2001 Dodge Ram Pickup SLT Laramie 8.0 V10 from North America

Summary:

1 year of beatings.. Still runs good!!

Faults:

Had this truck for exactly 1 year, and only just regular oil changes are needed. No problems after a year of beating on this truck.

General Comments:

Got on heck of a deal on this V10 QC 2 WD. The previous owner had some warranty issues when new, that the dealer could not remedy. The owner sued Chrysler and they bought it back under Ca lemon law, and it was sold at auction. I'm not sure what was the original problem, but I took a very "calculated" risk and bought this truck. I figured that was over 150,000 miles ago, and someone in their right mind could fix it??

Knock on wood after 5000 miles and a long winter, hot summer, and countless beatings, this truck has been very good. My 2.4 little Nissan was a far cry when it comes to reliability, power, room, and comfort. I love this truck! 305 HP and 450ft torque in a gasser? That's roughly the same power as a non-H.O. Cummins, but without the turbo lag. Power is instant with the V10. Time will tell if I truly have a lemon or not, but I will still be reluctant to sell this odd ball V10 Dodge dreamed of.

The only caveat with these trucks is the gas MPG... But hey, it will tow a house if needed.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 17th September, 2012

2001 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 Work Special 3.9 V6 from North America

Summary:

Reliable, gas guzzling, powerful V6 work truck!!

Faults:

Needed all new bulbs for the tail lights and brakes, including the 3rd light.

Replaced the distributor cap, plugs and wires the second day of owning, because it did not start the next day. (First time the plugs were ever changed!! Very corroded)

Brakes.

Coil spring is cracked, but it still drives perfect!

General Comments:

This truck has been very reliable, starts every time, and goes anywhere I point the front end, from up curbs to gravel bumpy roads, to the wooden trails, and the long road trips.

I have the 3.9 V6 2wd long bed work truck, and the engine has some power and torque, but sucks down the gas like no tomorrow. I average 11 MPG high/city driving, and never exceed 3000 RPM, but still only get 140 miles per half of a tank, and I have the 36 gallon tank!!

All in all, this is a great truck! You can see the engine and work on it, parts are cheaper, it has plenty of power and torque, and is built in the USA!!! Great truck if you can afford to put gas in this V6; yes, I said V6 2wd long bed. I guess the 5.9 gets better MPG than this. But if you want something reliable, that has a good amount of power, then get the 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 WS regular cab!

I installed a Thrush Welded, and this V6 sounds like a V8 idling and driving. It also improved my low end torque and MPG.

Being a work truck, to clean the interior, all you need is a broom and a wet rag, plus no power locks and windows mean no electrical issues down the road.

If you want better MPG, go with the 4.7, 5.2, or the 5.9 Magnum. The V6 uses way more gas for some reason, but has power.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th October, 2011

2nd Nov 2011, 19:22

The 3.9 V6 uses more gas than the V8s, because the engine has to work like hell to go the same speed that the V8s loaf at.

2001 Dodge Ram Pickup SLT 5.9L Cummins from North America

Summary:

This truck has some serious issues

Faults:

What hasn't!!! This has been the most expensive diesel I have ever had the "pleasure" of driving in all the years I have owned towing vehicles.

I buy diesels because they are supposed to be reliable and dependable to drive large trailers up and down the road, without the concerns you may have of a gas engine like lack of POWER (I could barely get my truck to get above 65 pulling my trailer) or overheating (as my truck did more than once while pulling my trailer, a 26ft thoroughbred height Featherlite).

My 7.3L Ford's could pull a 34ft steel trailer up and down the road, and the only thing I had to worry about, other than routine maintenance, was making sure I kept the speed down so I didn't get speeding tickets.

This truck had a bad injector pump, injectors, poor engine altogether (sad, because I really do like the Cummins). Poorly designed brake system that requires frequent replacement of a very high priced braking system. Wiring problems - my reverse lights would never work - wiring harness fried when I hooked onto a trailer for the first time with it. AND the dash cracks if you aren't extremely careful, and it is very expensive to replace, along with the cup holders.

Now - I have no engine because it has completely quit, and I am stuck parting it out, hoping to get enough money out of it to finish paying off the note on it. I may have just got a bad one, but sorry Dodge, I don't think I will try again. I can't afford to.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 3rd October, 2011

13th Apr 2012, 20:52

A friend at work just bought a Ford Powerstroke about 1 1/2 years ago. He has had nothing but ongoing problems with it, most of which has luckily been covered under warranty. I can't recall everything, but severe coolant and oil leaks, expensive parts failing in the drive and engine control systems, etc.

The dealer has acted as if none of these are unusual failures. He's sick of taking it back to his dealer, and has said that he wished he had gotten a Dodge Cummins, or kept his older Ford!

So, just another perspective on the situation. Evidently it's not just Dodge.

24th Jul 2012, 20:08

Yeah, probably wasn't a 7.3, so you're just comparing apples to oranges.