Faults:

Serpentine Belt Failed at 12000 miles, then again at 18000. After talking to dealer, it turned out to be a bad belt tensioner. Replaced under warranty, no cost.

At about 75000, I started hearing a rattle noise in the left rear hub. Turns out the bolts connecting axle to hub were failing. New hub & Bolts, $400.

General Comments:

This is the toughest, strongest truck on the market. It will out run, out pull any other truck on the road, hands down. And it handles very good for a truck of this size. On or off road, where I spend a lot of time.

Chevy has a better ride, but try pulling 18,000#'s of trailer on a regular basis with one.

I run this truck HARD, and it won't break or fail me. Gas mileage isn't great, but with over 500 ft lbs of torque at the tires, who cares. Except the kid in the little rice rocket who is now in the rear view mirror. And that's with a load in the bed.

Dodge definitely has the strongest running gear, or I would have broken this thing a long time ago!

Faults:

Front disc caliper was stuck from the factory and destroyed the front brakes with 1600 miles. Repairs by several different dealers on seven occasions could not eliminate the brake pull from side to side. Dodge would not replace the required parts and the Dodge parts are poor quality. At 88,000 miles I replace the front rotor discs, brake pads and calipers with high quality after-market parts. The brakes are the best they have ever been.

The Dodge Ram 4X4 front end design is terrible. The distance from the tire centerline to the steering pivot is to large. This cause the steering to be very sensitive to road slope, brake friction and other variables. Stopping smooth and straight consistently is almost an impossibility.

The automatic converter clutch keeps engaging and disengaging in overdrive for no reason. The transmission power train computer module was reprogrammed by the dealer, but the problem returned. Disconnecting the batteries overnight will correct the problem for a few days, but it always returns. Apparently the computer system "learns" incorrect information and changes the default settings.

The front differential oil seals wore out at 80,000 and began to leak differential gear oil. This is a $600 repair for $25 in parts by the dealer. I did the repair myself. The Dodge seals are sub-standard quality.

Anyone knowing how to correct the transmission converter clutch problem should contact me at e-mail: rieskekr@aol.com.

The Cummins 24-valve turbo diesel is awesome, but the $450 fuel lift pump went out after the warranty expired so I replaced it my self. This price is for parts only. The pump is a Dodge part and not part of the Cummins package.

I still like the styling and Cummins better than the Ford F-250 Super Duty, but will never buy another Dodge product.

General Comments:

The Dodge Ram 2500 pickup 4X4 has serious design flaws in the front end that cannot be fixed by the dealer or the owner. The problems continued for many years before Dodge took action to do a complete redesign as seen in the 2003 model. However, it was to little and to late. The Dodge truck reputation is shot.