Potential buyer. What to beware of.

[NukeLife205]

Hello chat, new member here.
I’m actively testing out Rams in the Charlotte area and wanted some insider scoop on what to look out for.

I currently drive a 2018 Expedition and we have a very active chat forum over at expeditionforum.com. One of the great things I’ve gotten out of that chat forum is the support from other owners sharing problems/solutions they’ve encountered.

I love my Expy, but I’m looking for a long term relationship And the cam phaser issue with some Ecoboost motors is not something I feel comfortable gambling with.

I went from an F150 to the Expy and didn’t think I would miss the truck bed that much.
I was wrong.
So that’s how I ended up looking for a Ram.

I would love to hear some thoughts on what to avoid when looking to buy a new Ram. Ideally I’d like to find a used ‘20 or ‘21. Must have 4x4 and tow package.

Thanks and cheers

 

[Fatherof3]

With your must haves you can get any trim with those options . The biggest complaint is the low fuel mileage from the Hemi . A few have had the rear window leak , third brake light and shark fin leak .

 

[NukeLife205]

Thanks, I’ve been reading about the leaks. Definitely something to watch for, but not a huge worry for me. And fuel mileage I’m not real concerned with. My Ecoboost used to get low 20’s on the road but now with e-rated 34’s on it, I’m averaging 16 mixed use driving and 19 on the road.

I’m more concerned with some issues I’ve been reading about trailer sway. I can’t imagine a half ton truck that wasn’t good at towing, though.

 

[NukeLife205]

My Expy towing 7000lb through the Rockies. Rock solid. Very little sway.

 

[Fatherof3]

I haven't towed anything with mine but lot's of people on here have so hopefully one or more of them will chime in .

 

[jmt8706]

You could probably get a ram with the options you want new off the lot, for the same price as used.

 

[CanRebel]

With current Truck market, not as bad earlier. But good luck finding a used 20/21.

If you do it's likely same or more than new one. Likely be hard to even find a new one on a dealer lot.

 

[1awesomelaw]

With your must haves you can get any trim with those options . The biggest complaint is the low fuel mileage from the Hemi . A few have had the rear window leak , third brake light and shark fin leak .

Id suggest if you are going to purchase a ram, buy a Laramie package model and get yourself a crew cab and ram boxes.
Do an inspection of the vehicle at the time of delivery and check your build sheet thoroughly as well as inspect the vehicle for scratches and cracks, also fold the mirrors back and check for any breaks in the mirror areas as well.
Make sure all the lines of the vehicle are gapped correctly and the doors are in complete alignment and make sure all the bumpers are level too.
Good Luck.
also the E-Torque Hemi is better on gas vs the non E-Torque model.
Last but not least, special order one, don't by used as you will over pay. Wait the time to get a new one that way you will get what you want in it.

 

[djevox]

I had to go with a hemi because I couldn’t find an ecodiesel in my price range and I was antsy to buy a ram (I probably should’ve waited). I would buy an ecodiesel in at least a laramie trim level if I were to do it again.

Also, I agree with everyone on the new vs used. Used prices are absurd right now, but that also means trade-in values are higher than normal.

 

[Richard320]

What to beware of? Easy. Salesmen, followed immediately by finance managers.

A one or two year old used truck is going to fall into one of four categories:
1) Reposession
2) Lease return
3) Traded in to buy something with more capacity, either passengers or towing.
4) Lemon-law Buyback.

So ask for the Carfax. You really don't want #4.

 

[IvoryHemi]

Cracked rear window frame is a common one, covered under 3/36 but outside of that it’ll be on your dime.

A/C has been a problem for 2019-20 models in terms of driver side coldness. TSB for this too.

I was cautious about reading the trailer sway stories too before my purchase. I can tell you it’s all in the setup. I’ve logged about 7,700 miles towing 7-8k lbs and find the Ram to be an amazing tow vehicle

 

[SpeedyV]

Hello chat, new member here.
I’m actively testing out Rams in the Charlotte area and wanted some insider scoop on what to look out for.

I currently drive a 2018 Expedition and we have a very active chat forum over at expeditionforum.com. One of the great things I’ve gotten out of that chat forum is the support from other owners sharing problems/solutions they’ve encountered.

I love my Expy, but I’m looking for a long term relationship And the cam phaser issue with some Ecoboost motors is not something I feel comfortable gambling with.

I went from an F150 to the Expy and didn’t think I would miss the truck bed that much.
I was wrong.
So that’s how I ended up looking for a Ram.

I would love to hear some thoughts on what to avoid when looking to buy a new Ram. Ideally I’d like to find a used ‘20 or ‘21. Must have 4x4 and tow package.

Thanks and cheers

Be careful about the "tow package" on the earlier models, as this strips you of quite a few options (no power tow mirrors, no surround-view cameras, etc.). You could equip a Ram with everything in the tow package (e.g. trailer brake controller) and keep all of the other benefits if you avoided the trailer-tow group on the pre-'21 models. I *believe* this was fixed with upgraded tow mirrors in 2021 models. I was fortunate to find out about this before ordering my '19 in May 2018.

 

[Buz]

VIBRATIONS.
The only time the dealer is going to do a good road force balance is if you make it a condition before purchase.
Take a bottle of water with you when test driving and make sure you hit all normal speeds 0-80mph. The bottle of water in the cup holder is a 'tell all' with vibrations. You'll see the water shaking in the bottle and you can point that out to the salesperson who otherwise 'won't feel the vibrations.'
It's a big one that needs to be ironed out before you buy. Most trucks have this problem at some time or another. It's not just RAM.

 

[KWKSLVR]

And remember that this current pricing is inflated. When that bubble bursts a lot of people financing their trucks are going to left severely upside down.

 

[Buz]

And remember that this current pricing is inflated. When that bubble bursts a lot of people financing their trucks are going to left severely upside down.

Agreed. This is undoubtedly the worst time I can remember in decades to purchase a car, new or used.
If you don't NEED to buy a car now, I personally wouldn't. Better to sink a few hundred into your existing ride to keep it going for another year.

 

[KWKSLVR]

Agreed. This is undoubtedly the worst time I can remember in decades to purchase a car, new or used.
If you don't NEED to buy a car now, I personally wouldn't. Better to sink a few hundred into your existing ride to keep it going for another year.

Mark Dodge pricing and my own financial positioning is the only reason I’m buying and buying new.

 

[djevox]

I would argue that it is not as bad a time as people think to buy a ram depending on your financial situation.

I’ll use what I did as an example:

With RAM’s 0% financing for 72, it will save me ~$10,700 over the life of the loan compared to the best rate from the credit union I was going to use.

I bought my 2019 accord at a year-end sale a couple years ago. When I wanted to trade in for the ram I did the following: I got an online offer from Carmax for my 2019 accord, and due to the crazy high use car prices, they offered me $2300 less then I bought the car for new. When it was time to negotiate with the dealer, I already had the 0% financing in my pocket, so I didn’t argue with paying MSRP on the truck. I did tell them that Carmax gave me an offer and what the amount was. They came back and offered $700 less than carmax, which was $3k less than I bought the car for new.

That combination made the purchase still make sense. Things aren’t as good as they used to be, but if buyers think outside of the box, you can still get a deal.

 

[mikeru82]

And remember that this current pricing is inflated. When that bubble bursts a lot of people financing their trucks are going to left severely upside down.

He wants a truck and has decided to buy now. Good or bad time to buy, he wasn't asking for financial advice. You are both assuming things will eventually get back to "normal". Maybe I'm a little more pessimistic than you guys are, but I think this "pandemic" and ensuing "crisis" are changing things in a more permanent way. I don't think things will ever be the same as they were before. I'm not disagreeing with you about this being a bad time to buy a vehicle. I'm just not sure when we'll be seeing a good time in the foreseeable future.

As far as what to avoid in a used 5th gen, look for any signs that water is getting inside. Check under the rear seat and carpet. Look for moisture under all the floor mats. Stained headliner. Any signs the rear seats got wet. Look to see if someone has sealed things up with silicone (3rd brake light, rear window). Panel and bumper alignment can be important, but I've seen some pretty bad gaps on even new trucks. Make sure your test drive includes a stretch of road at highway speeds (sound system off). Some owners have complained about a whistling sound, especially on windy days. Walk around the truck while it's running and listen for any strange or louder than normal sounds. Broken exhaust manifold bolts, cracked exhaust manifolds, and broken muffler flange bolts are not uncommon. Make sure all power features work. Follow the same rules you would follow for buying any used vehicle for any other issues.

 

[OPDave]

I think that's a great question you have as a potential buyer, here are the issues I've had with my 2019 Limited (at 50k miles now):
1. A/C that doesn't blow cold air. I followed the solution provided in the thread A/C Hack by kcRay. It worked. I had taken it to the dealer under warranty and they did not fix the issue.
2. Wind noise at highway speeds through both driver side door and passenger door. Not fixed. The dealer fiddled around with it but it's not solved.
3. Driver and passenger seats that came un-done underneath the seats. Dealer fixed under warranty.
4. Both exterior power mirrors failed. Dealer fixed under warranty.
5. Cup holder lid that wouldn't close. Dealer fixed under warranty.
6. And now most recently, a grinding noise through the steering column when I make turns at low speeds. I haven't dug into this yet.

These are the things I would be checking. Good luck!

 

[mikeru82]

6. And now most recently, a grinding noise through the steering column when I make turns at low speeds. I haven't dug into this yet.

Change the fluid in your rear diff if it's anti-spin. Don't forget to add the friction modifier.