That darn Duramax

[highgear2005]

After having trouble with my 18 ford, I looked around. Everyone I work with,that has a GM truck has had rearend issues. During my last service appointment at the ford shop there was a new guy working. Got talking to him and turned out he had worked at a Chevy dealership. He remarks about the Chevy trucks mirrored what I’ve heard at work. Rear end trouble. Trucks that where a week old, needed a rear axle replacement! Now I did look at the Chevy just because. My feelings where the body is lightyears ahead of the inside. I feel I made the right decision with my ram.


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[silver billet]

After having trouble with my 18 ford, I looked around. Everyone I work with,that has a GM truck has had rearend issues. During my last service appointment at the ford shop there was a new guy working. Got talking to him and turned out he had worked at a Chevy dealership. He remarks about the Chevy trucks mirrored what I’ve heard at work. Rear end trouble. Trucks that where a week old, needed a rear axle replacement! Now I did look at the Chevy just because. My feelings where the body is lightyears ahead of the inside. I feel I made the right decision with my ram.


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And there it is! Some dude talking about his buddy that knows a guy that works in a place and they ALL have trouble with the new GM's. No doubt! But the plural of anecdote is not data, and you must have missed the pages on this forum listing all the trouble Ram has with the new 2019/2020; tranny slamming, tranny replacements, leaking rear windows, leaking door sills, drive train components coming from the factory with no grease on them, electronic/electrical/battery issues, clunking noises in the front end, leaking shocks, excessive wear in leather seats. Shall I go on?

 

[AmericanRebelution]

 

[mikeru82]

Too many people on this forum bring out the whole interior thing as a battering ram in an argument, trying to suggest that the entire GM truck is junk just because of interior alone. It's not a junk interior, it's just that the Ram is nicer. And I would never buy a truck just because of an interior. Especially not a truck I intend to "work", as opposed to "pimp".

The interior of any vehicle is and should be one of the biggest factors in buying a car or truck. It's where you will be spending the majority of time using it. So it's not as important for you, and that's fine. I was a Chevy and GMC guy for over 40 years. Unfortunately, that changed for me with the introduction of the 2007 model year. Ever since then they have been producing what to me is ugly and unreliable. As far as actually sitting in them, I have a friend with a 2014 Chevy 2500, and another friend with a 2016 Chevy 1500. I've ridden in both plenty of times. Then there's the test drives I did in 2015. You don't know what any of us has experienced, so please don't presume as though you do.

I had never owned a Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge product prior to 2015 (the 1982 Plymouth Sapporo I inherited from my dad doesn't count since it was really a Mitsubishi LOL). I really didn't like the direction GM had gone with their trucks when I was looking to replace a tired 2004 GMC HD 2500. Which IMO, even though it was very dated, had a better interior than what followed. The newer GM designs just didn't do it for me, and a friend recommended Ram. And I think GM has only gone farther down the rabbit hole with their designs since then. For the life of me I can't understand how anyone can think the latest offerings from GMC or Chevy look good, inside or out. But looks are subjective, and who am I to judge someone else for what they think looks good? There are a lot of factors I take into consideration when shopping for a car or truck. To me, looks and comfort are just as important as reliability, capability, and customer service. The latter is very much dependent on the dealership, and fortunately I have a great local dealer.

OP, I hope you find the truck you're looking for. And that whatever you end up buying gives you years of trouble-free ownership.

 

[SilverSurfer15]

Have you seen the over heating issues with the duramax? They were having a lot of issues with this motor, first year and all.

That’s one of the biggest reasons I went with the ecodiesel, it’s ‘new’ but 3rd generation and Allegedly been improved upon. I was shopping the duramax AT4 but the engine issues seemed a bit sketchy to me.

I already had a 2014 ecodiesel back when they were new that basically got lemoned, so didn’t want to go to another first year run. At this point the ecodiesel seems like a more stable option. Time will tell I suppose.

 

[silver billet]

The interior of any vehicle is and should be one of the biggest factors in buying a car or truck. It's where you will be spending the majority of time using it. So it's not as important for you, and that's fine.

Interior is important, but so is drivetrain and other factors. You guys are only pointing out the "flaws" in the GM, while missing the "flaws" of the Ram. The Ram has weaker drivetrains compared to the GM. The Hemi is the least powerful engine of all trucks on the market (well maybe it compares OK to Toyota and Titan, but GM and Ford both have noticeably stronger options available, plus a better transmission.) If you're just grocery getting, maybe the interior is more important to you. If you're using a truck for truck things, then a drivetrain (power, mpg, reliability etc) can be super important and the "slightly less attractive" interior just isn't an issue for some people. It's clean, very functional, and very reliable.

I'm not saying the Ram is a bad truck and the GM is better. I'm saying you guys need to stop harping on the interior as if that is the end all and be all in a truck, while ignoring the flaws that the Ram has. Because all trucks have strong points and weak points, and you just don't want to admit or see the weak spots in the Ram. My hemi ticks something fierce, and can knock horribly for a good 5 seconds on a cold start; apparently that's "just normal" for a hemi, some do it. Yeah, quality and stable engineering!

For the life of me I can't understand how anyone can think the latest offerings from GMC or Chevy look good, inside or out. But looks are subjective, and who am I to judge someone else for what they think looks good?

Exactly. Exterior shouldn't even come up in this discussion (unless you're talking about paint flaws or whatever) because it's completely subjective. So why mention it? The last quarter Chevy and GMC's have been flying off the lots, obviously many people don't share your distaste for the the exterior, or interior for that matter (and don't mention "just due to rebates", because Ram is passing out rebates hand over fist as well).

 

[ColoradoCub]

Interior is important, but so is drivetrain and other factors. You guys are only pointing out the "flaws" in the GM, while missing the "flaws" of the Ram. The Ram has weaker drivetrains compared to the GM. The Hemi is the least powerful engine of all trucks on the market (well maybe it compares OK to Toyota and Titan, but GM and Ford both have noticeably stronger options available, plus a better transmission.) If you're just grocery getting, maybe the interior is more important to you. If you're using a truck for truck things, then a drivetrain (power, mpg, reliability etc) can be super important and the "slightly less attractive" interior just isn't an issue for some people. It's clean, very functional, and very reliable.

I'm not saying the Ram is a bad truck and the GM is better. I'm saying you guys need to stop harping on the interior as if that is the end all and be all in a truck, while ignoring the flaws that the Ram has. Because all trucks have strong points and weak points, and you just don't want to admit or see the weak spots in the Ram. My hemi ticks something fierce, and can knock horribly for a good 5 seconds on a cold start; apparently that's "just normal" for a hemi, some do it. Yeah, quality and stable engineering!



Exactly. Exterior shouldn't even come up in this discussion (unless you're talking about paint flaws or whatever) because it's completely subjective. So why mention it? The last quarter Chevy and GMC's have been flying off the lots, obviously many people don't share your distaste for the the exterior, or interior for that matter (and don't mention "just due to rebates", because Ram is passing out rebates hand over fist as well).

Man you sure have some Ram distaste in your responses. Remember something, you don’t know a damn thing about the people that are posting here, how many came from owning other makes, or how many looked at other makes before buying. You seem to think you’ve got all the answers and those that don’t agree with you be damned. Remember something, the interior, technology and features is what most of us are paying for , not the motor, axles, T-Case or transmission. So you better like the view and function from inside the truck. If you like the outdated look of the F150 or GM’s maybe you should buy one, in 2020 I’m not paying $50k + for a truck that screams it needs an update to the current year.

 

[Scram1500]

My hemi ticks something fierce, and can knock horribly for a good 5 seconds on a cold start;

I would change the oil filter asap, sounds like a check valve not maintaining pressure

 

[silver billet]

Man you sure have some Ram distaste in your responses.

It's called "balance"; point out the good and bad of both trucks, don't just drink the Ram koolaid. And I love how you refer to it as "distaste", because you know, pointing out the "flaws" in your own truck is definitely "distasteful", lol. Go ahead and cut up the competition, no problem there, but point out something wrong in a Ram and, gee, how distasteful. You don't see the bias in your own eyes.

Remember something, you don’t know a damn thing about the people that are posting here, how many came from owning other makes, or how many looked at other makes before buying.

I call it like I see it; but I left one comment along the lines of "it appears that many here haven't sat in the new GM but are just parroting youtube reviewers", that hardly justifies you getting so worked up about it.

You seem to think you’ve got all the answers and those that don’t agree with you be damned.

See first point: It's called "balance"; point out the good and bad of both trucks, don't just drink the Ram koolaid.

Remember something, the interior, technology and features is what most of us are paying for , not the motor, axles, T-Case or transmission.

No, you pay for the entire truck. I happen to use a truck for truck things, so interior, while important and currently better in the Ram, can be less important than drivetrain, something that the GM twins currently do better.

So you better like the view and function from inside the truck.

No argument, you also better like the drivetrain though, don't you think?

I’m not paying $50k + for a truck that screams it needs an update to the current year.

Some people don't want to spend $50K on a Ram ED which can't accelerate to save it's life, or have to hear their brakes squealing in reverse for the rest of their life.

 

[silver billet]

I would change the oil filter asap, sounds like a check valve not maintaining pressure

I do change the filter quite often, first time was at 2000 miles, second and third were at < 5000 miles as well. But thanks for the tip anyway, I might experiment with other oil brands and filters. Another forum suggested to a poster with same issue that they try something with a higher "moly" content, whatever that is.

 

[jdmartin]

OP: What are you planning on using the truck for? That should govern a good part of your decision, really.

I can't say anything on longevity with Ram vs. Chevy. I liked GMC/Chevy before I switched to Nissan 25 years ago, and I drove only Nissan trucks until I bought this Ram last year. The Chevy trucks that I had were crap in terms of reliability next to my Nissans. If I have the same kind of reliability out of the Ram as I did out of the Nissans I will be supersized happy.

The only other "Dodge" product I ever owned in my life was my first car, a 1978 Dodge Colt hatchback that was really a Mitsubishi. It was a fairly crappy car but pretty much everything in those days were crappy cars. Either the engines & trannies died before 100k or the body rusted out from underneath you before 100k. Anyone on here remember "Rusty Jones" anti-rust treatments from back then?

 

[Memphsi87]

Just came from a 19’ Silverado that had a semi clunky 8 speed, a leaking rear window that was replaced twice. Gm-forum, has a 150page complaint section for it, and they still can’t fix it on their 20’s yet. So far the ram does everything better except for fuel mileage. Although I’ve been driving a Chevy truck since I was 16, all with the 5.3 [04,09, 15, 19]and never had a major issue on any of the power train. I hope my ram treats me well as I won’t be being another truck for atleast 6-7years. I preferEd the looks of 19’ Trailboss to my rebel. But I think the rebel is an overall better truck. That gm diesel seems awesome though. Forums have been decently quiet with issues for them. And the interiors on the gm really aren’t that bad. It works well for what it is, and I think overall it had a better layout

 

[mikeru82]

Interior is important, but so is drivetrain and other factors. You guys are only pointing out the "flaws" in the GM, while missing the "flaws" of the Ram. The Ram has weaker drivetrains compared to the GM. The Hemi is the least powerful engine of all trucks on the market (well maybe it compares OK to Toyota and Titan, but GM and Ford both have noticeably stronger options available, plus a better transmission.) If you're just grocery getting, maybe the interior is more important to you. If you're using a truck for truck things, then a drivetrain (power, mpg, reliability etc) can be super important and the "slightly less attractive" interior just isn't an issue for some people. It's clean, very functional, and very reliable.

I'm not saying the Ram is a bad truck and the GM is better. I'm saying you guys need to stop harping on the interior as if that is the end all and be all in a truck, while ignoring the flaws that the Ram has. Because all trucks have strong points and weak points, and you just don't want to admit or see the weak spots in the Ram. My hemi ticks something fierce, and can knock horribly for a good 5 seconds on a cold start; apparently that's "just normal" for a hemi, some do it. Yeah, quality and stable engineering!

I "harp" on the things I see as flaws. The first amendment gives me that right. I didn't say that Ram trucks don't have flaws. Mine hasn't had any issues yet, but I know many people here have. But that's not every Ram truck sold. In harping on the interiors, I'm pointing out a flaw that every single Chevy truck has, not just a few. I use my truck as my main transportation. Yes, that includes getting groceries and commuting to work and back. I don't NEED a truck, but I enjoy and prefer driving one. I don't buy into the "you don't need a truck if you aren't doing truck things" mentality. I will use it for truck things when needed, but those times are few and far between. My days of abusing a truck off-road are over, so I wanted something that I would enjoy spending time driving. Chevy and GM weren't that. Towing and cargo capacity aren't important for me. And the hemi has plenty of power for my needs. So ignoring what I don't want or need, I bought the truck with the most comfort and was the best looking to me. Doesn't mean I can't express my displeasure about something I didn't buy.

Exactly. Exterior shouldn't even come up in this discussion (unless you're talking about paint flaws or whatever) because it's completely subjective. So why mention it? The last quarter Chevy and GMC's have been flying off the lots, obviously many people don't share your distaste for the the exterior, or interior for that matter (and don't mention "just due to rebates", because Ram is passing out rebates hand over fist as well).

I mention the exterior because it is important to me. Maybe not to you, but I'm positive I'm in the majority when I say that I want to like the way my truck looks, and will at least partially base my buying decision on that. I'm not going to judge anyone who buys a Chevy or GMC because they like how they look. As I mentioned, two of my best friends drive Chevy trucks. There's a reason auto makers spend millions on exterior looks alone. We both agree that looks are subjective, but it's also not something that should be left out of the conversation when shopping for a vehicle.

 

[Dodgehemi0]

Curious as to why you‘re not considering test driving the RAM Eco Diesel, so you can have an apples to apples comparison.

The Chevy will blow that eco diesel out of the water motor trans wise. I know I was in the same spot at the poster. But driven both for over night test drives each traveling 100 plus miles, however the inside of the Chevy looks like a work truck and for 60k it’s was a NO for the Chevy for me plus the cab is much smaller than you would think.


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[silver billet]

In harping on the interiors, I'm pointing out a flaw that every single Chevy truck has, not just a few.

When I say the GM powertrains are amazing, I'm pointing out that every Ram truck sold has an inferior ("flawed") powertrain compared to what's available in the GM world (and Ford world, for that matter). You're perfectly willing to accept your inferior drive train, but think guys are nuts for being happy with the GM interiors. That is what I'm driving at, brand bias, zealotry, fanboyism etc.

Ram interior = 10/10
GM interior = 8/10

GM powertrain = 10/10
Ram powertrain = 8/10

There is nothing really wrong with the GM interior, and there is nothing really wrong with the Ram powertrains, just happens that the one is slightly better in the other truck.

In any case, I'm really moving on from this thread this time though I will read replies. None of us are going to change our minds it seems.

 

[mikeru82]

In any case, I'm really moving on from this thread this time though I will read replies. None of us are going to change our minds it seems.

Fair enough

 

[Biga]

Only thing I like about the GM interiors is they have about 5 more inches of leg room in the front seats. The Ram's does look much nicer and more modern for sure.

 

[Dodgehemi0]

Only thing I like about the GM interiors is they have about 5 more inches of leg room in the front seats. The Ram's does look much nicer and more modern for sure.

This is only true on paper. I had one over night about 1 week ago thinking of switching. I was so cramped and could not stretch out my legs and I’m only 5’6. I don’t even understand how a 6 foot person would be comfortable.


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[Biga]

This is only true on paper. I had one over night about 1 week ago thinking of switching. I was so cramped and could not stretch out my legs and I’m only 5’6. I don’t even understand how a 6 foot person would be comfortable.


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Interesting, I'm 6'8" and just sat in one and I had 4 inches from my legs to the dash. Could be the version of the seat I tested, you did have to put it down to get it back all the way.

 

[Neurobit]

Interesting, I'm 6'8" and just sat in one and I had 4 inches from my legs to the dash. Could be the version of the seat I tested, you did have to put it down to get it back all the way.

That makes sense.
I am 6‘-0” and I fit fine in my son’s Tacoma, so I‘d think any half-ton truck would accommodate taller folks.