2013 Uconnect 8.4a (RA3) Nav Upgrade

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bdkramer42

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I, for one, think this is complete BS and a total money grab by Ram. Like other users on this forum and others, when I bought my 2013 RAM back in November, multiple dealers were telling me they weren't sure or how much it would cost to add the Nav to the RA3 8.4A radio. Now that I've had the truck for a little over a month I find out it's $600. Had I known that at the time, I would have negotiated that into the cost of the truck. I've been on the phone multiple times with my dealer, other dealers, and Ram Customer Service and no one is willing to help. As an early adopter, and someone that buys new vehicles once every few years (I put a lot of miles on being a contractor), I have asked Chrysler to help me out on this. I've bought three (3) $40k plus Ram 1500's since 2010 and they won't help me one bit over $600. My 2013 will be my last RAM. Obviously upset that Chrysler / RAM won't help out a dissatisfied customer and just wanted to make everyone else aware of this so they don't suffer the same frustrations I have.
 

smiley

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Wait so you ordered the truck without the 8.4 Nav but now you want it added and it costs more than you thought so you are mad at Ram? I am confused by this could you give us the back story.


$miley
 

PowerWagon2012

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For someone that has bought that many high dollar rams in the last few years you should have no problem with a little ole $600. I don't see that you have a leg to stand on with a complaint here.
 
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bdkramer42

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No, I bought a truck off the lot, didn't order one. Obviously the window sticker said the radio was "Nav Ready, ask dealer for details". I shopped around at 3-4 different dealers and consulted with a few over the phone. None of them could tell me how much it would cost or what was entailed to add the Navigation and get it working. No one even told me there would be a fee, although I assumed there would be, just not $600. My point in the first call to Chrysler is why would anyone pay $600 to activate navigation when they could go buy one for $100 or use it for free on a smartphone? Like I said previously, if I had known how much it was from the get go, I would have negotiated it as part of the truck price or ordered a truck with the RA4 Nav Radio. They had trucks with the Nav Radio on the lot, but with a whole bunch of other bells and whistles I didn't want nor want to pay for. Probably more upset at the local dealer than anything for asking them repeatedly what the nav install would entail and they couldn't tell me and now that I've bought the truck they want another $600 to put it on.
 
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bdkramer42

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For someone that has bought that many high dollar rams in the last few years you should have no problem with a little ole $600. I don't see that you have a leg to stand on with a complaint here.

Haha, I knew that was coming. It's more the principle of it.
 

smiley

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Haha, I knew that was coming. It's more the principle of it.

Not to be a jerk but maybe it is the principle for them too though. You should have bought it with the features they always cost more to add on after they are built.


$miley
 

smiley

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Mad at the dealer I get a little but not Ram they just make the trucks your job to get the features for your needs.


$miley
 
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bdkramer42

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I'm with ya. I'm not saying I'm totally not at fault. I should have been smarter and not bought until I got something in writing from dealer with regard to cost to "activate" the navigation on the RA3 radio. Just felt like a slap in the face / sticker shock I guess when I found out the price to add it.
 

boomer135

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I can feel your pain. NAV ready is actually smart for RAM ,but the 8.4a or AN is so new Dealers are no yet familiar with how to upgrade it.

I did some research prior to getting my RAM and since I knew it would be a $500.00 or plus upgrade, I just bought a Ram with the 8.4AN this way its good to go and as a plus I have HD radio.

$500.00 or $600.00 upgrade for NAV is still way cheaper then other manufactures charging $1,000 and up for the whole system, where as in the RAM your just paying for the software, and dont have to buy DVD's to upgrade the system every year.
 

Sideshow

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That's your first post on our forums? Bashing Ram because they wont give you a $600 option after you bought the truck?
Get with it man, you should have figured it out before you signed on the dotted line. If it Nav was that important you should have waited to get the answers you needed. You yourself said it was a little over a month before you found out.

Welcome to the site by the way.
 

ram-head

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My point in the first call to Chrysler is why would anyone pay $600 to activate navigation when they could go buy one for $100 or use it for free on a smartphone?

By that argument, why did you pay over $2,000 for a touchscreen radio when you could have easily found one for less than half the cost, with navigation included?

I really don't think $600 is unreasonable. My guess is they have to install a GPS antenna, install the software, and unlock the option in the computer. Try adding it if you didn't already have the radio to support it. You'd be looking at around $3,000. You're lucky you can even add it. I've been told I can't even add a simple OEM compass to my 2012.
 

Recontango

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I thought $600 was pretty steep too, but my dealer knew the cost when I bought the vehicle so I was able to negotiate it into the sale. I will say however that it is worth way more than a separate garmin or other external unit. The ability to do a bing search and send it straight to the nav is great. Also, the directions in the EVIC are handy as you don't have to look over to the large screen. All in all I think it is worth having it added in you didn't get the 8.4AN.

Sorry for your frustration.
 
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CAP LOCK KID

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I thought $600 was pretty steep too, but my dealer knew the cost when I bought the vehicle so I was able to negotiate it into the sale. I will say however that it is worth way more than a separate farming or other external unit. The ability to do a bing search and send it straight to the nav is great. Also, the directions in the EVIC are handy as you don't have to look over to the large screen. All in all I think it is worth having it added in you didn't get the 8.4AN.

Sorry for your frustration.

Hello, new guy here but not to Dodge. Long time member on another forum from when i had a Durango, now a Ram owner.

Anyway, When i bought the 13, dealer said it was a $500cnd option to add it to the truck. It has the 8.4 without the Nav. Figured i would use my current protable unit until i had done other mods that i want more.

Anyone do the upgrade yet? How easy and how much of a change to the screen?
 

Recontango

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Hello, new guy here but not to Dodge. Long time member on another forum from when i had a Durango, now a Ram owner.

Anyway, When i bought the 13, dealer said it was a $500cnd option to add it to the truck. It has the 8.4 without the Nav. Figured i would use my current protable unit until i had done other mods that i want more.

Anyone do the upgrade yet? How easy and how much of a change to the screen?

I had the upgrade done when I bought the truck. No big deal, the hardest part was waiting for the techs to figure out how to do it. Once they had the proper instructions it literally took 15 min. No major changes to the screen, just adds a nav soft button in the middle at the bottom. Works great.
 

LB3711

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Stand alone unit is better. Most are free to upgrade and have free traffic updates. My GPS has both. OEM Nav units are not worth the extra cash.
 

DrewB

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I think its worth the upgrade since you drive so much. I use the features associated with the nav more than the actual turn by turn guidance. For instance, the live traffice on the street is a nice touch. It shows congested areas and i can adjust my route off that. it has saved me a few hours of driving when trying to get through atlanta. Also, when using the turn by turn, likre Recon said, the directions in the cluster is pretty sweet.

But you cannot fault RAM for you not knowing that it was going to cost extra. I agree that 600 is a lot but still better than what it used to be in the past.
 

nothappy

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uconnect 8.4a nav upgrade

ok I just bought 2013 ram sport and when I test drove it nav was working
when I MADE THE DEAL now nav does not work (oh by the way the day after the deal is when it stopped )
and dealer says it will cost $795 to get it to work what
kind of rip off is this any way. nav and rear view
cam is what told the dealer I wonted the most he said it had it and showed it to me .
I have ben a ford man for 30 years guess ram does not wont any new
people to buy trucks from them to pull this kind CRAP on us its bad business
in my eyes :flame:
 

smiley

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Get Chrysler involved they will be big help.


$miley
 

Ciscobud

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I purchased the. Nav after buying truck e

The Nav is totally messed up it is missing complete road that have been in place for ever
 

bitNine

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The MSRP on the RA4 is an additional $500 as an upgrade to RA3. Invoice is $425. If we're talking about MSRP, you're dropping an extra $100 on the nav upgrade.

The problem here is that the RA4 has many more capabilities than just nav. Things like HD radio. But nonetheless, this is definitely one of those "do your homework before buying" moments. Vehicles are ever more complicated year after year. I did my homework and understood the differences. My wife kept asking if we should just get the big horn and add the features we wanted. One of those things was the RA3 vs RA4. Can't get the RA4 in the 2500 big horn. Laramie and longhorn only.
 
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