Ram quality & company and dealer response

[jccjr500]

This is a letter that I sent to Ram

Ram problems

Dealer: Covert Chrysler Austin, TX
First, I purchase this vehicle to pull a 23,000 lb 5th wheel, and reviewing the specs, it showed that this truck would be capable of towing this unit. Each year I take my trailer to Colorado as well as other places and I expected to be able to go and return safely.
These are following things that happened
1. Transmission computer board went out. Could not drive vehicle. The truck had to be towed into Covert Chrysler. Fortunately I was near home, but I could have just as easily been on a trip and broken down in an area where there was no cell service. What would I have done then? It took Covert 3 to 4 weeks to fix this issue.
2. On last trip, pulling my trailer, at 21000 miles my two front tire treads separated from belt. Fortunately, after feeling the front end vibrate and dropping my trailer for some maintaince I took my truck to tire shop to have wheels balanced. That is when I was informed the treads had separated. Had to buy new tires. What would have happened if I had had a blowout and wrecked and either kill one of the members of my family or someone else. Know you did not make tires, but you did pick the tires to put on truck. Also I had previously taken truck over commercial scales to make sure I had not exceeded weight limits. On trip home had a rear tire where part of tread completely separated from belt. This was about at 22000 miles. Knowing I could not trust tires, I replace all 4 rear tires.
3. The last issue, which again I was fortunate to be close to home and not pulling trailer, I lost both power steering and brakes. If I had been on road with trailer in a high traffic area, I would have caused a major accident, which one or more people could have been killed. That would have been Ram’s fault.
4. Again the truck was towed into Covert. Took 2 to 3 weeks to fix. When I picked up I saw that I had a crack along the lower left side of windshield. The crack was not there when truck was picked up.
Showed the crack to Covert and they would not do anything about it. Then contacted Ram customer service and they would not do anything. This ended costing me out of pocket almost
$500.00.
You can check with Covert Chrysler to see about all the warrantee work that has been done over the time I have owned the vehicle.
Don’t know how many other trucks you have trouble with, but after seeing the latest information on Consumer Reports on auto brand reliability, I see that the Ram brand is considered one of the most unreliable and the 3500 was the worst of Ram brand.
This is a very unreliable truck and I cannot put my family’s safety in peril.

[Grit_dog]

I’ll buy that pos lemon from ya for cheap!
Ram does have a big water pump problem currently. Even a recall now. It’s weird actually since it’s the same pump on the same engine essentially for what 30 years now?

Do whatcha want, but they’re all the greatest thing since beer in a can one day and the biggest POS the next. I’ve had the experience of maintaining, owning or driving probably over 100 of the big 3s pickups for the last 25+ years and none of them are immune from problems and ALL of them are pretty comparable on all fronts in recent years.

[spoon059]

jccjr500 wrote:
We pay way too much to put up with this kind or poor quality. If we don’t fight back there will continue with a lack of decent quality. One person can’t win, but if we keeping fighting as a group, we might make a difference.

OP, that sucks and I'm sorry you've had so many issues. I certainly understand your frustration and your desire to switch brands. When you lose confidence in your truck, it can stain your impression of a future truck. Only those who are blindly loyal towards one brand cannot understand that feeling.

That being said, I don't see the overall lack of quality. I don't doubt that your individual truck had frustrating issues, but my 2015 Ram has been relatively trouble free and a great truck for 2.5 years and 35K miles. I don't think that Ram has any greater quality concerns that GM or Ford. In fact, my concerns about Ford quality due to the 6.0, 6.4 and early 6.7 caused me to refuse to consider a Ford diesel at the time I bought my Ram.

I hope you can get out from your truck without too much loss and find one in which you have confidence. I really think that any new diesel you can get right now will be a very good truck. Any major issues with older trucks (emissions systems, transmissions, engine reliability concerns, fuel pumps, etc) seem to have been straightened out. If I could afford a new truck, I think that any modern diesel would be a very dependable choice. Find the one that fits your butt, your budget and gives you confidence... that's all that matters anyway.

[NJRVer]

itguy08 wrote:
Chrysler has never made a quality vehicle. Ram is no different. There is a reason Chrysler went bankrupt twice, has had I think 4 or 5 owners, and has the lowest quality of all vehicles on the road.

Sell it and buy a better vehicle.

Yup, sell it and buy a better quality vehicle...like a Ford 6.0:)

[jccjr500]

Power steering and brake loss was due to pully coming loose off water pump . When a truck with only 23000 miles has this many problems, it is time to move on. If I had a similar situation with another manufacturer, I would feel the same way. It is time we put pressure on then . We pay way too much to put up with this kind or poor quality. If we don’t fight back there will continue with a lack of decent quality. One person can’t win, but if we keeping fighting as a group, we might make a difference.

[itguy08]

Chrysler has never made a quality vehicle. Ram is no different. There is a reason Chrysler went bankrupt twice, has had I think 4 or 5 owners, and has the lowest quality of all vehicles on the road.

Sell it and buy a better vehicle.

[Grit_dog]

So not a great start and 2 off the wall problems. TCM and a hydro boost pump. Not common failures for sure.
The other 2 things have nothing to do with Ram. OE tires are cheap junk on all trucks and the Nexens if you have a dually are the worst. Broken windshield? Meh it happens. I’m sure you’re 100 percent sure there was no rock chip that caused it to crack, because I seem to go thru a windshield on something every couple years average. And rocks don’t care what brand or how new your windshield is.

Sounds more like a worthless service department. 2-4 week’s for a couple simple repairs is stupid. Or maybe they’re booked up with all the lemon Rams.....

[Grit_dog]

^. That’s Blue-laid, lol!!

[goducks10]

FishOnOne wrote:

Bird Freak wrote:
Why can't you Ram boys just admit he has had problems like other brands do and let it go?

It's the Kool-Aid... Powerful stuff I suppose

LOL. like the Kool-Aide running down you chin.

[jmckelvy]

Wild Card wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

jccjr500 wrote:
Windshield was a rain sensitive one. Replaced with OEM windshield. Actual cost was 479.00. My Geico deductible was 501.00.
Sorry about grammar.
At least Ram is now looking at it. Will be curious to see if they will do anything.
This has had too many problems for me and family to feel safe in.
I did get a bad unit and that happens.
The dealer Covert use to be a good , but they have really gone downhill.
Will not do business with them any more.
By the way I really liked the Ram. Drove great.

Nice you returned. What caused the power steering and brakes not to work?

yes please do tell, considering they are 2 different systems with the common denominator being a belt.

Not sure about the OPs truck but I suspect it is like my 06 dually. Both the power steering and brakes have a lot of commonality in that they both work off the pressurized oil from the power steering pump. So alot more in common than just the belt.

[FishOnOne]

Bird Freak wrote:
Why can't you Ram boys just admit he has had problems like other brands do and let it go?

It's the Kool-Aid... Powerful stuff I suppose

[bpounds]

People buy the Dodge because it is the cheapest HD truck out there. You get what you pay for, usually holds true.

[Bird_Freak]

Why can't you Ram boys just admit he has had problems like other brands do and let it go?

[Cummins12V98]

Wild Card wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

jccjr500 wrote:
Windshield was a rain sensitive one. Replaced with OEM windshield. Actual cost was 479.00. My Geico deductible was 501.00.
Sorry about grammar.
At least Ram is now looking at it. Will be curious to see if they will do anything.
This has had too many problems for me and family to feel safe in.
I did get a bad unit and that happens.
The dealer Covert use to be a good , but they have really gone downhill.
Will not do business with them any more.
By the way I really liked the Ram. Drove great.

Nice you returned. What caused the power steering and brakes not to work?

yes please do tell, considering they are 2 different systems with the common denominator being a belt.

I'm betting failed water pump but why not state that in the beginning???

[transamz9]

Wild Card wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

jccjr500 wrote:
Windshield was a rain sensitive one. Replaced with OEM windshield. Actual cost was 479.00. My Geico deductible was 501.00.
Sorry about grammar.
At least Ram is now looking at it. Will be curious to see if they will do anything.
This has had too many problems for me and family to feel safe in.
I did get a bad unit and that happens.
The dealer Covert use to be a good , but they have really gone downhill.
Will not do business with them any more.
By the way I really liked the Ram. Drove great.

Nice you returned. What caused the power steering and brakes not to work?

yes please do tell, considering they are 2 different systems with the common denominator being a belt.

The power steering pump runs the brakes and steering.

[mkirsch]

I don't want to necessarily scare you or anything, but ANYTHING can break on ANY truck at ANY time, leaving you tumbling down the road, end-over-end in a fireball of death and destruction. No amount of quality control or engineering can prevent every failure.

99.9999% of the time, nothing bad happens. 99.9999% of that remaining .0001% of the time, you're just inconvenienced.