Just bought an 06 QC big horn edition last week. It has 1500 miles on an automatic transmission. It has a delay shift from 4th to 5th and today started with loud *clink* noise when shifting from reverse to park and engages hard. Think it might be tranny already? Anyone else have any defects like this on there 06 ram 1500 or did I get stuck with a fu@^ed up transmission? Someone please give me some advise before i sell it and get a toyota, at least with a toyota i know the tranny won't fail, just heard too many bad things with the dodge trannies. Im all import, my girl has a honda (120,000 miles) and never had to change anything on it. Thought i'd dabble with the dodge, looks like i got my hopes up that they fixed their problems.[:@][:@]

 

The horror stories with Dodge trannies are not anymore. They really did a good job with the new 545-RFE tranny. Most likely you are having a solenoid problem. That is the only problem reported here for that transmission. Solenoids are an easy swap. Just bring it the Dodge dealership and let them know the problems you're having. Have any codes poped up?

 

I haven't checked the codes yet, going to bring it to dealer monday, hopefully they won't put up a fuss, but why am i having problems at 1500 miles? I'm not trying to put down Dodge(maybe a little b/c of anger) I like the way the truck drives and looks, big improvement on that end. If Im having problems this early, you think i got a rotten egg? Should I chance major defects happening in the future?

 

All do respect, Dodge has pretty much eliminated the tranny issues with the new one. Thats not to say there cant be a defective one come off the line like ANY manufacture. Take it to the dealer and have them check it out. Being that it is so new, it is obviously a defect and not a tranny design or wear issue. This is your first issue with your new truck and you already want to bail and get a import??? Might as well do it. Sell it, take the huge loss, and get a little import truck.

 

I can understand your frustration. I just waited 6 weeks to get some parts from VW to fix my wife's new Jetta. Since we are more than likely dealing with an electrical solenoid here, just remember that once they swap it out (assuming that what it is) all will be right with the world and you'll love your Dodge once again.

 

Is the 2005-2006 4-Speed AUTOMATIC tranny (the one that goes behind the Cummins) a reliable transmission?

 

You are referring to the 48re transmission, I think. Just keep up with the maintenance and you should be good to go. Of course, anything mechanical can and will eventually fail.

 

Brought it to a few mechanics and they looked at it and said univeral joint. Brought it to the dealership and they said everything is fine, the loud clunk is normal. So I brought to my friend who i trust with any mechanical question. He and I got under the truck while someone else shifted the gears. The bearings on the drive shaft are bad. The shaft has slack in it and you can move it. I know drive shafts move, but not like this, they're should be no slack in it. The loud clunk is coming from the shaft knocking when moved. Im sure if i go back to the dealer and show them, they'll just say its supposed to do that, "system check o.k" All the new 06s in the lot did this. They should have a recall. Anyone else know anything about this or have had this problem. There are also 12 technical services bulletins, mostly transmission.

 

That is ridicules. Find a new dealer/service center.

 

As for Toyota POS. My first truck was a Toy-crap-ota, had a 5 speed manual transmission. While under warranty, had to have the transmission replaced, after warranty was out, had to have rebuilt transmission replaced. Had the timing chain tensioner break, causing the timing chain to eat a hole in the water pump housing. Sucked the coolant into the oil, which eventually cause the engine to bend a rod when the water would not compress. Took it to a dealer, and the mechanic doing the work says to me that he gets these all the time, bad design. Thing about toyota, is they put the same engine in several different cars and trucks, so a bad design is felt everywhere. With that in mind, say what you will about Dodge, but I will never own that Jap Crap again, and I am not the only one who has ever had a problem their Toyota.
You have to figure that with all the vehicles the OEMs make every year, one or two of them out of 1000 are going to have something wrong with it. These vehicles are made by Humans, and are driven by humans, so you got to figure part of the problem is us which goes wrong with the vehicle.

Scott