You can get a lemon from any brand. I got one from Toyota (tacoma). So many things wrong in a single model ill never take another chance on one.
2018/2019 Pickup?
- Thread starter Mike M.
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Ashful
Minister of Fire
Not only that, but there are good years and bad years for each line. I love my 15 RAM and 16 SRT, but wouldn’t have even touched any Chrysler product two decades ago, they had some very serious quality problems leading up to the Daimler takeover.
Yes its posi with an electronic lock which is standard on this package. Its 3.23 but with us driving mostly highway I hope it helps milage. Cup holders and storage everywhere especially in the back seat area. Still don't have all the tools in here I had in my Silverado. It rides nice but my Silverado still had a smoother ride empty. This truck has way more room inside but remember I am coming from an extended cab which no longer fit our family needs. I just hope it holds up well to Wisconsin winters.
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And not all of those were bad . Wife has an 03 Dodge Caravan family hauler for 15yrs now thats been mostly very reliable with now 120k on the clock. Many trips to florida, & Tennessee over the yrs, just 1 or 2 small issues the whole time, nothing major ever, since new.
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Ashful
Minister of Fire
My ‘05 Daimler Ram was also fantastic, but I had a half dozen buddies with mid/late 1990’s Rams that were just endless trouble. The biggest issue my little circle of acquaintances seem to have with the early 2000’s Rams is body rust, but we have a lot of road salt here, and most sit outdoors.
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No rust to speak of on the 03! Got a lot of road salt here as well. Could be an issue with the ram line.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Maybe, but my Chevy K1500 rusted out in 8 years, and the Ram didn’t show any rust until 11 years. Same driver, same parking spot, same conditions.
Jazzberry
Minister of Fire
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Not here. About the same number of snow days, averaged over this decade and the last.
kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
I own a 2011 GMC 2500HD with a Duramax diesel. I have 150K on it and no issues, When I first bought the truck I had regen problems, but the dealer replaced the whole system.
I'm not a wash wax buff kind of guy, the truck does get washed occasionally and I'll wax it once a year, but the paint has held up great, there's a little rust forming on the frame but nothing like what my 2006 f150 had when it was traded in.
I was starting to shop around for a new truck but I decided that not having a payment was really nice and since the truck has no issues I might as well just run it to the ground.
I'm not a wash wax buff kind of guy, the truck does get washed occasionally and I'll wax it once a year, but the paint has held up great, there's a little rust forming on the frame but nothing like what my 2006 f150 had when it was traded in.
I was starting to shop around for a new truck but I decided that not having a payment was really nice and since the truck has no issues I might as well just run it to the ground.
Thats too fast for both models. My 23 and 25 yr old Silverados both have very little rust. Then again iv know of lots of trucks from the 90s that rusted badly, but none near as bad as my toyota ,and every other toyota tacoma from those years. Must be poor quality control of materials going in allowing big swings in corrosion resistance.
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Ashful
Minister of Fire
There are just too many factors to base any conclusions on the experience of one owner. For example, mine only gets driven when the weather is bad, then parked wet to rot, outdoors, in a shaded area where it doesn’t dry well. It gets driven thru a field with a trailer behind it, collecting mud and other garbage behind fenders and frame rails. It’s washing cycle is dictated more by convenience, than when it should be washed, as in after a bad weather event (road salt) or use in the field (mud).
If yours are driven on nice days, they likely dry out much quicker and more often than mine. Also, some people keep theirs in a garage or carport, not sitting out in the driveway in the shade of large evergreens.
They blamed recycled metal for the rust buckets of the 80s and 90s . These days rust doesnt seem to be as big a problem but ,yes just too many factors to consider after the truck leaves the plant.
My 2012 Silverado was starting to bubble on the rear quarter panels. My buddy had the same problem, dealer told him GM had a design flaw with the drainage of the rear fenders. 75 years of building trucks and they still have "design flaws". Give me a break, they design trucks to rust and not last. GM has lost my business, totally not worth the price.
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Sounds like something that could be fixed with a small hole drilled in the bottom or possibly there already is one that got blocked. There would have to be more serious problems with a brand for me to drop them if they were generally reliable, and other top brands have the same problems anyway. I also wouldnt believe everything a car dealer told me.
Yes only one of many issues with my 2012. Oil consumption was at the top of the list, burnt it since day one with 15 miles on it. The transfer case output seal started leaking again after I replaced it once myself. I think I cleaned the throttle body about 5 times after it was all gummed up from oil consumption problems about every 10-15K miles. The painted front bumper was rotting out badly and looked horrible. The rims all where pitting, which is somewhat expected. The truck frame was heavily rusted. This is all on truck stored in heated garages and washed frequently. I know Wisconsin is a tough climate but my 2008 Silverado work vehicle didn't experience many of these issues. Also had a 2005 Tahoe work vehicle that didn't experience these problems. The 2012 had enough things to send me shopping I guess.
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Sounds like my toyota tacoma that soured me from ever even thinking about another one. So you have had mixed results with the brand. Im leaning toward a new GM truck but have not decided yet. Still open to either a Ford or Dodge. Would have to be a great deal financially for me to go with ford since iv never had a good one,but so many swear by them, others have had better results than me.
My new work vehicle is a Chevy Equinox (forced on me). It has been solid. I should note that the work vehicles see many more highway miles than my personal trucks. I wouldn't be afraid to buy a new GM truck but I strongly recommend driving them all before buying anything. I have never worked on a Ram so we will see how this goes. I do all maintenance, repair and adjustments myself.
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Ashful
Minister of Fire
My last GM truck was a 1995 Chevy K1500 that had the following list of failures, all in its first 10 years:
1. Front hub solenoids (4wd) failed on both sides, two years apart.
2. Clutch, replaced by dealer when I had a broken shoulder
3. Clutch #2, replaced by me, because dealer botched original replacement (they failed to replace pilot bearing, but damaged the original in the process of trying to remove it)
4. Exhaust rotted out and required full replacement at 8 years
5. Reported ignition issue that 3 different Chevy dealers could not diagnose, was eventually solved by a local (non-dealer) shop... turned out to be an intake gasket.
6. Two batteries, both OEM (AC Delco?) dealer replacements
7. Rear quarters rusting
I’d not hold any of that against Chevy today, they’re surely making a different truck 20 years later, although their “short skirt piston” debacle of more recent years makes me a little leery.
My ‘05 Dodge had a better track record:
1. Rubber boot on front left CV joint torn
2. Rear fenders rusting above wheels
The torn rubber boot likely happened when I was off-roading it, and drove over some branches in a field. I was amazed to realize at trade-in that I was still running the original 2005 battery in 2017, had not even thought about it until that day.
I doubt the people in charge of the design of either of these vehicles are still in the same roles today, but some things in “company culture” do carry over. GM’s culture has probably changed less over the last two decades, as Dodge has been under different ownership twice during that time (Chrysler, then Daimler, then FCA/Ram split).
1. Front hub solenoids (4wd) failed on both sides, two years apart.
2. Clutch, replaced by dealer when I had a broken shoulder
3. Clutch #2, replaced by me, because dealer botched original replacement (they failed to replace pilot bearing, but damaged the original in the process of trying to remove it)
4. Exhaust rotted out and required full replacement at 8 years
5. Reported ignition issue that 3 different Chevy dealers could not diagnose, was eventually solved by a local (non-dealer) shop... turned out to be an intake gasket.
6. Two batteries, both OEM (AC Delco?) dealer replacements
7. Rear quarters rusting
I’d not hold any of that against Chevy today, they’re surely making a different truck 20 years later, although their “short skirt piston” debacle of more recent years makes me a little leery.
My ‘05 Dodge had a better track record:
1. Rubber boot on front left CV joint torn
2. Rear fenders rusting above wheels
The torn rubber boot likely happened when I was off-roading it, and drove over some branches in a field. I was amazed to realize at trade-in that I was still running the original 2005 battery in 2017, had not even thought about it until that day.
I doubt the people in charge of the design of either of these vehicles are still in the same roles today, but some things in “company culture” do carry over. GM’s culture has probably changed less over the last two decades, as Dodge has been under different ownership twice during that time (Chrysler, then Daimler, then FCA/Ram split).
Thats interesting as i have the K2500 3/4 ton version of that same year. Also 4x4 . Has been one of the most reliable and trouble free trucks iv ever owned. Most serious repair would have to be replacing the exhaust manifolds. Still drive it several times a week. And exclusively in bad weather. 175000 miles on the clock.
Jazzberry
Minister of Fire
I had a 1995 Chevy Diesel 4x4 company truck I drove for around 4 to 5 years without a single issue. Batteries maybe I forget if I replaced them. Not sure of the miles but it was a lot. we don't have rust issues here though.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Much of my dissatisfaction with one brand, and satisfaction with the next, is based on the dealers. My Chevy was a debacle due almost entirely to dealer incompetence, something you can see partially reflected in the list above.
I neglected to mention another time when I had a leaky front diff seal, and the asshat at the dealer forgot to tighten the castle nuts on all of the tie rods before he was done. I picked it up in a snow storm, and immediately noticed it wasn’t tracking straight, but figured it was due to rutted snow on the roads. On the plowed highway the next day, I noticed it was still not tracking straight, so I pulled over and climbed under. One of the tie rods was hanging on by only one thread, and all of the others were loose, another mile and I’d have probably been dead.
The kicker is that when I got it to a buddy’s shop down the road from where I found the problem, we put it up on the lift and immediately had diff fluid dripping on our heads. We pulled the half shafts and found the dealer had installed the wrong shaft seals, they were at least 1/2” too big on the ID. The diff oil installed by the mechanic at the dealership must have literally run right out of the case ends onto the floor, when he filled it, but he didn’t say anything about it.
This was a different dealer than the one that botched the clutch job. That was when I decided I was thru with the local Chevy dealers. Today I tend to buy more by dealer convenience and rumors on their competence, than almost any other factor.
I neglected to mention another time when I had a leaky front diff seal, and the asshat at the dealer forgot to tighten the castle nuts on all of the tie rods before he was done. I picked it up in a snow storm, and immediately noticed it wasn’t tracking straight, but figured it was due to rutted snow on the roads. On the plowed highway the next day, I noticed it was still not tracking straight, so I pulled over and climbed under. One of the tie rods was hanging on by only one thread, and all of the others were loose, another mile and I’d have probably been dead.
The kicker is that when I got it to a buddy’s shop down the road from where I found the problem, we put it up on the lift and immediately had diff fluid dripping on our heads. We pulled the half shafts and found the dealer had installed the wrong shaft seals, they were at least 1/2” too big on the ID. The diff oil installed by the mechanic at the dealership must have literally run right out of the case ends onto the floor, when he filled it, but he didn’t say anything about it.
This was a different dealer than the one that botched the clutch job. That was when I decided I was thru with the local Chevy dealers. Today I tend to buy more by dealer convenience and rumors on their competence, than almost any other factor.
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Jazzberry
Minister of Fire
This must be a trend ,our local Chevy Dealer is an obnoxious ass. Was passed down from parents to the son ,the parents at least hid their total disdain for their customers but the son does not. Bought a few vehicles there over the years but only cuz my sister worked there. I wont go back again.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
My most painful dealer experience is currently Volvo. We own a Volvo V50 AWD T5 R-Design now, and it is a fantastic car in every way, but the local Volvo dealership is so horrible that this will prevent us from ever buying another Volvo. It’s a real shame, as their sports wagons have hit a great compromise between performance and price, as compared to the A4 Quattro and 328i X-Drive.
Now, what I’m really hoping for is an SRT 392 version of the Magnum wagon, but I’m starting to give up on it ever happening. Those things have such a following, that folks are building their own custom, because every sports wagon should have a 500 hp 6.4L powerplant:
Now, what I’m really hoping for is an SRT 392 version of the Magnum wagon, but I’m starting to give up on it ever happening. Those things have such a following, that folks are building their own custom, because every sports wagon should have a 500 hp 6.4L powerplant:
