Ok....I'm really getting fed up with my truck and about to go buy an audi s4 (mainly due to its power potential and I'll still be able to move in this new england snow) or a jeep wrangler cuz my truck is pissing me off like crazy. I love the truck but I just want it to get hit by somebody so I can get a new one lol....

Over the summer 2 coolant hoses blew, upper hose first while on the highway, then then the lower hose blew 3 weeks later, also on the highway....Apparently the second time my truck didn't appreciate me stomping on the gas leaving a toll booth.

About 3 weeks ago a cylinder started to misfire, then another 2 days later, my truck was getting BETTER MILEAGE running with two misfires somehow...probably also because it had no power so I saw no reason to do anything fun with the throttle. So I replaced 7 spark plugs because one coil pack bolt was frozen and now my fuel economy is going DOWN, and yes I took the lead out of my boots.

I also have a clog in my heater core which makes my heat smell wonderfully like friggin engine coolant for awhile and makes me have to drive with my windows down, with heat on, defeating the purpose of heat.

Then this sunday I started my truck with my remote start from inside work and then went outside to leave. The engine was about half way to normal temperature and the heat was still cold, I sat in the spot with my foot on the gas a bit to get the engine running more and warm it faster...still ice cold air (no it wasn't on A/C for any smartass who wants to ask lol). I wiped the fog of my windows by hand and drove down the street stupid barely being able to see, at one point I floored it and got the coolant smell and my heat popped on, I guess the engine needed a kick in the *** to realize it was suppose to be blowing heat into the cab.

This could just be normal maintenance issues, or it could be a retarded truck, idk, I'm just glad my dad is a mechanic haha. Does anybody else get these issues at all around this mileage range, or is just normal stuff ya gotta fix and keep up with?

 

this is all i could read of your post before i could hold back the reply....
Ok....I'm really getting fed up with Dodge trucks and about to go buy an audi s4 or a jeep wrangler cuz my truck is pissing me off like crazy. I love the truck but I just want it to get hit by somebody so I can get a new one lol....

fed up with dodge "TRUCKS" just yours pall or have all the dodge trucks you have owned been soo terriable you just kept on buying them ? or did you just really mean your one and only dodge POS?

good luck with the audi you are not worthy of a mopar.

 

well if you kept reading you would see that it said I owned a car before this, so yes the other trucks that I have NEVER OWNED are causing me problems...I own the truck and I have one other friend who has a 5.7 Ram and has problems with his too, then again he beats the **** out of it.

My dad owned a 97 2500 Ram and it was great, never anything wrong with it.

Everyone else I know hasn't really had major problems. yea maybe my one and only dodge is a POS. I didnt know you had to be "worthy" of owning a MOPAR sorry I didn't know this was some kinda brotherhood where people like you cant offer help and automatically attack people for saying they aren't happy with their truck and are interested in other vehicles. Did you know there are other car companies out there?!

Just because you own a dodge it doesnt mean you have to think its the greatest ****ing thing in the entire world, and if you do, ok, that's you. Like I said, I love my truck, it just really pisses me off sometimes even though it helps me out alot as well.

 

Did you know there are other car companies out there?! end quote... did you no this is a dodge fourm???

Just because you own a dodge it doesnt mean you have to think its the greatest ****ing thing in the entire world end quote ..... ahh yes i do!! as most of our brothers on hear feel the same way.

and with 125k it aint going to ride /drive like factory without some TLC but i hear ya go with another compony them cars out there now you dont have to even change the oils or do any maint on them ever . that seems like the one for you lol

 

Some cars/trucks are great while others of the same breed just seem to have issues. Ive got my wifes Mini Cooper right now that causes major pains IMA.

Spark plugs $8 each
PS Fluid $30 a qt
PS pump $200 for a reman-ed (450+ new)

My point is if you are complaining about doing repairs to your Dodge truck, then DONT get no Audi S4. Trust me, when something goes wrong with it you will be crying.

Anyway, back to the Ram, since it is an 02, when was the first time you replaced the rad hoses? And since you are over 100k when did you replace your timing chain? How often do you flush your rad and cooling system?

Being honest, what you are talking about combined with your mileage and age of the truck, I think you are normal.

 

Those seem like pretty minor problems for a truck with 120,000 miles. All of your problems seem to be due to lack of maintenance. Your hoses should have been replaced way before 120k. Obviously your heater core has a blockage. How long are you going to wait before you get it repaired? Wait too long and it will leak all over the cab.

As far as the audi... that will be the biggest POS nickel and dime vehicle you ever buy.

 

I think RF and I are on the same thinking wave patterns here.

 

I got to agree with everyone on here. My truck has over 120K miles on the clock and I have never had the issues that the OP is having, BUT, I keep up the maintenance on the Hemi, belt,hoses,wires,plugs,filters and all fluid changes and or flushes. These Dodges are like MOST woman, you treat them with a little TLC and they will keep you smiling but if you beat on em all the time and don't take care of them then they can take you for every dime you got! And to the OP, YES Dodge ownership is a brotherhood and we all try to help each other with their problems. Thats what this forum is for but don't come on here with the comments "DODGE SUCKS" and expect a kind response cuz, like my brother said, This is the DODGE FORUM.

 

well i'm glad to see people are actually offering their opinions now haha thanks guys. Yeah i understand the hoses shoulda been replaced but I bought it at 111k miles so I wasn't sure how they were/if they had been replaced prior to me buying it. We replaced them pretty much immediately...well obviously if they blew and had huge gashes, duh.

Yea I agree with the whole audi thing and the cost, expensive as hell and I figured if a turbo ever died or anything I'd be ****ed. Which is why I'm waiting to finish school and have a full job before even think of anything like that.

I've been doing regular maintenance, oil changes, etc. Like you said it's probably normal wear and tear for its age and usage, it just seems worse to me because it all happened in a small time interval ya know what I mean? All happened so close together.

My dad is my mechanic and I've been trying to get him to do my heater core for a month now but he's been busy as hell with other stuff and I'm really hoping it gets fixed soon cuz temperatures are already starting to drop here in boston and no heat, especially no defrost, just plain sucks.

ramhunter dont make me hate you by being a smart *** lol, I do know what you're saying though. I dont feel like sarcastically fighting online with people I dont know cuz its a waste of time and I'm not 12 haha(not that im saying you are but you know where I'm coming from i'm sure). I'm most likely sticking with American cars cuz they're cheaper and easier to repair and I know this isn't gonna run like it did when it came off the assembly line, of course i'd love if it did, but that would cost too much :-p

yeah i'm aware people on here think they're truck is great and thats part of why they're on here, hell i'm on this forum aren't I? I'm basically just saying everyone has an opinion on it

oh and weedahoe "How often do you flush your rad and cooling system?":
Well basically it was flushed twice when those hoses blew and all my coolant poured out lol, plus I put a new radiator in about 8 months ago and I'm due for an oil change in about week as well.

I mainly felt like something just wasn't right at all because this all happened around the same time, like the truck was just saying "dude **** you" so it pretty much got me worked up and annoyed as hell with it ya know?

 

I like the metaphor lol, and yeah man I understand. I'm not trying to say dodge sucks, although it comes across that way. Just ignore that part and read the repair issues lol