2025 RAM 1500 BIGHORN 3.0 I HURRICANE twin-turbo, SO, 420HP - check engine light

[Willwork4truck]

I registered to the forum to tell my story.

Bought a 2025 1500 Big Horn in August (March 2024 build). From the moment I drove it off the lot, it gave me parking sensor warnings. Later, I started getting other electrical bugs like "crash avoidance" offline, adaptive cruise offline, the blue screen of death, and intermittent "trailer disconnected" warnings. Once, a secondary battery went bad and caused the truck to shut down and almost leave me stranded. Also had a bad strut (leaking) sprinkled in there. With each service visit, the code reader would report 10+ stored codes. It spent 61 of it's first 100 days of ownership in the shop, and the dealer had to get engineering involved, which was a slow process.

I've been through buyback processes before, so I know how it works. Even though my state has a pretty clear rule about it (30 days in the first year, or 3+ attempts of the same issue), I knew Stellantis would fight me. It's frankly good business, as 90% of those asking for a buyback will go away when told "no" the first time. So, once I hit the 30+ days mark, I got an attorney who only gets paid through the settlement. Long story short, we just settled with a buyback in which Stellantis pays purchase price and all fees - including finance charges, processing fees, taxes, registration, and my attorney. They even paid for all aftermarket accessories I chose to leave on the truck. The process was relatively painless, though you have to be patient; I'm in month five and, though we have settled on a dollar figure, I'm still awaiting the exact time and date for the surrender and payout.

All that told . . . I liked the truck aesthetics, features, ride, etc. I just don't have faith in that particular truck. Also, I realize every manufacturer has issues with a percentage of its vehicles; though it had been 13 years, I have gone down this road with Ford, and I also went down this road with VW some 20 years back.

So . . . I just purchased the replacement, a loaded 2025 1500 Laramie. While I'm only a couple hundred miles into ownership, so far so good. From a distance, it looks like the same truck, but the Laramie is so much more. I love the features. It's a 1/28/25 build, so I'm hoping a majority of the bugs have been worked out. Or, maybe I'm just a masochist.

Well you had a level head through all of this. I’d have been tearing my hair out and howling at the moon. And you even stayed with the brand!
Patience and no sour grapes awards for 2025 to you sir. (Salute emoji)

 

[USMUSL]

Well you had a level head through all of this. I’d have been tearing my hair out and howling at the moon. And you even stayed with the brand!
Patience and no sour grapes awards for 2025 to you sir. (Salute emoji)

Well, I might have made a mistake . . . found a small coolant puddle underneath the new truck yesterday. Haven't even made it through one tank of gas yet.

Got it on the lift, and it looks like it is coming from the water pump . . . official diagnosis still to come, but my dealer tells me the water pumps are on back order, of course. Maybe I'll get lucky and its just a hose connection at the pump (unlikely).

 

[TreesRule]

I registered to the forum to tell my story.

Bought a 2025 1500 Big Horn in August (March 2024 build). From the moment I drove it off the lot, it gave me parking sensor warnings. Later, I started getting other electrical bugs like "crash avoidance" offline, adaptive cruise offline, the blue screen of death, and intermittent "trailer disconnected" warnings. Once, a secondary battery went bad and caused the truck to shut down and almost leave me stranded. Also had a bad strut (leaking) sprinkled in there. With each service visit, the code reader would report 10+ stored codes. It spent 61 of it's first 100 days of ownership in the shop, and the dealer had to get engineering involved, which was a slow process.

I've been through buyback processes before, so I know how it works. Even though my state has a pretty clear rule about it (30 days in the first year, or 3+ attempts of the same issue), I knew Stellantis would fight me. It's frankly good business, as 90% of those asking for a buyback will go away when told "no" the first time. So, once I hit the 30+ days mark, I got an attorney who only gets paid through the settlement. Long story short, we just settled with a buyback in which Stellantis pays purchase price and all fees - including finance charges, processing fees, taxes, registration, and my attorney. They even paid for all aftermarket accessories I chose to leave on the truck. The process was relatively painless, though you have to be patient; I'm in month five and, though we have settled on a dollar figure, I'm still awaiting the exact time and date for the surrender and payout.

All that told . . . I liked the truck aesthetics, features, ride, etc. I just don't have faith in that particular truck. Also, I realize every manufacturer has issues with a percentage of its vehicles; though it had been 13 years, I have gone down this road with Ford, and I also went down this road with VW some 20 years back.

So . . . I just purchased the replacement, a loaded 2025 1500 Laramie. While I'm only a couple hundred miles into ownership, so far so good. From a distance, it looks like the same truck, but the Laramie is so much more. I love the features. It's a 1/28/25 build, so I'm hoping a majority of the bugs have been worked out. Or, maybe I'm just a masochist.

@notrascal @Whoa_Ram @Willwork4truck @Skater

My FIRST Choice = I wanted to buy the 2025 SST but witheld because of the 'unkowns' of a new motor.

Coming from owing three Tundras, i did not like the new style of the current Tundras, nevertheless i went out and bought a new 2025 - RETURNED it in 48 hours
Toyota went belly up with their new design/motor with cheap thin metal, lots of plastic including a plastic bed and of course MAJOR engine failure.

Flew down to NC and bought a 2022 RAM 1500 non-etorque Hemi with only 3k miles on it.
Had to settle on white - bleh!

LOVE my new RAM 1500 HEMI

 

[TreesRule]

Well, I might have made a mistake . . . found a small coolant puddle underneath the new truck yesterday. Haven't even made it through one tank of gas yet.

Got it on the lift, and it looks like it is coming from the water pump . . . official diagnosis still to come, but my dealer tells me the water pumps are on back order, of course. Maybe I'll get lucky and its just a hose connection at the pump (unlikely).

Have them check the thermostat as well.
RAM is using a plastic thermostat in the Hurricane which warps and can cause overheating and failure.

 

[Willwork4truck]

@notrascal @Whoa_Ram @Willwork4truck @Skater

My FIRST Choice = I wanted to buy the 2025 SST but witheld because of the 'unkowns' of a new motor.

Coming from owing three Tundras, i did not like the new style of the current Tundras, nevertheless i went out and bought a new 2025 - RETURNED it in 48 hours
Toyota went belly up with their new design/motor with cheap thin metal, lots of plastic including a plastic bed and of course MAJOR engine failure.

Flew down to NC and bought a 2022 RAM 1500 non-etorque Hemi with only 3k miles on it.
Had to settle on white - bleh!

LOVE my new RAM 1500 HEMI

My 2019 was an ivory tri coat and the 2023 was a bright white. The bright white seemed ok, at least for the 14 months I had it.
Miss them both, but sheeit happens.

 

[USMUSL]

Have them check the thermostat as well.
RAM is using a plastic thermostat in the Hurricane which warps and can cause overheating and failure.

Where is the thermostat located on the SST? The fluid is very clearly coming from the water pump area; it is dripping down on the AC compressor, before making its way to the frame and then ground. You can see the purple/pink residue on the compressor in these photos, along with one “active” drip still on the AC line.

EDIT: Seeing the thermostat is located at the water pump housing. So, maybe that's the culprit.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Check the Grand Wagoneer forums. I think that part was redesigned a while back. Or maybe not. Always something to save .05 per unit made.

 

[TreesRule]

Where is the thermostat located on the SST? The fluid is very clearly coming from the water pump area; it is dripping down on the AC compressor, before making its way to the frame and then ground. You can see the purple/pink residue on the compressor in these photos, along with one “active” drip still on the AC line.

EDIT: Seeing the thermostat is located at the water pump housing. So, maybe that's the culprit.

Great video and the thermostat is around the 8 minute mark

 

[USMUSL]

Thanks, guys. I hope it is the thermostat leaking, as that doesn’t sound like a big deal (video says a 2 hour job), and I don’t think they are on back order anymore. The Jeeps appear to have had stuck thermostats though, not leaking ones.

 

[TreesRule]

Thanks, guys. I hope it is the thermostat leaking, as that doesn’t sound like a big deal (video says a 2 hour job), and I don’t think they are on back order anymore. The Jeeps appear to have had stuck thermostats though, not leaking ones.

ALWAYS keep watch on the Temp Gauge on the SST because overheating can happen very fast with a thermostat that is defectice.