Good morning all, if some of you hang out in the 3rd gen section you might know my 03 hemi has been in and out of dealer twice and Is now back again for the third time. It's still shuttering down and stalling. Anyways I don't trust the truck anymore and dealer has replaced almost every part under the hood, I'm lookin into buying a 2012 1500 hemi with the express package, haven't found to much customer feedback just specs and auto reviews. Anyone out there have any input on this year an model truck, is dodge still having this "fuel pump" issue like as in the 2011's Ty or any light on the subject.

 

I have a 2012 with the hemi. I bought it new. I'm not really happy with it.

First is gas pedal vibration/tapping. The dealer looked at it and claims there's nothing wrong, but my foot goes numb after 15 minutes of driving. There are some threads here where people say it goes away or they don't notice it after some miles, but it's still present and annoying for me >6000 miles.

It also doesn't idle smoothly, it sort of rumbles. They also claim this is normal.

The cruise control isn't aggressive enough, it, combined with eco mode, "sort of" keeps up with the speed I set. If I set it at 60, for example, when going up minor inclines it will let it drop to 55 before downshifting, and then when it does, it will overshoot by 5 mph, for a total spread of 10 mph. It's much better with tow/haul mode enabled. In that case it only varies by 2 mph up or down. Dealer again won't acknowledge any problem.

The eco mode doesn't work well for me. It can't maintain speed at sea level on perfectly level roads, so it's always going in and out of eco mode, causing a surging ride with cruise control on. My solution is to turn on tow/haul mode or set the manual shift mode to 6. Dealer states this is normal. I don't get the point of eco mode if it only works on downhill.

If I had it to do over again, I would not have bought this truck.

All that said, it tows my boat great, even over the pass where my 5.4L Fords struggled to maintain speed limit and was only able to get ~6mpg, the hemi pulls all day long no problem and I averaged 11 mpg (truck full of 6 people, back of truck completely full, and towing a boat also full of stuff).

 

I don't have any of the concerns mentioned in the above post. It idles fine, cruises fine both up hill and down. Just finished a 2000 mile round trip through the mountains without even a hiccup. The truck has 11000 on the odo now. This is my second truck with a hemi and wouldn't hesitate to buy another. Never had an issue with either truck.

 

I would wait for the 8 speed to come out. Some people will tell you that because it's new, the 8 speed will have troubles but I'm confident of the reliability. It is not a new design, just a new package. Google the 2013 Ram for more info.

 

This is my second 2011 ram...first was a quad 2wd sport...loved the truck no issues...just plain cruises so smooth and does 80 at 2k rpms..just purrs....i just got a 2011 laramie 4x4 crew cab...
I was scared to get rid of my sport cause it was just perfect. But the laramie cruises just as good but feels heavier...cause it is. I dont regret it yet, except that the extra weight makes the truck not haul *** as much as my sport...gearing is the same.

 

X2 on this. My 09 is still too good to trade on a 2012 . Same gear ratios, same shifts in normal drive mode, basically same truck to me and not worth losing my tune and trans schedule for. The hemi with 3.92 gears and an 8 speed is my next truck if I stay with the Ram.

 

I agree with the above

 

Ty for all the feedback I'll look into the 2013 a little more.

 

They are basically saying...Our trucks are Normally a pile of poo..lol
nah, just kidding. they have their problems but so do other makes. i will say i think Dodge tops the list, but they also top the list for a few other technological advancements...

Your ECO issue... that is because MDS in 4cyl mode is not powerful enough to keep a large truck pushing through the air at highway speeds. Mine did the same thing. Would slow down, kick out of MDS mode(ECO) and then regain speed and then kick MDS back on. back-forth non-stop even on flat no headwind roads. I disabled MDS first chance i could with a handheld tuner. unfortunately it's a bit of a wait for '11 and '12 guys.

i know there are rearend bolt issue's they are aware of and NHTA is thinking about forcing them into a recall on it. The clutch pack retaining clips are still an issue on LSD equip models. So that means double trouble for LSD rear end owners.
There are a few more I cannot think of.
BTW. i havent had any problems with mine thus far that was manufacturers defect. BUT, i do only have 10.3kmi on it

 

If i were you i'd buy a 2012.I just bought 1 two weeks ago,and love it.I've done a ton of research on the 2013's,and that's what made my decision.Way too much electronics coming on the 13's.Start/stop at a light,electric p/s that has no feel,and way too much shifting from the 8 speed.I've drivin multiple 8 speeds at the dealer where work cause we've had quite a few come in in the chargers and challengers with the 3.6 v-6.Customers don't like them at all,and they will be huge money to fix when you are out of warranty.Decide whats best for you,but i'd buy a 12.Hope this helps.