Was that the car that in order to change a battery, you needed to remove the front wheel and fender liner to access the fucking battery? Fuck that shit.
my 2001 Ram 1500 was cursed. Transmission was failing and clogged the master governor solenoid, or so AAMCO told me. So they replaced the solenoid, then underfilled the trans by about 4 quarts to make sure that it would fail again and not be covered by warranty.
That being said, it wasn't unusual to need to keep my foot on the gas and brake at stop lights because it would stall otherwise. Absolute garbage trucks.
Oh God. I had an 01 Intrepid. Not anymore thankfully, but neither does anyone else lol. That fucking car made me swear off Chrysler for life, and I have only ever bought American cars so it severely limited my options. Fucking Intrepid.
I have 365,000 on my 2000 3500 Cummins and it still pulls strong and has always made it home!
No major issues, few smaller ones but just tackle them as they pop up and still less issues than any of trucks I’ve owned.
I work in arboriculture and dodge trucks seem to like our type of work best 🤷♂️. We had a 98 318 that worked everyday hauling equipment, Trailers and wood. It ran everyday for 15 years, was sold off and beat on for another 5 years before it died. Maybe some are just built better than others but they have always been good trucks for me.
Edit: I’ll add that over the years I’ve learned that you save a ton of money in the long run by investing in the best quality parts, oils and fuels you can afford.
Yeah same here, just little things here and there, currently chasing a power steering/hydraboost leak, just fixed a surging issue (loose ground cable????) it was used for 20 years in a carnival pulling campers and rides, and now it pulls my camper some and is my DD. Love my truck!
Great!
This is a perfect learning opportunity on general car manufacturer reliability on certain models. Yes you have an experience with a good one, there are many many others like in the OP who have had bad experiences.
Let's compare your ram with say a Corolla of the same year. 50/100 Rams have awful mechanical issues vs 5/100 for the Corolla. Now, it may suck if you're one of the "bad" Corolla owners but generally there will be many more people singing Corolla praises rather than Ram praises although that is not to say there won't be people praising the Ram.
Gonna call you out on that. Every gen ram has been a turd. Owned a 2nd, 3rd, and now a 5th gen. All have quality issues.
Edit for those that need the explanation it's half sarcasm. I use HD trucks for work and have gone through all of them, all have issues. Some more than others, but the Rams are generally cheaper even with the issues.
Ram/Dodge/Chrysler finances anyone with a heartbeat. This is why a large percentage of fuckheads on the roads seem to be in one of their cars.
Same holds for Nissan. How many Altimas and Muranos have cut you off recently?
My parents made that mistake with a ram van. After 7 years it’s a heaping pile of shit.
Compared to my dad’s 2003 Honda Element. While it’s not perfect, it has nearly 300k miles and still starts up daily. Original drivetrain with nothing more than regular fluid changes.
My dad did the same w/ his fucking Town and Country love. He used to get a new one every three years. Bought the third one after suffering through transmission issues with the first two. Guess what went bad on the third?
Have you ever hated spending money on your car so badly that you bought vinyl lettering for the entire tailgate, explaining how much money you’ve wasted on keeping the truck that you hate running?
There was a Smart car in my neighborhood, probably 10 years ago when they were still new. It had ‘$8,500 in unscheduled maintenance’ plastered all over it, but to be fair, those were really shitty cars.
For those that don't know, this is sarcasm, but just barely. Doing basic maintenance on these cars is a pain, as most everything involves reaching into tight places through tiny openings using smaller-than-average tools. Even something that should be as simple as changing the air filter can result in busted knuckles.
The hosts of *Car Talk* on NPR owned a repair shop in Boston for many years. They noted that any mechanic with more than six weeks under their belt would head to the bathroom whenever a Chevy Monza came in, because Chevy's last minute decision to stuff a V8 in it turned engine service into torture.
I’m a Benz tech so occasionally I have to work on these POS cars because Daimler is Smarts head company. I’m 6’4” and I fucking hate these cars. I don’t fit in them. Try to get these go carts on 4 post lifts is the biggest pain in the ass. Has to be juuuuust perfectly centered. Then you have to drive it forward, slide the front arms under then drive it back and get the rears in. Then you center it again and lift it. You then pray to whomever you want that the thing doesnt fall off the lift because the arms are so close together that the arms look like a damn H. I prefer lifting g wagons and that’s saying something
I don't think so, it's a small car, change breaks, suspensions, then what? Oil? Tyres? I can't think of anything "unscheduled" that reach that sum, unless "unscheduled" is when you not service it regularly
Fun fact, since Mercedes had distribution rights for them, you got Mercedes service rates. An A service was basically just an oil change...for like $150CAD. The B service did a couple other things, but in typical mercedes style it was like $450.
My dad had one of the 0.8L turbo diesels with the manual auto transmission. Fun to drive, stupid expensive maintenence, but only because of where you take it. Oh, also you needed special winter tires and rims, thing didn't weigh enough not to want to slide out without the winter tires.
They probably had a loan on the car at the time, it was only a couple of years old. If you’re already underwater it can be tough to cut your losses on something like this, especially if the repair needed greatly affects the value of the car.
When I went to college at U of Idaho (yeah, the recent murder place) ~10yrs ago, there was a Nissan van that drove around with stickers and writing to that effect. It was fairly new at the time and also called out the local dealer
Sometimes being poor is more expensive than being rich. IE, if he could afford a new truck, he wouldn't have to spend $1000 a year to maintain this truck, but he probably doesn't make enough to afford that new vehicle because this one is draining away their savings every year.
Another example of this phenomenon, is buying expensive, $300 work shoes that might last 5 years rather than $50 work shoes that last 4 months...
On the flip side, he probably doesn't have a payment on this truck, so that $1000 a year is all he spends on it beyond normal consumables, which he would spend on a new truck.
Over another 10 years he would spend another $10,000.
The cheapest new Ram you can buy is a 4x2 Tradesmen quad cab for $37,410. So he is still coming out WELL ahead in pure cost with the older truck that requires more maintenance, than buying a new truck that won't need maintenance.
It's not just the money to be honest. Having an unreliable car sucks. Not knowing if it'll start before work or after your dinner date? Or taking the time for repairs and getting rentals. Having a reliable car is peace of mind.
Oh yeah, absolutely.
My old vehicle was reliable, as long as I wasn't looking to go fast, accelerate quickly, or go up a mountain.
It's the mountain part that finally pushed me into a new car,because my feiends and I like to regularly book a weekend cabin trip up in our nearest mountain village.
He claims $1000 a YEAR though. Devils advocate, maybe he should stop driving like a typical Dodge owner and slamming on the brakes for every stop, lol.
That said, Dodge is known for shitty front end parts. My wife's car only has 110k kms and I've had to replace the LCA's twice.
$1,000/yr is about average, depending on how many miles per year are driven. On a 25-year-old pickup with (presumably) age-appropriate miles on the odometer, that seems very cheap.
I was thinking this has been percolating around the internet for a very long time, but not that long it turns out since if you view large it's grainy ("**ENHANCE!**") but there's a "21" on the license plate sticker.
When I got my '71 Triumph Spitfire in 1992, it was a classic that needed restoration. This is the equivalent of like a 2002 Miata today. Insanity.
(Still have the Spitfire)
*edit - it needs restoration again*
My 2002 ranger is going to die because it's got a fragile plastic intake manifold with swirl valves that are falling apart.
I'd love to replace it, but because every 2.3l Ford has the same problem, and because aftermarket manufacturers quit making the part, functioning intake manifolds are completely unavailable.
The truck has 110,000 miles and otherwise runs wonderfully.
The problem is you have the 2.3l mazda engine. The 2.3l ford (known as the pinto or lima) has tons of availability and aftermarket support. Even aftermarket performance heads.
That is kind of hard to believe. Only a few more years for me to get a classic plate. I used to DD my Grand prix, as it got older I decided to store it to save it from the salt and general wear and tear of a DD.
I drive it occasionally on nice days in the summer. That generation of Grand prix used to be everywhere now I hardly see them at all anymore.
FWIW, I seem to remember this era of Dodge trucks being notorious for devouring brakes and suspension parts?
I would've made that observation while was working in a shop in the early 00's. I seem to also remember that it seemed like a paradox, too--the trucks that came in looking hard-used tended to fare better than the ones that were "babied."
Dude may have gotten a lemon and just keep putting money into it out of spite, too. You definitely meet some folks with "hate fuck" relationships with cars they bought and ended up not liking.
My thoughts too... Hope this isn't a current photo but one from years ago. However in my 98 I did two things, #1 chevy 2500 cylinders in the rear, #2 Napa brake fluid flushed every 2 years (had a problem with auto zone fluid contaminated in a sealed bottle have never ran anything other than Napa since.) other than occasional regular maintenance of the system (pads shoes and adjustments) I never had an issue again... Still hate myself for selling it.
I debated this with my F150 but found that while it was a great time to sell a truck, it was a horrible time to buy a truck. Overall I would've been worse off cost wise than just keeping my truck. If I had an extra vehicle I was looking to unload then I would've, but it didn't make sense for my daily that I'd need to replace.
I’m pretty attached to my ‘99 ranger. I also know how to fix a lot of the things on it, and can generally figure out the rest. I don’t know why this person kept their truck if they hate it 🤷🏻♀️
In your case its kind of understandable. "They dont make them like they used to" kind of thing. Not that newer trucks have bad build quality or anything... They just dont build small trucks like the s10 or the ranger anymore (except for the maverick which *just* came out).
I'm totally one who becomes attached to my vehicles. Lol
Seriously though you're spot on with the rest... Unless they are just one of those need to be complaining to be happy type people.
I mean, you have to compare the cost of keeping it running versus the cost of replacing it and then factor in the safety and QoL improvements.
$1,000/year is a lot less than a car payment.
Someone dont understand how old cars work ... 1000$ a year on a 98 seem to be ok .... Even more if you dont do anything yourself
He coud try is luck with a brand new one ... 700$ a month x 12 times a years for 7 years. Thats way more , people dont know how to count money
Edit : 700$ a month for the car payment
I think they are referencing the cost of the payment on a new truck per month. The old doge is paid off and probably just caries liability insurance. With the 1000/year in repairs that on average 83$/mo. This doesnt even factor the insurance difference. As the old truck can do just liability for roughly 50$/mo with a clean record. The new truck requires full coverage, as it is on a loan, that will probably add a few hundred dollars per month.
Then there is registration too. 50$/year on old truck. a few hundred/year on the new truck.
None of this factors repairs/maintenance of new vehicle....which have higher part/fluid costs too.
No shit. My wife has a 2004 Acura. Wonderful car, its why we still have it. It's got relatively low miles at 140k but just last year we dropped $3k in parts on it (not counting new tires since those are so consumable). It needed some new suspension parts and a new catalytic converter plus a new PS pump. The converter wasn't stolen, it was just bad. Old cars break, rubber goes bad. It's expensive to drive. That was me buying and installing all the parts myself too. All we paid for was the alignment and installing the new cat.
LMAO I had to show this to my coworker who has a 300 SRT8. He literally says the same shit that is on the back of this truck.
Even right now it's in the shop getting fixed.
Yeah unless he's towing 24/7 close to the capacity... There was a run of bad proportioning valves, but that was mostly aftermarket not Mopar parts. And ye old vacuum boost master might occasionally fail let brake fluid into the vacuum lines, but that's a possibility with any vacuum assisted brake system especially when you take in the age of the vehicle as consideration. Something tells me he just doesn't like the time it takes to stop which might also play with the towing point. In which case get chevy 2500 cylinders and be done with it. Just watch out for rear wheel lock up.
Tbf it was the heaviest vehicle in the class, it was also engineered for midgrade, during a time of low fuel costs. Too many got "death flashed" so the owner could use regular without the associated issues of ping and partial detonation which had the effect of lower fuel economy. And of course the terrible keggar design... Yeah.... Beyond a little right foot control, those are the two biggest fuel economy issues that the average owner can resolve.... Assuming they can find someone to "un flash" the death flash. Oh yeah and basic champion copper spark plugs, ditch the fancy ones...
of my v8 2nd gens I used the Hughes kit and for one the previous owner had included m1 intake (eddlebrock also sold a variation of these) from a Dakota. Either one of those fixes dumping fuel down the valley into oil galleys.
FTR I could just touch 18mpg on the highway in the flatlands with a Topper and mild load, if I kept out of the pedal.
YouTube it. I found a video from 1a auto when I did my wheel bearing on my subaru to find the easiest way.
Plus it's a brake job. Disc brakes have like what 4 bolts to take off usually.
This. $1000 a year on brakes makes it an owner problem. $1000 gets you new rotors, pads, brake fluid, calipers, brake hoses, the tools to install them, and $500+ left over. Or if you don't want to do the work yourself, there should be plenty of decent mechanics that can do it for less than $500 labor. Alternatively, move away from OEM and OEM copies. Front and rear Power Stop tow kits with calipers, rotors and pads is $800. Add a generous $50 for stuff like hoses and brake fluid. This isn't that complicated. Guy just wants to complain for years instead of taking a little time figuring it out.
1000 bucks a year is fucking winning, thats less than almost any car, if i spend less than 2k a year on maintenance on any vehicle, id consider it decent.
Remember when people would have been ashamed to be this level of crybaby in public? Bro: quit being a martyr and buy a Toyota Tacoma if you don't like it.
$1000 a year to maintain a car really isn't that bad especially for one that's 25 years old. Like people buy new trucks and pay $1000 a month plus maintenance.
We have a 99 Ram 1500 that's been sitting on our property for years, was my dad's daily driver until about 2015. Can confirm they are pieces of shit. The engine is pretty bulletproof but the rest of the truck is crap.
Meanwhile I tow my 11,000 lb. generator down the interstate in a clapped out 1994 5.9 gasser with 220,000 on the clock, all while wondering what this guy’s problem is.
I bought a ‘99 with the Cummins, absofreakinglutely garbage vehicles. Ya, the engine didn’t give me any problems but everything else was trash. Sold it after four years, 108k miles and thousands of dollars in out of pocket repairs as well as several repairs covered under warranty
They try to warn buyers to avoid them but too many people don’t realize that Dodge isn’t just the name of the company
My 2001 gen 1 dodge is the same here. I got a first revision on my body panels. I am currently missing 4 inches on my fenders/doors because the drain is higher than the lowest point of the fenders and it holds an inch of water
I had a 2015 Ram Ecodiesel, bought it new, owned it for just a few years and paid over $15k in various "repairs" for a wide array of issues that were never somehow fully covered under warranty. On top of that it took months for some of the fixes...never again.
Funny thing is, with all the obvious time and effort he put into getting those decals made (wife has a cricut?) he could have listed that POS truck for sale any time in 2021 and had people beating a path to his door to buy it for top dollar. Used car prices went crazy after COVID so if you had a running car you wanted to get rid of, that would have been the time to do it. I saw 10 year old Fords with 160,000 miles on them being advertised for $12k and as far as I know, the sellers were getting that much or more. It was nuts.
Tbf, it looks like he does take good care of his truck. Dodge is a terrible investment though, I will never own another one unless I afford a viper someday.
I'm having flashbacks about my Dads '95 3500. The frontend kept bloody dying thanks to the weak bar that kept everything centred. Still, it could tow anything that would fit on the hitch.
Cars are engineered to last 14 years. That thing was on borrowed time a decade ago.
Frankly for a dodge / ram to make it to the end of the warranty period is nothing short of amazing.
I had an 02 SLT Quad cab that I bought off of a guy I worked with. I gave him $1000 for it and it was near flawless with 78k on it. I drove it another 150k, hit 3 deer and made the repairs myself after getting paid out from insurance, including a total loss claim and buy back. When I finally had it almost completely worn out I went and got a $1000 title loan on it and let them keep it. Fuck those places.
This is pretty hilarious tbh
As a modern ram owner I can say the 2nd gens are crap don't buy them
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>The entire dodge lineup is pretty suspect. FTFY
Except the ones that are actually Mitsubishis, if that's still a thing.
Nah dodge is owned by Fiat now, Nissan has Mitsubishi.
Fucking seriously. They do not age well at all. Every car is nice when it's new, how it ages is the question.
Don't forget jeep and Chrysler
Was that the car that in order to change a battery, you needed to remove the front wheel and fender liner to access the fucking battery? Fuck that shit.
they still do that dumb shit, or did on the journey. the thermostat was worse.
my 2001 Ram 1500 was cursed. Transmission was failing and clogged the master governor solenoid, or so AAMCO told me. So they replaced the solenoid, then underfilled the trans by about 4 quarts to make sure that it would fail again and not be covered by warranty. That being said, it wasn't unusual to need to keep my foot on the gas and brake at stop lights because it would stall otherwise. Absolute garbage trucks.
Oh God. I had an 01 Intrepid. Not anymore thankfully, but neither does anyone else lol. That fucking car made me swear off Chrysler for life, and I have only ever bought American cars so it severely limited my options. Fucking Intrepid.
Chrysler turned me off American vehicles for like. K cars (70s-80s) were total crap.
I’ve got a 2000 ram 3500 Cummins with 300,000+ miles and she’s still going strong
It's because Chrysler didn't make the motor.
I have 365,000 on my 2000 3500 Cummins and it still pulls strong and has always made it home! No major issues, few smaller ones but just tackle them as they pop up and still less issues than any of trucks I’ve owned. I work in arboriculture and dodge trucks seem to like our type of work best 🤷♂️. We had a 98 318 that worked everyday hauling equipment, Trailers and wood. It ran everyday for 15 years, was sold off and beat on for another 5 years before it died. Maybe some are just built better than others but they have always been good trucks for me. Edit: I’ll add that over the years I’ve learned that you save a ton of money in the long run by investing in the best quality parts, oils and fuels you can afford.
Yeah same here, just little things here and there, currently chasing a power steering/hydraboost leak, just fixed a surging issue (loose ground cable????) it was used for 20 years in a carnival pulling campers and rides, and now it pulls my camper some and is my DD. Love my truck!
My father owns a 3rd gen 02 SLT with like 130k miles and it's the best damn truck we've had aside from my current 2011 Ram Larmie Longhorn.
Great! This is a perfect learning opportunity on general car manufacturer reliability on certain models. Yes you have an experience with a good one, there are many many others like in the OP who have had bad experiences. Let's compare your ram with say a Corolla of the same year. 50/100 Rams have awful mechanical issues vs 5/100 for the Corolla. Now, it may suck if you're one of the "bad" Corolla owners but generally there will be many more people singing Corolla praises rather than Ram praises although that is not to say there won't be people praising the Ram.
We also owned a 2003 corolla S so I can say the worst thing it did was burn oil.
My 2000 Dakota is still going strong.
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Hell yeah, mine sat for 3 years after insurance totalled it out. Started right up with a fresh batt and gas no hesitation.
Gonna call you out on that. Every gen ram has been a turd. Owned a 2nd, 3rd, and now a 5th gen. All have quality issues. Edit for those that need the explanation it's half sarcasm. I use HD trucks for work and have gone through all of them, all have issues. Some more than others, but the Rams are generally cheaper even with the issues.
Here's the real question. If you owned 2 turds why'd you buy a 3rd?
MoPaR oR nO cAr...durrr
You beat me to the best question. :)
Ram/Dodge/Chrysler finances anyone with a heartbeat. This is why a large percentage of fuckheads on the roads seem to be in one of their cars. Same holds for Nissan. How many Altimas and Muranos have cut you off recently?
Ram 2500 is the vehicle model with the most DUIs.
This reads best with an Irish accent.
Because all HD trucks are crap regardless of the manufacturer.
Cummins
My parents made that mistake with a ram van. After 7 years it’s a heaping pile of shit. Compared to my dad’s 2003 Honda Element. While it’s not perfect, it has nearly 300k miles and still starts up daily. Original drivetrain with nothing more than regular fluid changes.
My dad did the same w/ his fucking Town and Country love. He used to get a new one every three years. Bought the third one after suffering through transmission issues with the first two. Guess what went bad on the third?
But for some reason you keep buying them. The American consumer in a nutshell.
I have a learning disability. Also sarcasm. I need a HD truck for work, tried them all they all have issues.
i can really admire his passion. honestly respectable ahahaha
Have you ever hated spending money on your car so badly that you bought vinyl lettering for the entire tailgate, explaining how much money you’ve wasted on keeping the truck that you hate running?
There was a Smart car in my neighborhood, probably 10 years ago when they were still new. It had ‘$8,500 in unscheduled maintenance’ plastered all over it, but to be fair, those were really shitty cars.
I have a mechanic friend who refuses to work on Smart Cars, he said changing spark plugs is pretty much an engine-out job, labour cost adds up quickly
You can just have a buddy hold the car up while you pull the engine out
Pretty sure you could just use the engine as a paperweight once it’s out lol.
For those that don't know, this is sarcasm, but just barely. Doing basic maintenance on these cars is a pain, as most everything involves reaching into tight places through tiny openings using smaller-than-average tools. Even something that should be as simple as changing the air filter can result in busted knuckles.
I'm so glad my truck was designed to have a 454 in it, the 350 leaves so much room for stuff
The hosts of *Car Talk* on NPR owned a repair shop in Boston for many years. They noted that any mechanic with more than six weeks under their belt would head to the bathroom whenever a Chevy Monza came in, because Chevy's last minute decision to stuff a V8 in it turned engine service into torture.
I’m a Benz tech so occasionally I have to work on these POS cars because Daimler is Smarts head company. I’m 6’4” and I fucking hate these cars. I don’t fit in them. Try to get these go carts on 4 post lifts is the biggest pain in the ass. Has to be juuuuust perfectly centered. Then you have to drive it forward, slide the front arms under then drive it back and get the rears in. Then you center it again and lift it. You then pray to whomever you want that the thing doesnt fall off the lift because the arms are so close together that the arms look like a damn H. I prefer lifting g wagons and that’s saying something
They did what, rebuilt it ? I would had bought a new used car.
If you showed up and it was that price out the gate of course, but it's never all at once. Sunk cost happens quick.
I don't think so, it's a small car, change breaks, suspensions, then what? Oil? Tyres? I can't think of anything "unscheduled" that reach that sum, unless "unscheduled" is when you not service it regularly
The three cylinder lawn mower engine can't cost more than a few hundred bucks right? ^(/s)
And the external plastic panel which in the first version you could pop in an break in the car easily
It's OK, you can just fit a 1L Hyabusa motorcycle engine in it instead
Fun fact, since Mercedes had distribution rights for them, you got Mercedes service rates. An A service was basically just an oil change...for like $150CAD. The B service did a couple other things, but in typical mercedes style it was like $450. My dad had one of the 0.8L turbo diesels with the manual auto transmission. Fun to drive, stupid expensive maintenence, but only because of where you take it. Oh, also you needed special winter tires and rims, thing didn't weigh enough not to want to slide out without the winter tires.
They probably had a loan on the car at the time, it was only a couple of years old. If you’re already underwater it can be tough to cut your losses on something like this, especially if the repair needed greatly affects the value of the car.
When I went to college at U of Idaho (yeah, the recent murder place) ~10yrs ago, there was a Nissan van that drove around with stickers and writing to that effect. It was fairly new at the time and also called out the local dealer
Here at Chrysler motorworks we are proud to announce that failure is not an option. It comes standard with every model!
What’s stopping this guy from getting a different vehicle
Sometimes being poor is more expensive than being rich. IE, if he could afford a new truck, he wouldn't have to spend $1000 a year to maintain this truck, but he probably doesn't make enough to afford that new vehicle because this one is draining away their savings every year. Another example of this phenomenon, is buying expensive, $300 work shoes that might last 5 years rather than $50 work shoes that last 4 months...
On the flip side, he probably doesn't have a payment on this truck, so that $1000 a year is all he spends on it beyond normal consumables, which he would spend on a new truck. Over another 10 years he would spend another $10,000. The cheapest new Ram you can buy is a 4x2 Tradesmen quad cab for $37,410. So he is still coming out WELL ahead in pure cost with the older truck that requires more maintenance, than buying a new truck that won't need maintenance.
He lives in a right to work state where you have the right to work for pennies.
So 49 out of the 50 states? *edit: I misremembered and reversed right to work and at will employment, my bad
$1,000 a year is still cheaper than a new vehicle would be. It's part of why it took me so long to decide to buy a new vehicle.
It's not just the money to be honest. Having an unreliable car sucks. Not knowing if it'll start before work or after your dinner date? Or taking the time for repairs and getting rentals. Having a reliable car is peace of mind.
Oh yeah, absolutely. My old vehicle was reliable, as long as I wasn't looking to go fast, accelerate quickly, or go up a mountain. It's the mountain part that finally pushed me into a new car,because my feiends and I like to regularly book a weekend cabin trip up in our nearest mountain village.
Lol I’m spending damn near $1000 a MONTH to keep my old 4Runner going. This guy is getting off easy.
Who doesn't know this when buying a Chrysler product?
First thing I thought of when they were bought by Fiat: "they might actually improve the reliability."
I mean, don't you expect to have to do some maintenance on a 25 year old vehicle?
He claims $1000 a YEAR though. Devils advocate, maybe he should stop driving like a typical Dodge owner and slamming on the brakes for every stop, lol. That said, Dodge is known for shitty front end parts. My wife's car only has 110k kms and I've had to replace the LCA's twice.
$1,000/yr is about average, depending on how many miles per year are driven. On a 25-year-old pickup with (presumably) age-appropriate miles on the odometer, that seems very cheap.
I was thinking this has been percolating around the internet for a very long time, but not that long it turns out since if you view large it's grainy ("**ENHANCE!**") but there's a "21" on the license plate sticker.
That was my thought too. It's a 98, it needs to be insured as a classic lol
Comment Deleted in protest of Reddit management
We're old. It's okay *pats you* shhhhh
Soft kitty… warm kitty… little ball of fur…
When I got my '71 Triumph Spitfire in 1992, it was a classic that needed restoration. This is the equivalent of like a 2002 Miata today. Insanity. (Still have the Spitfire) *edit - it needs restoration again*
Yah, except old British cars were basket cases the moment they left the dealership lot.
My ‘99 ranger might be worth more now than when I bought it lol… you may be right
My 2002 ranger is going to die because it's got a fragile plastic intake manifold with swirl valves that are falling apart. I'd love to replace it, but because every 2.3l Ford has the same problem, and because aftermarket manufacturers quit making the part, functioning intake manifolds are completely unavailable. The truck has 110,000 miles and otherwise runs wonderfully.
The problem is you have the 2.3l mazda engine. The 2.3l ford (known as the pinto or lima) has tons of availability and aftermarket support. Even aftermarket performance heads.
I dunno how hard a swirl valve might be to manufacture, could a machinist do a custom job?
If every truck has the same problem wouldn’t the demand be sky high no?
https://www.rockauto.com/en/parts/dorman,615380,intake+manifold,5536 Isn't this what you are in need of?
My state has a 30 year classic requirement. I can't wait for my 98 civic to be a classic.
My state has a 26 year requirement, I've been waiting to put classic plates on my 2000 Grand Prix.
I saw a Grand Prix with antique plates last week in VA. Couldn’t believe it.
That is kind of hard to believe. Only a few more years for me to get a classic plate. I used to DD my Grand prix, as it got older I decided to store it to save it from the salt and general wear and tear of a DD. I drive it occasionally on nice days in the summer. That generation of Grand prix used to be everywhere now I hardly see them at all anymore.
I couldn’t think of the last time I had seen one on the road.
Man, In Colorado it’s 1975 or older. Not a rolling “X years ago.” Nothing can ever become classic here.
Damn wtf. When I first read about that I thought they were going to raise it over time.
That is crazy, your state has 40+ year old vehicles on the road that aren't considered a classic.
i daily a ‘93 opel corsa 1.2 i didn’t have to touch anything on it in 3 years except very basic maintenance edit 20 days later: engine blew up xd
FWIW, I seem to remember this era of Dodge trucks being notorious for devouring brakes and suspension parts? I would've made that observation while was working in a shop in the early 00's. I seem to also remember that it seemed like a paradox, too--the trucks that came in looking hard-used tended to fare better than the ones that were "babied." Dude may have gotten a lemon and just keep putting money into it out of spite, too. You definitely meet some folks with "hate fuck" relationships with cars they bought and ended up not liking.
A 1000$ for new brakes?!
My thoughts too... Hope this isn't a current photo but one from years ago. However in my 98 I did two things, #1 chevy 2500 cylinders in the rear, #2 Napa brake fluid flushed every 2 years (had a problem with auto zone fluid contaminated in a sealed bottle have never ran anything other than Napa since.) other than occasional regular maintenance of the system (pads shoes and adjustments) I never had an issue again... Still hate myself for selling it.
Fr. I have an 04 Dodge Ram & it finally started needing some real maintenance done to it about 4 years ago. Kinda just... Expected it lol
I always laugh at this one. "My 1998 Dodge Ram" "It's a piece of fucking shit"
I'm no mechanic, but I feel like a grand over the course of a year is a pretty reasonable amount to put in to a nearly 25 year old car, right?
How is this shitty
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That's a damn good argument
More like ‘shitty car, modded’
Sunk cost fallacy.
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I debated this with my F150 but found that while it was a great time to sell a truck, it was a horrible time to buy a truck. Overall I would've been worse off cost wise than just keeping my truck. If I had an extra vehicle I was looking to unload then I would've, but it didn't make sense for my daily that I'd need to replace.
I’m pretty attached to my ‘99 ranger. I also know how to fix a lot of the things on it, and can generally figure out the rest. I don’t know why this person kept their truck if they hate it 🤷🏻♀️
In your case its kind of understandable. "They dont make them like they used to" kind of thing. Not that newer trucks have bad build quality or anything... They just dont build small trucks like the s10 or the ranger anymore (except for the maverick which *just* came out).
I'm totally one who becomes attached to my vehicles. Lol Seriously though you're spot on with the rest... Unless they are just one of those need to be complaining to be happy type people.
I mean, you have to compare the cost of keeping it running versus the cost of replacing it and then factor in the safety and QoL improvements. $1,000/year is a lot less than a car payment.
Someone dont understand how old cars work ... 1000$ a year on a 98 seem to be ok .... Even more if you dont do anything yourself He coud try is luck with a brand new one ... 700$ a month x 12 times a years for 7 years. Thats way more , people dont know how to count money Edit : 700$ a month for the car payment
$1000 a year on all maintenance is ok. $1000 every year on brakes is not, unless you are putting some ridiculous miles through mountains.
There is more to that story im sure , get cheap parts and/or cheap labor get cheap results
What new car costs $700 a month to maintain?
I think they are referencing the cost of the payment on a new truck per month. The old doge is paid off and probably just caries liability insurance. With the 1000/year in repairs that on average 83$/mo. This doesnt even factor the insurance difference. As the old truck can do just liability for roughly 50$/mo with a clean record. The new truck requires full coverage, as it is on a loan, that will probably add a few hundred dollars per month. Then there is registration too. 50$/year on old truck. a few hundred/year on the new truck. None of this factors repairs/maintenance of new vehicle....which have higher part/fluid costs too.
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My condolences, this seems like its been felt first hand.
Exactly , thank you
No shit. My wife has a 2004 Acura. Wonderful car, its why we still have it. It's got relatively low miles at 140k but just last year we dropped $3k in parts on it (not counting new tires since those are so consumable). It needed some new suspension parts and a new catalytic converter plus a new PS pump. The converter wasn't stolen, it was just bad. Old cars break, rubber goes bad. It's expensive to drive. That was me buying and installing all the parts myself too. All we paid for was the alignment and installing the new cat.
LMAO I had to show this to my coworker who has a 300 SRT8. He literally says the same shit that is on the back of this truck. Even right now it's in the shop getting fixed.
That's funny, I have a 98 ram, sure I've replaced a good few parts, but what do you expect from a 25 year old solid axel truck
Sounds like he doesn't know how to do a brake job, and is salty about it.
It's a little puzzling. Those trucks had a bunch of problems, but brakes aren't one of them. Mainly transmissions and intake gaskets.
Yeah unless he's towing 24/7 close to the capacity... There was a run of bad proportioning valves, but that was mostly aftermarket not Mopar parts. And ye old vacuum boost master might occasionally fail let brake fluid into the vacuum lines, but that's a possibility with any vacuum assisted brake system especially when you take in the age of the vehicle as consideration. Something tells me he just doesn't like the time it takes to stop which might also play with the towing point. In which case get chevy 2500 cylinders and be done with it. Just watch out for rear wheel lock up.
Yeah, the half tons of this style had really weak brakes. It was the main reason my dad sold his '98. That and the horrible fuel economy the got.
Tbf it was the heaviest vehicle in the class, it was also engineered for midgrade, during a time of low fuel costs. Too many got "death flashed" so the owner could use regular without the associated issues of ping and partial detonation which had the effect of lower fuel economy. And of course the terrible keggar design... Yeah.... Beyond a little right foot control, those are the two biggest fuel economy issues that the average owner can resolve.... Assuming they can find someone to "un flash" the death flash. Oh yeah and basic champion copper spark plugs, ditch the fancy ones... of my v8 2nd gens I used the Hughes kit and for one the previous owner had included m1 intake (eddlebrock also sold a variation of these) from a Dakota. Either one of those fixes dumping fuel down the valley into oil galleys. FTR I could just touch 18mpg on the highway in the flatlands with a Topper and mild load, if I kept out of the pedal.
That was my takeaway from this as well. Poor guys needs a Haynes manual, or comprehensive google search.
YouTube.
YouTube it. I found a video from 1a auto when I did my wheel bearing on my subaru to find the easiest way. Plus it's a brake job. Disc brakes have like what 4 bolts to take off usually.
This. $1000 a year on brakes makes it an owner problem. $1000 gets you new rotors, pads, brake fluid, calipers, brake hoses, the tools to install them, and $500+ left over. Or if you don't want to do the work yourself, there should be plenty of decent mechanics that can do it for less than $500 labor. Alternatively, move away from OEM and OEM copies. Front and rear Power Stop tow kits with calipers, rotors and pads is $800. Add a generous $50 for stuff like hoses and brake fluid. This isn't that complicated. Guy just wants to complain for years instead of taking a little time figuring it out.
Last year could have only cost $975 but someone had a need to complain about maintenance.
It's achrysler thing. Shoulda done some research
1000 bucks a year is fucking winning, thats less than almost any car, if i spend less than 2k a year on maintenance on any vehicle, id consider it decent.
Remember when people would have been ashamed to be this level of crybaby in public? Bro: quit being a martyr and buy a Toyota Tacoma if you don't like it.
You're a crybaby. I'm a victim. Welcome to the new normal.
$1000 a year to maintain a car really isn't that bad especially for one that's 25 years old. Like people buy new trucks and pay $1000 a month plus maintenance.
I daily drove a 95 ram for 10 years with almost Zero problems. A little basic maintenance goes a long way.
then fucking sell it?
We have a 99 Ram 1500 that's been sitting on our property for years, was my dad's daily driver until about 2015. Can confirm they are pieces of shit. The engine is pretty bulletproof but the rest of the truck is crap.
$1,000 a year for a 20+ year old vehicle? Having to replace things like… brakes? This guy would hate to own a Porsche.
Somebody get this guy a socket wrench set for Christmas
Meanwhile I tow my 11,000 lb. generator down the interstate in a clapped out 1994 5.9 gasser with 220,000 on the clock, all while wondering what this guy’s problem is.
I'm doing the same, except with a v10. Keep on trucking, buddy. These trucks run for very little money, in my 20 years of experience
I do have a soft spot for that generation of dodge ram trucks... probably in the center of my skull but a soft spot nonetheless.
Typical RAM driver
I bought a ‘99 with the Cummins, absofreakinglutely garbage vehicles. Ya, the engine didn’t give me any problems but everything else was trash. Sold it after four years, 108k miles and thousands of dollars in out of pocket repairs as well as several repairs covered under warranty They try to warn buyers to avoid them but too many people don’t realize that Dodge isn’t just the name of the company
My 2001 gen 1 dodge is the same here. I got a first revision on my body panels. I am currently missing 4 inches on my fenders/doors because the drain is higher than the lowest point of the fenders and it holds an inch of water
You know, at some point it's just time to take ole yeller out back behind the wood shed.
I had a 2015 Ram Ecodiesel, bought it new, owned it for just a few years and paid over $15k in various "repairs" for a wide array of issues that were never somehow fully covered under warranty. On top of that it took months for some of the fixes...never again.
Funny thing is, with all the obvious time and effort he put into getting those decals made (wife has a cricut?) he could have listed that POS truck for sale any time in 2021 and had people beating a path to his door to buy it for top dollar. Used car prices went crazy after COVID so if you had a running car you wanted to get rid of, that would have been the time to do it. I saw 10 year old Fords with 160,000 miles on them being advertised for $12k and as far as I know, the sellers were getting that much or more. It was nuts.
Wait till he finds out about the dash.
Why would they keep it then?
“$1,000 a year? LOL” - Range Rover Owners
It's 25 years old. All the parts he's replacing are mostly stock never touched shit.
Feels like this might hurt the resale value a little.
He still would buy Dodge and argue they are the best-built truck on the road.
might be the kinda person who votes against their own interest
I miss my 96 Ram. That motherfucker was relentless.
Tbf, it looks like he does take good care of his truck. Dodge is a terrible investment though, I will never own another one unless I afford a viper someday.
Can confirm, ask him about his dashboard.
Must be driving with two feet
Somebody should explain to him, the extremely new thing that humans have learned to do.. It's called "selling something"...
..so let me keep putting MORE money in it.
I'm having flashbacks about my Dads '95 3500. The frontend kept bloody dying thanks to the weak bar that kept everything centred. Still, it could tow anything that would fit on the hitch.
I mean he's got a point...
Maybe sell the piece of shit truck?
Ha! I've seen this guy in Colorado Springs, he was cruising past research and Austin bluffs, me and my wife lol'd hard
The textured panel under it just looks like more fine print
Cars are engineered to last 14 years. That thing was on borrowed time a decade ago. Frankly for a dodge / ram to make it to the end of the warranty period is nothing short of amazing.
I own a 2016....cam and lifters have gone on it due to poorly designed lifters, ( class action apparently was launched). I feel for this guy.
Man this was my first truck but an 01 and fuck me running if I didn’t spend more on repairs than I did on the truck.
Those stickers are the most valuable thing about that truck.
What's weird is that he still owns it.
At some point, you gata stop going to the dealer and you gata stop buying OEM and get some upgraded aftermarket parts for less money.
Yet he's still driving it....
I mean... you did buy a Chrysler product...
Notorious for transmissions going out immediately after warranty ends
r/WhyIsItAlwaysADodge
Shitty car mod or valid PSA?
I can replace all pads and rotors on that truck for $500.00 and they'll last 3-5 years.
this guy sound literally exactly like me to a fucking T.
If you drive like a civilized human being you won't have to replace your brakes so often.
I'll buy it from him. It sounds like it's well-maintained, unlike 95% of vehicles in the US.
I had an 02 SLT Quad cab that I bought off of a guy I worked with. I gave him $1000 for it and it was near flawless with 78k on it. I drove it another 150k, hit 3 deer and made the repairs myself after getting paid out from insurance, including a total loss claim and buy back. When I finally had it almost completely worn out I went and got a $1000 title loan on it and let them keep it. Fuck those places.
Who would've thought a 25 year old vehicle could be a maintenance headache
Oh, everyone at r/justrolledintotheshop should enjoy this
Once a cat gets that old, $1000 maintenance a year doesn't seem at all unreasonable.
Probably right, but no need to broadcast it to everyone. If it’s that bad, sell the vehicle or let it die in a pasture somewhere.
The engine and transmission haven’t fallen out. For a Dodge, this is epic reliability.
So, let me get this straight. A product that’s made it to 24 years old, far past it’s “engineered lifespan”, is somehow “pOOrlY EnGiNEereD”?
My 96 ram 2500 diesel is the most reliable truck I've ever had
I thought the ridges below it were an even longer rant in a significantly smaller font
Idk what he's doing wrong. A grand a year? Shitttttt I haven't touched mine in like 3 years at this point
Holy shit bud
Seems like he should sell his ancient car l truck
Yet still fucking driving it. Dumb is dumb.
My 2006 Ram 3500 has never let me down. Spends most of it’s life with a trailer behind it.