2006 Ram 2500 diesel reliability past 135K?
I have a 2006 Ram 2500 Diesel with 48RE auto transmission with 135K miles on it. I've kept up the maintenance on it and in addition to that, had most ball and u-joints replaced plus most of the hoses....
Forum Discussion
As with all vehicles it will start to have more problems, both large and small, the longer you drive it. No vehicle lasts forever. 135k miles is not that many miles for the Cummins and the 48re is a fairly stout transmission for its intended use, not to say it couldn't go out before the 150k mile mark, but it could go to 200k+. It really is a roll of the dice. If you don't mind driving the truck with minor rust and and worn upholstery it will certainly be cheaper to fix what goes wrong along the way than to buy a new one.
Having said that, if you think you will be in the market for a new truck in the next year or two, you might be better to trade it off now before the rust gets worse. Once the rust starts, it won't stop and more rust in the future will surely decrease the value significantly. Also, if you feel you have lost some confidence in the truck maybe piece of mind of a new truck would be worth something too. Its not fun sitting on pins and needles during a trip worrying about a possible failure.
Another thing to consider is a new truck doesn't always guarantee you won't have a break down, but you will have a warranty.
Having said that, if you think you will be in the market for a new truck in the next year or two, you might be better to trade it off now before the rust gets worse. Once the rust starts, it won't stop and more rust in the future will surely decrease the value significantly. Also, if you feel you have lost some confidence in the truck maybe piece of mind of a new truck would be worth something too. Its not fun sitting on pins and needles during a trip worrying about a possible failure.
Another thing to consider is a new truck doesn't always guarantee you won't have a break down, but you will have a warranty.
