Exhaust Manifold issue.

[captainzombie]

Today my wife takes my truck (21 Laramie) to run to the grocery store. She calls me to say that the truck sounds like the exhaust has a hole in it and is super loud. I check it out once she gets home and the truck sounds like it has a straight pipe it is so loud. I know my brother had an issue with his 20 Limited where the exhaust manifold had cracked and it needed to be replaced. I called the dealer this morning to setup an appointment, service tells me that this is a known issue.

Between the pano sunroof leaking and now this, it has me very annoyed with this truck.

Has anyone else had this same issue and did you drive your truck till it was time to get it repaired for the exhaust manifold issue?

 

[captainzombie]

I take it nobody else has experience this issue at all?

 

[Rick3478]

There has been reported cracking, warping, broken head studs, and broken pipe flange studs. Your description sounds like the last one. The pipe probably won't fall off, the noise is irritating, and you may be getting more carbon monoxide in the cabin than normal. The choice is yours, probably some combination of crack a window, drive as little as absolutely necessary, get to repair shop as soon as practical.

 

[HSKR R/T]

Give people time to reply. Your first post was last night, and now 12 hours later. Most people aren't active in the forums during their normal sleeping time.

As far as your issues, as Rick said, sounds more like the flange on the mid pipe between cats and muffler has broken.

 

[Dewey]

Bolts broke on my last two Hemi’s. Never cracked a manifold. Sounds like they improved the bolts so now the next weakest part fails making the problem even worse than before the way it sounds. You would think by now they would have figured this issue out. Probably plan on eliminating the Hemi soon so it’s been forgotten.

 

[captainzombie]

There has been reported cracking, warping, broken head studs, and broken pipe flange studs. Your description sounds like the last one. The pipe probably won't fall off, the noise is irritating, and you may be getting more carbon monoxide in the cabin than normal. The choice is yours, probably some combination of crack a window, drive as little as absolutely necessary, get to repair shop as soon as practical.

Bolts broke on my last two Hemi’s. Never cracked a manifold. Sounds like they improved the bolts so now the next weakest part fails making the problem even worse than before the way it sounds. You would think by now they would have figured this issue out. Probably plan on eliminating the Hemi soon so it’s been forgotten.

The earliest the dealer had to get me in is next Thursday, so I have to wait 1.5 weeks. I am very surprised that this issue has been a common occurance and they didn't do the proper engineering to keep it from happening again with future iterations. It is crazy as I haven't even had the truck for 2 years yet. LOL!

I'll just try to limit how much I drive the truck till I have to take it in.

 

[Grimgreg]

That loud, did you look to see if someone stole the cats?

 

[6of36]

That loud, did you look to see if someone stole the cats?

My brother in law had his stolen while in a grocery store.

 

[captainzombie]

That loud, did you look to see if someone stole the cats?

I had checked and its still there. It was the first thing I was concerned someone stole. LOL!

 

[Mountain Whiskey]

Yea, I hate buying something with a well known documented problem and it actually happens to me. The manifold thing (which Ram does not have an exclusive on, Ford has aluminum heads and cast manifolds, done this for decades) or the snapped bolts @Rick3478 and @Dewey spoke of.

Other than this and the sunroof (also not a Ram exclusive) how has the truck been for two years?

 

[captainzombie]

Yea, I hate buying something with a well known documented problem and it actually happens to me. The manifold thing (which Ram does not have an exclusive on, Ford has aluminum heads and cast manifolds, done this for decades) or the snapped bolts @Rick3478 and @Dewey spoke of.

Other than this and the sunroof (also not a Ram exclusive) how has the truck been for two years?

I am a first time RAM owner, so when I was researching I didn't even know that this was an ongoing issue as I hadn't read up on it. All I kept seeing on other forums was complaints about the interiors falling apart in the 2019's. I had a 2018 Silverado LT that I traded in for the RAM. To me this RAM is like a luxury vehicle compared to the barebones Silverado that I owned before it. Other than that, I have really liked it a lot so far. Only thing that I am missing is the blind sport alerts and 360 surround cameras, which I wish this had after every time we drive my wife's Tahoe its like these would be nice in my truck.

 

[Jeffjad]

Today my wife takes my truck (21 Laramie) to run to the grocery store. She calls me to say that the truck sounds like the exhaust has a hole in it and is super loud. I check it out once she gets home and the truck sounds like it has a straight pipe it is so loud. I know my brother had an issue with his 20 Limited where the exhaust manifold had cracked and it needed to be replaced. I called the dealer this morning to setup an appointment, service tells me that this is a known issue.

Between the pano sunroof leaking and now this, it has me very annoyed with this truck.

Has anyone else had this same issue and did you drive your truck till it was time to get it repaired for the exhaust manifold issue?

If it sounds that loud it's more than likely the flange bolts that rusted snapped just behind the muffler. I just had this repaired on my 2020.

 

[Mountain Whiskey]

I am a first time RAM owner, so when I was researching I didn't even know that this was an ongoing issue as I hadn't read up on it. All I kept seeing on other forums was complaints about the interiors falling apart in the 2019's. I had a 2018 Silverado LT that I traded in for the RAM. To me this RAM is like a luxury vehicle compared to the barebones Silverado that I owned before it. Other than that, I have really liked it a lot so far. Only thing that I am missing is the blind sport alerts and 360 surround cameras, which I wish this had after every time we drive my wife's Tahoe its like these would be nice in my truck.

Yea, I appreciate mine for what it is. I would look under it and see if the bolts are snapped. Given the choice of hassling with a dealer or just fixing it, I would do it myself.

Here's the thread on it. Hope it helps.

Exhaust Leak-Muffler

2019 Big Horn, 5.7 eTorque. Noticed the truck sounding louder on cold starts over the last couple of weeks, getting a little worse daily. Finally got a time where I could cold start and check the exhaust, and the gasket between the converter pipe and the muffler is leaking. Exhaust hasnt been...

5thgenrams.com

 

[captainzombie]

If it sounds that loud it's more than likely the flange bolts that rusted snapped just behind the muffler. I just had this repaired on my 2020.

I'll crawl under the truck tomorrow to see if it is the flange bolts that rusted and then snapped off. Quite amusing that they would use bolts that could rust so easily.

Yea, I appreciate mine for what it is. I would look under it and see if the bolts are snapped. Given the choice of hassling with a dealer or just fixing it, I would do it myself.

Here's the thread on it. Hope it helps.

Exhaust Leak-Muffler

2019 Big Horn, 5.7 eTorque. Noticed the truck sounding louder on cold starts over the last couple of weeks, getting a little worse daily. Finally got a time where I could cold start and check the exhaust, and the gasket between the converter pipe and the muffler is leaking. Exhaust hasnt been...

5thgenrams.com

Thanks for the link to the thread. That is crazy that some of the posters were getting charged to have this fixed if its a known issue for years. What is Chrysler even thinking, using bolts that rust this quick. If they cheapened out on a bunch of flange bolts, what else did they cheap out on our trucks.

 

[Hydroblueguy]

I'll crawl under the truck tomorrow to see if it is the flange bolts that rusted and then snapped off. Quite amusing that they would use bolts that could rust so easily.


Thanks for the link to the thread. That is crazy that some of the posters were getting charged to have this fixed if its a known issue for years. What is Chrysler even thinking, using bolts that rust this quick. If they cheapened out on a bunch of flange bolts, what else did they cheap out on our trucks.

Tires, rims, rear window seal, third brake light, electrical, fake leather in the Laramie’s, paint scratches and chips very easily. Still a very nice truck when everything works as it should

 

[6of36]

I'll crawl under the truck tomorrow to see if it is the flange bolts that rusted and then snapped off. Quite amusing that they would use bolts that could rust so easily.


Thanks for the link to the thread. That is crazy that some of the posters were getting charged to have this fixed if its a known issue for years. What is Chrysler even thinking, using bolts that rust this quick. If they cheapened out on a bunch of flange bolts, what else did they cheap out on our trucks.

It hasn't really been happening for years, this system is only 4 years old, and just showing now. They may have already changed the production bolts, but it will happen to pretty much every truck manufactured with the old bolts. Whoever designed that bolt, didn't take into consideration dissimilar metals. I don't know what materials they used, but if they put an aluminized coating on a steel bolt, to prevent corrosion, it would actually cause it. When aluminum contacts stainless steel, it causes corrosion. Heat accelerates the corrosion. That corrosion causes the bolt corrosion. Most people don't know about what happens when dissimilar metals contact each other. That's why aluminum and copper wires in buildings causes house fires.

 

[31RamIt]

Sounds like a good time for a Borla system...

 

[Quint]

These things happen. I've had Ford buy back a lemon truck, Acura had to fix problems with an Integra that I owned, and I had problems right out of the box with my first Ram. They have wide tolerances for defects on vehicles unfortunately. We all pay a lot of money for these trucks so we expect perfection. That's not reality. Set your expectations low that there will be problems and let the company make it right. Frustrating yes, but a part of the game.

My wife's new Audi just had a cracked side mirror this winter. She was angry. I took it in and the service manager fixed it on the spot. It's a rare occurrence but what can you do?

 

[RamCares]

We see that you have received some great advice from your fellow forum members! However, if these suggestions do not address your concern and you decide to visit your dealer, our team would be happy to offer additional assistance throughout that process! We're available via private message.

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Ram Cares

 

[JF19Longhorn]

Pretty sure every Hemi has manifold issues at one point or another.. I've had both replaced and I have zero confidence that the replacements will last.