The internet causes truck terminal illness...and other things that baffle me

[jdmartin]

One of the odd things I've learned about car forums, especially new car forums, is that every hiccup is the equivalent of having a tummy ache and finding out from the internet that you have liver cancer . Other things that baffle me:

- How someone could go from driving a sports car to driving a huge truck. I love trucks, don't get me wrong, and have owned at least one all my life, but as a driving enthusiast I wouldn't choose one as an every day vehicle unless I needed to haul anything besides *** in the bed of the thing. Primarily I own a truck because I need it for working and for surviving out in the boondocks.

- Why someone would expect a truck to drive like a sports car, or any luxury car for that matter. At the end of the day it's still built to tow stuff and carry stuff.

- Why anyone would think any problem their new vehicle experiences would entitle them to just bring it back as if they changed their mind. What do they think the warranty is for?

- How people can make a $40-50k decision so easily only to have buyer's remorse a week later, which is really what I suspect ends up being behind a lot of performance complaints.

What about you? Anything puzzle or baffle you about forums? (I'm waiting for the touche "guys who post about other people's complaints" reply ).

 

[cra1g]

It baffles me how people can buy a $50k+ truck, and then immediately start installing the cheapest ebay garbage all over it.

 

[BLS65]

My new favorite thread! Reading way to many "my truck is doing/not doing" posts will make you a hypochondriac for sure. All brand and model forums are the same, they are wonderful tools but if you get sucked into all the B.S. it will ruin your day. Get out and enjoy your ride.

 

[saxapl]

This is so right it is like the forum gospel. Are some people experiencing significant problems, sure. Are some people experiencing minor problems that need corrected, sure. Are many people experiencing minor problems or no problem at all that are getting blown out of proportion, absolutely.

To read the forum, no one should ever buy one of these trucks...they are rolling death traps. It used to be people would gather in a coffee shop and say things like “I am never going to buy a (insert make and model) again after owning that POS.” The statements were overreactions then based upon single bad experiences, but now the internets feeds them and validates their feelings with other people feeling the same way.

This is not to say all who have issues are full of it. Clearly some of the complaints are legitimate and must be addressed. But there sure are a lot of drama queens when it comes to every little perceived slight.

 

[Flot]

What baffles me is how people pay $50,000 for something and then think it is ok for it to have all kinds of problems.

 

[Ram92131]

What baffles me is how people pay $50,000 for something and then think it is ok for it to have all kinds of problems.

Chances are you paid many times that amount for something with problems... it’s the roof over your head.

 

[Ram92131]

One of the odd things I've learned about car forums, especially new car forums, is that every hiccup is the equivalent of having a tummy ache and finding out from the internet that you have liver cancer . Other things that baffle me:

- How someone could go from driving a sports car to driving a huge truck. I love trucks, don't get me wrong, and have owned at least one all my life, but as a driving enthusiast I wouldn't choose one as an every day vehicle unless I needed to haul anything besides *** in the bed of the thing. Primarily I own a truck because I need it for working and for surviving out in the boondocks.

- Why someone would expect a truck to drive like a sports car, or any luxury car for that matter. At the end of the day it's still built to tow stuff and carry stuff.

- Why anyone would think any problem their new vehicle experiences would entitle them to just bring it back as if they changed their mind. What do they think the warranty is for?

- How people can make a $40-50k decision so easily only to have buyer's remorse a week later, which is really what I suspect ends up being behind a lot of performance complaints.

What about you? Anything puzzle or baffle you about forums? (I'm waiting for the touche "guys who post about other people's complaints" reply ).

The buyers remorse thing is a big part of it. It’s hard for some folks to get comfortable with a major purchase and will second guess it for months after, no matter how good or bad the experience is.

 

[saxapl]

Chances are you paid many times that amount for something with problems... it’s the roof over your head.

This is also so true. I always tell people it is a marvel that vehicles are as reliable as they are nowadays. They are technological feats which rarely go wrong. As opposed to a house, which is just a collection of sticks and needs a Menards trip every weekend to fix something. At least the trustworthy truck is always willing to make the trip to get more parts for the house!

 

[saxapl]

Chances are you paid many times that amount for something with problems... it’s the roof over your head.

This could also describe marriage...but it is definitely worth it too.

 

[Flot]

This is also so true. I always tell people it is a marvel that vehicles are as reliable as they are nowadays. They are technological feats which rarely go wrong. As opposed to a house, which is just a collection of sticks and needs a Menards trip every weekend to fix something.

Oh, fine, let's derail entirely.

This doesn't make any sense. If you bought a new house, and the A/C didn't work right, the skylights leaked and ruined your carpets, and the doors weren't installed properly letting wind in... you would sue the builder and win.

The people letting Ram off the hook for quality control issues are part of the problem. This is not a flying car. This is a truck which is an incremental improvement building on 30 years of design and assembly line optimization.

I think my 1500 is a great vehicle - and judging by the issues posted online, I've got "a good one" - but it's been to the dealer for more issues in 13 months than my 2011 Ram had been in 7 years. Do I like it? Yes. Would I buy another? Maybe. Am I going to tell anyone who asks what a lousy job Ram QC did, and how terrible the dealer network is at resolving anything? Absolutely.

 

[Deriggs007]

Haven't really read this thread, but the first post mentioned luxury car. I drive a brand new benz and it has had more issues than my 2019 Ram 1500 has. Just saying, it varies

 

[ramhead]

What baffles me is how people pay $50,000 for something and then think it is ok for it to have all kinds of problems.

And...who decide to tinker with said problems on their own when it's still under the factory warranty....instead of bringing it back to the dealer and making them handle it. There was someone here who believed the rear main oil seal on their new truck was leaking and was contemplating doing the repair on their own instead of bringing back to dealer for a warranty fix.

 

[saxapl]

Oh, fine, let's derail entirely.

This doesn't make any sense. If you bought a new house, and the A/C didn't work right, the skylights leaked and ruined your carpets, and the doors weren't installed properly letting wind in... you would sue the builder and win.

The people letting Ram off the hook for quality control issues are part of the problem. This is not a flying car. This is a truck which is an incremental improvement building on 30 years of design and assembly line optimization.

I think my 1500 is a great vehicle - and judging by the issues posted online, I've got "a good one" - but it's been to the dealer for more issues in 13 months than my 2011 Ram had been in 7 years. Do I like it? Yes. Would I buy another? Maybe. Am I going to tell anyone who asks what a lousy job Ram QC did, and how terrible the dealer network is at resolving anything? Absolutely.

I do not have any problem with what you are saying. When there is a problem, it should be fixed. There is no doubt about that. I am not letting anyone off the hook...I have no hook.

What is true is that some people have issues, unfortunately some of the same people have multiple issues. However, some people have none of the issues and others still make every little noise they hear a lemon law suit. This is not unique to Ram or FCA. You can have whatever anecdotal stories you want, but every manufacturer has the same issues. Toyota is not a mythical beast which runs forever and I know a Honda owner who has not been able to drive his car for 9 months because of manufacturer issues.

So, should issues be fixed? Yes. But, as the OP stated, some people have the equivalent of a vehicle viral cold and they are in the emergency room everyday wondering why they are not being prescribed Norco and a MRI. That is the impact of the internet and forums on some.

Having a family business in the auto industry my experience has been, overall, regardless of the manufacturer, cars now are incredibly reliable and trouble-free. I remember a time when I would wake up in the morning wondering whether the car was going to start because of the cold. That is a worry of the past. I remember rebuilding carburetors and changing spark plugs every 30k because fueling was not precise. No more. I remember changing front end parts and repacking bearings every 10k, now those are the life of the vehicle.

Maybe your experience has been different. I am not meaning to de-legitimatize anyone's complaints as my experience has been different than theirs. Do things go wrong, sure. The point is that to expect perfection out of the box is unrealistic. To the extent that when there are problems it should be fixed, I agree. But to expect nothing will go wrong because it is a $50k truck is crazy. The example of a house is perfect. A house is a very uncomplicated structure which mankind has hundreds, if not thousands of years of collective experience building. They are way more expensive, significantly simpler, and less subjected to abuse than a car. Yet houses still have problems.

We need a to start a thread to complain about everything that is wrong with our houses. My list is way longer than what is wrong with my truck.

 

[Brisoup1]

Since I never owned a Pick Up truck before this, I rented a Ford F-150 Crew Cab for a couple days before purchasing my Ram. I put it through every type of driving imaginable ( Stop & go driving, highway driving, parking etc). Since considering investing in a 50k+ vehicle, it may be worth wile to do this before committing on buying a truck.

 

[41magmag41]

My girl was built in 03/19 , I bought her in 04/19. Now have 7800 miles on her and love the truck.

 

[Whiskey_tango]

I agree. It's totally reasonable for a new vehicle to have a leaking rear window replaced, faulty power steering that sticks, squealing brakes, and an AC that cranks out 60F air. I have no idea what all the complaining is about

 

[syddog 2000]

I have had my share of issues as my fellow followers can see. However, my problem lies with the dealers I have to deal with. I am a transplant to SWFL. come from Boston area originally had a local dealer there that was professional and attentive. Here they are rude and the quality of the work is substandard frankly they don't give a dam. Come to think of it that is that is the standard of work you get from everyone down here. I guess it is a culture thing.

 

[riccnick]

I have had my share of issues as my fellow followers can see. However, my problem lies with the dealers I have to deal with. I am a transplant to SWFL. come from Boston area originally had a local dealer there that was professional and attentive. Here they are rude and the quality of the work is substandard frankly they don't give a dam. Come to think of it that is that is the standard of work you get from everyone down here. I guess it is a culture thing.

Another New England transplant down here in Naples, and my father and I noticed the same thing. NOBODY here works! Everything's on "Island Time" as we call it, nobody has a sense or urgency or pride about anything.

 

[Helmetface]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is how buyers (you and I) are handling themselves with their local dealer.

I've seen mentions of people dropping off their trucks and not hearing back from their dealer for a month or more at a time...That is as much on the buyer as it is the dealer.

I'm not too far into this journey called life, but I know how to A: get what I want and B: do so in a respectful manner.

Guess what? If you smell that your salesman, or service writer, or manager is spewing B.S.: CALL THEM OUT ON IT. You do not need to belittle them, or try to make them inferior. Be respectful, but by all means, be aggressive and authoritative.

"With all due respect sir/ma'am..."
"I don't doubt you, but would mind showing me where you got that information?"
"Could I please get that in writing? (Most important)

Show them that have a pair and are willing to sit there until you are made whole. I personally do not accept "I don't know's" after my $50k+ truck has been in their service department for more than a week. Not without an itinerary that has been produced by the service department, stating what they have done and are going to be doing to reach a resolution. The phrase, "operates as intended", will never be accepted. I respect those I speak with and I expect the same in return.

My goal here isn't to convince everyone that I'm some big a-hole. I'm just saying, you are a consumer, you have rights, know those rights and don't just whine on some forum. At the end of the day, your complaints (and I am not invalidating all of them! FCA has some serious issues presently) are deterring future buyers, which will inevitably hurt sales which trickles down in the weirdest ways. Trucks that sell better, often have a bigger aftermarket pool, ever think of that?

I'm sorry for the long winded (half assed) addition to this thread...Maybe I've been around unruly kids too much this long weekend.

Happy 4rd!

 

[Checkairspeed]

Another New England transplant down here in Naples, and my father and I noticed the same thing. NOBODY here works! Everything's on "Island Time" as we call it, nobody has a sense or urgency or pride about anything.

Lived in the SE for a LONG time. Born/lived in CA. BS that “NOBODY” works in SWFL. You are correct, there is a different culture in SWFL. However, I have found that you get respect when you show respect. If the dealer you are visiting doesn’t work for you, visit another. If after several visits, you have the same experience, change dealers or change vehicles.