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Old 05-29-2018, 04:11 PM   #1
joraymond
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Comments for new truck models

We have had so much trouble with our 2004 Dodge Ram 3500 truck. We realize it is old and we should have traded it in long ago, but our latest "disaster" of a transmission replacement 2 months ago and now the transmission needs replaced again and to top it off Dodge doesn't want to warrant it is the last straw. We have been stranded more times than we can count. Stranded again! This time in Boise, ID.

Can any of you recommend a brand of truck that has been dependable for you. We are open to everything other than Dodge Rams.

Thanks for any and all comments.

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Old 05-29-2018, 04:52 PM   #2
jcurtis934
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Ford is what I have, bought new in 2012 and we tow all over usa for six months, then winter in sw florida for other six months and drive it there. I have had zero issues, none. I believe ford is still number one in sales, Chevrolet number two. When I was looking, I considered ford and Chevy only due to many factors. I also looked at used freightliner fl60 medium duty trucks, but didn't find one that I could afford.
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Old 05-29-2018, 05:07 PM   #3
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The 2018 RAM is head and shoulders above the 2004. It's worth a look... in spite of the fact that you have had issues with your 2004. Ram has made great strides addressing faults. The optional Aisin transmission is a towing beast combined with the 6.7 CTD. Still, I understand if you are gun shy on RAM given your history. Ford and Chevy make good products too. It will come down to personal preference. Again... don't throw the baby out with the bath water at least until you do a fair compare. It's down to RAM vs Chevy for us.... Ford is nice, just not our taste but not by much. It would have to be an awesome deal for us to select Ford as our TV.

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Old 05-29-2018, 05:26 PM   #4
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JoRaymond -
I used to work for a manufacturer that made components for all the automatic transmission manufacturers around the world. Dodge/Ram was always at the bottom for the transmission durability. In 2013, Ram started offering the Aisin medium duty truck transmission with the Cummins engine. Aisin had a joint venture with Allison a number of years ago. The Aisin/Cummins and Allison/Duramax pairings in the Ram and GM lineups have both proven durable. We bought the 2013 Ram 3500 Mega Cab and have about 110,000 miles on it. Prior to that, I had two Silverados, both very dependable trucks. My next truck will be one of those two. Hope this helps.
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Old 05-29-2018, 06:19 PM   #5
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Not necessarily an endorsement, but I am on my third Silverado, all new, and have been happy with them all. This one is approaching 11 years old and it has been solid and dependable. Outside of regular maintenance items, like brakes, batteries, glowplugs, etc., it hasn't needed much. I can only think of one repair I couldn't do myself and it was an expensive one. That was fuel lines.
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Old 05-29-2018, 06:57 PM   #6
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You had Chrysler’s standard transmission in your truck. The new Aisin have nothing in common with your transmission. You haft to realize the new Ram trucks have almost nothing in common with your truck. With that said I had a 88 Chevy. Biggest POJ I ever owned and after being a life long Chevy fan I couldn’t go buy another one. I can now and be very happy about it so I understand how you feel. If you just can’t consider a Ram then either a Ford or Chevy will work just fine for you. Go drive them several times and decide which you like best. We can’t tell you. Everybody needs and wonts something different. Find you a new truck, have fun.
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Old 05-29-2018, 07:10 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by joraymond View Post
We have had so much trouble with our 2004 Dodge Ram 3500 truck. We realize it is old and we should have traded it in long ago, but our latest "disaster" of a transmission replacement 2 months ago and now the transmission needs replaced again and to top it off Dodge doesn't want to warrant it is the last straw. We have been stranded more times than we can count. Stranded again! This time in Boise, ID.

Can any of you recommend a brand of truck that has been dependable for you. We are open to everything other than Dodge Rams.

Thanks for any and all comments.

joraymond
joraymond,

Welcome to the forum. Will tell you Chrysler, GM and Ford have all stepped up their act on trucks. A GM or Ford in 2004 was not that great either. Drive them all and pick the one you like the best. I have driven Ford and GM but Ford would be my personal preference.
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Old 05-30-2018, 08:52 PM   #8
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thank you for your comments
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Old 05-30-2018, 08:55 PM   #9
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Thanks for your comments
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Old 06-03-2018, 10:12 AM   #10
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Welcome to the forum. Research, watch videos, and test drive. 2017 f350 DRW 6.7 diesel is what we chose. No complaints.
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Old 06-03-2018, 01:58 PM   #11
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I previously owned a Ram CTD automatic (2007) and currently own a 2012 F350 PSD automatic. IF I was in the market for a truck it would be the 3500Ram with the Aisin transmission.
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Old 06-10-2018, 01:51 PM   #12
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Ford F350 6.7 Diesel, 2015 or newer.
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Old 06-10-2018, 03:22 PM   #13
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There's another thread talking about all 3 trucks. Bottom line is personal preference IMHO. I purchased my third GM last year and have been very happy, but I'm a GM guy although GM makes me mad. My neighbor purchased a 2017 Ford that I really liked. Problem was he paid 7? k for his and I paid 65k for my Denali. The difference was he had bells-n-whistles for the bells-n-whistles! Mine did not have a 3rd brake light backup camera nor the in-bed hitch. I found I don't miss the camera and I did the hitch stuff aftermarket (saved a lot of $ that way).
I think all trucks including the Dodge with the Aisin, are fine, it's just what you like. Good luck.
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Old 06-10-2018, 04:13 PM   #14
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My first Dodge was a 1998, then a2003, then a 2010 3500 which I still drive. My wife drives a 2018 3500. We love our Rams no problems so far. Love the Cummins, and the truck.
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Old 06-11-2018, 04:26 AM   #15
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Had the experience of Chrysler not honoring a warranty about 30 years ago and have never owned any of there products since. I've driven Chevrolet since and now drive a 2015 Chevy 3500HD Duramax. I love it. My 2005 2500HD Duramax was very reliable when I finally traded it about 6 weeks ago. I believe it'll be a personal preference of what you perfer. I think a GM or Ford will be more reliable than others. I have a saying about all of them. "If it has tires or tits it will give you problems." I
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Old 06-11-2018, 07:54 AM   #16
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I had a Dodge and learned the hard way too. Then in 2004 I bought a Chevy drw diesel. Still have the same truck today and it has given me 14 yrs of dependable service. I am very particular about routine maintenance and it has only needed a few other major repairs as it has aged. I expect this truck to last another 5yrs anyway.
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Old 06-11-2018, 09:03 AM   #17
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2011 Chevy Silverado. 3rd DEF tank, 6th glow plug, injector wiring harness, EGR valve, turbocharger. $7K repairs out of my pocket after the factory warranty expired. Under 90K miles. No satisfaction from GM customer service. It got to the point where I bought a code reader to know if it was safe to continue when the next check engine light came on.

Looking at a new Ford this summer. My primary suggestion is that for those who tow on a regular basis, get the extended warranty on the vehicle and have good tow insurance. My last tow bill would have been $1500 without coverage.
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Old 06-11-2018, 10:44 AM   #18
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Ram is no longer part of Chrysler/fiat. It is a stand alone company now and although they look like Dodge and came from Dodge, they are no longer Dodge. With that said, all the new trucks should be good. They are fighting for bragging rights and from what I can tell from many friends with all three brands, they are all producing pretty good products currently. My last three trucks have been Ram. Before that I had a Ford. Never have owned a GM product, but my traveling partner has a GMC Denali which he loves.
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Old 06-11-2018, 01:51 PM   #19
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Everybody now makes a great truck and all of them will give someone trouble as we can see. The vast majority are almost trouble free. Most of the time when people post on the net it isn’t because they are happy with whatever the thread is about but because they have had something go wrong.
If you wont the best truck go pick out the best one for you after you know what all of them has to offer and you have drove all of them several times. The best truck for me probably is not the best for you because we need and wont something different. As an example 1/4 mile ET is important to me and probably doesn’t mean anything to you.
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Old 06-11-2018, 03:56 PM   #20
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Everybody now makes a great truck and all of them will give someone trouble as we can see. The vast majority are almost trouble free. Most of the time when people post on the net it isn’t because they are happy with whatever the thread is about but because they have had something go wrong.
If you wont the best truck go pick out the best one for you after you know what all of them has to offer and you have drove all of them several times. The best truck for me probably is not the best for you because we need and wont something different. As an example 1/4 mile ET is important to me and probably doesn’t mean anything to you.
Lynwood
I totally agree with you on this one. If you average out the issues between the big three, I am fairly sure they would be just about even. As the laws of averages goes it is likely that any one person buying one each of the three different brands will have a problem with at least one of them. Needless to say that is the one they will rail against. Prime example, I hate Suzuki outboards. Fairly safe to say that if the same person bought another product from the same company they would have a repeat of bad luck with it.

Based on that supposition, buying any one of the big 3 should be a safe bet. Overall trucks have become more dependable over the years. You can certainly get a lot more reliable miles out of a current model. While they will drive more miles it is also fairly obvious that you will see more body damage as everything seems to be either plastic or really thin sheet metal these days. You can literally put a dent in a truck body with your fist with little effort these days. Try doing that with say a 1950s model.....

The biggest difference between older models and the current batch though is ride and driver comfort! Trucks, especially larger tonnage trucks, have a far better ride today compared to what they were just a couple decades ago. Today a 1 ton dually rides nearly as well as a car and I barely notice the difference between it and a 1/2 ton. They are a very far cry from the older trucks for sure!!! There may be other reasons not to drive a 1 ton dually but it isn't the ride anymore, not even when it is empty.
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