Looking to buy first Ram

[mands0807]

Hey, looking to buy my first Ram 1500. I know I want a 2016-18 Sport Crew Cab 2WD 5.7L. What I am looking for is hard to come by in my area/price range, but I did find one that peaked my interest, and in my range. It is a 2018, with 109,*** miles. Two owner, first was a lease, 55,*** miles/3 years, second only had for 1.5 years and almost 53xxx miles added. No accidents reported at all. I plan on going to look at it on on Friday, just to see one in person, and test drive. Should I be wary of the mileage? What should I look for in terms of wear and tear? Thank you

 

[Atcer2018]

Hey, looking to buy my first Ram 1500. I know I want a 2016-18 Sport Crew Cab 2WD 5.7L. What I am looking for is hard to come by in my area/price range, but I did find one that peaked my interest, and in my range. It is a 2018, with 109,*** miles. Two owner, first was a lease, 55,*** miles/3 years, second only had for 1.5 years and almost 53xxx miles added. No accidents reported at all. I plan on going to look at it on on Friday, just to see one in person, and test drive. Should I be wary of the mileage? What should I look for in terms of wear and tear? Thank you

A 2018 is a good pick. It’s the end of the 4th generation run and the bugs are pretty much worked out by then. It also offers upgraded electronics with a more secure CANBUS gateway and android auto/carplay capability. You are in FL so rust shouldn’t be an issue. Make sure it’s not a flooded vehicle and the title isn’t a salvage title. As for wear and tear, it’s a 5.7L, listen for any noticeable ticking sound on cold start. Could be the lifter tick or exhaust manifold tick. If it has air suspension make sure it works properly. If you have a OBD scanner take it with you and look for recently cleared codes. Check for suspension issues. Even though it shows no accidents still look it over especially under the hood and below the rear bumper for paint overspray and bodywork. Check the rear window for leaks and wet carpeting behind/under the rear seats. Look at the headliner for water stains. Assure the AC works on all speeds and the heat blows hot. Inquire when the transmission fluid was changed. It’s a ZF 8 speed and Ram claims the fluid is good for a lifetime but the transmission manufacturer recommends 60k mile fluid changes. The fluid change at the dealer isn’t cheap so consider that cost in the price. The plugs are 100k mile iridium’s and if they haven’t been changed at the current mileage keep in mind there are 16 plugs in a 5.7L V8 and you would be stuck with that. I wouldn’t be wary of the mileage as long as maintenance was kept up. Lots of people unload their vehicles at the 100K mark because that’s when the most expensive maintenance comes into play. Consider plugs, transmission fluid service, coolant replacement, rear differential fluid replacement, brake fluid replacement is going to run about $2k at a dealer. If you can do those things yourself great but if not negotiate the purchase price accordingly.

 

[tron67j]

Looked around your area, there are some other models like Big Horns and Tradesman with less miles. I bought a 2018 Tradesman brand new in 2019 and did some factory upgrades myself so got a lot of hire trim options for a lot less money. There are a ton of threads here on doing all sorts of upgrades, you could consider that as an option. Good luck.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Good advice given (above). Also the general concensus is the 2018's have the improved steering unit too (expensive to repair when they fail). Good luck on the test drive

 

[mands0807]

Ok, so I looked at, and test drove the truck today(5/24). When I got to the dealership, the used car tech had it racked up, doing an oil change, so I was able to inspect the underside. Looked very clean, no signs of rust, seepage or paint overspray from undisclosed damage. It did have the OEM muffler cut off, and a Flowmaster style muffler banjo clamped in place, and a "true" cold air kit that had a large K&N cone with a plexi-glass lid, with OEM style tubing into the passenger fender. It does have the tow package, but the mirrors will not retract on command from the switches(had the tech scan for history codes, could see his scanner the whole time), and that was the only issue. I was able to knock $1,000 off the price for that issue, even though I'm not too worried about the mirrors. Please wish me luck if the finance guys are able to keep me in my budget.