I have a 1999 Dodge Ram SLT extended cab 5.9L with ~104,000 miles. I currently owe $7,000 which I'm projected to pay off in 3 years. I know nothing of the internals of the vehicle and rely on my mechanic to perform any maintenance or repair work(Very Pathetic, I know!).


Over the past few months I've had some issues. Here are my issues with the quotes i have been provided to fix them...


1. Anti-lock break system has gone out ($2,000)
2. Hearter Core leak ($800-$1100)
3. New Tires ($800)


I'm not concerned with fixing the anti-lock break system but need to fix the core leak and get new tires. My biggest concern is that I'm going to continue to run into issues. I use the truck only as a means of transportation around the city.

1. What types of issues should I be expecting to see now that the truck has gone over 100,000 miles?
2. Should I fix these issues and ride out the rest of my loan? Or is this a bad sign and I need to cut my losses, trade in the truck, and find a better one ? If I trade in the truck it looks like I could get $4,000 - $6,000 – what are the chances the dealership will find these issues? How will my trade-in be impacted if they are found?
   
   

Any feedback about similar experiences or advice would be greatly appreciated!


Thank you.

 

How do you owe 7000 on a 10 year old ram???

 

welcome to DF. fill out your signature and location.
nothing special happens at 100k
is the heater core actually leaking? you could bypass it if you can stand the cold, or replace it yourself. there's some DIY info on here and a service manual.
brake repair shouldn't cost 2000. you may need a new mechanic. as long as the brakes themselves work, i wouldn't worry about it.
a trade in won't bring much, maybe $2000. condition doesn't make a lot of difference on trade. they pay so little they don't worry about it.

if its running ok, i'd fix the heater core myself and keep it and drive it for awhile. try to take care of the transmission, that's the weakest (and most expensive) point. if you can't fix it yourself, shop around for a better price on the heater core.

 

what about the plenum gasket and the crack heads ???

 

i didn't want to scare him off. lol
and besides, plenum is probably already shot long before the 100k mark.

 

You'd be extremely lucky to get that much for it on a trade in. It would have to be in excellent condition and have more than your average RAM in options. You need to find a new mechanic that won't rape you. A heater core replacement shouldn't be more than a few hundred dollars. And what exactly is wrong with the ABS? You could get a used controller from a junkyard and have it changed out for a few hours labor to rebleed the brake system. 1500s only have rear wheel ABS. Do you really need a truck? You owe too much to break even on a trade, but owning a low-mileage truck when you don't really need it will cost you more in the long run. Better to dump it now and take the loss. 100k isn't that big a deal on these trucks, but it is 11 years old and any vehicle that age will begin showing it.

 

Thanks for the info! I don't need a truck I just love having/driving a truck. I live in colorado so I will need to get the heater replaced. This past weekend we've dropped down to 20 degrees and any drive over 10 minutes is completely miserable.

Are the plenum gasket and the crack heads a major repair?

 

^ plenum is medium, takes about all day or maybe more if you're really slow like me. its really common, as in about every 5.2/5.9 magnum ever made.

cracked head is something thats slightly common on these engines. i'd call it a major repair because you have to buy new and expensive parts and if you have to pay someone to do it, it becomes expensive. it typically shows up as a misfire P30x code and is confirmed by a compression check thats either 0 or very low on one or two cylinders.

the most common ***-sucking expensive repair on these trucks is a transmission rebuild, costing 1500-2000.

but hey, we like them or we wouldn't have em.