9th Jul 2006, 14:40

From Original Owner: Again, there were many parts on the truck that broke and had nothing to do with any abuse that may have ocurred. Things like the Oil Pressure Sensor are completely autonomous, and shouldn't be dying, regardless of whether someone wasn't taking care of the truck or not.

Some of you obvious dodge owners need to grow a brain.

10th Jul 2006, 14:36

It sounds like you just got a bad example. Every old truck I've bought required some work to iron out the bugs. You may have sold it too soon... right after ironing out the bugs, but before you got to enjoy it.

27th Jul 2006, 22:29

I currently own a 1988 Dodge Power Ram 4x4. I too have had all of the problems that you have stated in your comments, but one thing for sure the engine - drivetrain going on 20 years. The body and interior are great shape. AC works, but needs a service, but hey, she's an old hag that can still turn a teenager's head.

16th Dec 2006, 10:24

Holy cow! What a story! Not because you got cheated, but because you cheated yourself. First, that truck was sixteen years old when you bought it. And being a truck, that means a lot of work over the years, which means wear and tear. That's to be expected. Plus, you admit that the dealer lied through his teeth about the condition and it turned out to be just the opposite of how it was described. That right there should pop up a red flag. I refuse to buy any vehicle (regardless of condition) from a dealer who is obviously a liar. The only thing that surprises me is that you bought this truck and didn't expect it to need lots of repairs.

I can relate to your experience for two reasons. First, by coincidence, I just bought a sixteen year old Dodge Power Ram. Mine has more miles on it than yours did when you bought it. It needed some repairs, and after investing the necessary money to fix it up, I'm very happy with it. I expected it to need some work when I bought it.

Second, I was in exactly the same situation as you a year ago. I took a Greyhound bus across three states to buy a truck (in this case, a GM) that I was told was in excellent condition. When I got there I found, just like you, that it was anything but excellent. Like you, I was also tempted to buy it anyway, more because I had traveled so far to get it than because it was a desirable truck. But unlike you, I swallowed my pride and refused to buy it. Rather than buy a truck I knew would need more than it's value in repairs, I opted instead to spring for another Greyhound ticket back home. That's what you should have done. Another plane ticket would have cost you a few bucks, but not listening to your common sense ended up costing a lot more. I agree with the other guy, I think you're mad because you know deep down inside that you made a bad decision, more than anything else.

16th May 2007, 00:36

My first truck; I am 18 years old and I loved every bit of my 88 dodge power Ram until the last minute. I bought it a couple of years ago from a guy in a wheel chair. I done most of the fixings as you mentioned, spent a lot of time and MONEY into the old babe! But you know what... I don't regret it one bit. The "Old Beast" got me from point A to point B every time. Especially in the snow when the 4 wheel drive came in handy. Besides only getting ten miles to the gallon in the city (with today's gas prices), she was mine. #1, "Old Beast" Dodge... live on today!!!

20th May 2007, 20:19

I am a 17 year old hard working boy from Wisconsin and I just bought a 1988 power ram 4x4 that was in good shape. The body, paint, engine, tires, and almost everything else is great. The only thing is that it was stored for a few years and some of the gaskets are dried out, no biggy... The ball joints need greasing and so do the u-joints, but this is easy. I replaced the water pump, radiator, air horn, exhaust, windshield, and a few other things for a few hundred bucks. Well worth it too. This truck is my baby and she is built great, even for a 19 year old truck. You bought a crappy truck that was beat to hell by the previous owner... you should have looked under the hood, the truck, and then should have gone back home. Dodge is great, but only when treated right.

19th Sep 2007, 13:58

I have a 1988 Ramcharger. I purchased it in June '04. It has 210k miles. It looks great and I got it for $2000. It uses some oil and leaks some too. I have spent very little in maintenance. I have driven it to Fla from north Ga. I have taken it in the mud and trail riding many times (performs much better off road). You got ripped off beyond belief. Don't hate my great truck for yor indescretions.

30th Sep 2007, 21:12

I'm 16 and I just bought a 88 dodge power ram for $800 and I absolutely love it. the engine is in amazing shape and the body is decent. the only things that need attention are a hole in the floor pan, which was easy to fix, cut out the old rust and pop rivet new metal. and the steering is sloppy, which from what I hear is common or may maybe just a bad tie rod end.

14th Apr 2008, 12:00

I own 2 of these first generation Dodges. One is a 1993 W250 that has 260,000 miles, that is a Diesel, manual trans, and a 4x4. The other one is a 1992 Ramcharger that is nearing 80,000 miles. Combined between the two I have spent less than 1000 dollars on repairs. And it hasn't been anything major either; hoses, belts, tuneup parts, etc...

The only glaring problem that I have is rust, and it isn't major, NJ will flag it during inspection, so far nothing. Otherwise everything else works, everything.

You are just a angry person who got screwed on a beaten heap of crap, and from your post it seems that you didn't have the skill to do any of these repairs yourself. I however can give you no sympathy, my 1984 Chevy K5 Blazer was nothing short of a money pit, the original 305 never needed an oil change because it burned more oil than a container ship, and the body made swiss cheese look solid. A new motor and some body work later, it was good, then everything else went bad on it. U-Joints, rebuilt the entire front end including the steering box and new power steering pump. put new brakes on all 4 corners, including all lines, and that wasn't all the list continued on.

However despite all of this, it was my first car and, daily driver for 6 years. It was an expensive learning experience, costing in parts over those 6 years somewhere close to 8k. That car was also abused by the previous owner, and I knew it. In fact when I bought it there was 3 different sized tires on it. I had a blast working on it, and not everything was easy. It was old, it was abused, it seemed like everything broke, and I loved it.