Dodge Truck owners - Ram 1500

[mountainmotor]

Hey guys . I have been living in a cave in terms of trucks and whats going on with them . Know a little about the new Silverado but it's a no go . Chevy packages me to death to get this n that and the work truck can be built to what I like but color options are like ....3 ?

Thinking about buying a new 2007 Ram 1500 std cab with the 4.7 V-8 , auto , air , windows ... nothing special , just a plain truck with a few creature comforts .

Reliability . Hows the auto-transmissions holding up ?

Electronics ---- any issues ?

Any other bugs inherent with these trucks ?

Would you buy again ?

This truck after 5k rebate is around 14k . Not bad it seems

 

[onerabidshark]

hey right now dodge is offering the get the hemi for free so you are paying the same as with the 4.7 I know this because my girlfriend and her partner just bought 2 last night and got the Hemi at no extra cost I have a Hemi 1500 and really like it alot Hope this helps

 

[racerV]

I had an 04 Quad Cab with the Hemi...The engine was great however I went through 3 differentials. I ended up upgrading to a 2500 Cummins. If you get the 1500 deffinately opt for the 100K mile warranty. The $1K you spend for that will more than pay for itself.

 

[guido4512]

Get the hemi......

Also you can go over to Dodgetrucks.org - check out the 4.7 section for problems.

I would buy another. very nice trucks.

2004 Hemi Quad 4x4............(the wifes

)

 

[JINKSTER]

(racerV @ Mar. 03 2007,04:32) I had an 04 Quad Cab with the Hemi...The engine was great however I went through 3 differentials.  I ended up upgrading to a 2500 Cummins.  If you get the 1500 deffinately opt for the 100K mile warranty.  The $1K you spend for that will more than pay for itself.

MM....ya know i luv ya for sharing you oil and filter knowledge and analysis with us all here...and even though i'm feeling real lazy today?...and don't feel like typing?...i know this about dodge trucks...

I had three friends purchase them back in the late '90's...

Friend#1: had not one but TWO of these trucks "Lemon-Lawed"....and that was even after they traded and upgraded him into an "SS" model to shut'im up about the first lemon lawed dodge...and the mopar boys didn't play nice at the "Lemon-Law" proceedings taking it too the top...both times...especially the 2nd time when he LL'ed the SS model and settled for a very slightly used vette off their lot...and never looked back.

Friend#2: Had (1) dodge ram he had "Lemon-Lawed"...in the first 18months he owned it...it left him roadside in the boonies on 8 different occasions...all ignition related incidences...where the engine just died.

Friend#3: and actually?...he bout a '99/2K? model year...he got his LL'ed as well...3x's the steering wheel locked up on him..something about hard lefts and faulty plastic steering column bushings.


And now?...1/2 the truck owners in my shop own Rams...most seem happy...some have bad luck and some have mediocre luck with'em...and most are fairly new w/ low miles...seems like dodge has worked out a large portion of the biggest bugs over the past 10 years but not all of them.

Other points of interest?:

1. "Chrysler Corp." is up for sale...word is...JP Morgan will do the auctioning.

2. Dodges re-release of "The Hemi" offering in their RAM pickups boosted their sales despite their many on-going bugs but...

3. The Nissan Titans 5.6L V-8 and now the Tundras 5.7L V8 both outperform it.

Now i don't know whatcher needs are but...Reliability is a big thing these days...and detroit doesn't have it anymore...if you were my brother?...i'd rather see ya pick up a slightly used, well kept good jap truck than a brand new american anything..sad to say...but truth....sometimes it hurts.

JMHO and L8R, Bill.

3.

 

[extreemachine]

FORDS RULE!!

 

[JINKSTER]

(extreemachine @ Mar. 03 2007,05:17) FORDS RULE!!

NO!....Budweiser Rules!

 

[guido4512]

Well here we go with the "brand A brand B wars" ,again........

I Drive A 98 Ram Clubcab 4x4 - bought new.
My wife drives a 04 hemi quad that she traded up from a 99 single cab. I have two brothers with Dakota's - 1 '97 and one '01. No troubles on any of 'em.


Yes- Dodge has recalls, lemons, and problems along with ALL of the others................

 

[BlueHaya]

No!...Crown and Coke Rules

 

[BlueHaya]

I have a firend that has a tranny shop and says that Dodges have a computer to tell the computer on the transmission what to do and it is always screwing up?

I buy GM.

 

[motioncobra]

03 Dodge Ram 1500 with 4.7 liter engine, 87,000 miles one problem so far.  Had to replace the power seat motor. It was under warranty.  Installed one of these http://stores.ebay.com/The-Juice-Box-Company for more power. The chip works. Paid mine off already. Wouldn't buy another or trade it in. I'm  keeping mines. Hope this helps with your decision

 

[BusaSamurai]

(extreemachine @ Mar. 03 2007,11:17) FORDS RULE!!

Found on Road Dead
First on race day Last at finish
Fix or repair daily
And so on..

 

[rc51ny]

Here's my $.02. I had a '02 Silverado. I had lots of problems and spend lots of $$$ to keep it running. I just (2 months ago) traded for an '07 Nissan Titan. I wanted the Tundra but was worried about the "first year" problems. So far, I've got 5,000 miles on the Titan and I couldn't be happier. Just another alternative to your RAM.

 

[GSXcite]

I'm in the automotive business, and have been for many years. Up untill Jan. of this year I sold Ford products and preowned cars and trucks. I have sold every make of truck there is, and I have owned Fords, Chevy, GMC and imports. I started in the automotive business selling for Chrysler. After five years, I was so tired of dealing with transmission ,head gasket and electrical problems, I moved on. I have owned 3 Chrysler products in my life, and the transmission failed on all three. The last Chrysler I owned was over 10 years ago, and I'm sure they have made progress and improvements, but I will never own another one. I'm sure however, for every negative thing you will read here, you will find a happy owner who would not own anything else but a Chrysler product. The one area that a Dodge will not do well in is the resale value, but if you keep a vehicle for a long time it may not matter to you. I'm driving a 2006 Ford F-150 4x4 now, but the 2 year lease ends in Nov. I don't think I'll be able to buy it then because the residule value will be alot more than the market value. I'm happy with the truck and would buy it if the price was right, but the one thing I don't like is the gas milage! 12 mpg is not acceptable! I'm working for a Honda- Nissan dealership now selling preowned cars and trucks, and although I thought I would never say this, I think my next truck will be the Nissan Titan, I'm damned impressed with this truck. Won't be able to drive it to my dads thought as he is a WWII vet. No $5000 rebate on the Titan though. Nissan doesn't need to allow big rebates to sell them. Wonder why?

 

[mzrsq]

I've had 3 Rams, First one a 2000 extended cab 4x4, traded for an 03 QuadCab 4x4 with the Hemi when it came out, then traded the 03 for my current 05 Ram Daytona 4x4.  Now the most mileage I put on any one of these three vehicles was about 38,000 on the 2000, had 26 on trade for the 03 and currently have 34,000 on the 05.  Lots of Highway milage as my Daughter lives in NC and my family has property in southern Ohio which is about 175 mile round trip I make almost weekly.  I have a 22 foot Thompson boat I tow along with pulling my 5x8 trailer for bikes and mowers and such.

During this period of time I have had "ZERO" problems with any of the 3 trucks, although I do realize I didn't keep any of them all that long.  I'm my honest opinion, if your spending the money, buy the Hemi, it's all the difference in the world whether your using it just as a daily driver or especially if you are going to do any towing, and that Hemi will help with the resale/trade-in value whn that day may come.

Now having said all that................I'm seriously thinking about the new 07 Tundra.  Have never owned an import before, but like the extra luxuries these vehicles afford you.  I probably need about 6 months more payments on the 05 to not carry over any excess onto the new 07, but I'm dreaming already.

In conclusion............Dodges have been good to me, but if it doesn't have a Hemi in it, I wouldn't spend the change.   (ps... This statement has nothing to due with the fact it sounds cool when people ask "does that thang have a HEMI in it")  

 

[tlrbandit]

I had an 02 Quad Cab with the 4.7 and put 65,000 miles on it. Every other weekend it pulled my 19' Weekend Warrior fully loaded to the desert and back. Other than constantly getting flats w/the stock 20" tires I loved this truck.

I sold the 02 and bought an 05 Quad Cab 3500 with the Cummins and couldn't be happier. This truck is pulling my 35' Weekend Warrior and has been awesome. I had two chevy's before the dodges and wouldn't consider going back to the chevy.

 

[JINKSTER]

(GSXcite @ Mar. 03 2007,07:28) I'm in the automotive business, and have been for many years. Up untill Jan. of this year I sold Ford products and preowned cars and trucks. I have sold every make of truck there is, and I have owned Fords, Chevy, GMC and imports. I started in the automotive business selling for Chrysler. After five years, I was so tired of dealing with transmission ,head gasket and electrical problems, I moved on. I have owned 3 Chrysler products in my life, and the transmission failed on all three. The last Chrysler I owned was over 10 years ago, and I'm sure they have made progress and improvements, but I will never own another one. I'm sure however, for every negative thing you will read here, you will find a happy owner who would not own anything else but a Chrysler product. The one area that a Dodge will not do well in is the resale value, but if you keep a vehicle for a long time it may not matter to you. I'm driving a 2006 Ford F-150 4x4 now, but the 2 year lease ends in Nov. I don't think I'll be able to buy it then because the residule value will be alot more than the market value. I'm happy with the truck and would buy it if the price was right, but the one thing I don't like is the gas milage! 12 mpg is not acceptable! I'm working for a Honda- Nissan dealership now selling preowned cars and trucks, and although I thought I would never say this, I think my next truck will be the Nissan Titan, I'm damned impressed with this truck. Won't be able to drive it to my dads thought as he is a WWII vet. No $5000 rebate on the Titan though. Nissan doesn't need to allow big rebates to sell them. Wonder why?

cause those who've owned know...the japs build some awesome shid...

my '03 4.7L Tudra Access cab..

and my '05 Titan LE Crewcab...(needed more backseat room for my 3 growing daughters)...

and just got my 70 year old parents to buy their first jap vehicle just this past week...an '07 Camry XLE...

when my parents asked?...i told'em...i've been an aerospace machinist most of my adult life....i know the difs between american, german, english and jap engineering and manufacturing because i've wroked side by side with all four...and here's how it is...

Americans are greed driven....germans and english are ego driven..but the japs?...the japs are "HONOR" driven..superior manufacturing technics and superb electronics...and the sin is...if the american manufacturers would quit focusing on cost savings and put 1/2 the effort into manufacturing their vehicles as they do marketing them and paying Bob Seger to sing tough guy songs?....things could be different...but they're not...and the real sin is that most components on american vehicles aren't made in america..but i think my Tundra was made in canada and assy'ed in Loiusville,Kentucky..while (if in remember correctly) my Nissan Titans engine was made in arkansas..the tranny/rear end is Dana Illinoise and assy'ed at a huge plant in Louisiana...by american workers...with jap build quality and engineering ethics.

L8R, Bill.

 

[BusaWhipped]

I have a 96 RAM 1500 w/ the 5.2 liter 5spd. 120,000 miles pulling boats, hauling bikes, carrying building supplies. No major problems. When I eventually replace it, it will be with another RAM. I'll probably step up to a 2500. The 1500 complains a bit when I load a full pallet of 2x4s or 2 buckets of mulch in it.

 

[proud dad]

Been a wrench for 25 years,took care of fleets of chevy's ford & dodge.Chevy,bumper to bumper held up best under real world work[no a grocery getter].My last truck was 13 years old when sold it for a new 05[at the time].No issues at all!!!05 no issues,to new too tell,don't drive as much cause of the bikes.no reason to sell old truck,I just want a new one,never had new before.My dad now drives my old 92,no issues.

 

[proud dad]

Treat it like a bike,drive what makes you happy.In the end,that all that counts.