2025 1500 with transmission issues/disappointing

[Hb92]

Just looking to get a number of people having a very clunky transmission with the 25s. I have an appointment set with my dealer in 2 weeks.

Sometimes it feels like the torque converter is disengaging and re engaging when cruising on the highway or around town. Get this road bump feel. 7th and 8th gear.
4th to 5th can be rough, sometimes it’s smooth sometimes it just clunks to 5th.
3rd or 4th slow speed. Let off the throttle and you get tons of decel feel and a jerk when you get back on the throttle accompanied by a metallic clunk.
Intermittent surging in 3rd when applying steady throttle at slow speed.
4/3 harsh
3/2 harsh

1200 miles now. Started acting up around 300 miles.

2025 3.0, 3100 miles same issue. Dealer owes me a wheel lug key so I'm be dropping it off to complain about this and get it documented.

The only hope for a fix is a large volume of complaints about the same issue. The least we'll get is software if enough of us complain. New transmission calibration is probably all that's needed. It's definitely different than my 2022 5.7.

 

[Sabely]

2025 3.0, 3100 miles same issue. Dealer owes me a wheel lug key so I'm be dropping it off to complain about this and get it documented.

The only hope for a fix is a large volume of complaints about the same issue. The least we'll get is software if enough of us complain. New transmission calibration is probably all that's needed. It's definitely different than my 2022 5.7.

My 2025 also has the clunky trans. Either a downshift or going slow and taking my foot off accelerator makes it feel like a manual transmission in the wrong gear. Dealer has had it once already, thinking of switching dealers at this point

 

[Hayride]

I have a 3.0 2025 Bighorn. It has 2800miles. Been a shaky mess the whole time. They balanced tires but didnt help. More i drove it more i realized it is likely torque converter. 1st gear stop and go traffic is dangerous it surges at slightest throttle touch then jerks back. Then it shakes as you pick up speed and 50mph and up throttle tip in gives a stutter and shake in floor and steering wheel and seat and floor. I go to the dealer tomorrow morning. They said over the phone and that it could be the torque converter pump. We will see. This is supposed to be a 10 year truck for me in so far without passive entry and this shaky mess. I hate driving it every time.

 

[TCP]

Just an update. Truck also buck’s now in 8th gear at 40 mph. Low rpm.

Dealership said normal characteristics of this truck.

I mean, technically they were right. They didn't say it was "good", they said "normal" - meaning a lot of them do that.

Just something to consider -Ram gas tanks don’t have baffles in them. Could it be the gas sloshing around? I used to notice it on my first truck at stop signs- a slight nudge. Turns out it was normal. It happened more when the tank was half full.

I have a 33 gallon tank in my 2019, I've never noticed a slosh. At half full, 16.5 gallons times 6.3 pounds per gallon for premium = 104 pounds of fuel, not that much weight.

Any dealer that won't just do warranty work is either stupid or hates money, because warranty work pays their bills.

The dealership that did warranty work for me last, quoted $600 me for parts and labor, but when RAM covered it under warranty, the dealership quoted them $300. If the dealership has enough non-warranty work, I could see why they wouldn't want to do warranty work if they can overcharge the customers.

 

[WXman]

I drove a '24 and the transmission was just as silky smooth as ZF transmissions have always been in these trucks. And, nobody was complaining about the trans. So what changed for '25? Why would they alter the TCM programming between model years? That doesn't make sense.

A more plausible explanation is that they've started to go "cheap" with the valve body and/or other internal components in a quest to save money. "The Car Guy" on YouTube did several videos recently with Nate from Next Gen Drivetrain about how the OEs are doing that. They're purposefully using inferior parts to help their bottom line. They are ruining what could be excellent transmissions.

 

[MattG31]

There is a tsb to refresh the tcm for the 25 model year. But that needs to be determined if it applies to your specific truck.