Purchasing a used Ram 1500 this weekend

[Jo827867]

Good morning!

My wife and I have been truck shopping and had originally planned on sticking with a Silverado. (I have had 3 in the past) RAM wasn’t even on the radar, but we were at a RAM dealer and decided to test drive one while there looking for a used truck. Of course, we both were immediately drawn to all the tech features that we wouldn’t have had in the 2018 Silverado we had been looking at, and the ride was one of the smoothest I’ve experienced in a truck!

so... here we are. A couple weeks later and having increased our budget a bit, we are nearly set to make a road trip to pick up a 2019 Laramie with 25k miles with all the features we (think) we want. (Lvl 2, 4wd, safety pkg, ramboxes, 12” screen)

But I’ve been perusing these forums for the last week or so and admittedly have begun to question my choice based upon the experiences some have been having with their trucks. I know every make and model has their share of lemons; I just keep wondering whether going used is the correct thing to do!
we will be getting an extended warranty as insurance, but I have been fortunate over the last several vehicles to not have had too many issues... last thing we are looking to purchase is a $40,000 headache!

I will be having a mechanic take a look at the vehicle prior to purchase... anything in particular that I should be looking for?
Or should i run away before I even leave the house? Lol

 

[evanxrs]

I purchased 3 trucks used with between 20000 and 40000km and have had good success. Really helps take a good chunk of the price off.

Just got a 2019 Rebel recently with 38000km and saved over $30,000CAD.

Got the extended warranty. Electronics are the risky thing with trucks these days. So play around with the and make sure they are functioning as intended.

Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

 

[RJS]

Check the carfax and then drive it a long way before you buy it. The stories you hear are true but no different than most other brands. You are in a great position to access what you are buying and look for issues like wind noise, sound quality, water leaks, Hemi tick, possibly the ac and other items that have been mentioned.
You might also go check the Chevy and Ford forums and see what there issues are as most forums are a hot bed of talk about how bad the vehicles are to make you feel better.
My 19 Laramie L2 Sport has most of the bells and whistles your's has and has been a great truck although it needed a couple adjustments out the door.

I just put an extended warranty on it and let Ram worry about the rest as I enjoy driving it.

 

[mikeru82]

Looks like a well-equipped truck. Not trying to scare you away, but keep in mind that most people don't trade in a truck that nice after only 2 years. Definitely get a service history on it, and if you can't get one I would walk away. There are lots of other reasons that people trade nearly new vehicles in. Just try to verify that this one wasn't traded in because it has problems.

 

[Jo827867]

Not trying to scare you away, but keep in mind that most people don't trade in a truck that nice after only 2 years. Definitely get a service history on it, and if you can't get one I would walk away.

this thought has definitely crossed my mind...
The car fax is clean... one owner, no accidents, appears to have been brought to the dealership for regular oil changes and tire rotations. Not seeing any clear red flags pop up, but then again I’m not sure carfax is going to show if there were any issues that were taken care of. Is there anywhere else to look for a more detailed service history? If I purchase a carfax report (as opposed to the free one the dealer supplied) will there be any more detailed information?

 

[RJS]

this thought has definitely crossed my mind...
The car fax is clean... one owner, no accidents, appears to have been brought to the dealership for regular oil changes and tire rotations. Not seeing any clear red flags pop up, but then again I’m not sure carfax is going to show if there were any issues that were taken care of. Is there anywhere else to look for a more detailed service history? If I purchase a carfax report (as opposed to the free one the dealer supplied) will there be any more detailed information?

A lot of leases run out in two years and then there are the folks that just want a new one. The above poster was correct to advise you to proceed with caution.. My belief is a carfax is a carfax so the dealers should be current.

My last three vehicles before my new 19 Ram were used with less than 15 months and 12,000 miles on them. Two Impalas and a 14 Ram Sport (Canadian return). Checked the carfax, drove them 70-80 miles at all speeds and roads before I bought them and had excellent luck with all three. The Impalas went over 100,000 miles each and the 14 made 70K before I traded it in.

The only reason I bought new in 19 was the 14 was worth $3k less than I paid for it in 15 when I went dealing in 19.

Be cautious, ask about and access what is offered and be sure the cost is well under the price of a new one out the door.

 

[Amazing93]

Buy the Mopar warranty. Don't let the dealer sell you on some crazy 3rd party warranty . Nice truck, very similar to my 19 Laramie sport. Great truck IMO.

 

[devildodge]

On the front of the truck being traded early

We have 2 sites for RAM TRUCKS. this for the 1500 and HDRAMS for the HeavyDuty.

There are plenty of members who have been to both sites.

There are numerous people who have bought one month and traded for another the next.

Quite a few more after 6 months and a large following of about a year.

So I wouldnt let a quick trade deter me.

But also remember that alot of rentals get traded at 10 to 15k. I have owned 2 of those and I would do it again.

Good luck with the purchase. Just be sure to check all the options you want to make sure the truck actually has them.

 

[nburd]

this thought has definitely crossed my mind...
The car fax is clean... one owner, no accidents, appears to have been brought to the dealership for regular oil changes and tire rotations. Not seeing any clear red flags pop up, but then again I’m not sure carfax is going to show if there were any issues that were taken care of. Is there anywhere else to look for a more detailed service history? If I purchase a carfax report (as opposed to the free one the dealer supplied) will there be any more detailed information?

The dealer can look up all FCA service and warranty history. Insist on seeing it. If good, I would have little to worry about. Your warranties will still be in force. 3/36 and 5/60.

 

[mikeru82]

Buy the Mopar warranty. Don't let the dealer sell you on some crazy 3rd party warranty . Nice truck, very similar to my 19 Laramie sport. Great truck IMO.

Excellent advice. 3rd party warranties can be okay, but even when they cover a repair, they often require you to pay first for some things, then request to be reimbursed by them. Of course, they then make it a difficult process to get your money back, in the hopes that you'll give up in frustration. I won't ever buy another 3rd party warranty no matter how good of a deal it sounds.

 

[brian42]

Most of the issues should be worked out by now.

Get the extended warranty as others have recommended. You still have some miles left on the original bumper-to-bumper warranty to get anything looked at that doesn't seem right.

When I bought mine I noticed that there seemed to be more issues with the 2019s made before 10/18 than after. It may be just me but I steered away from them. Again, that's just my opinion and what I observed.

Most people don't post on forums so the high percentage of gripes you read about is an incredibly small percentage of the number of DT RAM owners. Every brand is going to have things to get taken care of.

Mine was built 12/18 and I've experienced my share of issues as well, but nothing major, safety related, or that required a tow.

 

[PowerJrod]

Good morning!

My wife and I have been truck shopping and had originally planned on sticking with a Silverado. (I have had 3 in the past) RAM wasn’t even on the radar, but we were at a RAM dealer and decided to test drive one while there looking for a used truck. Of course, we both were immediately drawn to all the tech features that we wouldn’t have had in the 2018 Silverado we had been looking at, and the ride was one of the smoothest I’ve experienced in a truck!

so... here we are. A couple weeks later and having increased our budget a bit, we are nearly set to make a road trip to pick up a 2019 Laramie with 25k miles with all the features we (think) we want. (Lvl 2, 4wd, safety pkg, ramboxes, 12” screen)

But I’ve been perusing these forums for the last week or so and admittedly have begun to question my choice based upon the experiences some have been having with their trucks. I know every make and model has their share of lemons; I just keep wondering whether going used is the correct thing to do!
we will be getting an extended warranty as insurance, but I have been fortunate over the last several vehicles to not have had too many issues... last thing we are looking to purchase is a $40,000 headache!

I will be having a mechanic take a look at the vehicle prior to purchase... anything in particular that I should be looking for?
Or should i run away before I even leave the house? Lol

I'd say by 25k miles..most, if any, issues were already addressed as well as any recalls.