Yeah, I have seen quite a few threads regarding problems people are having. I considered the Ram after how much I enjoyed our old 5.9 Durango. We rarely ever had any major issues at all from 0k to 90k. Though our friends had the same model and they were constantly having major problems.

I suppose its hard to tell. I am coming from the DSM Mitsubishi world which is practically known for their issues/problems, yet not really for major factory defects as those sites have shown. (with good maintenance I never had any problems)

This is now realllly making me think hard about what to do. The one I'm looking at has only 1 original owner and pretty damn clean, 76k on the odometer. It looks to be very well taken care of, just as I would. Though I suppose maintenance doesn't change much for any problems to arise.

I guess I have to do more research, many have over 200k and say the complete opposite. I could just as well go over to the Chevy forums and find how they are always in need of repair too. Eh who knows. Thanks a ton for the heads up.

 

what motor does your sport truck have taht you getting , my cousins both have a 98 sport model, butthe both have diffrent motors. 5.2 and the 5.9

 

A one owner is good. Make sure you give it a good test drive, discuss any problems you think you hear or feel with the owner before you buy. Also take it to get checked out by a mechanic you trust, again before you buy.

Some of us have few problems other than normal maintenance (u-joints, shocks, etc.). Remember, its a 4-wheel drive truck, not a little 2WD four-banger. It has a lot of parts that are going to naturally wear out after a while (u-joints for example) that people complain about all the time. Those are designed to wear out after some time so that other more important (and more expensive) parts don't!

It doesn't sound like you are, but don't turn into one of those people who complain that after they bought the truck, they had to buy new brake pads, get the u-joints replaced, and have a tune-up done, and then say how'll they never buy a Dodge again. I'm not saying all the complainers here are like that, don't get me wrong, but we do have a fair share of those.

My truck has just under 65k on it, I've had it since 55k. Replaced the front u-joints, upper and lower ball joints (got good ones with Lifetime Warranty backed by my mechanic), shocks, and the A/C clutch. The A/C clutch wasn't necessary, but my mechanic said it was weak, so I went ahead and did it. Helped out my A/C a lot.

Thats it. Just maintenance issues. The plenum gasket in mine seems to still be OK, the transmission doesn't slip or skip (like my 1995 Dakota did), and no other issues.

I know a ton of people around here who drive Dodge Rams like ours, and they have nothing but praise. Fords don't seem to have many major problems, but it'll always be in the shop for minor problems (constantly!), take it from a previous Ford owner and the husband of a previous Ford owner. Chevrolets will fall apart on you constantly, and sure they are quick, but until you get to some of these newer models, they can't pull like a Dodge can. Toyotas seem to be reliable, especially before the body style change. Nissans seem to be solid as well. For my next vehicle many years and years down the road, thats what I am going to be considering, Titan vs. Ram.

 

In the first 10k of owning my truck I didn't do much either maybe a tune up or something and most of that was probably just for piece of mind I don't remember any problems then. I got mine around the same mileage you did. I think mine might have had 53k on it and was in pristine condition when I got it.

I'm not complaining about the stuff I've had to do like ball joints, u joints, etc although I will say expect to do them by 100k if not before if you haven't already. However, with any 4wd truck I doubt they last much if any longer.

The stuff I'm complaining about that I've had to do is the transmission(mine started acting up at 97k and got replaced at 99k), pleneum gasket, lsd in the rear end, the dash board from cracking, the headlights because they fog up have been replaced once under warranty and do it again so I repaired that myself, big stuff like that which is expensive. I seem to not have had several of the big issues luckily. Like the cracked heads that seem fairly common, the steering box failures that seem common, the hub failures that seem pretty common, etc. Then you take those expensive things and add them on top of the regular maintence which isn't cheap to start with and you are broke. I bet in the last round of repairs I did to my truck I put $8,000 or so into it. I did have a few things in there that weren't repairs like the Hypertech programmer, and I did do a tune up however with parts and labor it was on up there. I don't know about you but that's not a small amount to me. This thing is probably the biggest money pit I've ever owned as far as a vehicle goes.


I do agree Chevy's seem to have their issues too as I have several buddies that have had one issue after another just like me however at least when all is said and done they aren't getting 12mpg and having pretty much no power. I have a buddy with a 6.0L in his 2500 and it will fly. You then get in my truck and it feels like a moped. All while his truck is getting a fair amount better gas mileage than I do.

Ford's to me seem to be the best and more than likely it's what I will get next. They did on the 97-03's I don't know if they still do now have a issue with the spark plugs spitting out but I don't know if that's fixed or not on the new ones.


To me if you get an american vehicle you should just plan for it to last 5-7 years or 100k miles. I was told that numerous times and didn't listen and it's the exact experience I've had.

 

+1. well said. I'd love to go back to Ford, but those Hemi's just seem like so much fun.

 

Bob,mine was a one owner w/73K when I got it in 99. 419K on it now.Best vehicle I have ever owned in 32 years of driving.

 

Bobboraze, that's a nice looking truck. Where in FL is it located?

 

No offense, but I am getting sick and tired of this comparison. The 5.9L engine was originally designed in the early 1980s and revised in the late 1980s and early 1990s (and revised slightly again if you count OBD II in 1996). The 6.0L engine that Chevrolet used for the more recent years was designed in the late 1990s (it came out in 1999). You are comparing engines from different generations... of course the one is going to be faster and have more power! Thats like comparing the old Chevrolet 5.7L 350ci to the new Dodge 5.7L 348ci Hemi. Lets compare apples to apples here.

The newer engines (past the 2003s) I thought were the ones with the spitting spark plugs problem. The 1997-2003s were OK, but they seem to always be in the shop for minor issues. And they have the lowest power of the big three.

My family has only ever sold a car once before 100k. My mother has driven two Pontiac Bonnevilles, the first one (a 1992) over 290k, the second (2000) over 200k before handing it down to my sister. My parents still use the 1992 as a daily driver, rather than risking their precious baby of a 2006 Chrysler 300C. That thing is nice... Hemi engine, fast, and driving like a bat out of hell you get 26 MPG highway.

My dad owned a Dodge and two Fords, bought all with high mileage (near 100k), sold both after doubling it. Very few problems other than common maintenance issues. Now he has a second Dodge, a 1994 Dakota with around 150k. No issues.

My 1995 Dakota had just short of 90k before I traded it in, but I didn't trade it because it was having issues. I traded it because I wanted this full size 2001 truck.

 

A true off road should also have Orange shocks (if they are original) and the 5.9L engine.
It looks like a real Off Road and the guy swapped the older emblem on .

GM has their problems two. Trannies are just as weak, front end is harder on ball joints and CV joints/boots. GM also has way more problems with fuel pumps and Injectors on the Vortec engines.
Pick your poison...
If there was a perfect truck, we'd all have already bought it.

 

Jason.W - looks like your family were the lucky ones. Not sure if you haven't noticed the common question in DF... they all tend to have a common topic.
What is this noise, what does it mean when it smokes (sorry HomeTheatreMan), tranny problems, how can I tell if I have a plenum leak, bad mpg (9mpg...), AC problems, Cracked Dash, etc... it goes on and on. Sure, there is a thread or two about "I just dusted a hemi", or "I towed from here to there and it didn't blow up".
Its common knowledge about the reliabilty of these trucks, we all took the risk getting a Ram. Some got screwed, some got lucky, but clearly... the majority got fuq'd. Others have too much pride to admit it... others like me bitch and moan about it.

Anyhow... back to the guy getting the sport... let us know how it goes for you. best of luck!