GM driver, looking at new Ram 1500, should I?

[Mojo88]

I've been a loyal GM guy for many years. Currently driving a wonderful '03 Silverado 1500 that runs and drives like new, but the rust (salted roads) is unstoppable. I actually looked at GM trucks (new and used) during COVID, but was not impressed. Many trucks only a few years old already had horrible rust issues going on underneath. Plus, there are numerous issues with AFM lifters, and transmission issues, and the quality (especially interior) was underwhelming.

So lately I've been looking at the Ram 1500. Seems like they have a few issues as well, like lifters and/or MDS, plenty of recalls, etc. However, the Ram 1500 definitely has a better ride quality than the GM's, smoother, with less of the reverberation over bumps. And IMHO the Ram 1500 interior is 'better' than GM's.

I guess my questions are:
1) How many of you guys have switched from GM to Ram?
2) Are you happy with the decision?
3) Is the lifter/MDS issue common (I would be getting the 5.7L Hemi)?
4) How well does the chassis resist rusting on salted roads?

All comments welcome. Normally, I don't ask all these questions, but a new Ram 1500 is gonna be $70k to $80k , so I figure this time around it's worth doing some homework.

 

[KeithP]

I’ve had three 5.7s. 2017, 19, 22. I’ve passed the 17 & 19 down to my kids. I’m still driving the 22. The trucks have 85k, 70k & 25k on them respectively. Only issue with any of them has been cracked manifolds on the 19 (very common) which was a warrantied repair. All three are commuter grocery getters. No heavy lifting for any of them. All have had excellent routine maintenance too.

You’ll love the ride handling and interior. If you haul or tow much you’ll lose some payload capacity compared to the GMs due to the Ram having coil springs versus leafs.

 

[crash68]

I actually looked at GM trucks (new and used) during COVID, but was not impressed.

Your not alone, one of the neighbors who retired from GM and lifelong fanboy bought a Gen5 Ram. When asked about not buying the new GM body style, he said "I wouldn't be caught dead in something that ugly".
As for Hemi about the only "known issues" are the lifter failures and the warping exhaust manifolds. Neither one is guaranteed to happen, as many Hemi live long happy lives. The lifter issue can be partially attributed if the engine is idled excessively.
If your looking for the Hemi you'll want to act fast as the production number allotment may already be set, once they're gone that's it.
Even the '24 model year may be shortened as the I-6 Hurricane is slated to replace the Hemi for '25. Heard rumors the '25s may start rolling off the assembly line in the second quarter.

 

[Jerrybob]

I went from a 2003 Chevy 2500 to my current 2019 Ram 1500. Both were/are good trucks. I pull a small travel trailer and a car trailer.....both did/do the job well. The Ram is definitely the best riding truck I've ever owned. The mileage is incredible with or without towing. I have the 5.7 Hemi.....crew cab.....3.92 rear....4x4 with a tow package....it's a Tradesman model. The MDS is fine with me.....no issues with the truck.....I have 40,000 miles on her. Can't say anything about rust on either truck.....not an issue here. Good luck.

 

[Stavinksi]

I’m on my second one, 17 then 22. No rust issues on 17, kinda early to say on 22 but I assume with 20 years of salted roads you’re gonna be wishing you had used lanolin early in the life of the truck at some point. Hurry and get a 5.7. No more v8’s after this year and even this year can’t get it without eTorque.

 

[DA67Goatman]

Ram body will last better than GM however both have the same speed frame rust. In the salt-belt you have about 5 yrs before any suspension work involves torching off bolts. Unfortunately that makes repairs much more costly. On both accounts: the cheaper stripped down trucks seem to be less problematic. I wish I had some experience with Ford so I could make a recommendation.

 

[Dodge 1500 4X4]

Went from FERD to Mopar, and never looked back by far the superior truck out there, get on a lubrication strategy and you may be able to combat the lifter cam failure!!
Welcome to the Ram Forum!!!

 

[mayescandi]

I just want to add im an avid Ram driver. I have a second gen 1996 Ram 1500 4x4 with a 5.9 L magnum...and I might add as old as it is it out pulls, climbs and drives better then my friends chevy 4x4 step side. IV owned three rams 96, 06 & 08 among other vehicles and I prefer my rams above all others

 

[Hawkman]

I started driving Rams in 1999 when they were still called Dodge Ram. Went from Chevy.

In 2020 traded my 2017 Ram Rebel for a 2020 GMC and hated that truck. It was either a Monday or Friday build and had one issue after another.

On 1/16/24 I purchase a 2024 Rebel GT and have no regrets. Nicer interior and just feels so much stronger to drive.

Very pleased and will not make the above mistake again.

 

[TestPilot57]

I was a GM guy for 30+ years. Bought a 2014 1500 without really thinking about it. Drove it for 4000 miles and bought a 2015 Ram 1500. Liked it so much I then bought a 2020 Ram 1500. No "real" complaints - a couple relatively minor things fixed under warranty.

My 2015 is now owned by my son. We live in salty VT and there is still no rust after 10 winters, except a small spot on the rear bumper. BUT I did get it undercoated every year, and my son does the same. My 2020 I got Waxoiled. So far, so good.

 

[diymirage]

I have had one chevy, worst piece of crap i ever owned, and i have had german, ***, American, french and some other asian car before

But the chevy was hands down the worst, so even if youd get into a ford, that would be an upgrade if you ask me

 

[ramffml]

I've been a loyal GM guy for many years. Currently driving a wonderful '03 Silverado 1500 that runs and drives like new, but the rust (salted roads) is unstoppable. I actually looked at GM trucks (new and used) during COVID, but was not impressed. Many trucks only a few years old already had horrible rust issues going on underneath. Plus, there are numerous issues with AFM lifters, and transmission issues, and the quality (especially interior) was underwhelming.

So lately I've been looking at the Ram 1500. Seems like they have a few issues as well, like lifters and/or MDS, plenty of recalls, etc. However, the Ram 1500 definitely has a better ride quality than the GM's, smoother, with less of the reverberation over bumps. And IMHO the Ram 1500 interior is 'better' than GM's.

I guess my questions are:
1) How many of you guys have switched from GM to Ram?
2) Are you happy with the decision?
3) Is the lifter/MDS issue common (I would be getting the 5.7L Hemi)?
4) How well does the chassis resist rusting on salted roads?

All comments welcome. Normally, I don't ask all these questions, but a new Ram 1500 is gonna be $70k to $80k , so I figure this time around it's worth doing some homework.

I think you're asking the wrong questions. The more interesting question is, how many guys can you find on each brands forum that had a different brand and hated it. And you'll find that every brand is hated by many guys that used to own it but "will never buy it again". You'll find GM/Ford haters on this site, and you'll find Ram haters on GM/Ford sites.

Each brand is capable of making good stuff and trashy stuff and we just get the luck of the draw unfortunately.

Have you looked at a 2024 GMC with the 3.0 diesel? That would be my top pick if I crashed my truck tomorrow and wanted another half ton. I want to love my truck and say its perfect, but it is far from that. I've been inches from trading it off several times due to issues, including leaking water in the back cab (broken window frame and/or CHMSL light), brakes that won't stop making snapping/squeaking noises, clunking in the drive shaft on shifting into gear, clunking when accelerating from a rolling start, a dash that rattles in at least 2 different spots in below freezing weather, a creak near my ear in the drivers side head liner, pinging despite using 91 octane, more hemi noises then I thought was possible (injector, oil bleed down, piston slap, noisy valvetrain), busted exhaust clamps at 3 years of age, 4x4 actuator that broke twice and dealer only fixed once under warranty... probably missing something too.

That doesn't include the mods I made but shouldn't have had to, to make it do better towing; like removing active shutter grills and putting in a 180 tstat just to keep the temperatures in line, as well as adding a remote oil filter kit to fix the 4x4 actuator issue (which is caused by messy oil changes and oil getting into the 4x4 harness).

That's just my story on a truck I bought brand new in 2019. You'll find guys here that say "5th gen Ram is best truck I ever bought", so who do you "believe" or pay more weight too? Dunno, but there is no guarantee with any brand is all I'm trying to say, so buy the truck that you want to drive/own and hope for the best. If you like the truck, you're more inclined to forgive it when issues crop up, if you bought it simply because "well at least it's not a GM", well the second you run into issues you'll be kicking yourself that you could be driving the truck you want with issues rather than the truck you didn't want but still have issues.

 

[CanRebel]

I've been a loyal GM guy for many years. Currently driving a wonderful '03 Silverado 1500 that runs and drives like new, but the rust (salted roads) is unstoppable. I actually looked at GM trucks (new and used) during COVID, but was not impressed. Many trucks only a few years old already had horrible rust issues going on underneath. Plus, there are numerous issues with AFM lifters, and transmission issues, and the quality (especially interior) was underwhelming.

So lately I've been looking at the Ram 1500. Seems like they have a few issues as well, like lifters and/or MDS, plenty of recalls, etc. However, the Ram 1500 definitely has a better ride quality than the GM's, smoother, with less of the reverberation over bumps. And IMHO the Ram 1500 interior is 'better' than GM's.

I guess my questions are:
1) How many of you guys have switched from GM to Ram?
2) Are you happy with the decision?
3) Is the lifter/MDS issue common (I would be getting the 5.7L Hemi)?
4) How well does the chassis resist rusting on salted roads?

All comments welcome. Normally, I don't ask all these questions, but a new Ram 1500 is gonna be $70k to $80k , so I figure this time around it's worth doing some homework.

Don't buy a brand.

Buy what you can afford, can handle what you want to do with it, looks good to you.
Can find fault with every car/truck, all have recalls.

 

[Kickboxer]

I have been a long time GM customer, both new Chev. and GMC pickups and SUV's
for almost 40 years.
Back in 2020 when my Chev. dealership gave me a too low trade value on my
18 Chev. I went to the Ram dealer same day and traded there.
I really like the Ram, the ride is better, one of the quietest vehicles I have ever owned. I now have a 22 Laramie, 5.7 Hemi, and now I know why you see more
Rams than ever before.

 

[CanuckRam1313]

I had a 19' Classic Crew Cab with the HEMI that I purchased new, and absolutely loved it.
Put 160,000KM's on her in just under five years.
No real issues except for the typical manifold garbage, and the UConnect radio nonsense, but these aren't deal breakers by any means.

Just traded her in for a new 23' Warlock SLT Crew Cab with the HEMI, and looking forward to another five years of happy trouble free driving.

I am also a huge proponent of getting my vehicles undercoated. I personally go to Krown Rust Control and have my vehicle soaked every late spring to early summer, and have never had a lick of rust on my vehicles.

If you're going to haul or tow, opt for the 3.92 gears, and if doing it heavy (TT on summer trips, towing heavy trailers with equipment, etc.), you may need to put some air bags in the rear to keep her level as she has springs and not leafs like ford and gmc/chevy do. But this is also not a deal breaker IMPO, just a nice modification

 

[Tulecreeper]

I drove a Chevy Silverado 1500, manual for 20+ years and loved it. When I wanted to buy a new truck 1.5 years ago, the first dealer I went to was Chevy. They wouldn't let me order what I wanted, said I had to choose from the lot. I walked and went to the RAM dealer and they were happy to take my $50k and order me a truck. So, Chevy lost out because they had too much stock to get rid of.

I buy from who gives me the best deal because I am not that brand loyal.

 

[Octane]

I sold a 2000 Chevy Silverado with 118k on it when sold.Ended up with a 2013 Ram Express Hemi with 111k.Has 226k on it now with two waterpumps,two alternators and did brake pads once.Best driving riding,handling truck of any I've owned.I'm retired now,so I'm hoping it'll run as long as I need it.Still runs like new.I'm in the south so rust isn't an issue.I think Ram is one of the best out there.I've never met an unhappy owner of any Ram in my 'hood anyway.

 

[commander]

I've only had 1 GM product, a 74 Camero, since working for a Chrysler/Dodge dealers since 1981, only driven their products, If trucks, I had a 2004 Dakota 4.7 V-8, 2012 Ram 1500 5.7 V-8, 2016 Ram Sport 5.7 V-8 and on February 12th pick up a 2024 Ram Limited 5.7 V-8 Never had any real issues with any of them, the 24 is probably the last new vehicle I'll buy, as it should last 10-15 years, and I'll be well into my 80's by that time and most likely should NOT be driving anymore! LOL

 

[Octane]

I've only had 1 GM product, a 74 Camero, since working for a Chrysler/Dodge dealers since 1981, only driven their products, If trucks, I had a 2004 Dakota 4.7 V-8, 2012 Ram 1500 5.7 V-8, 2016 Ram Sport 5.7 V-8 and on February 12th pick up a 2024 Ram Limited 5.7 V-8 Never had any real issues with any of them, the 24 is probably the last new vehicle I'll buy, as it should last 10-15 years, and I'll be well into my 80's by that time and most likely should NOT be driving anymore! LOL

Nice to hear of a dedicated owner of so many of this brand of vehicles.I have my first Ram,a 2013 bought in 2019,111k.Presently at 226k and been a great truck.I've only owned two other mopars in my 50+ driving years.A 1966 Plymouth Fury lll.And a 1973 Duster.

 

[barr0208]

I've been a loyal GM guy for many years. Currently driving a wonderful '03 Silverado 1500 that runs and drives like new, but the rust (salted roads) is unstoppable. I actually looked at GM trucks (new and used) during COVID, but was not impressed. Many trucks only a few years old already had horrible rust issues going on underneath. Plus, there are numerous issues with AFM lifters, and transmission issues, and the quality (especially interior) was underwhelming.

So lately I've been looking at the Ram 1500. Seems like they have a few issues as well, like lifters and/or MDS, plenty of recalls, etc. However, the Ram 1500 definitely has a better ride quality than the GM's, smoother, with less of the reverberation over bumps. And IMHO the Ram 1500 interior is 'better' than GM's.

I guess my questions are:
1) How many of you guys have switched from GM to Ram?
2) Are you happy with the decision?
3) Is the lifter/MDS issue common (I would be getting the 5.7L Hemi)?
4) How well does the chassis resist rusting on salted roads?

All comments welcome. Normally, I don't ask all these questions, but a new Ram 1500 is gonna be $70k to $80k , so I figure this time around it's worth doing some homework.

i changed from gm to ram in 2010 and never looked back