1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 review from North America

When I purchased it, I noticed a peculiar noise from the back-right wheel. Asked the Used Car salesman about it, he had his son (a mechanic) check it out, and had the bearing replaced free of charge, despite my As-Is purchase of the truck from him. No more noise.

A few days later, I had trouble starting it. The problem turned out to be the battery. I bought a new one, and I let my friend put the new battery in, which turned out to be a mistake... he got the connections' charges backwards... This, naturally, caused a bit of trouble. At first I was told by a mechanic (when I described the problem) that the reverse charge may have damaged the alternator. Fortunately, it turned out to be as simple as replacing the fuse, and cost me somewhere around $0.50.

Muffler is rusty and will be replaced soon.

Bad battery connectors, replaced at $1 apiece.

No engine problems.

No major transmission problems, except for about 3-4 minutes after starting, it sometimes has difficulty staying in gear. Easily remedied by warming up truck for about 3 minutes before leaving, or simply driving slowly for a minute or two.

Overall, this is an extraordinary vehicle.

It is my first vehicle (although I have driven several trucks and cars, ranging from a 1988 Dodge Dakota 4 cylinder, and a 1999 Ford F-150, to a 2001 Honda Civic, and a 2000 Mazda 626.) but is better than I could have ever hoped. Even at 146453 miles it shifts smoothly (after that initial few minutes), starts every time I crank it now that it has a working battery and battery connectors, and has that oh-so-sweet rumble the 5.9L Magnum V8 gives it (generates 230 horsepower and 330 ft-lbs of torque).

Handling is light and accurate, surprising for such a heavy vehicle, although at higher speeds (50mph+) there is a noticeable "dead-spot" in the steering, but this is easily managed, and causes no actual difficulties.

The engine offers a substantial amount of torque to throw around, and while it's no sports car, it certainly doesn't crawl to the 60mph mark. Hauls without difficulty or strain.

The truck has a surprisingly small amount of body roll, even with hard turning it only leans very slightly.

In 1996, it had the highest ratings in horsepower, torque, towing capacity, and payload in its class, and won some awards from J.D. Powers and Associates. Today, it is still a wonderful truck to own.