Bye Bye RAM!! Welcome Toyota Tundra!

[Dodge trucker]

You know the tundra is built and manufactured in Texas, right? And the motor is built in Alabama.

No. Wrong. More like ASSEMBLED. not MADE IN. There is a huge difference.

 

[CaptQ]

I’m surprised the technician did check fluid level and the valve body solenoid. Oh wait, that’s something an old school mechanic would have checked first thing. Somethings the scanner might not make obvious if the tech doesn’t know where to look.

What you described are all the signs of low fluid and/or low valve body pressure. Torque converter not locking up, shuttering, slow to shift, slipping at low RPMs.

Your problem could also have been an electrical one. Low voltage effecting the trans, engine and eventually the info system. Something as simple as a ground problem can cause everything you described.

 

[jagman_xjs]

This seems to be a good reply to your wonderful post. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29ebiwO4O70

 

[hunterdan]

No. Wrong. More like ASSEMBLED. not MADE IN. There is a huge difference.

The engines blocks are made in Tennessee, as is every motor for every vehicle they manufacture in the US.

 

[XCELLR8]

I’m surprised the technician did check fluid level and the valve body solenoid. Oh wait, that’s something an old school mechanic would have checked first thing. Somethings the scanner might not make obvious if the tech doesn’t know where to look.

What you described are all the signs of low fluid and/or low valve body pressure. Torque converter not locking up, shuttering, slow to shift, slipping at low RPMs.

Your problem could also have been an electrical one. Low voltage effecting the trans, engine and eventually the info system. Something as simple as a ground problem can cause everything you described.

I agree with you 100%. If this would be a truck out of warranty, I would be checking all of this. BUT it is a brand new truck bought in Dec. 21 and has 7K on the clock. The trans issue has been a problem since the first cold start after delivery.

 

[CaptQ]

I agree with you 100%. If this would be a truck out of warranty, I would be checking all of this. BUT it is a brand new truck bought in Dec. 21 and has 7K on the clock. The trans issue has been a problem since the first cold start after delivery.

Even a brand new truck can have a simple problem causing havoc. Chevy Silverado brand new off the lot the first bump and the radio started acting up. Periodically problems occurred and the techs said the fix the problem. Not! The truck had a bad ground and like a hammer the continual ground shorting caused electric parts to fail and not one tech figured to check the ground.

 

[JerryETX]

After 4 Years.... Bye Bye!! Quality was bad and the RAM service was HORRIBLE!! Truck parts failing in the first year and then after leaks and the Uconnect and climate controls completely failing at 19.5K miles... fighting with the dealership again for over 2 months... I was DONE!! I ordered the Tundra and here it is. The best day after buying my RAM was the day I got rid of it!! I was warned that my RAM electronics and truck would fall apart around the Cummins engine and they were right!! Love the engine but that doesn't matter if the rest of the truck doesn't work. No AC all summer in Las Vegas NV!! Really at 19.5K miles I had to get rid of it??!! RAM... Never Again!! View attachment 505236

Hopefully you checked with maintenance on that Tundra before you bought it unless they changed from the 2020's and earlier. Tundra's are crazy expensive to maintain. Differential change at 60K is one example. Diff, anti-freeze, brakes and transmission all have to be done at the dealer since the dealer sells the only fluid that can go in. I had a 2014 Tundra. I won't go back to one for that reason alone.

 

[chri5k]

.....
The CD player will not work with the 8.4 radio and cant be ordered together - The CD player was the number one reason for ordering new truck.

.....

CD??? What is a CD? I thought those went the way of 8-tracks and cassettes years ago.

 

[Jeepwalker]

CD??? What is a CD? I thought those went the way of 8-tracks and cassettes years ago.

Oh I get that. I also definitely want a CD. When nothing else is on a guy can always fall back to a few of the cds I keep in my tk. I have a lot of tunes on my phone, but after a while, for whatever reason I no longer have the desire to engage it. Except for like christmas music ..lol, around christmas. I'm too cheap to pay for Sirius. So Yeah, I get the CD 'want'. Must be a generational thing.

 

[nekkidhillbilly]

Oh I get that. I also definitely want a CD. When nothing else is on a guy can always fall back to a few of the cds I keep in my tk. I have a lot of tunes on my phone, but after a while, for whatever reason I no longer have the desire to engage it. Except for like christmas music ..lol, around christmas. I'm too cheap to pay for Sirius. So Yeah, I get the CD 'want'. Must be a generational thing.

you could still load up a usb stick with mp3s and not have to have to use your phone. im 41 and i dont miss having a to have a book of cds cassettes etc....

 

[Dusty]

You are aware you could have switched to the Tundra and just went away? You didn't have to bash your previous vehicle on the way out the door. What is that old saying don't go away mad, just go away.

Actually, there's something very suspicious about the picture.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 3 June 2018. Now at 79480 miles

 

[davegm]

Besides my Ecodiesel engine cratering, no problems in 7 years. Never EVER floor this engine. It will run you around $14k. Mine was in warranty. I would go Tundra if they put their great diesel in it. Had one in a van in Yemen. It was indestructible.

 

[stratosfire]

Hmmmmm! Let me just say I have had 5 Rams since the 90’s. 5 Rams 1,100,000 miles. 5 batteries, one leaking window repair and regular maintenance. So basically one repair on 5 vehicles in over 1,000,000 miles. Current 2019 2500 Diesel has 88,000 miles huge majority towing on highway. My 2021 1500 4x4 Tradesman 29,000 miles. NOW!!!……My son has had 2 Toyotas. 2015 and 2020…..Two transfer cases, 1 tranny, one rear-end, 2 leaks, one head gasket and absolute atrocious mileage and gutless engines. Either you got a lemon or you are a Toyota add. Sorry

 

[JB1]

Enjoy the Tundra, cool truck.

For the record, I’ve had my Ram for 5 years and it’s never had one single issue….guess I’m lucky

 

[AJNY]

I would never buy a truck with a 6 cylinder. Nor anything electric. The Thundra with the 8 cylinder was a great truck. I was kind of sorry I didn’t get the 2018 Thundra. My 2018 Rebel had issues with the Hemi tick so got rid of it in 2021. My 21 had the Hemi tick at 900 miles so did the 10-30 Redline and Royal Purple filter. I told my dealer and he shrugged his shoulders. Oh well. You have a twin turbo on the 6 cylinder but I am not a fan of turbos. Rather have the 8 cylinder. Well, lots of good luck with the Toyota. Good you didn’t get a Ford or GM truck. I use to work for Ford as a mechanic when I was a kid. Ford once upon a time made a great truck. No more. GM has tranny issues.

 

[AltaVision]

I'm a Tundra driver (older generation) and have been considering jumping to a 3/4T truck lately. My only problem with my truck is payload, and it's not a problem yet, but could be if we start pulling a camper around.

The things I like about the Ram are the Cummins engine and the shorter wheelbase with a crew cab/short box configuration. I have a friend with a 2015 Cummins 2500 with zero issues. It just seems that when Rams have issues, they're big ones, and you're left with little to no help from Ram or the dealer. The fact that Rams (particularly gas engine 1500s, TRX notwithstanding) do not hold as much value after the warranty is up says a lot to me. I figure if I have to jump to a 3/4T, I'll be dealing with issues with whichever one I choose. Seems like our chances of having issues with a truck post-pandemic is pretty even across the board. I'm just not sure I want to buy something built mid-2021 or later. Not even from Toyota. Might just sit it all out for the next 5 years. I will be watching closely, though.

I will say that all the Toyota dealers in my area are absolutely atrocious. I think most dealers in general are. But the Toyota guys try every shady trick in the book to part you from more of your money. The OP's story that his Ram dealer "can't replicate the problem" seems like a common tale, no matter the brand. I hate that crap. I think I just hate dealers in general.

Hopefully you checked with maintenance on that Tundra before you bought it unless they changed from the 2020's and earlier. Tundra's are crazy expensive to maintain. Differential change at 60K is one example. Diff, anti-freeze, brakes and transmission all have to be done at the dealer since the dealer sells the only fluid that can go in. I had a 2014 Tundra. I won't go back to one for that reason alone.

This is completely untrue. Despite the fuel economy, the Tundra is the cheapest half-ton to own over 5 years according to Edmunds. They retain so much of their value after the warranty is up and typically have very few if any repairs at all. That data was from 2019, by the way. I'm not sure about the new ones. Seems like Toyota has had a few hiccups with them. I probably wouldn't buy one.

Back to maintenance: I run my truck pretty hard, so I stick to an accelerated maintenance schedule. I swapped Amsoil 75W90 into the front and rear diffs and Ravenol 75W into the Borg Warner transfer case at 30k. You won't void your warranty doing this. Many Tundra 5.7 guys run 5w30 engine oil instead of the thinner 0w20 with zero issues at all. In fact, 5w30 is what the 5.7L calls for outside of the US. They spec the thinner oil here simply to attempt to appease the EPA.

Last thing I'm noticing is that most of the hate on Rams has to do with ownership frustrations related to parts failing and rejected or slow-walked warranty claims, and most of the hate on the new Tundra has to do with the giant Hulk Hogan handlebar mustache. That says a lot to me as well.

 

[Doug Ram]

The engines blocks are made in Tennessee, as is every motor for every vehicle they manufacture in the US.

Maybe the blocks are, but that is only one part in a complex engine. The complete engine probably meets only the "Assembled in USA of Foreign and Domestic Parts" standard.

Let me correct anyone who says something is "Made in the USA". Because the term is often confused with "Assembled in the USA of foreign and domestic parts".

The engines are ASSEMBLED in Tennessee of foreign and domestic parts. Very few complex components meet the legal definition of "Made in the USA".

So, "MADE in USA" is a legally defined term, set by the Federal Government. Practically no major company uses it anymore for complex components. And often, when they do, they get into a buzzsaw of trouble, as Weber-Stephens, who makes grills did.

 

[Doug Ram]

Actually, there's something very suspicious about the picture.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 3 June 2018. Now at 79480 miles

What is suspicious?

 

[Whiskerfish]

I went the other way years ago. Loved my 01 Tundra but it loved transmissions. First one went at 35,000 miles and was covered under warranty, second at about 70 I paid for out of pocket and the third was making herky jerky stuff when I traded it on my first Ram at about 110. Sorry for your luck!

 

[Dusty]

What is suspicious?

The picture is staged too purposely. Neither vehicle has a front plate. The Ram is so clean it matches what you'd expect to see on a used lot for sale at a dealership. Since the poster seems to have so much denigration of the Ram, I find it strange that a person would want a picture of it at the moment they took possession of the new one.

Just speculation.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 3 June 2018. Now at 79480 miles