Horrible First Impressions - Huge Fail

[mikeru82]

Ah, you have the multi function tail gate.
You have no info in your sig. Me bad.

And this is yet another reason the OP should have included pics. His comment about the tailgate was "tailgate rusting" with no other context.

 

[PetePA]

This thread is kind of a mess. FYI. Recommend moving on folks.

 

[RobMck]

And this is yet another reason the OP should have included pics. His comment about the tailgate was "tailgate rusting" with no other context.

Or, maybe, one should ASK before assuming and posting.

 

[NJT3]

Lock this thread down this guy is trolling. No pics 4 pages in just flaming other users imo.

On another note we have a good checklist here in the forum to run through before you take delivery. It may take you several hours to run through it. Which lead me to not take delivery of an order.. wound up getting something most of my options a month later. 2021 Laramie still going strong at 70k+ miles.

I wouldn't dismiss OP's post entirely though as leadership is hemorrhaging money in the US.

 

[Rebellion is Duty]

Way late to the party, but all makes and models have issues on new vehicles. A small percentage to this extreme. At some point you are where you are. You just want it fixed. If you've tried multiple dealers, you need to escalate this somehow. I've read where owners reached out to corporate to get better response. If you intend to go the lemon law route, keep good records of interactions with anyone.

The information in the thread is quite vague, so it's difficult for us to provide any tangible responses. We're all sympathetic to your issues and hope you find some sort of resolution or restitution. Best of luck.

 

[Rambo 2024]

OP, can you elaborate on "delivered". You mentioned "a dealer" so I'm assuming that dealer wasn't involved in the purchase? Internet purchase? Factory order? What inspection procedure was used?

Given the issues you identified, your frustration is understandable. Having said that, one truck/one dealer does not indict the entire brand. I've owned Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge/RAM products for 50+ years of generally satisfied motoring.

Most "rant" posts include seeking advice or experience from forum members with similar circumstance. Yours did not, though some have offered, so I'm curious about the purpose of your post.

As a newbie here, I came do learn about my truck and share ideas, get advice and or generally engage with like-minded gear heads. I’m 62 and have been around cars, trucks, bikes for a long -long time. Wanted to get that out of the way.

While this member y’all are talking about may have approached this forum awkwardly with his “rant” as you say, he was just venting the only way he knew how to. His reasons are valid to him alone.

What is interested and disturbing at the same time is how we as humans are all very tribal. No matter how long you’ve been here or any forum, club, etc you are only a “newbie” upon your very first visit. Then, as time goes by you feel more and more belonging to the tribe. So, when the next newbie comes in, some, or the majority of the tribe feel empowered to pounce and say things they would never normally say to a persons face.

All the while they too were a newbie not that long ago.

Kinda funny how rotten us humans can be at times.

 

[RobMck]

This is the first time I decided to give Chrysler a try. I've owned Chevy, Caddy, Ford, Honda, Isuzu, Subaru, Fiat. I just had delivered to me a 2025 Ram 1500. This truck is the worst new vehicle I've ever had. Fit and finish is not good. Here's how it was delivered, with a razor blade left rusting in the bed, tailgate rusting, fog lamp with water in it, light switches that don't work, software glitch, and the bed not aligned properly. In attempting to get these problems fixed, I spent five hours at a dealer for them to do NOTHING! They said they don't do body work and that the software glitch was NORMAL! This morning I've been calling another dealer in the area that is supposed to do body work for three hours. Service has yet to answer their phone. Sales answered, parts answered, but not service. I asked the parts guy to go over to service to see if anyone is actually working. About five minutes later he gets back on the phone and said he talked to a service guy and he would transfer me to him and he'll answer. I was transferred and several rings later...voice mail. Works first impressions possible. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CHRYSLER PRODUCT!

I have 5K+ miles on the truck, seven trips to dealerships and supposedly five software updates now. Although, I believe there was another OTA update this week. There was a message that seemed to indicate so, but nothing definitive. I have at least two more tips to a dealership needed for existing issues.

Problems fixed: Bed alignment, rusting in tailgate, fog lamp, light switches, flashing odometer, various erroneous display information, cruise control, trailer steering, trailer tow module.

Problems still working: Scratch on door - scratched by dealership, wheel alignment and Trailer Brake Control Module.

Scratch: Awaiting part

Wheel alignment: Has been an issue since I got the truck. There's a bit of a pull to the right. I had a dealership align the wheels twice and the problem persists. BTW, I read in other threads that Ram was covering wheel alignment under warranty. This is not the case now. Two dealerships told me it is not covered. It costs about $200 to do it. After the second time the wheel alignment didn't work I asked for a refund and they refunded the $. The alignment results the dealership provided looked good, all adjustments were in spec. However, the pulling persists. I found in the manual "There are three air suspension modes designed to protect the system in unique situations. Tire Jack Mode is selected to assist in changing a spare tire. Transport Mode is selected to assist when the vehicle is being flat bed towed. Wheel Alignment Mode is selected before performing a wheel alignment. Contact an authorized dealer for further information." I haven't had a chance to talk to the dealership about this. I'm wondering if the alignment was done with the air suspension system in Wheel Alignment mode. And yes, I checked it on multiple roads on which my other vehicles drive straight and true. And yes, it pulls to the right whether I'm in the right or left lane - it's not a road crown issue. Given the dealer will charge about $200 for a one time alignment, I'm considering going to Firestone or a similar place and purchasing a "lifetime" alignment deal for a bit more than the dealer charges for a one-time service.

Trailer Brake Control Module: The part is on order with the dealer. I called Chrysler and asked for an expedited action on getting the module, per recommendation from the dealer. They said that they are having issues with getting the modules through engineering and validation. They do not have an ETA on delivery. But, they have been contacting me weekly to give a status.

Odd sound: There was a very prominent sound when first starting the cold engine. It was a pulsating sound that appeared to be from the engine. I watched the tach, no variation, so it's not related to the engine rotation that I can tell. It has over the last month almost gone away. I'm guessing the pulsating sound is caused by the noise reduction module calibrating.

Rough transmission shifts: Shifts from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd were very clunky and rough. 3rd to 4th was a bit clunky. Shifts above 4th seemed ok. I was concerned initially. However, the shifting has smoothed out and is mostly as smooth as would be expected. There is still a clunker here and there, usually from 2nd to 3rd.

HUD: The HUD doesn't display as described in the manual. For a while I was getting a intermittent flash to the right of the speed information. That seems to have gone away and now the navigation info is displaying there, as it should. However, I still do not get the speed limit information to the left of the speed information.

Display nit: On all top level display menus the time is displayed at the top and center except the Android Auto menu. On this menu it's about a third of the way down on the right hand edge in small digits. Why? Why not display it at the top and center as all others are? BTW, this is the menu that one dealership told me that it was "normal" for there not to be time displayed until I swiped down the pull down menu there and swiped it back up. Yep, when I did that initially the time would display top and center. Now it doesn't after the SW updates.

I give credit for the ride and quietness of the truck. This is by far the smoothest and quietest full size pickup I've been in.

Cruise control: I like that Ram put controls on the steering wheel for the standard cruise, which I prefer, and the auto cruise - that adjusts automatically for traffic ahead. In other vehicles I had to peck through menus to change to the standard cruise. This system works well, much better than the Honda I traded in. It's on par with the Caddy system I have. However, it's a notch below the VW system in my GTI. The VW system will stay active down to 0 mph and will stop the car. If the delay is momentary, it will pick up again and continue working. This is awesome in stop and go traffic.

Gas milage is descent, about 22.3 mpg on average so far.

Acceleration is good. However, due to the issues with the trailer controls I have not been able to hook up our RV and see how well those systems work and how well it pulls, which is the reason I purchased the truck.

 

[RobMck]

I have 5K+ miles on the truck, seven trips to dealerships and supposedly five software updates now. Although, I believe there was another OTA update this week. There was a message that seemed to indicate so, but nothing definitive. I have at least two more tips to a dealership needed for existing issues.

Problems fixed: Bed alignment, rusting in tailgate, fog lamp, light switches, flashing odometer, various erroneous display information, cruise control, trailer steering, trailer tow module.

Problems still working: Scratch on door - scratched by dealership, wheel alignment and Trailer Brake Control Module.

Scratch: Awaiting part

Wheel alignment: Has been an issue since I got the truck. There's a bit of a pull to the right. I had a dealership align the wheels twice and the problem persists. BTW, I read in other threads that Ram was covering wheel alignment under warranty. This is not the case now. Two dealerships told me it is not covered. It costs about $200 to do it. After the second time the wheel alignment didn't work I asked for a refund and they refunded the $. The alignment results the dealership provided looked good, all adjustments were in spec. However, the pulling persists. I found in the manual "There are three air suspension modes designed to protect the system in unique situations. Tire Jack Mode is selected to assist in changing a spare tire. Transport Mode is selected to assist when the vehicle is being flat bed towed. Wheel Alignment Mode is selected before performing a wheel alignment. Contact an authorized dealer for further information." I haven't had a chance to talk to the dealership about this. I'm wondering if the alignment was done with the air suspension system in Wheel Alignment mode. And yes, I checked it on multiple roads on which my other vehicles drive straight and true. And yes, it pulls to the right whether I'm in the right or left lane - it's not a road crown issue. Given the dealer will charge about $200 for a one time alignment, I'm considering going to Firestone or a similar place and purchasing a "lifetime" alignment deal for a bit more than the dealer charges for a one-time service.

Trailer Brake Control Module: The part is on order with the dealer. I called Chrysler and asked for an expedited action on getting the module, per recommendation from the dealer. They said that they are having issues with getting the modules through engineering and validation. They do not have an ETA on delivery. But, they have been contacting me weekly to give a status.

Odd sound: There was a very prominent sound when first starting the cold engine. It was a pulsating sound that appeared to be from the engine. I watched the tach, no variation, so it's not related to the engine rotation that I can tell. It has over the last month almost gone away. I'm guessing the pulsating sound is caused by the noise reduction module calibrating.

Rough transmission shifts: Shifts from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd were very clunky and rough. 3rd to 4th was a bit clunky. Shifts above 4th seemed ok. I was concerned initially. However, the shifting has smoothed out and is mostly as smooth as would be expected. There is still a clunker here and there, usually from 2nd to 3rd.

HUD: The HUD doesn't display as described in the manual. For a while I was getting a intermittent flash to the right of the speed information. That seems to have gone away and now the navigation info is displaying there, as it should. However, I still do not get the speed limit information to the left of the speed information.

Display nit: On all top level display menus the time is displayed at the top and center except the Android Auto menu. On this menu it's about a third of the way down on the right hand edge in small digits. Why? Why not display it at the top and center as all others are? BTW, this is the menu that one dealership told me that it was "normal" for there not to be time displayed until I swiped down the pull down menu there and swiped it back up. Yep, when I did that initially the time would display top and center. Now it doesn't after the SW updates.

I give credit for the ride and quietness of the truck. This is by far the smoothest and quietest full size pickup I've been in.

Cruise control: I like that Ram put controls on the steering wheel for the standard cruise, which I prefer, and the auto cruise - that adjusts automatically for traffic ahead. In other vehicles I had to peck through menus to change to the standard cruise. This system works well, much better than the Honda I traded in. It's on par with the Caddy system I have. However, it's a notch below the VW system in my GTI. The VW system will stay active down to 0 mph and will stop the car. If the delay is momentary, it will pick up again and continue working. This is awesome in stop and go traffic.

Gas milage is descent, about 22.3 mpg on average so far.

Acceleration is good. However, due to the issues with the trailer controls I have not been able to hook up our RV and see how well those systems work and how well it pulls, which is the reason I purchased the truck.

One more nit I just remembered. The Range information. I don't know what Chrysler is doing, how they are getting the information that is displayed, but it needs to be reworked. In other vehicles, I can just about watch the range click down as the miles pass. In other words, it's almost real time information, which is what one would want. However, the range information in the 1500 is updated on some strange, long period. For example, when I fill the tank I get 630 mi displayed. Over 100+ miles later I still get 630 mi displayed. This isn't very helpful, especially when you start running low on gas.

 

[SpeedyV]

I have 5K+ miles on the truck, seven trips to dealerships and supposedly five software updates now. Although, I believe there was another OTA update this week. There was a message that seemed to indicate so, but nothing definitive. I have at least two more tips to a dealership needed for existing issues.

Problems fixed: Bed alignment, rusting in tailgate, fog lamp, light switches, flashing odometer, various erroneous display information, cruise control, trailer steering, trailer tow module.

Problems still working: Scratch on door - scratched by dealership, wheel alignment and Trailer Brake Control Module.

Scratch: Awaiting part

Wheel alignment: Has been an issue since I got the truck. There's a bit of a pull to the right. I had a dealership align the wheels twice and the problem persists. BTW, I read in other threads that Ram was covering wheel alignment under warranty. This is not the case now. Two dealerships told me it is not covered. It costs about $200 to do it. After the second time the wheel alignment didn't work I asked for a refund and they refunded the $. The alignment results the dealership provided looked good, all adjustments were in spec. However, the pulling persists. I found in the manual "There are three air suspension modes designed to protect the system in unique situations. Tire Jack Mode is selected to assist in changing a spare tire. Transport Mode is selected to assist when the vehicle is being flat bed towed. Wheel Alignment Mode is selected before performing a wheel alignment. Contact an authorized dealer for further information." I haven't had a chance to talk to the dealership about this. I'm wondering if the alignment was done with the air suspension system in Wheel Alignment mode. And yes, I checked it on multiple roads on which my other vehicles drive straight and true. And yes, it pulls to the right whether I'm in the right or left lane - it's not a road crown issue. Given the dealer will charge about $200 for a one time alignment, I'm considering going to Firestone or a similar place and purchasing a "lifetime" alignment deal for a bit more than the dealer charges for a one-time service.

Trailer Brake Control Module: The part is on order with the dealer. I called Chrysler and asked for an expedited action on getting the module, per recommendation from the dealer. They said that they are having issues with getting the modules through engineering and validation. They do not have an ETA on delivery. But, they have been contacting me weekly to give a status.

Odd sound: There was a very prominent sound when first starting the cold engine. It was a pulsating sound that appeared to be from the engine. I watched the tach, no variation, so it's not related to the engine rotation that I can tell. It has over the last month almost gone away. I'm guessing the pulsating sound is caused by the noise reduction module calibrating.

Rough transmission shifts: Shifts from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd were very clunky and rough. 3rd to 4th was a bit clunky. Shifts above 4th seemed ok. I was concerned initially. However, the shifting has smoothed out and is mostly as smooth as would be expected. There is still a clunker here and there, usually from 2nd to 3rd.

HUD: The HUD doesn't display as described in the manual. For a while I was getting a intermittent flash to the right of the speed information. That seems to have gone away and now the navigation info is displaying there, as it should. However, I still do not get the speed limit information to the left of the speed information.

Display nit: On all top level display menus the time is displayed at the top and center except the Android Auto menu. On this menu it's about a third of the way down on the right hand edge in small digits. Why? Why not display it at the top and center as all others are? BTW, this is the menu that one dealership told me that it was "normal" for there not to be time displayed until I swiped down the pull down menu there and swiped it back up. Yep, when I did that initially the time would display top and center. Now it doesn't after the SW updates.

I give credit for the ride and quietness of the truck. This is by far the smoothest and quietest full size pickup I've been in.

Cruise control: I like that Ram put controls on the steering wheel for the standard cruise, which I prefer, and the auto cruise - that adjusts automatically for traffic ahead. In other vehicles I had to peck through menus to change to the standard cruise. This system works well, much better than the Honda I traded in. It's on par with the Caddy system I have. However, it's a notch below the VW system in my GTI. The VW system will stay active down to 0 mph and will stop the car. If the delay is momentary, it will pick up again and continue working. This is awesome in stop and go traffic.

Gas milage is descent, about 22.3 mpg on average so far.

Acceleration is good. However, due to the issues with the trailer controls I have not been able to hook up our RV and see how well those systems work and how well it pulls, which is the reason I purchased the truck.

Good overall review...but it sounds like you've had some seriously bad luck on the build quality of your truck. Hope your dealership and/or Firestone gets you squared away sooner rather than later. After some small teething issues (all under warranty, years ago), our early-build 5th gen has been really solid for 60k miles thus far.

Two quick observations:

* The transmission has something like 45 different programs, and it adapts to your driving over time. It sounds like it's "getting there" for you. But you can search for other threads on this topic if you want to reset the programming and have it relearn your driving style.

* I've experienced other vehicles that handle adaptive cruise a bit more smoothly than Ram, but our system does stay active down to a full stop with a 2-second hold. If the driver in front of you starts moving again within 2 seconds, ACC resumes motion on its own. Otherwise, you'll need to tap the accelerator or hit the resume button on your steering wheel to keep the system engaged. If you don't do anything, and the driver in front of you does not start moving for 2+ seconds, the system will cancel and the electric parking brake will engage (super annoying). Also, the minimum distance setting on ACC is just a little bit too far away in heavy, sluggish traffic; it seems to be the perfect amount of cushion to encourage other drivers to cut you off. For this reason, while I find ACC super useful in almost all situations, I do tend to cancel it when traffic gets crazy.

 

[mikeru82]

One more nit I just remembered. The Range information. I don't know what Chrysler is doing, how they are getting the information that is displayed, but it needs to be reworked. In other vehicles, I can just about watch the range click down as the miles pass. In other words, it's almost real time information, which is what one would want. However, the range information in the 1500 is updated on some strange, long period. For example, when I fill the tank I get 630 mi displayed. Over 100+ miles later I still get 630 mi displayed. This isn't very helpful, especially when you start running low on gas.

I've noticed that about Ram. Every one I've owned since 2015 has been that way, while other vehicles we own (Audi and Ford) seem to track pretty accurately as I drive. It's a little annoying but there's such a large buffer when DTE is showing less than 30 miles that I've never worried that much about it.

Also, the minimum distance setting on ACC is just a little bit too far away in heavy, sluggish traffic; it seems to be the perfect amount of cushion to encourage other drivers to cut you off. For this reason, while I find ACC super useful in almost all situations, I do tend to cancel it when traffic gets crazy.

That is so annoying. I just keep cruise control off when I'm driving in heavy freeway traffic. The first car I drove with ACC was in a 2019 Mini while we were in Scotland. I didn't even know what ACC was to be honest, and didn't see an obvious way to adjust the distance the car would follow. It left plenty of gap for other drivers to jump over in front of me, which slowed me down enough to regain the gap, which allowed another driver to move in front of me, which slowed me down...it was a vicious cycle. Not to mention it was also my first time driving on the wrong side of the road.

 

[wvinson]

One more nit I just remembered. The Range information. I don't know what Chrysler is doing, how they are getting the information that is displayed, but it needs to be reworked. In other vehicles, I can just about watch the range click down as the miles pass. In other words, it's almost real time information, which is what one would want. However, the range information in the 1500 is updated on some strange, long period. For example, when I fill the tank I get 630 mi displayed. Over 100+ miles later I still get 630 mi displayed. This isn't very helpful, especially when you start running low on gas.

My range information on my '25 Limited works just fine. It works in real time. It clicks down just as it's driven.

 

[RobMck]

One more nit I just remembered. The Range information. I don't know what Chrysler is doing, how they are getting the information that is displayed, but it needs to be reworked. In other vehicles, I can just about watch the range click down as the miles pass. In other words, it's almost real time information, which is what one would want. However, the range information in the 1500 is updated on some strange, long period. For example, when I fill the tank I get 630 mi displayed. Over 100+ miles later I still get 630 mi displayed. This isn't very helpful, especially when you start running low on gas.

Finally, I have all the problems that came with the new truck fixed...in just 11 dealer visits since the beginning of Sep.

The wheel alignment:

If you want to use a service like Firestone, call and PRESS them about the ability to do the alignment. I spoke to one of the local Firestone shops over the phone. The service person assured me they could and have done alignments on 2025 1500s. That was a lie. When I took the truck to the shop, about 15 mins after turning over the key the service person called me up and informed me that they don't have the overlay/profile for their wheel alignment machine for the 2025 models. I called another Firestone shop in the area. They confirmed that Firestone can't do alignments on 2025 models. So, I went to one of the dealers that was able to solve a couple of problems and explained the problem to them. They confirmed the pull and that the alignment per their machine was spot on. They swapped the front tires and low and behold, it tracks straight and true.

I have about 6,700 miles on the truck now and the shifting has smoothed out more since the ~5K mark.

 

[Driver]

I bought a '24 Laramie 12 months ago. Unlike Op, no real trouble, no body or tailgate issues, no alignment issues, no leaky lights, no rust. The only thing I have noticed is the uconnect 12" screen will occasionally change on its own, but later changes back. I thought the blind spot warning was sub par, but that's doing well too.

All in all a great truck and just one minor issue. I don't doubt that all manufacturers put out a lemon now and then, but I think those are the great exception, at least for Ram.