4th Gen Mistake?

[wlatch]

After owning a 2004 Ram 1500 3rd gen for 14 years, I decided it was time for an upgrade and got a 2018 Ram 1500 4th Gen. I am beginning to think that was a huge mistake. I purchased the vehicle with 30k on it (my 2004 had 180k). Over the course of just a year and 10k (which now puts me out of warranty) I have suffered some pretty odd failures that are making me rethink my purchase. First, the radio screen started "melting". Reached out to @RamCares, but since the local dealership wouldn't cover it under warranty my only option was to pay for it and hope they decided to rectify this widespread issue down the road. Next, my wiper motor failed... just stopped one day and wouldnt come on anymore. After trying unsuccesfully to find an aftermarket replacement, I found a used one from ebay and replaced the wiper unit. I have owned a number of cars/trucks (even a Ford) and never replaced a wiper motor. The A/C fan was extremely noisy during operation (ticking noise almost like a leaf was in it, but there wasnt), so I replaced that with a used unit which was much better. A few months ago, I noticed the WiFi is no longer working which is apparently another "known issue". I contacted UConnect who put me in touch with AT&T, they said I would have to go to the dealer to get it reset, they were supposed to call me back and never did. Now this weekend, I am hearing a grinding noise from the front drivers side wheel which I can only guess is the wheel bearing from previous experience. How is it possible that *ALL* of this goes wrong in 4-5k miles after the warranty is over. I am regretting purchasing another RAM. I guess they don't make them like they used too. At the rate this 4th Gen is going I am not going to get 60k miles, much less 160K.

 

[RLJ10X]

Sell it. Go buy something else.

And I've never totally trusted anyone who called their truck a car. That's just me....

 

[Jeepwalker]

Sorry to hear about your woes. Yeah I can kind of see how it would make you re-think the wisdom of your purchase. Perhaps you just got into a wierd 'funk' ...like an all-star, super-bowl-winning quarterback who's team is 12-1, hasn't thrown an interception all season, then has 4 in a single game. Has he lost his luster -- all washed up? Hard to say. Maybe some were his fault, and others weren't; the first one, the ball was tipped, another, the receiver slipped on the grass, the third, he was in the grasp and wish he wouldn't have thrown that ball ...and the last a good defensive play. We've all seen that happen to QB's.

The LCD screens losing their adhesive behind the glass is a known issue. Esp in hot climate zones. They get real hot and eventually flows down. We're going to hear more about this in coming years with a number of makes. LCD's in hot car interiors after many yrs, cold winters too ..temp extremes are not always a good mix. That happens with some auto-dimming rear view mirrors too, and has for many years. There are some LCD 'fixes' for your issue if you search it out; either re-laminating the screen, or replacing it with a new LG unit. But, yeah, you shouldn't have to spend the $$ for a new one this early you wouldn't think, and I sympathize with you ..really I do. The U-connect, I wonder if you can reset that yourself if you were to download AlfaOBD and get an OBD cable? Or maybe it really is dealer-only (some things are). I've said for yrs that the more tech and LCD stuff in trucks, it's just asking for trouble as they age.

The blower motor, most expect those to last a long time. That's a wierd one. Let's chalk that up to the 'tipped ball' scenario. The wheel bearing, shouldn't fail either at your mileage. Maybe that is just one of those flukes. Who can say. Or maybe you'll get lucky and it's just a rock in the caliper (I've had that happen). If it is the bearing and you can do it yourself, they aren't terribly expensive (but potentially a lot of work). Use a good Mopar (not an import parts store unit).

Beyond that, 4th gen tks trucks are generally great and long lasting. There are a couple other potential problems you might prepare yourself for such as exhaust manifolds warping (search out Hemi tick), which they all do it seems, and cam issues. Exh manifolds always warp on these for some reason. Maybe yours already did and have been fixed (might want to ask dealer records). If they do in the future, have yours machined down (don't put on new -- they'll re-warp). Other vehicles have exh manifold warp issues too. 1960's Ford FE engines had that happen a lot. On the Cam, some guys get well over 150k miles w/o problems (170k on mine), lot of guys don't. ..so who knows.

Anyway, congrats on your new truck. I'm sure it looks nice. Hopefully you get past this ugly stretch you can enjoy many interception-free games.

Cheers

 

[CamperMike]

You've gotten mostly good responses. Only the radio is a common issue. And it was a 2018 thing that they fixed in 2019. A replacement radio will last and is not likely to suffer the same fate. I would keep the truck but if you've lost trust in it and you can afford it I wouldn't blame you for trading it in. Fwiw my 2018 has had none of the little issues you have dealt with but this last summer at just under 60k the exhaust manifold and head were replaced. The manifold is common but issues with the head and head gasket are not and almost stranded us returning from our vacation. I was frustrated it let me down but decided to keep it as the head is not a common issue and the truck meets my needs very well.

 

[NJMOPAR]

Look forward to your roof leaking, exhaust manifolds breaking bolts and eventual lifter failure.

 

[Dave Haddon]

Then again you can hope that the road Gremlins steal your truck..crash it..you get fully compensated by your insurance and you get to buy a truck without faults..mmmm..that last part might be a pipe dream...Sorry to hear about your pain, but it happens but it doesn't make it any easier to deal with....sorry mate...LOL

 

[shrubs]

Issues always come up with NEW to YOU vehicle. You already have some RAM repair instincts.

Issues can be overcome. Tap into forums to find out some ideas. Search function is good.

jeepwalker above has a great post. I have had 2 non RAM vehicles that I bought for my kids and once I worked out the issues known or unknown, I had great vehicles for them.

My son just got a 2015 RAM Tradesman in October, and we have it like off the lot now. We know things will come up eventually.

None of of this appeals to you? Sell it.

 

[kurek]

Sounds like a flood vehicle.

 

[tron67j]

Sorry you are having problems, those are a mix of weird issues that are pointing to some past activities that would impact such a wide range. Possibly flood, or a lot of use at the beach where salt was regularly getting into things. Plus the known things like screen delamination. You could look at electrical contacts and other areas to see if there's a lot of surface rust or corrosion. That might give you some indication of more problems to come. Oftentimes, I would think that it's just bad luck as I've even had a couple quirky things on my 2018 2500 that I bought brand new, however, in your case that's just too many disparate areas of impact. Good luck with whatever you do.

 

[Jeepwalker]

If you WERE inclined to get rid of it and get something else, I would do it ASAP ...like in the next week. If this whole Russian Invasion thing gets really nasty and protracted (could be like our Afghanistan), expect oil & gas prices to go way up. What if it does become protracted resistence?? How long before someone blows up the Russian pipeline? If they wanted to hit Putin below the belt, that would be a way to do it. Either way, it has the distinct possibility to put a real major damper on gas-guzzling pick-up sales. I've been driving by dealers lately and most have gradually built up somewhat of an inventory of used pick-up trucks (not very many new ones yet). But guess what? They paid top dollar for those trucks, and they're not selling them cheap either.

I know a guy who is a buyer at car auctions, and he was telling me not long ago, hardly any decent pickup trucks come through the auctions. Those that do are selling sky high. So, dealers who *have* trucks are sitting on over-priced inventory that's going to be real hard to unload if gas goes sky-high. Which it probably will. Don't you remember in '08 how people parked their trucks and nobody was buying them?

Right now you might still be able to unload your truck outright to Carvana or elsewhere ....at these once-in-a-generation outrageous used-truck prices. If you want to do it, I'd dump it real quick before the bottom falls out on truck prices.

 

[Jeepwalker]

The other thing too, is vehicle types are somewhat generational. Look at automotive history: sedans once ruled the road. Station wagons were very popular. The next generation preferred minivans. The minivan market has shrunk dramatically for SUV's and pick-ups. The pickup market as DD's has been around quite a while now. These younger generation of buyers are not hot on SUV's their parents hauled them around to soccer games in. Their (young people) aspirational vehicles are electric cars/trucks (just ask a bunch of high-schoolers/college kids). And energy prices could put a damper on pickup tk sales.

What I'm saying is ...who knows? We might well be standing at the edge of a generational shift. The late Rococo stages of pickup popularity (??). Nobody's saying they'll disappear overnight, but tastes and popularity will move on sure as can be. The pickups of today will one day be the woodgrain station wagons of the 80's. There's a whole new crop of exciting and new electric vehicles/trucks coming up; Sure they have issues, sure there aren't enough charging stations now, sure it's the bleeding edge of technology, sure they use fossil fuels to recharge, sure there are downfalls (we can debate the negatives ...but the technology is here and coming). And young buyers are ready to latch on.

The question is when will the market reach that tipping point, when pickup sales wane and electric vehicles really take off (if they do)? I don't know the answer but it feels like we're getting closer. And maybe all it will take is an oil shock, recession, and a new crop of buyers (with different interests) to do it. At that point getting rid of an old pickup would be like selling a used-up ford explorer, lol. I dont know for sure if we're there, but it's an interesting topic to ponder.

 

[RLJ10X]

The Electric Vehicle is the next coming thing. Hopefully, that won’t last but 5-7 years until everyone has experienced that debacle. Then gas will get cleaned up a bit.

Where’d our OP go?

I told you o don’t trust a guy who calls a truck a car.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Where’d our OP go?

I told you o don’t trust a guy who calls a truck a car.

Either he's out fixing the wheel bearing (which you know *can* be a real bugger, or maybe out walking the lots for a new car truck

 

[jagman_xjs]

I have to agree it sounds like a flood vehicle. Cross Jeep of Louisville KY sold us a brand new Jeep that we are sure was a flood vehicle. It had 12 miles on it when we bought it and it STUNK after only 2 weeks of use. Had to drive it with the windows lowered a little and the tailgate cracked open just to be able to drive it. PLUS the failures it had . It finally got bought back and then they shipped it to MI and resold to some sucker up there. Anymore if it is a low mileage vehicle I QUESTION why it is on their lot. We all know MOST dealers are liars so buyer beware.

 

[Rodney Belair]

After owning a 2004 Ram 1500 3rd gen for 14 years, I decided it was time for an upgrade and got a 2018 Ram 1500 4th Gen. I am beginning to think that was a huge mistake. I purchased the vehicle with 30k on it (my 2004 had 180k). Over the course of just a year and 10k (which now puts me out of warranty) I have suffered some pretty odd failures that are making me rethink my purchase. First, the radio screen started "melting". Reached out to @RamCares, but since the local dealership wouldn't cover it under warranty my only option was to pay for it and hope they decided to rectify this widespread issue down the road. Next, my wiper motor failed... just stopped one day and wouldnt come on anymore. After trying unsuccesfully to find an aftermarket replacement, I found a used one from ebay and replaced the wiper unit. I have owned a number of cars/trucks (even a Ford) and never replaced a wiper motor. The A/C fan was extremely noisy during operation (ticking noise almost like a leaf was in it, but there wasnt), so I replaced that with a used unit which was much better. A few months ago, I noticed the WiFi is no longer working which is apparently another "known issue". I contacted UConnect who put me in touch with AT&T, they said I would have to go to the dealer to get it reset, they were supposed to call me back and never did. Now this weekend, I am hearing a grinding noise from the front drivers side wheel which I can only guess is the wheel bearing from previous experience. How is it possible that *ALL* of this goes wrong in 4-5k miles after the warranty is over. I am regretting purchasing another RAM. I guess they don't make them like they used too. At the rate this 4th Gen is going I am not going to get 60k miles, much less 160K.

 

[Rodney Belair]

I have a 17 1500 with 66K on it, knock on wood I havent had any issues.

 

[tap4154]

Look forward to your roof leaking, exhaust manifolds breaking bolts and eventual lifter failure.

He didn't say if he got the Hemi or the Pentastar. If he got the Pentastar he won't have those issues.

 

[Wild one]

He didn't say if he got the Hemi or the Pentastar. If he got the Pentastar he won't have those issues.

Says 5.7 in his profile beside his original post

 

[tap4154]

Says 5.7 in his profile beside his original post

I'm not using the app, and a lot of those details don't show up when you use a browser.

 

[redvetram]

Sorry you’re having so many issues with your Gen 4, but I’m inclined to agree with others that the problems may be associated with a past event that wasn’t disclosed to you. I had a 2014 Ram Gen 4 that was so great, I made it a point to get the “Classic” version when I bought my 2019. Not only did all of my accessories transition, but I went into it assuming used parts for the Gen 4 we’re going to be easier to find than the new Gen 5’s. Luckily, 2 years into this truck the only part I’ve needed was a steel rim for my snow tire spare. (BTW, both trucks were purchased used but with less than 5,000 miles on them).