1996 Dodge Ram Pickup

Summary:

326,000 miles and still running!!

Faults:

We bought this truck for $800 and it has been well worth it. The things that have gone wrong are mostly due to poor maintenance from the previous owners, but here goes:

The alternator went out ($160 to fix that)

Three out of four motor mounts were broken and the suspension was dangerously messed up ($1,200 for that repair.)

The previous owners had replaced the brakes themselves and put them on WRONG, so we had to fix that ($500 for front and back).

We just had a cold snap the other night and the truck wouldn't start in the morning, but it would in the afternoon, so we've got to figure out what that's going to cost to fix.

General Comments:

I love this truck-it was a great deal for us!

326,000 miles and it STILL runs!!!

I also have a 1992 Ford Bronco with 240,000 miles on it. Love that truck, too!

You just have to baby them, and be thankful that they still run and you're not making payments!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th October, 2005

8th Nov 2008, 16:52

I have 125,000 miles on my 1996 Ram 250, and I feel it is almost broken in. It runs great and I maintain it very well, and use it a lot and abuse it when I need to, but she keeps on going.

I believe if you take care of your truck, she will take care of you.

I also owned a 1970 Dodge pick up and had to get rid of her in 1998, but she tangled with a cement truck and lost not by much, but had to put her down. Other than that, she was indestructible.

22nd Dec 2009, 19:46

My 1996 Dodge has 261,000 miles on her. I love this beast. Not as fast out of the gate, nor the first to finish, she's more like a Budweiser horse. Pure work horse, extra springs for more weight, minimal maintenance; when it's broke I fix it. I still get a steady 16 mpg from her. Turns over every time I hit the switch. I LOVE MY TRUCK....

30th Dec 2009, 20:55

1500 Dodge Pick Up 1995. Got it 6 years ago, 120,000 miles, now 210,000. Strong engine, still has a shine, easy fixing, never left me on the side of the road. 318 engine; it pushes out when I need to move. Beats most cars off the stop light. Love this rusty runner.

1996 Dodge Ram Pickup SLT Laramie 5.9 Liter

Summary:

A truck with good looks (inside and out) but could use more power for as much gas as it takes

Faults:

The biggest issue that I ran into with this truck was its O2 Sensors. I would start my truck and let it warm up and while I was waiting it would often; Drop way down in RPMs, scream for air, rough idle and sound like it was going to stall. Often times it would go up and down in RPMs over a period of time, going to down slowly only to return to idle with a roar. Driving down the road, before it was completely warmed up, it would display a lack of power, then all of a sudden kick into its normal driving power. I checked plugs/wires, intake, etc. Finally a mechanic suggested the cat. converter, but I tried switching the sensors first and that did it. After that it ran like normal, no more rough idles or lack of power. I posted my review on this website just to make others aware of this simple and relatively cheap fix to an annoying problem.

General Comments:

For the brief period of time that I had this truck I really enjoyed it. The extended cab had plenty of room and could easily fit passengers in the back. The interior is comfortable enough for long trips although the gas mileage is not. This truck also pulls trailers well as far as handling goes. I was never very impressed with the overall take off of the vehicle even with the 5.9 V8. I would definitely recommend this truck, especially if the auto transmission has already been replaced.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th October, 2005