1996 Dodge Ram Pickup Lariat SLT Club Cab review from North America
"Great looks, poor quality and performance"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Transmission would hold second gear until red-line. Had to feather the throttle to get it to shift up to third.
Rear axle had a huge amount of roaring, always felt loose.
Radio would cut on and off whenever it wanted to.
Horn worked whenever it felt like it, then eventually quit altogether.
Headliner was coming apart as were the seats.
The air conditioning would leak inside the cab at times.
The rear brake line rusted in two. (That was fun!)
One of the straps holding the fuel tank also rusted in two. (I live in the southern US)
All of this happened from 97,000 miles to 122,000 miles.
General comments?
Love the look of the truck, the design is right on the mark.
The interior is quite comfortable, never did like the cup holder up so high on the dash.
I expected better towing performance from this particular truck. I had a similar Ford with a smaller engine that would pull better.
This is my 3rd vehicle built by Dodge (1993-1996), and all of them had transmission problems. I know the newer ones are supposed to be better, but bitten three times has put me off on their products.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model Year | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 2002 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | 5.2 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 4/10 |
| Reliability marks | 5/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 3/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 97000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 122000 miles |
| Previous car | Chevrolet Van |
| Date of Entry | 19th September, 2005 |