2019 RAM 1500 Laramie with issues from the start (long read)

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Sergio

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So I took delivery of a 2019 1500 Laramie May 5th. Since that Saturday, the ram has been at the dealer about 5 times for different things. This is my very first truck ever and I'm not sure what to do. I love the truck but honestly I feel like I've got myself a headache because I feel like they rushed the production and didn't really check to see any of any issues. It also doesn't help that from all my dealer visits, no one at the dealer knows what to do so they return the vehicle to me by saying they're not really sure what to tell me. I've spoken to the floor manager at service and I get basically the same reply. The truck is currently at the dealer again and I already contacted Chrysler explaining my concerns to see what they can realistically do. Here are the things that has happened thus far and please feel free to let me know if these issues have happened to you before.





1. Monday, May 7th at night the 12" screen completely froze. It got frozen when I was backing up at a parking garage and the image stayed there for the rest of the night. When I woke up Tuesday, it was still frozen even after having the truck turned off all night. Took it to the dealer and they didn't know what might've caused that so they reset the system by disconnecting the battery and off I went home.

2. Wednesday, May 16th I heard the infamous "brake" noise and thought it wasn't me until I drove on a street that I was far from other cars. Took it in at the dealer and explained the noise.... Got a call a few hours later saying that the vehicle was fully inspected and that they couldn't duplicate the noise I was describing. I went to pick the truck up and sure enough, on the way home I heard the noise again and made (2) videos to show them proof. Went right back to the dealer and showed them the video and they said they would have it fixed by the morning. Went back in the morning after they said it was done and it stopped making noise which I was happy for.

3. Tuesday, May 29th I started getting the brakes sounding again and took it straight to the dealer. They gave me the same response as the first time around and they couldn't hear any noises. Was extremely pissed and spoke to their floor manager and said they had fixed it because there was a few gravel pieces stuck in the caliper which is why the noise went away. I demanded to leave the car there and have everything checked so they kept it for (2) days to "fully inspect the brakes". Went to pick up the car again on Thursday and it made noise again on the way home. I was so pissed that I went back and told the manager I didn't want the truck anymore and he suggested resurfacing the rotor and to leave it at the dealer until morning. That was that...

4. Friday, June 1st I picked up the truck since I needed to have it for a trip to Orlando for the weekend and the brakes were finally not sounding. We drove up with no problems or concerns until we got almost to Orlando which is when the brakes starting sounding again. I let it be since I was on vacation and I knew once I came back down, I would yet again take it to the dealer.

5. Monday, June 4th on the way back down from Orlando, my truck gave me a warning on my instrument cluster that read "Active ParkSense unavailable, service required". Took a picture of that and noticed my rear sensors weren't working and said "service" on the instrument cluster. Went straight to the dealer and showed them which they saw in person and told me to leave it there until the morning.

6. Tuesday, June 5th I went in the morning before work to pick up the truck and sure enough the warning light was on but they told me that the technician said I "had it off which is why it wasn't working." On the way back home it did it again and caught it on video through my phone and went right back to the dealer and showed them that a brand new truck shouldn't have this many problems. The truck is still at the dealer so let's see what other problems arise...

IT HAS ONLY BEEN 1 MONTH of owning the ram and this is what I've been dealing with...
 

DRkNESS

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I’m really sorry to hear about your problems and definitely understand your frustrations. I knew getting into a 2019 that I was rolling the dice, so in my mind to alleviate this I did the following. I picked up a Laramie also, but I kept it as basic of a truck as possible. The only “ frill “ that I have is the power passenger seat. It was bad enough that my antenna was leaking and I hadn’t even had the truck for 8 hours. Back to the dealership it went.

Three days later and it’s back to me. People have asked why I didn’t get bells & whistles, well I tell them it seems first year production vehicles you pay a price with. My 2018 1st year production Accord has a 8” screen that controls everything. Went out and has been replaced already. Hadn’t even made it 1000 miles and I was back in the Stone Age due to that.

I’m hopeful that we are not the trial and error people for the dealerships. They need to buy back all of the ones with issues, and have their “ team “ go through them and create THE solution.

I’ll be following your posting to see how you fare. Hopefully we will both have only positive reports to write on here.3dbaa649f64f6ff48fe7bb781708c552.jpg
 

rrjjpp74

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Sorry to hear about your issues. My brakes have finally quit making noise after 2500 miles. Hoping it stays that way
 

iLLeStEyECoN

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Are you talking about the squealing brakes coming to a stop? I’ve owned 4 Chargers (2005 RT, 2006 SRT, 2012 Super Bee, 2015 Scat Pack) and my 2019 Laramie and they have ALL squealed from the moment I purchased them. The Laramie actually does it the least of the bunch - I have only heard it once in my 1500 miles. In FCA’s defense, the Zekhausen Racing pads/rotors I replaced my OEM brakes on one of the Chargers with did the same thing. On the Charger forums, people chalked this up to them being performance based and not rated for quietness.

There are known issues with the 12 inch screen. This should have been expected. It’s a giant tablet with a new OS (essentially). It will need a few OTA updates - yes, Uconnect does OTA updates - or dealer flashes. I anticipate a TSB or mass email being released soon.

I wonder if your sensor issue is directly correlated with the fact that it sounds like the back up camera (and maybe the sensors) were on for the entire night.

With all of this being said, this is why I didn’t get the 12 inch. I was a Chrysler tech when they started shifting from the previous Nav to the modern uconnect and these issues existed. I knew they’d exist again. It’s just how technology works - a company is unable to effectively prepare for all real world scenarios and factors.

Please keep us updated.


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BTD07

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Are you talking about the squealing brakes coming to a stop? I’ve owned 4 Chargers (2005 RT, 2006 SRT, 2012 Super Bee, 2015 Scat Pack) and my 2019 Laramie and they have ALL squealed from the moment I purchased them. The Laramie actually does it the least of the bunch - I have only heard it once in my 1500 miles. In FCA’s defense, the Zekhausen Racing pads/rotors I replaced my OEM brakes on one of the Chargers with did the same thing. On the Charger forums, people chalked this up to them being performance based and not rated for quietness.

There are known issues with the 12 inch screen. This should have been expected. It’s a giant tablet with a new OS (essentially). It will need a few OTA updates - yes, Uconnect does OTA updates - or dealer flashes. I anticipate a TSB or mass email being released soon.

I wonder if your sensor issue is directly correlated with the fact that it sounds like the back up camera (and maybe the sensors) were on for the entire night.

With all of this being said, this is why I didn’t get the 12 inch. I was a Chrysler tech when they started shifting from the previous Nav to the modern uconnect and these issues existed. I knew they’d exist again. It’s just how technology works - a company is unable to effectively prepare for all real world scenarios and factors.

Please keep us updated.


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As a tech you knew all this and had to take precautions for the vehicle because you knew you wouldnt get what was supposed to be right if you paid for it..As a normal consumer it is perfectly reasonable to EXPECT things to work. Its a 50k+ truck, and by golly if you pay for a 2000$ system or whatever it is, it better work! They cannot expect that a consumer will just say 'hey its the first year, its gonna suck', because if that was the case they wouldnt release a first year model and wait until bugs are fixed. He has every right to be upset, and should be upset. Its gross negligence in the Ram team to let someone pay a hefty price only to be left with having to take the truck in multiple times. "Whered your new truck go Jerry?" "Ah well you know, its new, so its broken and back at the dealership", "Oh yeah thats completely normal, new things should always come broken". Imagine a world where that makes sense. Not saying it doesnt happen, but its not right. This is by no means calling you out, I just wanted to make a point that you had first hand experience to know you cant have the nice things in a new model because you knew itd be wonky, where as a normal consumer might not. OP, I hope it gets solved.
 

iLLeStEyECoN

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As a tech you knew all this and had to take precautions for the vehicle because you knew you wouldnt get what was supposed to be right if you paid for it..As a normal consumer it is perfectly reasonable to EXPECT things to work. Its a 50k+ truck, and by golly if you pay for a 2000$ system or whatever it is, it better work! They cannot expect that a consumer will just say 'hey its the first year, its gonna suck', because if that was the case they wouldnt release a first year model and wait until bugs are fixed. He has every right to be upset, and should be upset. Its gross negligence in the Ram team to let someone pay a hefty price only to be left with having to take the truck in multiple times. "Whered your new truck go Jerry?" "Ah well you know, its new, so its broken and back at the dealership", "Oh yeah thats completely normal, new things should always come broken". Imagine a world where that makes sense. Not saying it doesnt happen, but its not right. This is by no means calling you out, I just wanted to make a point that you had first hand experience to know you cant have the nice things in a new model because you knew itd be wonky, where as a normal consumer might not. OP, I hope it gets solved.

While I understand your frustration, Apple has released iPhone models that have antenna issues, that bend, with dust in the camera design. They have also released iOS versions that kill SMS and other key features. It’s technology. We are in a world where technology is released and the world acts as the ever changing beta testers. That is why software is released as 11.0.1 - to fix the bugs the release created. Hell, you even see this with video games, which are released and require DAY ONE and numerous other patches. I am not saying it is correct, but most people in 2018 understand that this comes with the current technological climate, not just technicians.


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BTD07

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While I understand your frustration, Apple has released iPhone models that have antenna issues, that bend, with dust in the camera design. They have also released iOS versions that kill SMS and other key features. It’s technology. We are in a world where technology is released and the world acts as the ever changing beta testers. That is why software is released as 11.0.1 - to fix the bugs the release created. Hell, you even see this with video games, which are released and require DAY ONE and numerous other patches. I am not saying it is correct, but most people in 2018 understand that this comes with the current technological climate, not just technicians.


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I see what youre saying, but a 900$ phone, a 60$ video game, doesnt really compare to a 50,000$ truck, you know? You can also just go swap out a phone if its broken, or update the patch. Same with a game, but you cant just go to a dealer and say, "Please give me another, this broke".
 

DRkNESS

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What happened with my Accord was I could have gotten the 2017 with tried and true technology, but I posted for an unproven 18 one. Why, because the 2017 model they wanted just as much as they did the 2018 one. I knew I was rolling the dice on that one, and now I just patiently wait for updates to keep it functioning.
 

iLLeStEyECoN

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I see what youre saying, but a 900$ phone, a 60$ video game, doesnt really compare to a 50,000$ truck, you know? You can also just go swap out a phone if its broken, or update the patch. Same with a game, but you cant just go to a dealer and say, "Please give me another, this broke".

The Uconnect screen is probably priced around a high end tablet such as the Surface or Spectre, not $50K lol. And again, fully understand, but the Uconnect is capable of updates, and the dealer will definitely replace it if it is broken. It is no different than going into an Apple Store, where they send your phone out and then you receive a new one - unless you have Care Plus. I am not defending this practice, but it is absolutely where ALL technology is, regardless of the price.


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Jus Cruisin

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I have to assume there is a a screen reboot that the consumer can do without dealer help. Every tablet/smartphone I own freezes at times.
As far as brake squealing, if the dealer doesn't correct it I'd just replace them with some aftermarket pads and be done with it. I had to do it on 2 Corvettes I've owned.
 

iLLeStEyECoN

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I have to assume there is a a screen reboot that the consumer can do without dealer help. Every tablet/smartphone I own freezes at times.
As far as brake squealing, if the dealer doesn't correct it I'd just replace them with some aftermarket pads and be done with it. I had to do it on 2 Corvettes I've owned.

You can actually coat the pads with various things to quiet them. The Dodge brakes are just noisy. If the members at Charger Forums are accurate and this is because they are softer pads aimed at performance, I am 100% okay with the trade off. Hell, my fiancé’s Jeep now turns on and off at lights. THAT bothers me more than a squeak lol.


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DRkNESS

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Op, did the dealership put you in a loaner, and if so was it another Ram ?
 
OP
OP
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Sergio

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Op, did the dealership put you in a loaner, and if so was it another Ram ?

The dealer did give me a loaner but it wasn't another Ram. It was a 2018 jeep wrangler
 
OP
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Sergio

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UPDATE:


I went this morning to pick up the truck since they said it was "ready to be picked up" and they advised me that when both managers drove it, they didn't see anything wrong with it and that it can be "normal". I asked for the manager and two managers came up to me and said that they both drive "DEMO 2019 Rams" and they both do what my truck has bee doing which is 100% ********. I called Chrysler and had them open a special case on the truck.

Chrysler also told me to take it to another dealer tomorrow and once it's there they will get notified and my case manager will contact me to let me know what's going to get done. I will keep everyone posted.
 
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Sergio

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I'm trying to update the photos and video so everyone can see what I'm talking about but my photobucket isn't uploading anything and not sure what else to use to upload media from my iphone.

If anyone knows another app to use please let me know! I want to show everyone what seems to be "normal" on a 2019 Ram
 

iLLeStEyECoN

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I'm trying to update the photos and video so everyone can see what I'm talking about but my photobucket isn't uploading anything and not sure what else to use to upload media from my iphone.

If anyone knows another app to use please let me know! I want to show everyone what seems to be "normal" on a 2019 Ram

Tapatalk.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

McBroom

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So I took delivery of a 2019 1500 Laramie May 5th. Since that Saturday, the ram has been at the dealer about 5 times for different things. This is my very first truck ever and I'm not sure what to do. I love the truck but honestly I feel like I've got myself a headache because I feel like they rushed the production and didn't really check to see any of any issues. It also doesn't help that from all my dealer visits, no one at the dealer knows what to do so they return the vehicle to me by saying they're not really sure what to tell me. I've spoken to the floor manager at service and I get basically the same reply. The truck is currently at the dealer again and I already contacted Chrysler explaining my concerns to see what they can realistically do. Here are the things that has happened thus far and please feel free to let me know if these issues have happened to you before.





1. Monday, May 7th at night the 12" screen completely froze. It got frozen when I was backing up at a parking garage and the image stayed there for the rest of the night. When I woke up Tuesday, it was still frozen even after having the truck turned off all night. Took it to the dealer and they didn't know what might've caused that so they reset the system by disconnecting the battery and off I went home.

2. Wednesday, May 16th I heard the infamous "brake" noise and thought it wasn't me until I drove on a street that I was far from other cars. Took it in at the dealer and explained the noise.... Got a call a few hours later saying that the vehicle was fully inspected and that they couldn't duplicate the noise I was describing. I went to pick the truck up and sure enough, on the way home I heard the noise again and made (2) videos to show them proof. Went right back to the dealer and showed them the video and they said they would have it fixed by the morning. Went back in the morning after they said it was done and it stopped making noise which I was happy for.

3. Tuesday, May 29th I started getting the brakes sounding again and took it straight to the dealer. They gave me the same response as the first time around and they couldn't hear any noises. Was extremely pissed and spoke to their floor manager and said they had fixed it because there was a few gravel pieces stuck in the caliper which is why the noise went away. I demanded to leave the car there and have everything checked so they kept it for (2) days to "fully inspect the brakes". Went to pick up the car again on Thursday and it made noise again on the way home. I was so pissed that I went back and told the manager I didn't want the truck anymore and he suggested resurfacing the rotor and to leave it at the dealer until morning. That was that...

4. Friday, June 1st I picked up the truck since I needed to have it for a trip to Orlando for the weekend and the brakes were finally not sounding. We drove up with no problems or concerns until we got almost to Orlando which is when the brakes starting sounding again. I let it be since I was on vacation and I knew once I came back down, I would yet again take it to the dealer.

5. Monday, June 4th on the way back down from Orlando, my truck gave me a warning on my instrument cluster that read "Active ParkSense unavailable, service required". Took a picture of that and noticed my rear sensors weren't working and said "service" on the instrument cluster. Went straight to the dealer and showed them which they saw in person and told me to leave it there until the morning.

6. Tuesday, June 5th I went in the morning before work to pick up the truck and sure enough the warning light was on but they told me that the technician said I "had it off which is why it wasn't working." On the way back home it did it again and caught it on video through my phone and went right back to the dealer and showed them that a brand new truck shouldn't have this many problems. The truck is still at the dealer so let's see what other problems arise...

IT HAS ONLY BEEN 1 MONTH of owning the ram and this is what I've been dealing with...

There’s always problems with 1st vehicles. They have their bugs. The public is used as a testing ground to help work out the bugs and design flaws. All manufacturers use the first year of a new design as a tool.
I always wait for the third year to the last year of a design so by then almost every bug or flaw has been solved.
I’m glad you made the right decision to buy a new 19 Ram truck. Don’t worry be happy. Take it to the dealership when needed. Make a list of the problems and let them fix several bugs at a time. Have them give you a loaner truck while yours is in there. If the service department won’t put ya in one then go see your salesman and let him know that you need a loaner because yours in for service repairs for the_________ time. If that doesn’t work then go to the general manager. He’s the that makes **** happen...
Also I think you should contact Ramcares on this forum and get everything documented about your truck. They work for FCA and dealers go out of their way to make sure that the customer is satisfied or the end up in trouble with corporate officials.


I Love My 2018 RAM 2500HD 4x4 Off Road. 6.4L. USMC (ret)
 

McBroom

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All 1st year production vehicles gonna have bugs. And buyers of said vehicles are the auto makers test subjects( hate to tell y’all but...)The manufacturer keeps track of all the problems that come in for service repairs. Then they use that data to improve the quality of the next model year. It’s been that way since 1946 when manufacturers began the warranty period. They figure it’s the best way to see what issues there are as well as what people think and want in the up coming models. A/C used to be an option and now it’s a standard. It’s not an option anymore it’s in it whether you want it or not.
Ramcares on this forum is awesome at taking care of the customer. Dealers will do what Ramcares says or they’ll pay the price...


I Love My 2018 RAM 2500HD 4x4 Off Road. 6.4L. USMC (ret)
 

shibby927

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So I took delivery of a 2019 1500 Laramie May 5th. Since that Saturday, the ram has been at the dealer about 5 times for different things. This is my very first truck ever and I'm not sure what to do. I love the truck but honestly I feel like I've got myself a headache because I feel like they rushed the production and didn't really check to see any of any issues. It also doesn't help that from all my dealer visits, no one at the dealer knows what to do so they return the vehicle to me by saying they're not really sure what to tell me. I've spoken to the floor manager at service and I get basically the same reply. The truck is currently at the dealer again and I already contacted Chrysler explaining my concerns to see what they can realistically do. Here are the things that has happened thus far and please feel free to let me know if these issues have happened to you before.





1. Monday, May 7th at night the 12" screen completely froze. It got frozen when I was backing up at a parking garage and the image stayed there for the rest of the night. When I woke up Tuesday, it was still frozen even after having the truck turned off all night. Took it to the dealer and they didn't know what might've caused that so they reset the system by disconnecting the battery and off I went home.

2. Wednesday, May 16th I heard the infamous "brake" noise and thought it wasn't me until I drove on a street that I was far from other cars. Took it in at the dealer and explained the noise.... Got a call a few hours later saying that the vehicle was fully inspected and that they couldn't duplicate the noise I was describing. I went to pick the truck up and sure enough, on the way home I heard the noise again and made (2) videos to show them proof. Went right back to the dealer and showed them the video and they said they would have it fixed by the morning. Went back in the morning after they said it was done and it stopped making noise which I was happy for.

3. Tuesday, May 29th I started getting the brakes sounding again and took it straight to the dealer. They gave me the same response as the first time around and they couldn't hear any noises. Was extremely pissed and spoke to their floor manager and said they had fixed it because there was a few gravel pieces stuck in the caliper which is why the noise went away. I demanded to leave the car there and have everything checked so they kept it for (2) days to "fully inspect the brakes". Went to pick up the car again on Thursday and it made noise again on the way home. I was so pissed that I went back and told the manager I didn't want the truck anymore and he suggested resurfacing the rotor and to leave it at the dealer until morning. That was that...

4. Friday, June 1st I picked up the truck since I needed to have it for a trip to Orlando for the weekend and the brakes were finally not sounding. We drove up with no problems or concerns until we got almost to Orlando which is when the brakes starting sounding again. I let it be since I was on vacation and I knew once I came back down, I would yet again take it to the dealer.

5. Monday, June 4th on the way back down from Orlando, my truck gave me a warning on my instrument cluster that read "Active ParkSense unavailable, service required". Took a picture of that and noticed my rear sensors weren't working and said "service" on the instrument cluster. Went straight to the dealer and showed them which they saw in person and told me to leave it there until the morning.

6. Tuesday, June 5th I went in the morning before work to pick up the truck and sure enough the warning light was on but they told me that the technician said I "had it off which is why it wasn't working." On the way back home it did it again and caught it on video through my phone and went right back to the dealer and showed them that a brand new truck shouldn't have this many problems. The truck is still at the dealer so let's see what other problems arise...

IT HAS ONLY BEEN 1 MONTH of owning the ram and this is what I've been dealing with...

No offense my friend, but this is exactly why I never buy a first year production of a new generation vehicle. They almost always have gremlins that need to be worked out.
 

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