A bit worried about reliability

[22Tradesman]

Hey guys!
My Ram is back at the dealer again. This time it’s for an oil leak at the timing chain cover, and that suspension noise I’ve posted about before has gotten louder. I dropped it off Thursday morning and still haven’t heard anything from the service advisor. This is the 3rd time in 6 months that I’ve had it in for some type of warranty repair. It only has 21,000 miles on it but I feel like the issues just keep popping up. I have about 9 months left on my warranty. I have about $2500 equity in the truck, so do I cut my losses and sell the truck, and roll into something else? Or do I wait and see what else happens after I get it back. My worry is that once I’m out of warranty it’s gonna be pricey if I keep having problems pop up. What would you guys do in my situation?

Thanks!

 

[mikeru]

If you’re that concerned about it just let them fix it under warranty then trade it in or sell it and get something you have more confidence in. There’s no point in keeping a vehicle that you don’t trust won’t break down on your next trip.

 

[22Tradesman]

If you’re that concerned about it just let them fix it under warranty then trade it in or sell it and get something you have more confidence in. There’s no point in keeping a vehicle that you don’t trust won’t break down on your next trip.

I appreciate the reply. I’m hoping I hear something tomorrow. Don’t get me wrong, I love this truck but I’m sort of weighing my options.

 

[Burla]

So far the info you have shared is you need to trade your truck cause you have an oil leak and a suspension squeak? Yeah you worry too much.

 

[22Tradesman]

So far the info you have shared is you need to trade your truck cause you have an oil leak and a suspension squeak? Yeah you worry too much.

To elaborate, the other two times it went in was for electrical issues. One ended up being a recall. I just feel that it being as new as it is, and having low miles, it seems to have way more problems than it should. We’ve had a 2014 express, 2016 big horn and 2019 big horn and all of those trucks were excellent. They never had the random problems that my classic is having.

 

[Burla]

Everything made new these days is a tire fire, Chevy is a straight dumpster fire and the two Nissan and Toyota is less then, new Rams are really green and Ford is no peach. It's an ugly state of affairs for someone looking for reliability.

 

[mikeru]

Everything made new these days is a tire fire, Chevy is a straight dumpster fire and the two Nissan and Toyota is less then, new Rams are really green and Ford is no peach. It's an ugly state of affairs for someone looking for reliability.

That’s a depressing thought lol. The vast majority of owners of three year old trucks haven’t had any issues with them. You’re putting too much weight on negative posts in a forum in making that statement. I also own a 2023 Audi A4 Allroad and a 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee that have been trouble free.

 

[Burla]

Well, the largest truck recall for engine problems in US history is the current chevy debacle and this wasn't for air bags but straight engine failures due to bad design and they carry the same 3.5 reliability score as Fords with repairpal scoring system. So I'm thinking this fellas problems are minimal at this point compared to what I have seen not in forums but the news.



A significant recall is in effect for select 2021-2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks due to potential engine defects in the 6.2L L87 V8 engine. These defects, involving the connecting rod and/or crankshaft, can lead to a loss of power, engine damage, and potential failure.

 

[22Tradesman]

Well, the largest truck recall for engine problems in US history is the current chevy debacle and this wasn't for air bags but straight engine failures due to bad design and they carry the same 3.5 reliability score as Fords with repairpal scoring system. So I'm thinking this fellas problems are minimal at this point compared to what I have seen not in forums but the news.



A significant recall is in effect for select 2021-2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks due to potential engine defects in the 6.2L L87 V8 engine. These defects, involving the connecting rod and/or crankshaft, can lead to a loss of power, engine damage, and potential failure.

I’ve seen that on the 6.2’s. It’s pretty wild. Hopefully after I get it back there aren’t anymore issues. I just don’t want to paying a bunch in repairs post warranty

 

[Burla]

With the state of new vehicles, maybe you should consider a warranty. I have no idea on those.

We bought a brand specific one, as in a Toyota backed one for the last vehicle we bought. That way no argument between 3rd party and dealer.

 

[huntergreen]

I agree, get an extended warranty.

 

[Mojo88]

....I have about $2500 equity in the truck, so do I cut my losses and sell the truck, and roll into something else? Or do I wait and see what else happens after I get it back. My worry is that once I’m out of warranty it’s gonna be pricey if I keep having problems pop up. What would you guys do in my situation?

Thanks!

Sounds like you are very worried (maybe even losing sleep) about warranty. So I think you have two viable options:

1) Trade it in for a brand new truck, or,
2) Extended warranty (from dealer, preferably).
Bonus option) Brand new truck WITH extended warranty.

Either option will cost a few bucks, but if it brings peace of mind, well.................

 

[MrBonez]

Hey guys!
My Ram is back at the dealer again. This time it’s for an oil leak at the timing chain cover, and that suspension noise I’ve posted about before has gotten louder. I dropped it off Thursday morning and still haven’t heard anything from the service advisor. This is the 3rd time in 6 months that I’ve had it in for some type of warranty repair. It only has 21,000 miles on it but I feel like the issues just keep popping up. I have about 9 months left on my warranty. I have about $2500 equity in the truck, so do I cut my losses and sell the truck, and roll into something else? Or do I wait and see what else happens after I get it back. My worry is that once I’m out of warranty it’s gonna be pricey if I keep having problems pop up. What would you guys do in my situation?

Thanks!
View attachment 567483

As others have said above reliability these days is a crap shoot, that's just reality but it's also something that's always been around as a possibilty for any vehicle made since the day Henry Ford produced his first vehicle to sell.

In your case, 3 warranty related visits back to the dealer with one that has such low mileage within such a short period of time would raise a yellow (Not red) flag to me, depending on exactly what each visit was for.

Sounds like you are very worried (maybe even losing sleep) about warranty. So I think you have two viable options:

1) Trade it in for a brand new truck, or,
2) Extended warranty (from dealer, preferably).
Bonus option) Brand new truck WITH extended warranty.

Either option will cost a few bucks, but if it brings peace of mind, well.................

This sums up what I could say myself over it.
Even though you may love it, there is no guarantee either way this is or isn't just a run of bad luck or a string of issues to get out of the way.

Sometimes it's like the Kenny Rogers song goes about knowing when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em....

I'm also wondering why the service dept hasn't said anything since you took it in.
Make them tell you something soon even if you have to pop in "In Person" because a warranty is one thing, the service you get is the other part of it and any warranty you could have is useless if the ones honoring it aren't competent.
You've already paid for the warranty when you bought it and frankly, it's a contract between you and the dealer so at least make them honor it.

No need to worry yourself sick about it:
If things still don't seem right with it once you get it back, trade it/sell it for peace of mind and go with another one.

 

[star_deceiver]

I have about $2500 equity in the truck, so do I cut my losses and sell the truck, and roll into something else?

So, you have a truck for 2 or 3 years. Pay your loan down to the point you’re not upside down, then trade it in? Repeatedly?

Since your mileage is so low, why aren’t you leasing these vehicles? You’re doing the forever payment thing anyways, you’ll just lower your vehicle subscription cost this way. Lease it for 2 years, give it back and get a new one, repeat.

If your 14, 16, and 19, were so great, why didn’t you keep one of them? Pay it off and drive it into the ground? Vehicles aren’t getting easier to maintain. Financing a new one won’t solve this.

 

[Mojo88]

....Since your mileage is so low, why aren’t you leasing these vehicles? ....

@22Tradesman - as suggested above, leasing also might be a good way to go. Plus, if the vehicle is used for work, then you could write off most (or even all) of the lease payment.

 

[etbrown4]

Burla and huntergreen have already stated a great solution. Just buy a Mopar Max Care extended warranty to cover you when your warranty expires.

Wouldn't you be worry free then? You said you don't want to pay for repairs out of pocket, and if 3 prior Rams have been solid, that's a good predictor for the future.

Granger and Zeigler seem to have the best deals.

 

[huntergreen]

Burla and huntergreen have already stated a great solution. Just buy a Mopar Max Care extended warranty to cover you when your warranty expires.

Wouldn't you be worry free then? You said you don't want to pay for repairs out of pocket, and if 3 prior Rams have been solid, that's a good predictor for the future.

Granger and Zeigler seem to have the best deals.

YES, Shop the net , just don’t go to dealer and and buy , they have a large markup.

 

[mikeru]

I agree with the lease option if you don't want to have a vehicle without a warranty. There are downsides to leasing, but there are also advantages. It's worth looking into.

Extended warranties are good for some things, but they aren't as comprehensive as the factory warranty no matter what the salesman tells you. They spell out everything that is covered, so you want to read the fine print in the contract if you're considering one. Know exactly what you're buying. It can help avoid frustration when you're told that a problem your truck has isn't covered under the extended warranty. Things like glass and soft interior surfaces are not usually covered. And a lot of guys are being told that the peeling leather dash in their upper trim level truck, or the leaking rear window (and anything damaged by the water), aren't covered.

 

[etbrown4]

So Op now you have a pretty full picture. You can pursue a MaxCare warranty for nearly everything mechanical or electronic. If you might be concerned about interior surfaces, glass, or water leaks like the back window, then you can consider a lease per mikeru.

Before you take the leap on a lease, you might want to drill down into exactly what repairs are covered in a Ram lease. It seems we're assuming that 100% of all things are covered, but it's worth checking before you go that way.

 

[mikeru]

So Op now you have a pretty full picture. You can pursue a MaxCare warranty for nearly everything mechanical or electronic. If you might be concerned about interior surfaces, glass, or water leaks like the back window, then you can consider a lease per mikeru.

Before you take the leap on a lease, you might want to drill down into exactly what repairs are covered in a Ram lease. It seems we're assuming that 100% of all things are covered, but it's worth checking before you go that way.

The warranty for a leased vehicle is the exact same warranty as on a purchased vehicle.