Shortly after I got my RAM 2020 I was surprised to find that RAM was at the top of the quality rating charts for all vehicles. Not just trucks but everything build to drive on the road. And not just at the top, but WAY above the top. A few months later it fell to middle of the pack. Reason given? The radio. Fortunately, I've seen extremely rare issues in my 12" UConnect unit, but the one time I did a quick reset of the unit worked and I've not seen anything since. Ask your dealer how to do a full reboot/reset, which normally doesn't happen when you turn the truck off, as it is always leaching a small amount of power to do certain functions with remote services and other minor details. Just pulling the battery doesn't do this either as it still retains some data while without power. You can Google this too.
Interestingly, in the early 90's, both of my vehicle had no radio. It was coincidental, because I hadn't removed them.
One vehicle was a 1976 Suburban, and the other was a 1974 Volvo 144.
I had lots of "alone time" to mull things over as I drove the freeways and byways of the Houston Metropolis. I never had a nervous breakdown due to not being "entertained" during my driving experiences, and since there was no GPS, I carried maps. (Remember those?)
Today, I have an iPhone and it has google maps, and my 20 year old hoopties that I own and drive have only barbarically base radios, which are turned off for the majority of my driving. (I DO listen to Saturday Zydeco on NPR from 7-10 AM on Saturday mornings, though.)
Additionally, I do not have adaptive cruise control, lane keeper, automatic cosmic earthquake predictors, ESP services, TV, nor do I stick my nose in my cell phone every 2 seconds, as many drivers do. I just pay attention to my driving and practice defensive driving, like my dearly departed DAD taught me back when we used crank handles to raise and lower the windows, We used another lever to select which gear we wanted. We used a button to lock and unlock the doors... and it was NOT an electric switch button. The result is 52 years of driving and only one at-fault accident in February, 1998, a minor one where I rear ended a Ford F150 due to slick roads and a malfunction of my ABS.
My current cars have electric windows and door locks. Only one has electric seats including seat heaters. Do not mis-interpret my stroll down memory lane as criticism or condemnation for these new fangled gadgets.... Just that they are distractive, and unnecessary toys. And the manufacturers are having a financial hey-day at the public's insatiable appetite to have all these toys so they can drive and not remain acutely focused on the task OF driving. It's a pragmatic thing to me. I'd druther not walk, take Uber, ride a horse, so I drive a vehicle which drains my finances enough without dealing with other issues which I do not need nor desire.
I do respect these choices for others, but wonder how we EVER got where we were going in those Roman Chariots of yesteryear safely and accurately.
P.S. I just watched a video where manufacturers are considering subscription fees FOR using seat heaters, U-connect type infotainment, remote start, among others! Hoo Boy! I can forsee heated reactions to that! And that has no fees attached!
