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My thoughts and opinions after 20,000 miles

novistion

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Just came back from Colorado and rolled over to 20,000 miles, so I decided I'd give my piece of the pie to someone who is looking at getting one or to whomever.

TLDR: Get one. It is a huge upgrade over the last generation and IMHO is an amazing truck. But there are some quality issues that hopefully your dealer can help with.

Truck Info (All the options that I got):
2019 Ram 1500 Big Horn Crew Cab 4x4 6'4" bed Granite Crystal
5.7 HEMI with eTorque
Bucket Seats with Full Center Console
LED Lighting Group
Sport Appearance Package
Trailer Tow Group
Bed Utility Group
Level 2 Equipment Group
33-Gallon Fuel Tank
Alpine Sound System
Uconnect 4C
Blind-Spot system
E-Locker Rear Axle (3.92 Ratio)
Engine Block Heater
Protection Group
Panoramic Sunroof

Problems with solutions:
April 2018
When I first got the truck 300 miles from Central Colorado to Southern Wyoming my rear brakes starting squealing with moderate to heavy braking. This problem STILL at 20,000 miles, hasn't been fixed at all from 3 different dealers I've gone too, and it's really loud and annoying. I noticed that the leather on the steering wheel at the bottom wasn't lined up on the bottom, something small but it bothered me, mentioned this to the dealer and they did nothing about it. (We'll come back to the steering wheel in a while) Also, the top center storage compartment squeaked when opening, closing and putting any weight on it. Dealer applied some kind of lubricant and it fixed the problem, till recently (I think the cold did it) and it started again. Also, like all 3 other Ram trucks I've owned and bought new, I had to get an alignment.

(2,300 miles) I was on a dirt road and hit a bump HARD. Got this message on the gauge display "Active Tuned Mass Module Temporarily Unavailable" this continued for about 3 days and came up every 30 minutes on the dot.
Dealer found that I broke the motor inside of the drive side module and replaced it.

(3,900 miles) Every time I would close the tailgate it would still show that it was open.
Dealer replaced the tailgate sensor and the issue continued. I found that slam it shut hard about 20 times, and after that, you can close it normally and then it senses it fine. (Must have to get worn in or something cause I tried this with 2 other ones and that was the case, slam about 20, then it's fine sorry FCA for wasting a couple sensors and the dealer, but it was only a couple hours of labor)

November 2018
11/22 (15,400 miles) I remote started the truck and got tired up with Thanksgiving. So it turned off after the 15 minutes. About 10 minutes after it turned it off I remoted started it again. After pulling out of my driveway the check engine light came on and stayed on. Took it to the dealer the next day, and it was a cylinder 8 misfire. I was leaving for a couple days and the service advisor cleared the code and said it should be fine as long as it doesn't come up again.

11/26 (20,100 miles) Was coming back home and the interstate closed so I hung out in my truck for the night. Had it idling for about an hour then turned it off. It was for about an hour and a half and I started it for about 20 minutes, let it idle so I could heat up the cabin. Off again, and then again, about an hour and a half later started it and long behold, check engine light. Took it to the dealer this morning and once again cylinder 8 misfire. Getting this checked out next week so I'll update here.



Cons (I guess)
I'm 6'3" and about 240 and when I'm walking in the bed of the truck, I can feel the bottom flexing some, just a little, and I know, I'm weird, but I went and stood in a last gen 1500, and didn't notice it. Walking and jumped in a couple other new gen beds and only noticed it in the 6'4" beds.

Standing in the back seat in the center, I can also feel the floor flex some, much more than I'd like, again, weird.

The steering wheel has worn like absolute sh*t. I'll attach a photo later, but it's all spotted and looks really back, also the leather is still sideways on the bottom.

Ram has some QC issues. The steering wheel for an example. Also, I have Laramie trim around my Uconnect screen and on the back of the center console. The seat belt buckles had a whole bunch of sharp pieces that were left over from when I assume they got molded (nothing a file didn't fix)

The reverse lights are garbage (even with the LED ones)

Why do I not have power folding on my tow mirrors? I think they're going to copy the last gens and only put power folding tow mirrors on the HDs. Also, wish they had auto dimming

I'm sure I'll add more later, and feel free to ask me any questions.


Pros and my thoughts with whatever else I type:

I've been averaging 19.8 MPG with 50% highway driving and 50% hard dirt roads, city.

The LED headlights are amazing.

4 wheel drive auto is actually worth something now.

The sunroof is amazing.

Background of me cause why not:

I'm a network engineer in Central Wyoming and go all over Wyoming, Eastern Utah, and Northern Colorado. Often spend a lot of time in Loveland, Colorado wasting money and time but I love it there. The guys I work with nicknamed my truck "Sludge" or "Sludgie". I don't get it but I assume they don't like the color.
My past vehicle (in order include):
2017 Ram 2500 Laramie Power Wagon (I miss this truck so much, sold it)
2017 Chevy Silverado 3500 Duramax (I have no clue why I bought this... sold it after 600 miles and made about $3,000. I have no clue what's wrong with Chevy people)
2017 Dodge Charger SXT AWD (Older lady decided to hit me, and her Buick won)
2017 Ram Rebel (Dealer buyback, long story)
2017 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn (FCA buyback, long story)
2018 Dodge Durango SRT (still own this)
and the Ram that is talked about above.

edited for a typo and some horrible Grammer
 
Last edited:

Gman

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Dude...you do a ton of driving. 4,700 miles in 4 days? I like to drive...but wow. I was reading through your accounts and was thinking...the Interstate is closed....he has to fire it up for some heat...he MUST be on I-80.

Thanks for taking the time to educate us with all of that info.
 

Jasonml24

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Thanks for taking the time to give a overall impression after all those miles in a short time. I’m a long time Silverado guy that hasn’t owned a Ram since 2004 and quite honestly would’ve bought another Silverado till I saw the 19 Ram. I’ve had a few issues since I got it in July, some have been figured out, some not yet. I have full confidence in getting my issues worked out and couldn’t be more impressed with this truck! I am a little concerned though when I saw you’ve had 2 buybacks though Lol! Thanks again!
 

novistion

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Dude...you do a ton of driving. 4,700 miles in 4 days? I like to drive...but wow. I was reading through your accounts and was thinking...the Interstate is closed....he has to fire it up for some heat...he MUST be on I-80.

Thanks for taking the time to educate us with all of that info.

Yeah, Last year I racked up 56,000 miles. And yep I-80, got stuck in Cheyenne going to Rawlins from Kansas City, MO. Got down to 14 degrees.
 

novistion

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Thanks for taking the time to give a overall impression after all those miles in a short time. I’m a long time Silverado guy that hasn’t owned a Ram since 2004 and quite honestly would’ve bought another Silverado till I saw the 19 Ram. I’ve had a few issues since I got it in July, some have been figured out, some not yet. I have full confidence in getting my issues worked out and couldn’t be more impressed with this truck! I am a little concerned though when I saw you’ve had 2 buybacks though Lol! Thanks again!

GM almost got to over with the new GMC, but not quite. Hope you get your problems figured out and great color choice!
 

Gman

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Yeah, Last year I racked up 56,000 miles. And yep I-80, got stuck in Cheyenne going to Rawlins from Kansas City, MO. Got down to 14 degrees.
Got stuck just outside of Cheyenne heading west a few years back. WyDOT does a really crappy job maintaining I-80. Drove past many an 18-wheeler jacknifed and overturned off the highway. I learned that ice isn't nearly as slick as ice covered in diesel fuel. Was in a nice 4-wheel slide in my Tahoe, but was able to recover. When we hit the Utah border, clear as could be.

Stay safe out there!
 

syddog 2000

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Great write up, thanks for taking the time, can't wait to see what the next 40000 bring.
 

geotex1

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Thanks for the share. Making note of some things to keep an eye out for. I also noticed the panel flex you mention in both the cab and the 6'-4" bed, and I have you beat at 6'-5" and 280#. Unfortunately, this will have to be chalked up to making more environmentally friendly as well as road-friendly trucks. The cab floor is clearly the result of removing the hump and having the flat floor - long, flat spans are a recipe for flex. The bed appears to be both a change in gauge of steel as well as differing supports leaving longer span. If you checked both lined and unlined beds, you would have also noted a difference as well because the composite action with the bedlining material offers a bit more rigidity. Yeah, yeah, I know, what is this guy talking about... I just so happen to be an engineer so I know a little bit. :p Problem is, it also makes me way Type A, and if you saw my garage or any of my vehicles, you'd understand!
 

Jhill

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Just came back from Colorado and rolled over to 20,000 miles, so I decided I'd give my piece of the pie to someone who is looking at getting one or to whomever.

TLDR: Get one. It is a huge upgrade over the last generation and IMHO is an amazing truck. But there are some quality issues that hopefully your dealer can help with.

Truck Info (All the options that I got):
2019 Ram 1500 Big Horn Crew Cab 4x4 6'4" bed Granite Crystal
5.7 HEMI with eTorque
Bucket Seats with Full Center Console
LED Lighting Group
Sport Appearance Package
Trailer Tow Group
Bed Utility Group
Level 2 Equipment Group
33-Gallon Fuel Tank
Alpine Sound System
Uconnect 4C
Blind-Spot system
E-Locker Rear Axle (3.92 Ratio)
Engine Block Heater
Protection Group
Panoramic Sunroof

Problems with solutions:
April 2018
When I first got the truck 300 miles from Central Colorado to Southern Wyoming my rear brakes starting squealing with moderate to heavy braking. This problem STILL at 20,000 miles, hasn't been fixed at all from 3 different dealers I've gone too, and it's really loud and annoying. I noticed that the leather on the steering wheel at the bottom wasn't lined up on the bottom, something small but it bothered me, mentioned this to the dealer and they did nothing about it. (We'll come back to the steering wheel in a while) Also, the top center storage compartment squeaked when opening, closing and putting any weight on it. Dealer applied some kind of lubricant and it fixed the problem, till recently (I think the cold did it) and it started again. Also, like all 3 other Ram trucks I've owned and bought new, I had to get an alignment.

(2,300 miles) I was on a dirt road and hit a bump HARD. Got this message on the gauge display "Active Tuned Mass Module Temporarily Unavailable" this continued for about 3 days and came up every 30 minutes on the dot.
Dealer found that I broke the motor inside of the drive side module and replaced it.

(3,900 miles) Every time I would close the tailgate it would still show that it was open.
Dealer replaced the tailgate sensor and the issue continued. I found that slam it shut hard about 20 times, and after that, you can close it normally and then it senses it fine. (Must have to get worn in or something cause I tried this with 2 other ones and that was the case, slam about 20, then it's fine sorry FCA for wasting a couple sensors and the dealer, but it was only a couple hours of labor)

November 2018
11/22 (15,400 miles) I remote started the truck and got tired up with Thanksgiving. So it turned off after the 15 minutes. About 10 minutes after it turned it off I remoted started it again. After pulling out of my driveway the check engine light came on and stayed on. Took it to the dealer the next day, and it was a cylinder 8 misfire. I was leaving for a couple days and the service advisor cleared the code and said it should be fine as long as it doesn't come up again.

11/26 (20,100 miles) Was coming back home and the interstate closed so I hung out in my truck for the night. Had it idling for about an hour then turned it off. It was for about an hour and a half and I started it for about 20 minutes, let it idle so I could heat up the cabin. Off again, and then again, about an hour and a half later started it and long behold, check engine light. Took it to the dealer this morning and once again cylinder 8 misfire. Getting this checked out next week so I'll update here.



Cons (I guess)
I'm 6'3" and about 240 and when I'm walking in the bed of the truck, I can feel the bottom flexing some, just a little, and I know, I'm weird, but I went and stood in a last gen 1500, and didn't notice it. Walking and jumped in a couple other new gen beds and only noticed it in the 6'4" beds.

Standing in the back seat in the center, I can also feel the floor flex some, much more than I'd like, again, weird.

The steering wheel has worn like absolute sh*t. I'll attach a photo later, but it's all spotted and looks really back, also the leather is still sideways on the bottom.

Ram has some QC issues. The steering wheel for an example. Also, I have Laramie trim around my Uconnect screen and on the back of the center console. The seat belt buckles had a whole bunch of sharp pieces that were left over from when I assume they got molded (nothing a file didn't fix)

The reverse lights are garbage (even with the LED ones)

Why do I not have power folding on my tow mirrors? I think they're going to copy the last gens and only put power folding tow mirrors on the HDs. Also, wish they had auto dimming

I'm sure I'll add more later, and feel free to ask me any questions.


Pros and my thoughts with whatever else I type:

I've been averaging 19.8 MPG with 50% highway driving and 50% hard dirt roads, city.

The LED headlights are amazing.

4 wheel drive auto is actually worth something now.

The sunroof is amazing.

Background of me cause why not:

I'm a network engineer in Central Wyoming and go all over Wyoming, Eastern Utah, and Northern Colorado. Often spend a lot of time in Loveland, Colorado wasting money and time but I love it there. The guys I work with nicknamed my truck "Sludge" or "Sludgie". I don't get it but I assume they don't like the color.
My past vehicle (in order include):
2017 Ram 2500 Laramie Power Wagon (I miss this truck so much, sold it)
2017 Chevy Silverado 3500 Duramax (I have no clue why I bought this... sold it after 600 miles and made about $3,000. I have no clue what's wrong with Chevy people)
2017 Dodge Charger SXT AWD (Older lady decided to hit me, and her Buick won)
2017 Ram Rebel (Dealer buyback, long story)
2017 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn (FCA buyback, long story)
2018 Dodge Durango SRT (still own this)
and the Ram that is talked about above.

edited for a typo and some horrible Grammer

Wow...nice to get feed back with what the future could be with more miles. Would it be wise to find a leather wrap for steering wheel while mine still perfect? I know my 2004 Dodge Cummins 2500 with only 63,000 miles has made the leather steering wheel get hard and shiny with use and lost that nice leather feel. It sounds like new truck's wheel is destined to wear fast. Is it possible to post some pictures of what is happening to steering wheel please. Do you wear rings on fingers IMG_3406.JPG that could be causing accelerated wear? Thanks!
 

Jako

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Wow...nice to get feed back with what the future could be with more miles. Would it be wise to find a leather wrap for steering wheel while mine still perfect? I know my 2004 Dodge Cummins 2500 with only 63,000 miles has made the leather steering wheel get hard and shiny with use and lost that nice leather feel. It sounds like new truck's wheel is destined to wear fast. Is it possible to post some pictures of what is happening to steering wheel please. Do you wear rings on fingers View attachment 10199 that could be causing accelerated wear? Thanks!
Must be genetics. My 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 did not hold up well either.
 

Biga

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Interesting my 2014 Ram steering wheel still looked good after over 4 years was hoping the 2019 would hold up as good.
 
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For what it’s worth... on the leather wheel, I remember old Chrysler products would get really bad and the leather would delaminate and stretch funny at the top if you were a one handed driver.
If the leather is “spotty” and I would need a pic... but... it may just be dirty, I have never liked leather cleaners/conditioners and automotive leathers have a coating on them so that they don’t stain so they are not really conditionable either.
I use a product called spray away glass cleaner and a clean microfiber towel. Spray on the towel not the wheel... lightly rub... do this until the towel comes back clean. It has never happened to me but becareful that you do not start taking away the finish of the leather... light pressure and take your time.
The wheel will feel sticky until it drys all the way... 10 mins or so... don’t let that be an indication that it is not clean... trust the towel.
 

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