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If you're researching to buy, read this.

9K views 50 replies 39 participants last post by  JWM59 
#1 ·
DON'T BUY ONE OF THESE TRUCKS!! Posted the below two weeks ago and was told that Ram would be contacting me, still hasn't happened. Customer service is just as unreliable as the trucks they poorly manufacture. Ram doesn't care about the vehicle or consumer after the purchase. Do yourself a favor and import from Japan, not Detroit.

Really disappointed in my 2012 Ram 1500 Hemi. It has more awkward sounds than all vehicles I have ever ridden in. I take pride in a drive train that is well engineered, not one that just runs. Squeaky driver seat after 1500 miles. Gone through two CV boots, although the dealer screwed up the install of the second. Turn light was bad upon time of delivery, but didn't find out until making a left turn miles from the dealer. Paint is an absolute wreck all over the truck, not enough paint to cover the primer. I was SO excited to have something "Imported from Detroit" that would help out in tough times, unfortunately I am not sure that I got it. Ram, in a time which I should be excited I am severely disappointed.
 
#2 ·
I respect your right to an opinion. How ever I think you just got a bad truck. It happens, built on a Monday and all. Just don't think the countless reviewers, pitting the Ram against the other automakers and it coming out on top for the most bang per buck, would be lying... Remember every LITTLE TINY NOISE is not a bad thing. It's a 390HP v8, it's metal against metal. Screws, rivets, and moving parts. THINGS ARE GOING TO MAKE SOME NOISE. Have you tried driving any other vehicle from other manufactures? Maybe you need to compare them to other newer trucks on the market and get a bassist on what you want. But just out right saying "Don't buy this" is your opinion. I'm glad I gave my hard earned cash to RAM. I do think there are some things they could have worked on... For the most part they have a winning combination for the price they offer it at.

Just my .02
 
#3 ·
It is unfortunate to hear about the bad luck you're having with your new Ram. Like Jchaney579 said, every manufacturer is bound to produce a couple "Monday" trucks. Out of all the trucks they build, they can't all be perfect. I will say that Chrysler does in fact stand behind their product. Being a sales manager for a Chrysler dealership, I have seen my fair share of lemon law buy backs (and other factory buybacks that aren't lemon law). I'm not sure where you are located, but get your dealership involved. It's usually quicker than dealing directly with Chrysler. Ask your service department to put you in touch with your regional Chrysler Parts and Service Rep (they have a more official title, I just don't know what it is). It usually gets handled pretty quickly, well, here in Southern California anyway. I hope your issue gets resolved as these are truly awesome trucks.
 
#36 ·
MY Dealer I bought a truck from DELLEN Chrysler in Greenfield Indiana who SUCKS!!!! Sold me a truck all messed up and no help what so ever to contact the MOPAR rep!!! Would not even give his phone number to me and told me to call Chrysler Care....Never Buy a TRUCK THERE!!!!!

Note Chrysler care did in fact have Rep to call me in one hour!!! They are working with me NO HELP FROM DEALER!!!!!
 
#4 ·
I have to somewhat agree with captain. I was one of those people that would never buy an american car, a truck yes, but no way on a car. In my early 20s I used to be a used car salesman. Not the regular salesman, I went to auctions and bought wrecked cars, fixed them myself, and sold them. With that being said, I've taken just about any brand of car apart from interiors, quarter panels, frame work, etc. I sold at least one car per month for over three years. That's when I realized how superior Japanese parts where and how they were put together. Well, German cars were put very well together, but their electronics really sucked. American cars were just horrible. Not sure why, but my guess is that we've become a lazy country. Kinda like the rich kid that never worked a day of his life and has no idea of the real value of things. That was 20+ years ago and now I think American cars have caught up with good materials and technology, but our workers suffer good work ethics and definitely lack of "give a sh!+". I'm willing to say that if our trucks (same components, paint, etc.) were put together in Japan...they would be flawless. I've been lucky with mine so far even though I've noticed some imperfections that should not be in a $50k vehicle.

WAKE UP AMERICA !!!
 
#5 ·
we have got 2 rams 2011 and 2012 the 2011 has got 60k on we drive 40km on gravel road every day 3 of the seasons are mudy and rough the summer it is very dusty the only trouble we had is the tires on the 2011 were p rated did not last 10k that was the only trouble the 2012 i made the dealer put light truck tires on it we beat the truck hard we got them to use and use them we do i think shes alot harder on hers then i am on mine but we have no trouble at all we are very happy with them but know matter what you buy they all have the things that they have trouble!!!
 
#6 · (Edited)
Man, sorry to hear of all your troubles captainchubbzz. Quality Control was definitely lacking in the build of your truck, whichever plant yours might have came from. Make that Lemon Law work for ya. Anyways, I've owned import trucks (Mazda, Nissan, Toyota) and they have just as many quirks, noises as Domestic trucks but I respect your opinion. Different designs, different whines.....This is the USA with freedom of speech; but if you expressed your opinion like such in Japan or China, you'd probably be silenced by the communist/dictator owners or parties. Anyways, love my truck, built in Warren, MI, by Americans, for America. That's all I got to say about that............:SHOCKED:
 
#7 ·
First off I would like to say I am real sorry for ya Cap. It sucks to be in that position when you bought the truck cause it was what you wanted and you end up with a bunch of issues.

Second. Inst there a lemon law in the US, you should have them replace your truck, I can almost for certain know the replacement truck will be perfect. If you poll the 34,369, you will probably get 90% of them that are satisfied with there truck. Seriously, shit happens, I seen Land Rovers, Porches, Toyota's and the like be lemons. As the others are saying, you might have just got a Monday truck, it could of been a Toyota Monday truck. I think best not be part of the problem, but part of the solution.

Maybe you should look into this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_law
http://www.lemonlawusa.com/
http://www.lemonlawamerica.com/

Hope this helps as I would not like it to happen to me and my truck, Love my truck, please let us know how things pan out and what you have done. I am sure many would be interested in how it got solved or handled, I am sure your not the only Monday 6:45am truck that got built. Best of luck
 
#8 ·
Been there and done it. I got a "Monday" 2012 Wrangler. Went through all that is required here in NC for the lemon law and shipped off my official lemon law letter to Chrysler. Two days later I got some serious attention. In the end the dealership was awesome and gave me back my money towards my new Ram. I've had a ton of trucks of all sorts and I can't say that this is the best truck I have ever had but it is sure close.
My best advice is to go through the steps to file under the lemon law in your state and get a case manager from Chrysler and keep them informed. You really want them to take you seriously then type up and send a request for lemon law protection to Chrysler. In the mean time speak with your dealership's buy back manager and see what it is going to take to swap out trucks.
I hope it all works out for you and in the end of you still aren't happy you have a choice of getting a lawyer and fighting or taking a loss and trading your truck for another brand. Best of luck and I've been in your shoes and I know how disappointed and abadoned you must feel.
 
#9 ·
DON'T BUY ONE OF THESE TRUCKS!! Posted the below two weeks ago and was told that Ram would be contacting me, still hasn't happened. Customer service is just as unreliable as the trucks they poorly manufacture. Ram doesn't care about the vehicle or consumer after the purchase. Do yourself a favor and import from Japan, not Detroit.

Really disappointed in my 2012 Ram 1500 Hemi. It has more awkward sounds than all vehicles I have ever ridden in. I take pride in a drive train that is well engineered, not one that just runs. Squeaky driver seat after 1500 miles. Gone through two CV boots, although the dealer screwed up the install of the second. Turn light was bad upon time of delivery, but didn't find out until making a left turn miles from the dealer. Paint is an absolute wreck all over the truck, not enough paint to cover the primer. I was SO excited to have something "Imported from Detroit" that would help out in tough times, unfortunately I am not sure that I got it. Ram, in a time which I should be excited I am severely disappointed.
I think you mean to say "Don't buy MY truck". Sorry about your luck. Unfortunately this happens with all manufacturers. Good luck.
 
#13 ·
Most people here love their Ram's. I'm on my 4th one. My 2011 has 15K on it, the 4.7L so I don't have the MDS cycling engine noise. I could have got a new Ram Hemi, but with 2 Hemi Challengers in the garage a third was serious Hemi overkill. Good Luck getting your issues handled, it's got to be rough to have issues with a new truck, could have been and brand however.
 
#14 ·
Quality issues

Hey there capt.chubbzz! I would not recommend any chrysler product either until they get their quality control (in control) & their customer service to perform a service! I too encountered problems w/ my 2012 ram... I have paint issues, I had a piece of the plastic on the center console not color match any of the rest of it, my passenger side headlight / fender fitment is a bit off compared to the drivers side. I had a dent on my drivers side door & scratches in the door jams down to bare metal. I too hear a squeaking noise from either the passenger seat or drivers seat. I have squibs all over the place & I recently noticed the bed seems have some gaps on the inside that I read about elsewhere on this forum. All we have is a classic case of chrysler sympathizers! I was a GM sympathizer so I say this w/ respect. This is my first chrysler product & it may be my last. I have always owned chevy & never have I had paint issues or other previously mentioned issues w/ them. I fell in love with the rams style , ride quality, hp & interior. That said there's absolutely no excuse for the quality issues were all having & the lack of customer service by both the dealership & chrysler... No Excuses!!! I hate the whole monday routine. This is why people cry out for a foreign product. Well I hate that too! No more excuses & no foreign purchases! Buy american (ford,chevy) or ram but if these companies run into any more financial troubles oh well, let them sink. No more bail outs & break up the unions so people can't get drunk & high on their lunch hour then go back to building what should be a symbol of american pride & not something to be ridiculed about... USA! Stand behind your product! Build it right, Build it without defects & Build it American!!! :cowb:
 
#15 ·
Well you can buy Toyota TRD all you want, made in Japan, not hardly
They are made in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico (TMMBC)
I have watched semi truck loads crossing the border, maybe 10 semi transports an hour, they cross at the Otay Mesa Border Crossing

Nissan is building a plant down there too

Thank You NAFTA for taking US jobs
 
#17 ·
I know it has to suck what you're going through. Maybe I got lucky because I've already put 7500 miles on mine and it drives just as tight as it did on mile 10. I live on a pretty rough dirt road and I never hear any rattles or squeaks or anything. My Charger is the same and it has 56k on it. The point is I don't think the quality issues are too wide spread (at least I hope not). Anyway good luck to you.
 
#18 ·
Just because you got a bad one, which is unfortunate for you please don't go and diss the entire line. I have had my RAM for over two years with 25,000 on it now and it is just as tight as the day I brought it home. The fit and finish is outstanding, the ride is amazing and I have not had a single issue with it. Oh and no strange noises. By far the best vehicle I have ever owned, and I've owned alot over the years. Ford, Chevy, Toyota and of course several Chrysler products. Would I buy another RAM, yes in a heartbeat. Just my 2 cents.
 
#19 ·
In my case I cant go the Lemon Law route with my paint issues. I have been in contact with Customer Care and even met with a Rep and they will not paint the entire truck. Now, Im in a holding pattern on what to do next. My 2500 only has 2k miles on it, and Dont wanna take a 3k hit if I decide to trade it in. And the Rep wasnt the nicest guy either.

So, I feel your pain, because every time I look at my truck it makes me sick that they would let a paint job like mine get into a customers hands. It sucks and I dont know what to do next.
 
#20 ·
I absolutely love my 2012 Ram and think its a great truck. I traded a 2009 Escalade in for it and don't regret it one bit.

I'm at 3500 miles on mine and no issues at all. There is one tiger stripe in the paint that I've noticed but you have to really be looking for it to see it.

I pull this bad boy around twice a month and the hemi just laughs at it

 
#21 ·
Honestly it is all brands. I traded in a 2011 Honda CR-V for my 2012 Ram. The CR-V was a great car, great in snow etc, but the doors and front quarter panels along with hood gap were all misaligned, that started to bug me. I also have an 07 Honda CR-V which has 70K on it. It has been great, has a 100K warranty thank god, since it is about to go in for cluster #2, it also had a lock accutator go, and a computer, plus the OEM battery lasted 4 years only. If you look on the forums they are common issues on a highly rated car.

My 06 Ram, needed shocks at 40K, EGR valve, battery, and on here and DT forums that was normal. Oh and ball joints and tie rod ends.


All cars have quirks/common problems, go to any forum to find out.

Good luck!!
 
#22 · (Edited)
CountryD,

I think that it's time for you get those areas of the truck that were approved for a repaint painted. See how it turns out. A good painter should be able to do a good match. The key is to have a painter who is an "artist". In the "good old days", you could expect that a new vehicle would need paint work at the dealership after delivery.

If...a big if...you choose to trade your Ram....1) don't buy another Ram and 2) avoid metallic colors.
 
#23 ·
Captain, I sympathize with you on your problems. However, they all sound like fixable problems under the warranty. As far as the paint is concerned, if it is as bad as you say, you should have seen this before signing the papers. My dealer had me go over my entire truck(also my wife looked it over too) with a fine-toothed comb before signing anything. I have 4500 miles on my truck and have had zero problems. This truck is by FAR the best vehicle so far that I have ever owned( and i have owned a lot of them in every brand). Use your warranty. That`s why you have one. If after using up all available resources you can`t get it fixed, then by all means go the legal route. Good luck.
 
#24 ·
Countryd reply

I went the customer service route too. It's a joke w/ this chrysler company man. I too had some j.o. to deal with, was your guys name rick? I can't believe the insanity that these chrysler sympathizers spout out. Oh well mines great aside from a few flaws! LMAO! Mines great too but it's still not what I would ship off to a new customer who just put down some coin. It's this form of & yea I'll say it (stupidity) that keeps the inferior wheels rolling off the assembly line. Look as I've said before I'm a GM sympathizer, but at some point had I gotten a gm brand spanking new w/ the same issues my ram has I'd be just as disappointed w/ them as I am after my first chrysler purchase. Country that is complete crap & hopefully chrysler doesn't find itself looking for another bail out but if it does we should just tell them to swallow & let them sink... I bet the sticker price of my truck that I could go into a mercedes or bmw dealership, order a new car/suv what have you & it wouldn't have any of the issues you, I or many, many others on here have had. I'd love to see a class action suit go into effect. I'd jump on that like it were a naked n horny 22yr old model! Any way I'll never buy foreign & I may even buy another chrysler but rest assured I won't be driving off the lot till I've gone over the whole thing w/ a fine tooth comb. I'm also gonna check it out in artificial light as well as day time, I will never trust another brand new factory ordered vehicle again & I'll always remain a loyal American auto purchaser... Yea I know fiat owns a chrysler but it's still an American brand.
UAS! USA! USA! :cowb:
 
#28 ·
I went the customer service route too. It's a joke w/ this chrysler company man. I too had some j.o. to deal with, was your guys name rick? I can't believe the insanity that these chrysler sympathizers spout out. Oh well mines great aside from a few flaws! LMAO! Mines great too but it's still not what I would ship off to a new customer who just put down some coin. It's this form of & yea I'll say it (stupidity) that keeps the inferior wheels rolling off the assembly line. Look as I've said before I'm a GM sympathizer, but at some point had I gotten a gm brand spanking new w/ the same issues my ram has I'd be just as disappointed w/ them as I am after my first chrysler purchase. Country that is complete crap & hopefully chrysler doesn't find itself looking for another bail out but if it does we should just tell them to swallow & let them sink... I bet the sticker price of my truck that I could go into a mercedes or bmw dealership, order a new car/suv what have you & it wouldn't have any of the issues you, I or many, many others on here have had. I'd love to see a class action suit go into effect. I'd jump on that like it were a naked n horny 22yr old model! Any way I'll never buy foreign & I may even buy another chrysler but rest assured I won't be driving off the lot till I've gone over the whole thing w/ a fine tooth comb. I'm also gonna check it out in artificial light as well as day time, I will never trust another brand new factory ordered vehicle again & I'll always remain a loyal American auto purchaser... Yea I know fiat owns a chrysler but it's still an American brand.
UAS! USA! USA! :cowb:
All I have to say is, I got my brand new off the lot loaded Lone Star Hemi Crew Cab a little over two months ago. Truck had every single option except for leather seats and back up sensors. Walked out with it for a tad over 26k. IM SORRY, BUT NO OTHER MANUFACTURER CAME CLOSE to that with comparable pricing. There was ONE thing wrong with my truck, a little scratch from bird claws that accrued while on the lot before I bought it. They took five minutes to buff it out for me, and the passenger door was about 1/16th of an inch off alignment. Took another 30 seconds to adjust it and it was perfect. Things I made sure to LOOK OVER BEFORE I SIGNED MY NAME. Fords "Texas" addition with their big bad 5.0 (LOL) and aquivalent options came out to a bit over 34.500 BEFORE TTL. JOKE CITY over there. Not to mention GM hasn't changed their truck in over 5 years.

For the bang per buck the RAM group has it going on. The only REAL complaint I have has nothing to do with factory at all. And that is lack of tuners because they made the encryption codes so horridly hard to crack.

All I am saying is... there are some goods, and some bads that you need to look at with ALL the manufacturers. Nobody is going to be perfect... A friends I attend classes with just bought a 67k dollar BMW, 7k miles down the road she just had the entire transmission go out.

By the way you spelled "USA" wrong with your little typed chant. Contradicts calling others "Stupid". :doh:
 
#25 ·
That sucks. I feel your pain. My 2010 1500 got a creaking noise about Thanksgiving last year with 20k miles. I took it in to the dealer, and over the course of the time between then and January, they could not get it fixed. The dealer was good about getting me in with no questions asked, but I couldn't get a tech to figure it out. After I got under it and looked at it, I found my CV boot bad. They replaced the whole half axle and in the process busted the ball joint boot. I also found out that when the lube guys did my last oil change, they didn't tighten the filter so I was leaking oil. That made 3 things, very blatant things, they didn't find.
After the ball joint, I figured that was the noise. Got it back and was so pissed I traded it in for my now 2500.
Chrysler was really thurough. The rep called almost every day to check up on the progress. My paint was horrible as well. On the driver door, it looked like water drops in the paint, really bad. That was the only place. I loved that truck, but I didn't want a body or suspension or whatever creak at 20k mi.
Anywho, I would say there are "bad" trucks, but surely not that many. Oh well, I love my truck now. TO echo what others are saying, get the dealer and a rep involved, it has helped me.
 
#30 ·
Sorry to hear about your issues

anything that is manufactured can be piece of junk. It is unfair to say all Rams are junk. all automakers produced bad vehicles from time to time. I understand your anger vehicles today are very expensive.

I actually have been impressed with the quality of my Ram and many people on this forum seem to have a similar experience.

If Chrysler is giving you the runaround I agree that is b.s.

good luck I hope you can get it all worked out.
 
#31 ·
You got a bad one bud, sorry, but yours is not the norm. I have 70k on mine, totally happy with it. I am about to take it on a 7500 mile road trip, 6,000 of it towing 7,000lbs of boat. I trust it implicitly. I would never put my wife in danger, or let her drive something that was sub-par. Me? I will drive a turd around if it gets good mileage and is reliable. But one thing I do not skimp on is trucks. My next one will be a Laramie or Longhorn, at the very least a Sport. I will, for as long as I am buying trucks (until Lexus makes a pickup-I am forever a Lexus Fanboi!) give my money to Ram. I was always a ford truck guy, but I am converted. My whole family owns fords, and I will catch hell for it, but I don't care.
 
#32 ·
One bad CV joint, a squeaky seat and one bad turn signal light, and its a lemon? I feel your frustration but that seems unfair.

The warranty would have covered these issues, I would think.

That is just part of buying a new vehicle or any new product. There are many many components that go into a vehicle and there are bound to be mistakes or issues to wring out of some vehicles.

I havent bought a new vehicle yet that hasnt had at least one issue.

The paint issues people talk about, well, I have a definite opinion on that and its ONLY an opinion.

That is: Did you buy your truck at midnight in a coal mine?

Every new or even used vehicle I have bought, I go over pretty thoroughly prior to signing the dotted line.

Its a ton of money you are plunking down.....isnt it worth spending a few minutes to look closely at everything before its yours?

Sure, some issues you may not see right away...but scratches down to metal and places where there is no paint? That is stuff that is OBVIOUS when you are buying the vehicle if you are looking.

I frequent the show car circuit and I think I have a good idea of what "perfect paint " looks like and there is NO CURRENT MANUFACTURER of sub-$60,000 vehicles that have PERFECT paint.

You want show-car quality paint, you need to spend waaaaaay more than $40k.

The paint on my truck (silver) is very nice. Perfect? No. But very nice.

Maybe I am just lucky. (Unlikely if you know me...LOL)

Now, I DID buy my truck in the late evening (by the time I took delivery) and I missed an issue with my front bumper. Damage to the painted plastic on top (looked like car carrier damage maybe), and the bumper itself seemed to have some alignment issues.

Well, the dealer fixed the plastic damage no questions asked when I brought it to their attention the next day. The bumper misalignment we are still working on.

My point is that even though buying a new vehicle is supposed to be a problem-free and perfect experience, it rarely is.

The squeaky seat -- well, I would be irked too, but it could just be a one off problem. I dont recall seeing any "squeaky seat" posts......hope thats not an overall problem.

Calm down and let the dealer make it right. Hopefully you have a dealer who will. SO far I have lucked out in that regard. Knock wood.
 
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