash it, they can check fluid levels, but it better have less than 4 miles when I get it...



You are looking for the "perfect" vehicle from the factory... not an "imperfect" vehicle that the dealer has to fix. I use the terms "perfect" and "imperfect" loosely. Everyone has different tolerance levels...



I used to work at a dealership... you don't want the truck/car that has been sitting for a while that has been washed and detailed with the scrub brush by the high school kid that washes the tires first, never changes the water, etc.



Every mile the vehicle is run at the dealership is a very hard mile.



NEVER buy the car/truck they found for you that is 200 miles to 400 miles away. High school kid is the delivery person and he is redlining, powerbraking, eating McDonalds inside your new leather every mile during the shipment.



Just my opinion, but those of you that keep going back to the dealer to fix trivial things because its covered under warranty are just asking for trouble. Every time the truck/car is serviced for warranty work by the dealer, you may end up with new problems when you get it back.



When I was younger and thought the dealer could make my new car better and I thought I was entitled due to warranty... I always got surprises after the work was done. One example, steering make funny noises on a new Mustang, took it in, got it back and noise was gone but steering was "loose" Turned out dealer installed 4 cyl rack and pinion on my V8 car and claimed they didn't know ...

 

[DBentley]

LRutigliano I couldn't of said it any better that you have.
You are 100 % correct about all dealers i have ever been to. (about 15)
Dealers only make most things worse and throw parts in to collect the warranty payoff from the manufacturer.
This is why I end up doing all my own work even if it is covered under warranty.
I only dream of a day I can find a good service dept to work on my vehicles.
I don't mind the price as muck as greasy mechanics, greasy seats and carpets,slow work progress,no updates on progress,leaving vehicle for 2 days in lot before finding out what parts are needed to order,hacked up tie rod adjusters from pipe wrench at last F. E alignment etc... ... ... ...

 

[TFucili]

Cummins Cowboy, if your Dodge was produced in St Louis, may be the problem. Dodge trucks made in Saltillo, Mexico are more reliable and have less failures.



I'm on my second Dodge/Cummins without one issue. Both of my Dodge trucks were made in Mexico.



I also agree with other posters in that if you mistreat any brand truck, you will have problems. Replacing tires with oversized tires can result with ball joint failures.

I keep reading about the Saltillo versus St. Louis thing, but my truck is a Saltillo truck, and it is bone stock, and is having all of the classic problems. There isn't a different truck that I would prefer, but some of this stuff is just poorly designed, and sloppily built. For what these things cost, it is a disgrace.

 

[Grizzly]

I keep reading about the Saltillo versus St. Louis thing, but my truck is a Saltillo truck, and it is bone stock, and is having all of the classic problems. There isn't a different truck that I would prefer, but some of this stuff is just poorly designed, and sloppily built. For what these things cost, it is a disgrace.

Since you don't have a signature, what year is your truck and how is it equipped? What do you do with your truck? Do you have oversize tires on it? Do you abuse it?

 

[Grizzly]

... .

Just imagine if I parked next to others at Costco or Lowes instead of parking way out back...

I park at Costco and HomeDepot all the time, but I park in the lower 40 and take up two spaces since my truck is a dually. Walking is good for us. I don't go to Lowes

 

[Deleted member 995608]

Lowes is for GMC owners

 

[Grizzly]

Lowes is for GMC owners

... and furds!

 

[TFucili]

Since you don't have a signature, what year is your truck and how is it equipped? What do you do with your truck? Do you have oversize tires on it? Do you abuse it?

It is a 2005 3500 Lariat, Shortbed, SRW,QC,4x4,Auto. It has a PSM Cool Power air box mod. , an MBRP muffler, a Boost/EGT combo gauge, and a DTT Shift Enhancer, which was installed yesterday to get rid of the darn stutter shifting. The wheels and tires are what came from the factory. I tow infrequently, and not heavy. I do not street race or abuse it in any way. The maintenance is up to snuff, as it is with all of my stuff. Does that pass muster? Oops, I forgot that it has two two-way radios, as I am the Captain of a Search & Rescue Posse in my spare time. That must be what wore out those ball joints:-laf

 

[domehead]

I keep reading about the Saltillo versus St. Louis thing, but my truck is a Saltillo truck, and it is bone stock, and is having all of the classic problems. There isn't a different truck that I would prefer, but some of this stuff is just poorly designed, and sloppily built. For what these things cost, it is a disgrace.

It appears that you have axe to grind so please let us know how your new truck works out for you.

 

[TFucili]

It appears that you have axe to grind so please let us know how your new truck works out for you.

I have no axe to grind, but am unhappy to replace ball joints and hubs at 37K miles, that's all. If you took the time to read my previous posts, you would see that I already said that I have owned them all, and they all have problems. Only one has the Cummins. Maybe you are referring to the original poster? I've been around trucks and equipment for much of my life, and I don't need you to define what is good or bad, sport

 

[Cummins Cowboy]

my truck is a mexico truck, so was my old '02 model, have been running stock size tires and wheels since new, and no lift.

the fact is these parts should be the ones you would think don't break before 100k, how many years have they been putting ball joints on cars??? dodge can't even put a decent ball joint or u joint on a truck. this stuff is expensive to replace, pulling the hubes and front end components is labor intensive. seems like guys with early 03's and 04's actually have had better luck with their trucks. the fact is too many of us have had to put in ball joints at ridiculous low miles, thats a $1200 repair job usually just when the truck is out of warranty.

dodge knew the problems ford was having with the 6. 0 dodge could have stood to gain market share huge and some brand loyalty in the long run with trucks around my vintage.

I have been brand loyal to dodge, something dodge sorely needs to compete with the other brands, however fixing stuff that should last much longer and pouring money into my truck makes me think I would be better taking my chances with GM

 

[DaveHess]

Lowes is for GMC owners

Hey... easy now. My Lowes paycheck has bought me a lot of toys for my baby! Of course I have to admit I don't actually drive mine and park it at Lowes. I am not crazy!:-laf

 

[AClayton]

Enough with the over-sized tires already..... These trucks come with Dana 60's and a 70 0r 80 or AAM 11. 5. Come on Man!!Admit it,the front-ends in these trucks are worthless and the weakest component is the 60 up front. If people run a 38 or above tire,I can see premature failures... . but the stock tires or a 33 or even 35's should be no problem for a '60'. The fact is,a 60 is a good axle,BUT,Dodge placed it under a very heavy Cummins and then downgraded with the 'uni' bearing to reduce costs. You don't see dump-trucks with medium-duty engines running a Dana 60 to support the weight of a heavy engine... No they have massive axles able to withstand the forces of snowplows and the 'oversized?' 35" tire. I bought a heavy duty truck and I expect a HD truck... A Dana 60 under a medium-duty truck engine does not qualify a HD truck.



BTW... . I only have 130K on mine and it has had stock tires for 110K and just recently installed a Kore leveling kit and uh oh..... 33" tiresThe front-end was replaced with ball joints,track bar and all the usual stuff before the truck reached 100K. The trailer I tow everyday is 6K lbs... hardly a load for a 3/4 ton truck.





Alan

 

[Wingate]

I started posting to this thread Saturday, then had other obligations and deleted it all... Its getting kinda heated in here. IMHO, none of the three manufacturers build a truck worth what we pay for them. The sheetmetal is thin, the interiors are dated and cheaply made, all of them have suspension issues, all have or have recently had engine issues (although the 6. 7l is far superior to the 6. 4l) and the dealership networks are horrible at best!!. . Anybody can throw parts at one until they either get lucky and fix it, or the owner gives up and quits bringing it back.

Personally, I purchased my 06 model because I knew the history of the 5. 9l, and Dodge is the wrapper it was in!!!. . Had it been in a Ford, I would be driving a King Ranch right now. As long as consumers are still willing to go out and purchase that new vehicle with the ho-hum interior and sloppy steering, there is absolutely incentive for manufacturers to increase quality!

 

[Grizzly]

It is a 2005 3500 Lariat, Shortbed, SRW,QC,4x4,Auto. It has a PSM Cool Power air box mod. , an MBRP muffler, a Boost/EGT combo gauge, and a DTT Shift Enhancer, which was installed yesterday to get rid of the darn stutter shifting. The wheels and tires are what came from the factory. I tow infrequently, and not heavy. I do not street race or abuse it in any way. The maintenance is up to snuff, as it is with all of my stuff. Does that pass muster? Oops, I forgot that it has two two-way radios, as I am the Captain of a Search & Rescue Posse in my spare time. That must be what wore out those ball joints:-laf

I was a bit confused. You don't have a Dodge, you have a Lariat, which of course is a Furd. I had two Furds, both of which were dogs. I understand your frustration.

 

[Grizzly]

my truck is a mexico truck, so was my old '02 model, have been running stock size tires and wheels since new, and no lift.



the fact is these parts should be the ones you would think don't break before 100k, how many years have they been putting ball joints on cars??? dodge can't even put a decent ball joint or u joint on a truck. this stuff is expensive to replace, pulling the hubes and front end components is labor intensive. seems like guys with early 03's and 04's actually have had better luck with their trucks. the fact is too many of us have had to put in ball joints at ridiculous low miles, thats a $1200 repair job usually just when the truck is out of warranty.



dodge knew the problems ford was having with the 6. 0 dodge could have stood to gain market share huge and some brand loyalty in the long run with trucks around my vintage.



I have been brand loyal to dodge, something dodge sorely needs to compete with the other brands, however fixing stuff that should last much longer and pouring money into my truck makes me think I would be better taking my chances with GM

I don't know why you're having so many problems with you Dodge. I never had one problem with my 95, which I purchased new, nor have I, yet had a single problem with my 05, knock on wood.



If you were to take a poll to ask Dodge owner what problems they have had with their trucks, you will get far more positive feedback then negative. If you did the same with Furd and GM, you'd get more negative.



I have to agree with other posters, Dodge doesn't offer all the fancy frills, like King Ranch and other worthless junk. I'd much rather have a reliable truck, which I do.

 

[EArp]

I'm sorry to hear some of you haven't had the best of luck with your rigs. I have been extremely happy with my '07 5. 9 thus far. Besides regular maintenance (changing oil,transmission fluid, and greasing my tie rods) this truck has had no issues whatsoever. Although I don't tow heavy with it, I do put 650 miles a week on it and it still drives like it did when I bought it brand new. It has 50k on it now. Although it may not be as fancy as the "King of the Ranch", I feel it is a well built truck with more than enough features than I need. As for now, I plan to pay it off and still be driving it another 10 years from now. My truck is a St. Louis truck.