My experience after a couple weeks with my new truck...

Hello All,

I just wanted to share my experience so far with my truck after a few weeks. I had been shopping new vehicles for about 2 years. I've always wanted a truck of my own and was coming up from a 4 door sedan as adaily. I've had countless work trucks and vans of many brands, I've driven them all and ended up on RAM. A Tundra 5.7 was a close second but price gouging and an impossibly small bed broke that deal. Custom ordered on Memorial Day, it took a tick less than 2 months to find it's way to my driveway. Big Horn L2 CC 5'7, Off Road pack on 18's with LED's.

I love the Hemi, so smooth and even with the 3.21's it is fantastic on the highway spinning less than 2k going 80. It rides like a luxury car over some of the worst roads the area has to offer. The roominess is amazing, Patriot Blue metallic has gotten tons of compliments.

The transmission seems clunky at low speed and light throttle input. I can feel it bang each gear like its not sure if it should be shifting. It's a little unnerving in traffic, but under heavier acceleration its crisp and quick. I don't know if that's a characteristic of the trans, or something's wrong.

The bluetooth is wonky with my Android phone. About 2/3rds of my contacts show up with names, the rest are just numbers. Taking a call while listening to any audio source will switch from the call, back to the radio, and then back to the call sporadically. Its fine through Android Auto just not direct over bluetooth. My iPhone works without issue.

I did have some dash panels damaged from the factory that I didn't notice until I after a couple days with it. The dealer will be replacing them.

The truck was also doing a weird hesitation when cold started after sitting for 12+ hours. I did an ETC relearn, and that seems to have stopped the weird starts.

Lastly, when remote starting I'll get in the truck and the fan will be on high about half the time. I always shut it off before leaving the truck. I'll hit "run" and the fan shuts off. And yes, the auto-comfort feature is disabled.

Just some of my little nitpicks, wondering what little gremlins others have experienced on a new vehicle. For an almost $60K vehicle I feel like some of this stuff shouldn't be happening. Overall I'm super happy with the truck, love the way it rides, and looks; though I wish I would have gotten the adaptive cruise. Got big plans for it in the future, first being a preventative reseal on the CHMSL before it starts leaking and converting it to LED. I go through the touchless wash a few times a week and feel like I'm asking for a problem. Then its exhaust time because that motor is just way to quiet, I'm thinking maybe the Flowmaster FX active valve muffler.

Thanks for reading!

For the phone, you should unpair both and re-pair them if that does not work, you may need to hard reset your phone. My Pixel 4a5g got wonky at times with the Bluetooth connection, would just show numbers or lose connection altogether. Wiping phone and starting from scratch eventually fixed it. I believe one of my apps was causing the glitch. Occasionally I see only a number now, but it is the same in my phone screen so think it is Verizon. Their service around us has gotten really bad and I live near DC. I have seen substantive changes (bad) to service over the past 2 years. Good luck on the rest.

I must ask :

In the owners manual packet, did they include a radio/uconnect manual ?

They did include what seems more like a pamphlet for uConnect.

I have a Pixel 4 that's heavily modded, rooted etc. that's likely why it's not playing nice. But it works just fine on my other cars I guess it just doesn't like UConnect.

Congrats on the new Ram. My Ram was delivered on July 15th, and the tranny has been smoth as silk since day one. I suggest taking her to the dealer, and getting the service writer to take a ride with you. I'm fairly sure the SW will tell you it's normal, and it it will adapt to your driving style. That's what service writers do. But, that ain't normal. Good luck, I hope it's something simple.

Wanted33 said:

Congrats on the new Ram. My Ram was delivered on July 15th, and the tranny has been smoth as silk since day one. I suggest taking her to the dealer, and getting the service writer to take a ride with you. I'm fairly sure the SW will tell you it's normal, and it it will adapt to your driving style. That's what service writers do. But, that ain't normal. Good luck, I hope it's something simple.

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Just got confirmation that the panels are on order and made them aware of the trans... and you called it, "Yea, that's normal..." Not so much, it clunked so bad the other day in rolling traffic I though for sure I was rear ended. I just hope I'm not damaging it further by continuing to drive it. But I guess that's what warranties are for.

Now we'll see how long it takes to get the panels.

BigBlueHemi said:

Just got confirmation that the panels are on order and made them aware of the trans... and you called it, "Yea, that's normal..." Not so much, it clunked so bad the other day in rolling traffic I though for sure I was rear ended. I just hope I'm not damaging it further by continuing to drive it. But I guess that's what warranties are for.

Now we'll see how long it takes to get the panels.

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Welcome, good luck with the new ride. You probably have U Connect 5, in that 2022, and there have been software issues with U 5, so that will be something you will have to work out. You got a few good suggestions above ref the phone.

Clunky Trans: AHHHHHHH, BS. Either get it into service or try another dealership, these 8 speeds are smooth as glass, just saying.

PARTS: Do not hold your breath,. You may get lucky, but parts are going out 3 months to infinity. I am waiting on a new E Fan, dealer ordered 1 Feb, I figure see it in 2025, LOL. Just how it is, unfortunately, not acceptable, but how it is.

At this point I could care less about the phone. I tried most of the steps. Hard resetting the phone isn't an option because it would simply take way to long to get it back how I like it. I don't have connected services so I'd have to upgrade it manually if there's an update or just make the dealer do it. I'm gonna make an appointment to get it in sooner than later. Aside from the damn trans it's a great truck.

BigBlueHemi said:

The bluetooth is wonky with my Android phone.. My iPhone works without issue.

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Android =

If you have 2nd vehicle,
Take your new truck into the dealership & have someone ride with you.

The SA at the dealership that you went to, likely has never ridden in a new Ram.
Maybe they have never driven any Ram

maybe they own a Kia

Even my 3/4 ton 8 speed is the smoothest trans I believe I've ever had in a pick up...
As noted- something seems off...

Welcome to the forums,

I would consider in today’s economy and health stressed work environment, which every school you wish to believe false or positive

To personally scrutinize the dealer prep of the vehicle, double check all the fluids, their levels and content IE quality.
right down to tire air pressure…
I wouldn’t stake .05 cents on a dealership’s lip service.

Once you finish re inspecting your truck,
I think you’ll have a better idea of what you were dealt.

Place a 50 to 100 lb of weight in the bed that won’t slide around and compare the driving characteristics to it being unloaded.

An accelerator (peddle, box commander etc.) piggyback plug-in in will take the lag and slop out of the drive by wire shift points,
I think they make them for the new trucks ?

BigBlueHemi said:

Just got confirmation that the panels are on order and made them aware of the trans... and you called it, "Yea, that's normal..." Not so much, it clunked so bad the other day in rolling traffic I though for sure I was rear ended. I just hope I'm not damaging it further by continuing to drive it. But I guess that's what warranties are for.

Now we'll see how long it takes to get the panels.

Click to expand...

The next time you stop by tell the Service Writer I'll be stopping by to have my tranny checked. My doesn't clunk, so if yours is normal I need mine fixed. It's the same old story at every dealer in the country. If they don't know, or don't want to work on something the problem is tagged as "normal". The only thing that is truely normal is they are all full of horse s%^t.

Wanted33 said:

The next time you stop by tell the Service Writer I'll be stopping by to have my tranny checked. My doesn't clunk, so if yours is normal I need mine fixed. It's the same old story at every dealer in the country. If they don't know, or don't want to work on something the problem is tagged as "normal". The only thing that is truely normal is they are all full of horse s%^t.

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I've heard all I need to. I'll be making an appointment and demanding a loaner and ride-along to sort this. I just turned 1k miles today that's enough to "learn". What gets me is that it's crisp and smooth launching it and romping on it. More to follow.

Scottly said:

Android = View attachment 500726

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LOL

I find the exact opposite experience. My Android works pretty well with Uconnect/Android Auto, but my wife's iPhone is intermittent at best with Uconnect/CarPlay

Yeah, definitely an issue. Mine is smooth as can be. Hell, most of the time you can't even tell it has shifted gears.

So the dealer had it for two days. Chief complaints; the transmission and the bluetooth. Got it back today and was assured absolutely nothing was wrong. The most they did was reset the adaptive values for the trans and road tested it for 11 miles. I literally get in it to drive home as it was parked right in the service drive and it clunks into drive. The writer is still standing there with a confused look. Supposedly the shop foreman was the one who worked on it but he was gone for the day along with the rest of the techs and the service manager. I drove it home trying to focus on the times I know it would clunk, this time with MDS off. That seemed to help. I tend to be very light on the pedal, maybe thats a problem? When I dropped it off I asked the service manager if he'd go for a ride with me, he said "sure" and then never saw him again. It was getting near closing time but still. Gonna drive it for now. Haven't explored other dealerships in my area yet.

Bluetooth still doesn't play nice with my phone. Yet it worked perfectly in my Jeep loaner. Guess I have to live with that.

One last question, does anyone's parking brake auto release when put in gear? I have the auto-brake setting OFF.

On the switching from call back and forth from call to radio: That could be caused by some setting on your iphone. I had that problem with my work car's SYNC system because the nav on my phone was set to a default "treat as a phone call" versus a standard bluetooth connection.

I think someone mentioned above. many people are having issues with new U connect.
With my 2021, I have reverse issue. Iphone 12/13 sucky and Samsung Android works better.

I noticed even with both my phones, it works better plugged in. If it's just BT, some times it works, some times it doesn't.
I can call out with it, but I don't receive calls.

wireless charging almost never works for Iphone, always for android though.

I'm using google maps and amazon for music, on my Iphone. So have gotten use to just plug it in.

Scottly said:

Android = View attachment 500726

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Lmao how's the camera this year bud?