I regret buying a RAM

[jimboschnitz]

Purchasing an aftermarket part to repair your vehicle will not void your warranty unless that aftermarket part fails
and causes progressive damage to other parts of your truck. In fact, if you read your recall notice you will see a
portion that says if you've already had the recall part replaced and you paid for it you can file for reimbursement.
Sorry to hear you're not happy with your truck. Good Luck.

 

[Goose55]

When I first bought my truck in 2022, I thought it was wonderful. Beautifully styled, great paint job, very comfortable ride. Then the recalls started. First was the tailgate, which would open by itself at odd moments. When it happened the first time, I thought maybe I had done something wrong. I had just finished taking my gear out of the truck and pushed the garage door button on the wall next to the kitchen door. I always stay in the garage until the door is almost closed. I turned to look at the truck and the tailgate had unexpectedly dropped. The door just kissed the edge of the tailgate without causing any damage, although it could have been much worse.

The recall came out and I had the truck serviced and supposedly the issue was fixed. Last night I came home from my jiu jitsu class and went to load some gear for an early morning trip to the range. As I walked outside with another load of gear, the tailgate opened on it's own....

This morning I called the dealer regarding the status of my order for the heater relay for my diesel. Originally, I was told that my part would be there in mid-May of this year. Then I was told June. Then the end of July. Today when I called I was told I am number 119 on the list. That means I am two years away from getting the repair done. I am unwilling to park my truck outdoors for the next two years.

I wish I had never purchased this truck.

The tailgate on my brand new 2019 dually did the same thing, but a capable tech at the dealership worked out the glitch. No problems since.

 

[lobo]

When I first bought my truck in 2022, I thought it was wonderful. Beautifully styled, great paint job, very comfortable ride. Then the recalls started. First was the tailgate, which would open by itself at odd moments. When it happened the first time, I thought maybe I had done something wrong. I had just finished taking my gear out of the truck and pushed the garage door button on the wall next to the kitchen door. I always stay in the garage until the door is almost closed. I turned to look at the truck and the tailgate had unexpectedly dropped. The door just kissed the edge of the tailgate without causing any damage, although it could have been much worse.

The recall came out and I had the truck serviced and supposedly the issue was fixed. Last night I came home from my jiu jitsu class and went to load some gear for an early morning trip to the range. As I walked outside with another load of gear, the tailgate opened on it's own....

This morning I called the dealer regarding the status of my order for the heater relay for my diesel. Originally, I was told that my part would be there in mid-May of this year. Then I was told June. Then the end of July. Today when I called I was told I am number 119 on the list. That means I am two years away from getting the repair done. I am unwilling to park my truck outdoors for the next two years.

I wish I had never purchased this truck.

I have a son in law with Ram diesel a couple of years old and having problems and waiting for parts. He was all enthusiastic when he bought it but not so much anymore. Every time dodge merges with another company the worse the fit, finish, and reliability gets. Just a fact.

 

[Dusty]

I have had a Gen4 , RAM 3500 diesel and it had 15 recalls in its 8 years I owned it. Now I have a Gen5 truck, and it has had 5 recalls so far. Sucks, sure it is a PIA to run back to the dealer for these. But my Gen5 trucks recalls all are done with factory parts. If your dealer is telling you the parts arent available.... he is either not telling the truth or they dont care to run them down.

Somethings very wrong here, either with the story or the situation. A close friend had the recall on the heater resolved in two weeks on his 2022. Two years waiting for a part on a safety recall, even with parts availability issues, is telling me to suspect a communications issue perhaps at the dealer end.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie 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 95740 miles.

 

[RamDiver]

The tailgate on my brand new 2019 dually did the same thing, but a capable tech at the dealership worked out the glitch. No problems since.

Can you provide any more useful details on the "worked out the glitch"?

.

 

[jpin9b]

I've been lucky so far, I guess... I had the heater relay recall promptly fixed on my '21 3500. I received a notice about the tailgate latch, that it may or may not be a problem, and since I haven't had a problem, it hasn't been a priority to drive all the way over to the dealer to have it fixed. I've also received one or two more recall notices that say something to the effect of "no fix available" yet.

This is the first brand spankin' new truck I've ever owned and it IS a little unsettling to spend over 70k on a truck and get these recall notices.

My other two trucks('71 Chevy C20 and '94 GMC Yukon) have just been running and running and running... The recall thing is new to me.

 

[farout75]

When I first bought my truck in 2022, I thought it was wonderful. Beautifully styled, great paint job, very comfortable ride. Then the recalls started. First was the tailgate, which would open by itself at odd moments. When it happened the first time, I thought maybe I had done something wrong. I had just finished taking my gear out of the truck and pushed the garage door button on the wall next to the kitchen door. I always stay in the garage until the door is almost closed. I turned to look at the truck and the tailgate had unexpectedly dropped. The door just kissed the edge of the tailgate without causing any damage, although it could have been much worse.

The recall came out and I had the truck serviced and supposedly the issue was fixed. Last night I came home from my jiu jitsu class and went to load some gear for an early morning trip to the range. As I walked outside with another load of gear, the tailgate opened on it's own....

This morning I called the dealer regarding the status of my order for the heater relay for my diesel. Originally, I was told that my part would be there in mid-May of this year. Then I was told June. Then the end of July. Today when I called I was told I am number 119 on the list. That means I am two years away from getting the repair done. I am unwilling to park my truck outdoors for the next two years.

I wish I had never purchased this truck.

If this the only issue with your truck, it's not a big deal. It's and easy fix. If RAM can't get the part, it's out there. You have a super nice truck, drive it. Believe me when I say a Ford or GM truck are nice but the ride is rough.

 

[yellorover]

I get where you are coming from. In recent years RAM has really upped their game and the features and comforts of today’s trucks are on par with luxury vehicles of yesterday. Maybe even today’s.

And the price reflects it.

What FCA / Stellantis has NOT done is elevate the dealerships and customer service to the same level. Have a need for service after the sale and many times we are treated like the red headed stepchild. Everyone paying attention on this forum understands this. Brand loyalty only goes so far.

If RAM treated me like I gave them 80k I wouldn’t consider other brands. But they don’t.

Edit: And I don’t accept at all the BS excuses about parts shortages. It’s all about $. You as an existing customer under warranty are less important than building new trucks.

You seem to know nothing about global manufacturing. and you can thank Uncle Sam for the latest problem with the HP fuel pumps that were eating themselves. The CARB / EPA diesel regs mandate a fuel that dissolves the internal seals. And it is not a Dodge problem since the same pump is used by Ford and GM.

 

[HighDesertRam]

If this the only issue with your truck, it's not a big deal. It's and easy fix. If RAM can't get the part, it's out there. You have a super nice truck, drive it. Believe me when I say a Ford or GM truck are nice but the ride is rough.

Everyone keeps telling me "it's out there," but nobody has pointed me towards a replacement. I asked our local independent diesel shop, where I have my maintenance done, and they don't know where there are any. I'm sure they'd like to sell me one.

I've searched on line and can't find one. So, please tell me where they might be available????

 

[3CUMMINS]

Sorry, but WAHH.
Think any of the other manufacturers are better and don't forget that you bought a Cummins. Been through the other diesels. Like the Chev TD that turbo's once and needed looked at.
My husband did the Ford and GM thing and while there were fewer recalls, we had more issues.
I would rather be told that there was an issue and wait for parts and have the truck work right.
My replacement is my 2008 Ford Ranger - the winter beater.
My current truck is the 2019 3500 HO dually.
Sorry, you get what you pay for and I consider that recalls are an important part.
If the truck wasn't so popular, perhaps the parts would be available sooner.
Man up.
Just sayin' - but then I am a woman.....

 

[hershey]

Hmmm, recalls...not a Ram, but a Can Am Spyder. Called the dealer over a year ago about the recall and thought I'd been put on his list...on Friday I stopped there to check on possibly selling the bike and asked about the list...I WAS NOT on it...over a year had passed...the service guy realized I was p'oed and I'm taking it on on the 22...
Haven't had any recalls on my 2018 Night Edition..and I love the truck...except the mileage...gas was $3.78 for regular when I passed a station..

 

[boblonben]

Tell me where to buy one and who makes it. Of course, you do realize this will void my warranty.

No it will NOT void warrantee !!!!!!

 

[boblonben]

When I first bought my truck in 2022, I thought it was wonderful. Beautifully styled, great paint job, very comfortable ride. Then the recalls started. First was the tailgate, which would open by itself at odd moments. When it happened the first time, I thought maybe I had done something wrong. I had just finished taking my gear out of the truck and pushed the garage door button on the wall next to the kitchen door. I always stay in the garage until the door is almost closed. I turned to look at the truck and the tailgate had unexpectedly dropped. The door just kissed the edge of the tailgate without causing any damage, although it could have been much worse.

The recall came out and I had the truck serviced and supposedly the issue was fixed. Last night I came home from my jiu jitsu class and went to load some gear for an early morning trip to the range. As I walked outside with another load of gear, the tailgate opened on it's own....

This morning I called the dealer regarding the status of my order for the heater relay for my diesel. Originally, I was told that my part would be there in mid-May of this year. Then I was told June. Then the end of July. Today when I called I was told I am number 119 on the list. That means I am two years away from getting the repair done. I am unwilling to park my truck outdoors for the next two years.

I wish I had never purchased this truck.

Have a 22 aloso just over a year old. Havew had NO problems with anything on it. They checked the tail gate thing and it was ok as is. Zero anything else! Best truck one can buy bar none.

 

[Tulecreeper]

Somethings very wrong here, either with the story or the situation. A close friend had the recall on the heater resolved in two weeks on his 2022. Two years waiting for a part on a safety recall, even with parts availability issues, is telling me to suspect a communications issue perhaps at the dealer end.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie 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 95740 miles.

Three or four years ago there was a recall on my wife's Jeep Patriot. It was regarding the airbag/safety restraint system possibly not deploying properly. It didn't get fixed until September of the following year due to unavailability of parts. And this was for an actual safety issue, not some benign support clip for an innocuous part. What if an accident had happened and the system failed, causing injury or death? Apparently, they weren't that concerned or all of the affected vehicles would have been fixed within a couple weeks.

 

[fitz7]

PERFORMANCE PARTS. They are not going to void your warranty because you replaced a relay.

Look - ALL vehicles have recalls and right now ALL manufacturers are having problems getting parts. Go look up my story on my 2019 Expedition. If you're upset over a heater relay or a tailgate falling down, try going 6 months with the transmission laying on a bench while Ford can't get the parts to rebuild it.

My 2019 ram 1500 was out of commission 6 months as my rear diff cap flew off on a 16 hr drive grenading my rear diff at 47,000 km. 2 months with my truck at a dealership waiting for parts and i pay 500$ to have it towed to me and within 3 days i hear noise. Took it to my local dealership this time and they try to say nothing is wrong. I insist they check the diff and if im wrong ill pay for the inspection. I was right, the rear diff had metal bits but dodge tried to say it was cupped winter tires b4 i guided their hand to look at the rear diff. 3 weeks later i hear noise... both rear wheel bearings went. I feel like multiple bad repairs have somehow f'd my axle. Then on top of that, 200km after my rear diff was replaced rhe 2nd time my AC startes hissing under the dashboard and wont produce cold air. A few weeks later my fan with heater on will now make the same hissing noise. Thats a 1500$ repair minimum requiring taking off the dash. I have owned used vehicles my entire life and never had as much downtime with repairs and problems as i have with my new vehicle.

Fca said they would call me back in an hour and still no call 3 weeks later. So now i am making it my job to get word out to never buy a ram. And when your ram is broken they have the worat trade in value and depreciate higher than any other truck.

 

[DA Smith]

Interesting reading here about recalls and issues. I've heard many times over the years don't buy the first run year of a vehicle wait until the next year or two so all the problems can be worked out. Well I've never been that good of a listener to scare tactics so I bought a new 5th gen Ram Laramie 4x4 sport with off road package loaded out in first part of December 2018. This was a New 2019 5th gen Ram with all the new upgraded technology that they have over the older 4th gen Rams including what I call my big screen TV in the dash. This means that this coming December 2023 my truck will be 5 years old, as I write this today it shows 64-k and by December it will have a minimum of 70 -k. It has not had one single recall in the almost 5 years I've had it plus the only time it sees the dealership is every 4 thousand miles for oil changes and any other required maintenance service listed in the owners manual. It has never had any mechanical issues of any kind and is a complete joy to drive and own so i guess the first year for a new vehicle model isn't so bad. I think I'll hang on to it another 4 or 5 years.

 

[Atcer2018]

Honestly, while I get your frustration with spending so much on a truck and it not being perfect, you have to set realistic expectations. These are mechanical widgets built by human beings. They're going to fail at some point. Maybe you have been fortunate not to have to deal with a lot of vehicle problems, but from experience the issues with the Rams (for me and many others) are overshadowed by all of the problems with the other manufacturers. Through much trial and error it landed me in the last place I ever expected to be... which is a Ram. I'm glad it did because I would've never purchased one otherwise.

My Ram is/was far from perfect. The radio screen delaminated (replaced by the dealer at no cost to me), the third brake light leaked ($8 gasket and 30 minutes of my time), the rear cab vents leaked ($22 and about 3 hrs of my time), the homelink garage door opener is wonky and works when it wants (haven't really been able to resolve this), and sometimes it's difficult to fill the gas tank (I have to go slow for it to fill). At least for me the Ram is going to start and go every time I need it. Knock on wood, none of my 3 Rams have ever stranded me anywhere.

Those issues have been mild in comparison to the pre-covid issues I've had with my F250 and Expedition. The F250's fuel system ate itself at 30k miles. It required replacing the entire fuel system from the HP pump, the injectors, the fuel lines, etc.. Then at 55k it popped head gaskets. That was a $6k repair. At 120k miles it popped head gaskets again, and this time warped the block. The short block was over $15k. The heaviest thing it had ever towed was a 20ft car hauler with 2 Polaris RZRs on it.

My wife's 2014 Expedition ate fuel injectors. I got really good at swapping those and coil packs on the 5.4L. I could do it on the side of the interstate (and have). 2019 Expedition grenaded the transmission twice. First time at 80k miles, second time 88 miles after picking it up from the dealership once they rebuilt it. And if you really hate your life, buy an Audi. It spent more time on stands than on the rubber to the point that I pretty much gave it away to stop working on it.

We had a 2014 Toyota Venza that we bought brand new. At 10k miles the panoramic roof exploded driving down the interstate. How it didn't hurt my wife or kids is beyond me, because it dumped all of the glass through the open sunroof. Toyota replaced it without question. At 15k miles it started making popping noises when going across train tracks. One morning as she was turning out of our driveway (off kilter) the windshield split. The Toyota service manager told us it was because there was no structural support in the roof. Toyota told us it was our fault and to kick rocks. At 20k miles the driver seat spot welds broke and dumped my wife as she was on the interstate. We traded it in and took a $10k loss.

My wife's best friend bought a 2017 Chevy Tahoe (loaded out). At 40k miles it dropped a valve. GM wouldn't warranty it and they had to replace the engine. They traded it on a brand new 2021 Tahoe and before 10k miles it too dropped a valve. GM did cover that one, but they were spooked and traded it on a Durango. Haven't had an issue since and they've had the Durango since 2021.

You're going to find problems in every brand.

Thank you. After reading your post I feel pretty lucky with the vehicles I’ve owned in 40 years of driving. The only big issue I’ve ever had with a vehicle was a 1987 Pontiac Grand Am that needed a transmission rebuild around 80K miles. Not even sure it actually needed a rebuild more like I was taken for a ride by the transmission shop. That single event pushed me to learn to do my own maintenance on vehicles so there was a silver lining.

 

[nlambert182]

Thank you. After reading your post I feel pretty lucky with the vehicles I’ve owned in 40 years of driving. The only big issue I’ve ever had with a vehicle was a 1987 Pontiac Grand Am that needed a transmission rebuild around 80K miles. Not even sure it actually needed a rebuild more like I was taken for a ride by the transmission shop. That single event pushed me to learn to do my own maintenance on vehicles so there was a silver lining.

I didn't even mention my Polaris RZR. Bought it brand new in 2016. It went through 4 fire related recalls within the first 6 months we owned it.

The more technology they stuff in these things, the more recalls we're going to see.

 

[rosco11]

When I first bought my truck in 2022, I thought it was wonderful. Beautifully styled, great paint job, very comfortable ride. Then the recalls started. First was the tailgate, which would open by itself at odd moments. When it happened the first time, I thought maybe I had done something wrong. I had just finished taking my gear out of the truck and pushed the garage door button on the wall next to the kitchen door. I always stay in the garage until the door is almost closed. I turned to look at the truck and the tailgate had unexpectedly dropped. The door just kissed the edge of the tailgate without causing any damage, although it could have been much worse.

The recall came out and I had the truck serviced and supposedly the issue was fixed. Last night I came home from my jiu jitsu class and went to load some gear for an early morning trip to the range. As I walked outside with another load of gear, the tailgate opened on it's own....

This morning I called the dealer regarding the status of my order for the heater relay for my diesel. Originally, I was told that my part would be there in mid-May of this year. Then I was told June. Then the end of July. Today when I called I was told I am number 119 on the list. That means I am two years away from getting the repair done. I am unwilling to park my truck outdoors for the next two years.

I wish I had never purchased this truck.

It is not just dodge. My wifes new 2022 GMC was shipped, after a 6 month wait on order, without several electronic features because they just could not get the parts. SLOWLY they have been coming in and getting installed. The 80k price tag, in addition to the missing parts was a hard pill to swallow. For the next 4 or 5 years it would be better to buy used. If you have to have new, this is the new reality for the forseable future, in addition to climbing prices.

 

[Doug Ram]

When I first bought my truck in 2022, I thought it was wonderful. Beautifully styled, great paint job, very comfortable ride. Then the recalls started. First was the tailgate, which would open by itself at odd moments. When it happened the first time, I thought maybe I had done something wrong. I had just finished taking my gear out of the truck and pushed the garage door button on the wall next to the kitchen door. I always stay in the garage until the door is almost closed. I turned to look at the truck and the tailgate had unexpectedly dropped. The door just kissed the edge of the tailgate without causing any damage, although it could have been much worse.

The recall came out and I had the truck serviced and supposedly the issue was fixed. Last night I came home from my jiu jitsu class and went to load some gear for an early morning trip to the range. As I walked outside with another load of gear, the tailgate opened on it's own....

This morning I called the dealer regarding the status of my order for the heater relay for my diesel. Originally, I was told that my part would be there in mid-May of this year. Then I was told June. Then the end of July. Today when I called I was told I am number 119 on the list. That means I am two years away from getting the repair done. I am unwilling to park my truck outdoors for the next two years.

I wish I had never purchased this truck.

I want some cheese with that wine !