2001 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 SLT 4x2 review from North America

My transmission has had difficulty shifting gears at wide open throttle as well as displaying an intermittent shudder when accelerating away from a stop.

The engine has never operated correctly. There is an intermittent problem with rough idle along with a distinct hesitation upon rapid acceleration off of idle. Occasionally this hesitation is experienced as a backfire through the intake portion of the engine! This problem is very concerning when pulling out into heavy traffic and may be a factor in experiencing 11.5 miles per gallon fuel consumption.

I drove an identical early 1995 model of this truck which was much stronger and reliable. I feel Dodge has seriously cut corners in the production of the 2001 model and it shows in the Dealers lack of ability to solve any problems in the drive-train. I furthermore am aggravated by the fact that the new generation diagnostics that are included in all vehicles of this age as part of the emissions package have failed completely in recognizing any of the problems I've experienced.