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jccjr500's avatar
jccjr500
Explorer
Oct 26, 2017

Ram quality & company and dealer response

This is a letter that I sent to Ram

Ram problems

Dealer: Covert Chrysler Austin, TX
First, I purchase this vehicle to pull a 23,000 lb 5th wheel, and reviewing the specs, it showed that this truck would be capable of towing this unit. Each year I take my trailer to Colorado as well as other places and I expected to be able to go and return safely.
These are following things that happened
1. Transmission computer board went out. Could not drive vehicle. The truck had to be towed into Covert Chrysler. Fortunately I was near home, but I could have just as easily been on a trip and broken down in an area where there was no cell service. What would I have done then? It took Covert 3 to 4 weeks to fix this issue.
2. On last trip, pulling my trailer, at 21000 miles my two front tire treads separated from belt. Fortunately, after feeling the front end vibrate and dropping my trailer for some maintaince I took my truck to tire shop to have wheels balanced. That is when I was informed the treads had separated. Had to buy new tires. What would have happened if I had had a blowout and wrecked and either kill one of the members of my family or someone else. Know you did not make tires, but you did pick the tires to put on truck. Also I had previously taken truck over commercial scales to make sure I had not exceeded weight limits. On trip home had a rear tire where part of tread completely separated from belt. This was about at 22000 miles. Knowing I could not trust tires, I replace all 4 rear tires.
3. The last issue, which again I was fortunate to be close to home and not pulling trailer, I lost both power steering and brakes. If I had been on road with trailer in a high traffic area, I would have caused a major accident, which one or more people could have been killed. That would have been Ram’s fault.
4. Again the truck was towed into Covert. Took 2 to 3 weeks to fix. When I picked up I saw that I had a crack along the lower left side of windshield. The crack was not there when truck was picked up.
Showed the crack to Covert and they would not do anything about it. Then contacted Ram customer service and they would not do anything. This ended costing me out of pocket almost
$500.00.
You can check with Covert Chrysler to see about all the warrantee work that has been done over the time I have owned the vehicle.
Don’t know how many other trucks you have trouble with, but after seeing the latest information on Consumer Reports on auto brand reliability, I see that the Ram brand is considered one of the most unreliable and the 3500 was the worst of Ram brand.
This is a very unreliable truck and I cannot put my family’s safety in peril.
  • 2015 RAM 3500 MegaCab SRW CTD 56000 miles and I'm loving it. Lemons do happen. I once got a Nissan lemon and wound up getting the vehicle replaced a year later for free.
  • Chuck_thehammer wrote:
    Chrysler, RAM, Dodge , Jeep is for sale. and has been for more then 6 months.

    tires are not a Ram issue... OEM tires are as cheap as possible. except for UP charge for better tires.

    parts fail.. and the only reason there is a warranty...

    there is NO Printed word of trouble free ownership.. from any one.

    Sorry for your Troubles with your newer truck.


    I heard Tata made Marchoni a nice offer. The RAM TATA..... Has an interesting ring to it....:p

    How about... RAM built Tata tough....
  • You don't send a letter to RAM anyway. RAM is nothing more than a nameplate. You send a letter to FCA in Auburn Hills, Michigan and hope it gets answered and nor tossed in the circular file.
  • gmcsmoke wrote:
    jccjr500 wrote:
    This is a letter that I sent to Ram

    Ram problems

    Dealer: Covert Chrysler Austin, TX
    First, I purchase this vehicle to pull a 23,000 lb 5th wheel, and reviewing the specs, it showed that this truck would be capable of towing this unit. Each year I take my trailer to Colorado as well as other places and I expected to be able to go and return safely.
    These are following things that happened
    1. Transmission computer board went out. Could not drive vehicle. The truck had to be towed into Covert Chrysler. Fortunately I was near home, but I could have just as easily been on a trip and broken down in an area where there was no cell service. What would I have done then? It took Covert 3 to 4 weeks to fix this issue.
    2. On last trip, pulling my trailer, at 21000 miles my two front tire treads separated from belt. Fortunately, after feeling the front end vibrate and dropping my trailer for some maintaince I took my truck to tire shop to have wheels balanced. That is when I was informed the treads had separated. Had to buy new tires. What would have happened if I had had a blowout and wrecked and either kill one of the members of my family or someone else. Know you did not make tires, but you did pick the tires to put on truck. Also I had previously taken truck over commercial scales to make sure I had not exceeded weight limits. On trip home had a rear tire where part of tread completely separated from belt. This was about at 22000 miles. Knowing I could not trust tires, I replace all 4 rear tires.
    3. The last issue, which again I was fortunate to be close to home and not pulling trailer, I lost both power steering and brakes. If I had been on road with trailer in a high traffic area, I would have caused a major accident, which one or more people could have been killed. That would have been Ram’s fault.
    4. Again the truck was towed into Covert. Took 2 to 3 weeks to fix. When I picked up I saw that I had a crack along the lower left side of windshield. The crack was not there when truck was picked up.
    Showed the crack to Covert and they would not do anything about it. Then contacted Ram customer service and they would not do anything. This ended costing me out of pocket almost
    $500.00.
    You can check with Covert Chrysler to see about all the warrantee work that has been done over the time I have owned the vehicle.
    Don’t know how many other trucks you have trouble with, but after seeing the latest information on Consumer Reports on auto brand reliability, I see that the Ram brand is considered one of the most unreliable and the 3500 was the worst of Ram brand.
    This is a very unreliable truck and I cannot put my family’s safety in peril.


    D- for grammar and punctuation.


    Typical for this forum. I ignore it,:R
  • jccjr500 wrote:
    This is a letter that I sent to Ram

    Ram problems

    Dealer: Covert Chrysler Austin, TX
    First, I purchase this vehicle to pull a 23,000 lb 5th wheel, and reviewing the specs, it showed that this truck would be capable of towing this unit. Each year I take my trailer to Colorado as well as other places and I expected to be able to go and return safely.
    These are following things that happened
    1. Transmission computer board went out. Could not drive vehicle. The truck had to be towed into Covert Chrysler. Fortunately I was near home, but I could have just as easily been on a trip and broken down in an area where there was no cell service. What would I have done then? It took Covert 3 to 4 weeks to fix this issue.
    2. On last trip, pulling my trailer, at 21000 miles my two front tire treads separated from belt. Fortunately, after feeling the front end vibrate and dropping my trailer for some maintaince I took my truck to tire shop to have wheels balanced. That is when I was informed the treads had separated. Had to buy new tires. What would have happened if I had had a blowout and wrecked and either kill one of the members of my family or someone else. Know you did not make tires, but you did pick the tires to put on truck. Also I had previously taken truck over commercial scales to make sure I had not exceeded weight limits. On trip home had a rear tire where part of tread completely separated from belt. This was about at 22000 miles. Knowing I could not trust tires, I replace all 4 rear tires.
    3. The last issue, which again I was fortunate to be close to home and not pulling trailer, I lost both power steering and brakes. If I had been on road with trailer in a high traffic area, I would have caused a major accident, which one or more people could have been killed. That would have been Ram’s fault.
    4. Again the truck was towed into Covert. Took 2 to 3 weeks to fix. When I picked up I saw that I had a crack along the lower left side of windshield. The crack was not there when truck was picked up.
    Showed the crack to Covert and they would not do anything about it. Then contacted Ram customer service and they would not do anything. This ended costing me out of pocket almost
    $500.00.
    You can check with Covert Chrysler to see about all the warrantee work that has been done over the time I have owned the vehicle.
    Don’t know how many other trucks you have trouble with, but after seeing the latest information on Consumer Reports on auto brand reliability, I see that the Ram brand is considered one of the most unreliable and the 3500 was the worst of Ram brand.
    This is a very unreliable truck and I cannot put my family’s safety in peril.


    D- for grammar and punctuation.
  • Go buy a Ford and experience the same issues. Some are good, some aren't. At least the percentage of good ones is higher than with RV's.

    Tires are warranted by the tire manufacturer, not the truck manufacturer.
  • Newer truck? How do we know, he did not provide details of year or transmission or tire brand.
  • Chrysler, RAM, Dodge , Jeep is for sale. and has been for more then 6 months.

    tires are not a Ram issue... OEM tires are as cheap as possible. except for UP charge for better tires.

    parts fail.. and the only reason there is a warranty...

    there is NO Printed word of trouble free ownership.. from any one.

    Sorry for your Troubles with your newer truck.
  • Sounds like a lemon, they do sneak off the line from time to time. Have to talked to a lemon law attorney about taking action against Fiat Chrysler?

    Sadly, 20k miles for factory tires isn't surprising. Every ride I've bought, not just Fiat Chrysler has had the tires go bad very quickly. An 08 GMC Sierra Crew 4x4 SLT I owned with 20" low-rider P-rated Goodyear Eagles were shot at 15000 miles, what does the dealer say? Sorry, not GM's problem. I asked why did GM equip a pickup truck with low profile passenger car tires- they say, oh that's a dealer option! That's ok though, payment was only $200/mo on that truck, buy not lease, so buying new tires didn't hurt that bad.
  • go buy another truck...good luck. I've had 9,500 miles of trouble free towing and driving.