2001 Dodge Ram Pickup SLT from North America - Comments

The truck idles rough when I first crank it. If I take off immediately after cranking it, it is very sluggish.

The best highway mileage I have gotten is 15 MPG.

The driver's side door leaked during a rain shower (the water channel at the top of the door was put on upside-down).

I don't know if there is something wrong with this engine, but it is no doubt the weakest 8 cylinder engine I have ever owned. It feels like I am pulling a loaded trailer all the time. If I am traveling on a highway with medium size hills and I am using the cruise control, the transmission is in and out of lower gears to keep my speed up. I can't believe that I have just bought such a weak truck and now I am stuck with it.

I would like to say to all the people who own a Dodge and don't like it, it is most likely because it is a dud. One of the main reasons that you hear about bad Dodge's is because most people say how good theirs is and how much they love it, and then someone goes and gets one, and hates is because they got a lemon, and now they won't buy another Dodge. Well, I can't tell you how many lemon Chevy's and Fords that I have owned, and how many people that I know have owned. Yes, Dodge produces a few duds here and there, but a whole lot less than Chevy and Ford do. Also, someone was complaining about their truck running rough when they start it when its cold, I would like to say that most every vehicle out there does, because its cold. Someone ought to let that boy drive a carberated engine and then see what he thinks about starting and driving his truck in cold weather.

You said it... I am probably buying a 2001 dodge 1500 very soon and I have been doing hours of research on it.

I started to get very nervous upon reading all the bad stories about that truck, but then you have to realize that the old saying is true : If someone has something that is good they will tell 2 people, if someone has something that is bad they will tell 200. For all the hundred thousand or so trucks there is bound to be some defects, just like all the auto companies... It doesn't mean that ALL the trucks produced of that model are bad... You just have to do your homework, inspect the truck, and it is probably a good idea to get an extended warranty...

My husband and I bought new trucks at the same time. He bought a chevrolet silverado truck, I bought a dodge ram. The trucks are both year 2000. Mine is a SLT. Within the first month my engine started pinging. Dodge dealer "Norm Reeves" said it needed a new computer chip. I waited three months for the computer chip to be passed by Ca. EPA. Durring this time I was forced to drive around in a pinging truck. They never got a new chip and gave me another. The chip caused my computer to malfunction also lost all computer functions after leaving the dealership. The truck had to be towed back to the dealer.Replaced computer twice same pinging sound from engine. Gasoline grade didn't effect the pinging comming from the engine. When all was said and done the dealer ended up putting two more engines in my new truck within the first five thousand miles. I bought the only lemon on the lot. The water pump went out at 20.000 miles. They also replaced it. The fuel gage has never worked properly. My truck now runs great and I enjoy the enterior, but now all the bushings are squeeking even though they have been lubricated. I have now got 36.000 miles on truck. The truck is more comfortable than the chevrolet truck, but has caused us more grief.

I recently bought a 2001 Dodge Ram SLT. Came with a 5.9L powerhouse and an auto tranny. I must say that it has impressed me very much. I was extremely surprised by the off-road ability of the rig. With A/T tires I went four wheeling and didn't even think of getting stuck. The only time any mud/water came into the cab was when I was in a mud hole that came to the bottom of the window. Something got wet and it ran rough for a couple minutes, then was back to being a beast. Had the PCM flashed a day or two after I bought it. I think the previous owner tinkered with the programming causing it to ping at high RPM's, the reprogramming fixed this. I've never cold started a vehicle that didn't run rough until warm. That's a normal thing. I've noticed a lot of people posting about cruise control problems when going through "hilly" terrain. O/D is made for level ground, not hills, that's why the constant shifting of the tranny. Take it out of O/D until you are clear of the hills and you shouldn't have a problem, that could also be a contributor to premature tranny failure as well. Change fluids more often that the book suggests, and all should be well.

-Chris Tolley

OKC, Oklahoma.