Just need to vent on Ram issues

[mwoods269]

Just wanted/needed to post regarding my experience with Ram 1500's over the many years and models I've owned.

2017 Ram 1500 LongHorn crewcab Black/Chrome bumpers etc

• great truck, no issues that I can recall
• brown leather and brown interior/carpet got old real quick for me
• probably had around 40-50k miles on it

2020 Ram 1500 Laramie Black/painted bumpers etc

• great truck, no issues that I can recall
• had it lifted 6" rough country by Mt Zion offroad in Dover, PA (don't recommend them)
• lift kit installation was bad as the truck had the 6'4" bed which required a "driveshaft relocation drop bracket" which Mt Zion didn't know because they didn't know what they were doing. This caused immediate drive line vibration when I picked the truck up. They eventually fixed it by building their own drop bracket
• Had 35" tires with 22" wheels with a fairly decent offset. Tires didn't provide enough rim protection imho, rims got scraped and when snow got pack in the rims it would shake like crazy at any decent of amount of speed.

2022 Ram 1500 Limited White/painted bumpers, chrome grill, mirrors air suspension etc
This is where the quality issues started

• front bumper chipping was bad. All painted bumpers chip but man
• stock fender flares at the rear chipped so badly at the bottom just behind the rear door they were near black
• funny thing was there was factory clear rock guard from the factory there but it didn't cover the full face of the flare and therefore was useless
• 48v battery behind rear seats had issues.
  • 1st event the truck started "shutting down all non-critical systems" and eventually threw the truck in park in the middle of a highway crossing while pulling in to the Ram dealer service center
    • they charged the battery, did a TSB flash and said it was fixed
    • battery light came on and off a hand full of time until a year later when it all happened again
  • 2nd event the truck did the same thing, lost power steering and threw itself in park in the middle of the road in a nasty rain storm.
    • Keene Dodge Maryland had the truck for 30+ days
    • No rental provided by them or Ram
    • Had to involve Ram Customer care
    • initial diagnosis was the 48v motor generator (altenator replacement) failed and in the process kill the 48v batter behind the rear seats
    • they ended up replacing the 48v batter and saying the motor generator was fine. This was after a month of waiting for Ram to send the 48v batter
    • Had to argue with Ram for reimbursement of a rental car that cost my $2600 and ended up only getting a check (today in fact) for $1800
  • monitored the voltage everyday and it seemed to stay 14v-14.6v
    • until one day it started dropping under 14v (was told at 13.5v it would not be able to keep up with battery charging etc
    • traded it in on a 2024 (stupid me) and on the way to trade it in it dropped to 13.5v on the highway
• Front suspension popping noise
  • front right suspension makes a loud metal on metal popping noise when the suspension needs to unload rapidly
  • there is a specific location at my daughters school where there is a dip in the road that causes it to happen every time
  • almost like the spring isn't seated correctly
  • ram service checked the suspension and claimed it was normal
  • My 2024 below does NOT do this so WTF

2024 Ram Limited Silver Metallic Night Edition loaded sunroof, ram boxes, air suspension etc (from a looks perspective I absolutely love this truck)

• felt a vibration in the steering wheel and gas pedal the night I took it home but wasn't sure I really noticed something was off
• took the truck back the next day to have the stock tires swapped for my Nitto tires
• confirmed the vibration was in fact an issue even with the new tires installed
• truck has 2k miles on it as of today
• Vibration problem
  • at approx 2100 rpms (generally at 72-75 mph)there is a noticeable harmonic type vibration in the gas pedal and steering wheel
  • at 2100 rpms 72-75mph the vibration is more intense while taking left hand turn/curves on the highway.
  • vibration also occurs in the range of 1500-2k rpms but haven't truly tracked at that range as I drive highway where I've noticed it most
  • In my experience vibration in the pedal and steering wheel are using something front end related where vibrations felt in the seat are driveline/rear end related generally speaking
  • This kind of feels like it's orginating from the front right wheel. Possibly a bad wheel bearing or something....not sure
  • have not mad dealer appointment yet but told the salesman the day I noticed the vibration
• Burning smell
  • burning/hot coolant smell coming from the engine bay
  • smell is stronger on the drivers side and at the grill
  • have not found any leaks
  • found older reports stating the hose material in older trucks was reacting with the coolant causing that smell
  • other articles say the radiator cap allows gases to escape
  • other articles found the radiator overflow tube loose. Mine is not
• Passenger side power running board issue
  • there is a loud gearing sound when retracting the step where the driver size is just a while of the motor
  • almost like the gearing is binding when retracting the passenger side running board
  • have not taken it in for service yet
• Ram box paint issue
  • ram boxes appear to be a much darker tone as compared to the rest of the truck
• Clear coat paint issue
  • Today I noticed a clear coat drip on the drivers door edge
• Driverside window buttons
  • when you press the drivers window down button it catches the passenger button beside it and both windows go down
  • have not taken it in for service and will most likely see if I can run something between the 2 buttons to see if a piece of plastic or something is catching
• 12" screen/infotainment system
  • after starting the truck, the radio volume won't respond unless I switch to another mode then back to media/carplay
• Suspension
  • the 2024 rides much smoother than the 2022 (both air suspension)
  • the 2024 feels like it sits higher and almost rides like it's in an offroad mode. Firmer ride that I actually prefer
• Harmon Kardon Sound System
  • Much louder and clearer in the 2024 than the 2022
  • The kids even noticed it without me mentioning it

Seems 5th gens are a roll of the dice. QA sucks etc etc etc and there are definitely different structural differences/changes etc.

It's a good thing they are getting rid of the Hemi in 2025 as I wouldn't think of buying another Ram and even more so with a V6 in it.

@RamCares What a mess

 

[6of36]

You made the bad decision to get painted bumpers. All manufacturers have that problem. I don't know how you can get a vibration in the gas pedal, because its electric, so it has no mechanical connection to anything. The Ramboxes are painted separate from the body, and silver is actually the worst color to match. you could have them try to repaint them, but unless they are a way different shade, it may not be worth it. If the radio only does it with carplay, it's probably a carplay issue. If not, take it for service.

 

[Threesuns1]

Reminds me of the old saying, "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me." I kind of surprised you purchased the 2024 after all the issues with the 2022.

 

[wvinson]

I've had a '14 Ram Sport 4WD, '17 Ram Sport 4WD, '19 Ram Limited 4WD, and now a '22 Ram Limited 4WD Night Edition. The current one is by far the best and all have had very few problems other than the rear window leak on the '19 which was the 3rd brake light seal. Can't wait for the '25 HO! Came from Toyota trucks and love RAMs!