In my last published COAL post over 2 years ago (here), I made a brief introduction to the newest member of our fleet; a 2016 Ram 1500 with the 3.0L EcoDiesel V6. More specifically, and quite a mouthful, a Certified Pre-Owned 2016 Ram 1500 Crew Cab Laramie 4×4 EcoDiesel. My husband, James, and I had been racking up the miles on our primary cars (E350 Bluetec & Magnum SRT8 here). Projects around the house were growing in size. We had a desire to head back out to the desert to go offroading. We also had sights set on a travel trailer to go camping and to go to Burning Man with. With these criteria, we started to shop around for a truck to add to our fleet.
As we started shopping, a Ram truck was at the top of the list for several reasons. My parents own a 1998 Ram 1500 equipped with a 5.9L V8 that has 380K miles on it, and a friend owns an ’08 Ram 1500 Sport Crew Cab with the 5.7L Hemi. We also considered an F-150, due to an extensive list of previous Fords that we had owned. The biggest factor in considering the Ram was that James really wanted to get another diesel engine. Not wanting a heavy duty truck, the only one to look at was the Ram 1500. At the time, it was the only light duty full size with an available diesel engine (Chevrolet and Ford have just recently jumped into this market segment). We found a Certified Pre-Owned truck locally in our price range. After the test drive and during the negotiations, we looked over the CarFax report that was provided by the dealer. Service, service, service, engine replaced. Say what?!?!
[Just a few days after the new purchase.]
The engine replacement was done at the dealership we were at. We asked what the deal was. According to the sales manager, the original owner was a “special kind of customer”. He was the kind of customer that was never happy and complained about everything. He kept brining the truck back in, complaining of smelling diesel in the cab of the truck. The dealership had gone through everything and was never able to replicate the problem. The customer made such a stink that FCA authorized replacing the engine. In the middle of the engine swap, the owner traded it in on a new Cummins powered 2500. Once the engine was replaced, it went through the certification process and was now listed as CPO. We debated on this for about an hour, the pros and cons of buying this truck with a brand new engine. It was still under the factory warranty, plus the extended coverage of the CPO warranty. We decided to gamble and in September of 2017, this truck came home with us.
[Just a few days after the new purchase.]
She was a beautiful truck. It was Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl metallic with a black interior. It’s the Laramie trim level, a mid-range luxury trim. It sits above the Tradesman, Express, SLT, Big Horn/Lonestar, Outdoorsman, and Sport and below the Laramie Longhorn and Limited trims. It has a lot of luxury features; 20″ chrome clad wheels, chrome LED head and taillights, chrome bumpers, leather interior, heated/cooled memory power seats, heated steering wheel, back up camera, tasteful wood accents on the interior, navigation, bluetooth etc. Honestly my favorite feature of the truck was the heated steering wheel. I thought that had to be one of the most pointless features. Maybe you’d enjoy it in cold climate, but in southern CA? However, I used that thing all the time. After a day of working and being on the computer all day, the commute home with the heated steering wheel on it was soothing to my hands.
The EcoDiesel engine is the Italian heart of this American pickup truck. The 3.0L DOHC turbodiesel V6 is built by VM Motori in Italy. The engine was available in both the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Ram 1500 in North America, as well as a few Maserati models in Europe. The engine was named to Ward’s 10 Best Engine list for 2014, 2015, and 2106. It spins out 240HP and 420 LB/FT of torque! Towing capacity is 8,560lbs. The first weekend we had it, took it on a road trip from San Diego to Palm Springs and back. Over the entire trip we averaged 25 mpg! The truck drives and rides very well, the coil spring suspension in the back definitely helps. Considering it has the aerodynamics of a brick, it was surprisingly quiet on the inside at freeway speeds. Much closer to his Benz than my Magnum.
[Unfortunately, this won’t be the last time.]
About a month into ownership, on one of the first Home Depot runs, the truck flashed a “Service Electronic Throttle Control” error and went into limp mode on the way back home. We managed to get the truck home, and called Roadside Assistance. Roadside Assistance is provided as part of the Certified PreOwned warranty, and the truck had its first trip on the back of a flatbed back to the selling dealer (Flatbed Trip #1). They found that the plastic turbo inlet pipe was cracked, allowing excess air into the engine and the computer was freaking out. The inlet was replaced and we had the truck back to us the next day.
[One of the reasons we bought a truck, let’s go back country camping.]
One month later, Veteran’s Day weekend was going to be our first off-road and camping excursion with the truck. 4 days and 3 nights in Saline Valley Springs, one of the most remote locations in all of California. Access to the Valley and Springs requires a high clearance vehicle, and it is 50 miles down an iffy dirt road (80-90 miles from anything remotely considered civilization). From our home in San Diego, it is 390 miles one way to get there. 300 miles into the trip, we got a faint whiff of diesel smell in the cab of the truck. Initially we thought it was from the tractor trailer we had just passed since the smell dissipated soon after.
Just as we are getting off the beaten path, the check engine light comes on. No reduction in power, it seems fine. Soon, we smell diesel and the truck is dumping smoke out the back. We pull off at a safe spot and there is fuel pouring from underneath the truck. We shut the truck off to start investigating, and now it refuses to restart. While attempting to start it, we are able to determine the source of the fuel leak. One of the high pressure fuel lines is cracked and spraying fuel everywhere. After several failed attempts (extremely spotty cell coverage), we get in touch with Roadside Assistance.
[One of the prettiest shots on a flatbed I’ve taken]
It takes a couple of hours for the tow truck to arrive. The CPO warranty covers a tow to the nearest dealership, which is in Bakersfield approximately 230 miles away. We have to spend a night in Bishop, CA before heading to Bakersfield the next morning (Flatbed Trip #2). Being Friday afternoon when we arrive, they quickly do the initial analysis and verify that they do not have the part in stock. It won’t be in until Monday. We are given a rental and return back to San Diego, camping trip ruined. On Tuesday I make the round trip from San Diego to Bakersfield to retrieve the truck.
[She went off the beaten path a few times, and actually made it back.]
During our downtime that weekend, we got to thinking about the original owner and his complaints of smelling diesel in the cab. We determined that the fuel line had to have some sort of microscopic flaw during manufacture, and would drip out fuel when it was under heavy load. It was clear from the marks in the bed that the truck had been used to haul stuff. He would smell it, take it to the dealer. A normal test drive around the block or even on the freeway wouldn’t create a heavy enough load on the engine to cause the fuel to leak. Our trip, we were loaded down and heading up some decent grades. This put it under load enough to cause that drip to become a large crack and spray the fuel on the engine. Our own hypothesis, but nothing ever confirmed.
[Some light wheeling in Anza Borrego.]
After getting the truck back, while our confidence was severely shaken things seemed to get better. I rotated it into my commute, splitting the week between the Ram and my Magnum. During my commutes I was getting 21-23 mpg, which is better than my Magnum was getting. The 8 speed automatic was buttery smooth, always in the right gear and never hunting. I once rented a Mustang GT with the 10 speed auto and that automatic was terrible. It was a very comfortable cruiser, glided down the highway. The back seat had more leg room that our 1995 W140 S-class Mercedes. I read somewhere that this is what the personal luxury coupe has become, and I agree to some extent. These are definitely the modern version of the full size cars of the 60s/70s. There were some dump runs, more Home Depot runs, a trip to Phoenix. The truck performed without hiccup. In May of 2018, I took the truck out to the Anza Borrego Desert State Park for a photo shoot with a friend. We ventured several miles down some of the off-road trails in the park. The temps in the desert were pushing close to 100, and even with the A/C blasting we made it there and back without issue. In July of 2018, we took a trip to Palm Springs for the weekend. I was meeting up for another photo shoot, and again the truck performed flawlessly. Two weeks later, that all changed.
[That *$#@(&% message!!]
The dreaded “Service Electronic Throttle Control” message appeared, and the truck again went into limp mode. This time, I was within a couple of miles of the dealership so I just drove there and dropped it off. This time, the IAT sensor had become clogged and was sending faulty readings to the computer. The IAT sensor was cleaned, and I could come pick up the truck. 1 week later, limp mode. This time, Roadside Assistance was called and back to the dealership on a flat bed (Flatbed Trip #3). Again, the IAT sensor was giving faulty readings so a new sensor was put in. Less than a week and I was back at the dealership (Flatbed Trip #4).
[My rental Ram, that I had for 5 out of the 6 months.]
The rental I was given was a base model Jeep Renegade. I was only expecting to be in the rental for just a couple of days. After a week, my service advisor called me with some interesting news. They had run every test in their arsenal, and have found nothing wrong with the truck. They had consulted with the “head office” and ran some additional tests and diagnostics at their instruction, and still found nothing wrong. At this point, FCA wanted to flash the computer with a new emissions calibration. In order to do that, the new calibration had to be approved by the California Air Resource Board (CARB). This being August of 2018, FCA was in the middle of a lawsuit with CARB and the EPA about diesel emissions cheating, which delayed the approval of the new emissions calibration. They did not want to release the truck back to me because there was no guarantee I wouldn’t be back in two days or two months. They asked if I was OK with staying in the rental. Since I was making payments on a truck, I wanted a truck. The Jeep Renegade that I was in wouldn’t do, so they arranged for another Ram pickup with Enterprise for me to have. Thankfully it was essentially the same truck as mine, only silver and with the Hemi engine.
6 months! That is how long I was without my truck. The rental allowance was $35/day, and that was paid by my CPO warranty. We figured the rentals ended up costing FCA about $6500. For the first month, I was in contact with my service advisor once a week. Then it moved to once a month. Enterprise called me in December saying that they needed to swap me out for another truck, because this one had hit it’s time limit and needed to be serviced. When I swapped the silver Laramie truck out, I was put into a white SLT. I was also informed that I held the record for the longest continuous rental from that particular location.
[First day back home after a long absence.]
In January 2019, I was called and told my truck was ready. They had not yet flashed the computer, still pending the CARB approval. However, they had run another battery of tests, replaced a few sensors, replaced the particulate filter, and had driven the truck about 250 miles and had yet to have any errors show up. I turned in my rental and went home with my truck. I pressed the truck back into daily driver status. I beat on her and I beat on her hard. I really wanted to put the truck through its paces to see if it would break again. Maybe I was taking a little bit of anger out on it. After a few weeks, nothing had broken and things were starting to return to normal.
[The final tow, and final straw.]
In March, I am leaving work to go get some lunch. A few miles from the office I smell diesel! The check engine light comes on!! When I stop at the stop light, I can see smoke seeping out from the hood!!! I know exactly what is happening, another cracked fuel line!!!! I am fuming more than the truck is!!!!! I immediately hit the freeway. It’s about 20 miles to the dealership, and I’m going to deliver this thing smoking like crazy right up to the front door. I have people passing me on the freeway honking and gesturing about the smoke coming out of the back, which I am well aware of. I make it about 1/2 way and the truck starts losing power. I can go no further, so off to the side of the road and a call to Roadside Assistance (Flatbed Trip #5). Luckily I didn’t have to wait long, maybe 15 minutes. When you are leaking fuel on the road, you become a priority. Sure enough, another of the fuel lines (different than the first time) had developed a crack and was spraying fuel on top of the engine. It was replaced and we had the truck back in a couple of days.
[The last time we saw her. Ciao!!!]
That was it, we were done. That Italian heart was a big fat yellow Limone (if you hadn’t guessed, that is Italian for LEMON). We started to look at what our options were. Lemon Laws vary by state (consult an attorney for specific details), but what we were able to determine is that our truck was covered under California Lemon Law because it was a Certified Pre Owned purchase. We contacted FCA through a toll-free number and requested a buy back. They took down our information and info on the truck. They reached out to the various dealership service departments to review all services and repairs performed on the truck to determine if it was eligible for buy back. I’m sure that when they reviewed the records they saw the massive tow bill from Bishop to Bakersfield and the $6500 rental charges as well. They called back a few days later to inform us that it was going to be bought back, and we were going to get a full refund on the truck minus usage until the first problem. So we ended up only getting charged usage for a few months of miles. After getting the approval for the buyback, it took another 3 months before they finally collected the truck.
It was bittersweet to see it go. We owned the truck for 18 months, 6 of which it sat at the dealership’s service department. Other than the unreliability of the Italian engine, I loved that truck. How it looked, how it drove, the features. Other than the problems outlined, only once did it have to go in for anything else. One of the cruise control buttons sometimes wouldn’t engage, and that was replaced under warranty. No manufacturer is without producing lemons. This one was my first, and hopefully my last. It’s been almost a year that we have gone without a truck, and we are itching to buy another one. With all the great Mopar vehicles I’ve had, I would consider buying another Ram again. Would it be with the EcoDiesel, I’m not sure. I’ve talked with many EcoDiesel owners who have had nothing but good things to say about them. We will just have to see.
Just wow. Well, at least it can be said you’ve provided a balanced view of the modern Mopar. Your wonderful Magnum tale followed by this diesel disaster.
Exactly. And how I look at it is that the Mopar portion of the truck was excellent, it was just the Italian part of it that was problematic.
Funny,that was going to be in the euro caddie till GM went belly up and FCA bought it up, ihave the exact same model but with air ride and Ram boxes,Love It!- have the extended warr.,but never used it.. all good, -miss the old Hemi roar,sure, but not the fuel economy, nothing beats the Ram’s ride, tried a 19 f150 platinum out last week,not even close,-ride,tranny,small screen* cheap…
All the ancillaries like fuel lines will be FCA stuff.
It’s my understanding the early Ecodiesel did have issues and I believe the newest version is better. Now with that said when Dodge was thinking of a light duty diesel Cummins developed a V-6 diesel for them but Fiat said NAAAH we have access to our own diesel and that’s how the Vitorri ended up in the Dodge 1500. What a huge mistake Dodge made by not going with the Cummins but even bigger than that they allowed Fiat to buy into the Dodge name! The ultimate ideal diesel powered truck would be a Cummins in a Ford a beautiful relationship for sure!! And I’m a Dodge fanatic!! Lol
Sounds like Momma Mopar is off her meds again…
More like still on.
Well that’s certainly disappointing. I wonder if yours was just flawed from the beginning or…
At least it seems they did whatever they could to remedy the situation, in the end even buying it back (as obligated), obviously not ideal but didn’t sound like it was denial and hindrance the entire way either.
I’m convinced that the biggest problem with these diesels is that the mechanics don’t really know (or want to know) how to fix them. They just throw parts at them, or in this case a whole new engine because of a fuel smell?!? That’s utterly absurd, and it obviously didn’t fix the problem.
I spend time at the Promaster forum, and there’s lots of horror stories about the diesel version, which uses a different IVECO four cylinder engine. The basic engine is utterly bullet-proof, but the overly complex emission systems are the problem. Well, that and the mechanics not wanting to work on them, and not understanding how they really work, and throwing parts at them left and right, often with poor outcomes.
This is why I won’t touch a modern diesel, no matter who made it. Emission systems are too complicated, and the dealers hate them.
I haven’t had a single issue with my gas Promaster.
It has the exact same sound as my sisters Vectra it was the first time a Holden badged car had an adaptive transmission program of course it drives the way its driven and on its first service the dealer replaced the whole transmission for no apparent reason but the car drove exactly as it always had, every repair on that car was bungled because as one tech admitted weve never had these engines before followed by Holden should have put the 3.8 in these cars, Holden didnt even build it Vauxhall did at Port Elesmere.
It’s a 5 gen marine tuff motor,yes they all have too much smog crap..
The emission controls on modern diesels is one of the reasons we are switching to CNG. They are quieter, produce very little pollution and are cheaper than a diesel.
So true. All engines today are too computer reliant. My 98 ram 2500 with the old 12 valve is super reliable and an old farm boy like myself can fix and maintain it. Lots of $$ left in my pocket where it belongs!
Another thing to consider is there are no electronics in the background recording your every move. Old trucks rule.
I agree 100%. I bought a 2014 ( 1st model year) and nothing but trouble. Not one mechanic out of three dealers had even seen one. With 113,000 miles on it now all dealership/ warranty repairs are over 20 grand. And after the emissions recall I lost about 20% of power and 4-5 mpg.
I really do think that ours was flawed from the beginning. Some sort of flaw in the manufacture of the fuel lines was the problem, which just lead to a cascade of problems. When replacing the engine, i don’t think they would have replaced any of the ancillary components.. they all went back onto the new engine… including the related fuel components (lines). So the problem wasn’t fixed.
Some of those other problems occurred because of emissions problems, which has been hit or miss on the EcoDiesel.
Yeah, it sounds like the fuel lines. My Audi S4 was recalled for bad lines but not until years later after several dozen cars had burned so yes that does happen.
I have a 2014 Ecodiesel. I purchased it used in 2017 with 74k miles on it. It was a special order truck that was always serviced at purchasing dealership. It showed 2 issues 1 at 12 miles. A drive line vibration. And at around 1,200 miles needed fuel system replacement. Both where common complaints for first year. Other then that it was regular services. And I’ve put 60k on it now . Had both AEM flashing done. The first one blew up computer, caused SCR system to fail. But other then that. Truck has been flaw less. Its been all over Missouri, Ohio twice, Indiana, Wisconsin and even south Dakota. And two of those trips with a 7k camper in tow. I’m sorry you had such issues with yours. They really are great trucks.
The quality of all the car-trucks leaves much to be desired. The auto makers love it because guys keep buying it. My buddy is on his third Ecoboost 3.5 motor. The first two motors were burned my oil leaking into the intercooler.
Well, this confirms my lingering distaste for anything Mopar after the wife’s Dodge Caravan experience many years ago.
It would be interesting to know what you replace the Limone with.
Wow. That sounds very frustrating. Luckily (knock on wood) I have not experienced a nearly new lemon of that magnitude. Life is too short to miss out of long weekend camping trips to mechanical issues on a quite new and presumably pricey vehicle.
When I was car shopping in 2019 I was idly looking at new Chrysler 300s on AutoTrader. I noticed there was a gorgeous 300C at Phoenix dealer that seemed priced “too good to be true.” They were honest enough to disclose in the ad that the car was a “buyback”.
Those sorts of things give you pause
As a guy who’s been out to Saline Hot Springs quite a few times, I know how remote it is and I’m glad I have a Toyota. I’ve heard the caretaker Lizard Lee is a pretty good mechanic but obviously this would be beyond his abilities. Too bad, because the comforts of the Ram and range of the Eco Diesel are very appealing. Real world mpg is much better than my Tacoma, though diesel is currently about 30-40% higher than regular in California.
Just a few weeks ago I spoke with an owner of an early EcoDiesel Ram. He loves the truck, but has had a few warranty issues and told me he just got a recall notice. Worse, our local dealer, from whom he bought the truck new, won’t work on it because they don’t have an EcoDiesel trained tech. And they won’t even take the truck and send it to another dealership – they told him he has to handle that. Luckily he’s found good service the next town over.
Edit: beautiful pics of Anza Borrego! I was there just pre-COVID for the first time; amazing place.
It’s great to hear of someone else who has been out to Saline. It’s a beautiful and desolate place, but loved our first visit there. When it was working, it made for a great off road vehicle and we had some good mods planned for it.
There have been a few recalls issued for it. I know the latest one is for a reflash of the emissions system. It was a national issue and a result of the Diesel cheating lawsuit. It was pending the lawsuit outcome that mine sat for so long…. waiting.
Anza Borrego is beautiful. I’ve been out there many times. There is so many different areas to explore in such a big park.
Have to mention that a high-clearance vehicle is preferred but not required to get in/out of Saline Valley. From personal experience I can report that a ‘94 Chevy Cavalier from Avis is up to the task if one has some tolerance for wear and tear on a vehicle in which you have no long-term investment. And I have photos to prove it. And I got my security deposit back.
Good grief! Suddenly it’s 1976.
hehe… it’s funny you mention that year. The Aspen/Volare were the “most recalled vehicle at the time”, and my parents purchased new a 1977 Aspen wagon. We had it for 360K miles and 34 years. We didn’t have any recall issues with it, only problem was the transmission a few years out of warranty.
The Ram hasn’t really had a significant recall history or a significant history of problems overall. The issues with my EcoDiesel were unique to my truck. I’ve heard stories of people having a bunch of issues, and also some who love their EcoDiesel and have had 0 issues.
The F-body is the emblematic reason why I mentioned that year. If you happened to get a good one, you were all set. Let even one star be even the slightest bit out of alignment on the day you bought, though, and brother, you were well and truly hosed. The unpredictable, wild inconsistency was far more damaging and problematic than the godawfulness of the bad ones.
Ive heard horror stories about the Ecodiesels, particularly about the cam gear failures. Chrysler should have made a deal with Cummins to put a 4BT in the 1500s.
I lean towards Mopars but would never consider the VM Motori diesels. Its hard to go wrong with the Hemi gas engines though
The four cylinder 4BT is way too rough for a modern 1/2 ton pickup. It belongs in genuine work vehicles, and even then they’re rough.
I’m on my second 1500 ecodiesel and zero issues!
First one I leased, had no issues and second I bought four years ago and zero issues except few recalls they had!
Very happy and satisfied with both my ecodiesels!
That’s awesome. I’ve heard many people like you who have had no issues with them. I think mine was just bad. And EVERY car make/model will have lemons, there is no way around it. I’ve had a friend who had a BMW 135 bought back by BMW. He replaced it with a 335 that had the same engine in it, and it was great.
We are contemplating a Gladiator, with the upgraded next generation EcoDiesel… or maybe upgrading to a 2500 Cummins in the next year.
I have a 16 bought used with 70k miles haven’t had one problem either just recall. Love it!
Saline Valley Springs, one of the most remote locations in all of California. Access to the Valley and Springs requires a high clearance vehicle, and it is 50 miles down an iffy dirt road (80-90 miles from anything remotely considered civilization)
Tell that (about high clearance) to our LWB Promaster FWD van! 🙂 We made it in and out, but missed the turnoff for the hot springs. 🙁
It was a long rough bumpy drive, and a bit iffy through a few remaining snow banks on the steep section going back up, but we made it. Quite the remote spot.
I’ve seen a 2nd gen Prius and an older Chrysler minivan out there, so it’s not THAT high clearance. Pictures of the Springs from the seventies show VW Beetles and Datsun 510’s, among other vehicles. But it is rough, and the Prius was dragging a few bits of plastic. Since both Brian and Paul have had to miss the Springs on their recent trips, perhaps we should have a CC Meetup there when things open up and the weather cools down. There are some good CC’s in the general area, too.
It is too bad you had such bad luck with that EcoDiesel, but I can’t say that I am overly surprised. On the plus side, at least the truck provided you with some good trips and awesome pics when it was working. I am of the same opinion as Paul when it comes to these modern diesels. I would never consider one with how complex they have become with modern emission controls. Gone are the days of simple mechanical diesels that require little maintenance and would run into high mileage for relatively low costs. For me. I will gladly pay for extra gasoline costs to have a reliable vehicle over one that is good on fuel but unreliable.
As problematic as this truck was, I am surprised that you would actually consider purchasing another EcoDiesel. If that truck were mine, you’d be very hard pressed to get me to buy another FCA product let alone an another Ram truck. It sounds like you really like the Ram pickup, so why not just get a gasser next time? At least with a Hemi you will have a solid engine.
It’s a constant conversation between myself and my husband on whether or not we would go with another diesel or a gasser. I think overall we just got one of those lemons. As I mentioned in another comment, every vehicle make/model is going to have some lemons in the pipeline. We were just unfortunate this time to get one.
There are some serious marks against that generation EcoDiesel for us. We would possibly consider the next gen EcoDiesel (in either the DT Ram or a Gladiator) or the Ram 2500. I’d also consider a Hemi powered one as well. But even the earlier Hemi engines had problems of dropped valve seats (2005-2008ish) until the heads were updated.
We also owned a 2016 Dodge Ram 1500 Ecodiesel Limited and absolutely loved the truck which we also purchased as a CPO in 2018. Less than 6 months later we also started to have the exact issues you have described. After less than 18 months of ownership and numerous issues we gave up on this truck and traded it for a gas model.
Never buy a light duty diesel. I made that mistake with a GM 6.5.
Oh, and having worked at Mopar, I would not buy anything from them.
“Try this – it’s new!” These four words have possibly cost the public more money than any others. And, as Paul notes, it was both new and weird. Not “bad weird”, just the kind of weird that nobody in the service departments understands because they don’t work on three dozen a week.
I wonder if the salesman started to think “Huh, whattayaknow – another guy who brings it in at every sniff of fuel.” 🙂
THis is strange, those VM Motori diesels have been in various Chrysler products for a very long time the original 300s had them, Jeeps, in fact any Chrysler product since the brand was reintroduced had the diesel option usually this engine or a Mercedes but the VM engine hasnt got a rep for problems, and its not like you worked this thing hard some gravel road driving shouldnt give any issues loaded or not, incompetent service techs didnt help it the smell of raw diesel is on the fuel delivery side of things not engine related,
but hey a lightly used pickup in good condition with a brand new warrantied engine I would have bought it too.
Apart from the inconvenience, it sounds as though you made out okay with the manufacturer’s buyback.
As they say in Italy, “Quando la vita ti dà i limoni, prepara la limoncello” (“When life gives you lemons, make limoncello.”)
And if they don’t say it, they should. 😀
haha… yeah, we tried to make limoncello, but just couldn’t. I”m glad that FCA made us whole and bought it back without having to involve a lawyer. I’m still not turned off from FCA, just maybe the VM Motori engines.
Sheesh, what a crapper. Glad you were able to wash your hands of it.
Hahaha! I had a 17 Rebel with No Issues,that I loved, until it got t-boned. Bought a Ram Power Wagon that I love but at 1800 miles went into limp mode. The dealer said I needed a NEW transmission that would take a MONTH to get. 3 days later they apologized and told me it just needed a computer update !!!!!!’ 😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😜😜😜 Whiskey Tango Foxtrot !!!!
Crazy….. Because I’ve been driving the same exact truck, same year, same engine, only mine is Laramie Long Horn. And it’s not like I never had any issues with it but they were minor and NOTHING in comparison to this story. I sure hope it stays that way cos I really love this truck.
I was a bit surprised that FCA went with a VM diesel instead of an Iveco product but a little research showed that Fiat has owned VM since 2013 and had a long prior relationship, plus several Jeep products used VM diesels I’m surprised dealership mechanics struggle so much since diesel 3/4 ton and 1 ton trucks have been around since the 80s and a lot of the electronic injection and emission controls are on the HD pickups too.
I have a 2016 Ecodiesel 4WD and just love it. I’ve had no problems and I get 23 city and 28 hwy. I like it so much, I bought a used 2016 for my son. It’s the best truck I’ve ever owned. It’s been so reliable that I gave it to my daughter and I got a 2019 ETorque. It cost twice as much but I prefer the 2016.
I had a 2003 Ram 1500 and loved it. I only went back to a car because I got severely injured by a series of falls and getting into it was dangerous if I fell down while doing it. A bunch of my friends have had Ram 1500’s from 2005 to 2019, none of them diesel, and they all love them, and have had very few issues. All of them are Hemis. My only single bad Mopar was my 1977 Power Wagon, and it made the author’s truck almost look good. At least the 2016 Ram didn’t catch on fire twice like the Power Wagon did. My truck was even the right color for a lemon:
That’s a gorgous power wagon. And interesting that you post it here. As with my Magnum, I wanted to go full on retro graphics for the Ram. This was the look i would have replicated. But, I never had enough time to get around to it. Maybe on the next one.
I bought a beautiful silver 2015 Ecodiesel Limited. My first truck. Had it for short 4 month. A layoff force me to sell it. This luxury CAR was a dream to ride with the air suspension and all the options galore. The Alpine sound system provided a smile and made my emotions run rampant. I truly love this luxury vehicle. I got 3k back from the FCA for emission emissions cheating. That was a treat. I would buy one back in a heart beat. But I’m a year from retirement and I’m cutting back on vehicle investments. I presently drive a 2001 Jeep Cherokee 60th anniversary lifted to tackle those offroad expeditions.
I agree with you. It is definitely a luxury vehicle. Some of the material choices may not be up to par with a Mercedes, but you gotta be driving them back to back to really even notice. But it was so smooth, so quiet, great features. Definitely a modern day luxury vehicle.
I owned a 2014 Ram Laramie Longhorn with a eco diesel. That was the first year that Ram put the small Diesel engine in the half ton. I put just a little over 100,000 miles on my vehicle with no problems what so ever. I had the check engine light come on twice and the dealership flashed it. The truck always run great.
I have said there here many times:
Under 5t, gas.
Over 5t, diesel.
I used to work for Chrysler and I can categorically tell anyone not to buy one. The car’s front end will disintegrate as soon as the warranty expires.The Motori engine is even worse than the Cummins, which suffered from terrible Mopar ancillaries.Ford trucks are almost as bad. The Ecoboost has a myriad if problems and the 5.4 Triton was a disaster.
The fact also remains that a diesel in a car-truck is very expensive to begin with and the owner will never recoup the cost for the diesel unless the car-truck is driven very long distances. This is nigh on impossible with a RAM truck as the diesel would have caused so much trouble the car-truck will be traded after the warranty expires. Then the owner will go buy a new car-truck and tell his buddies it was time for a new tuck because it can tow a zillion kg more than the last one, even if it is a piece of baseboard.
Poor quality in domestic car-trucks are not a problem for automakers. They realise that car-trucks have extremely brand loyal customers. In my experience, these guys will never admit their pride and joy is a POS.
I have had a 2015 model (purchased brand new), currently 72,000 miles and no engine problems to date
Wow… You are telling my story!
My 2014′ ecodiesel SLT.
DEF problems from 3weeks in. EGR filter replacement loaner truck for 4weeks
3 limp modes to the dealership.
Engine replacement at 50,000km.
110000km I removed the EGR system and replaced the plastic soot gummed up intake witha Baxley.
If I didn’t have to dump so much cash into it over the last year I would have dumped it in a scrap yard.
Now I get 10.3 liters per100kms.
Lower on highway.
Deleted 2016 6″ left 35″ tires 18 miles a gallon city
My 2017 Ram Ecodiesel caught fire a week after the company issued a recall with no fix. I didn’t learn of the recall until it had burned. Great truck. Sad it burned. It took the company two and a half months to settle with me. I will not buy another Chrysler product ever.
It’s stuff like this that has made my dad dislike ANYTHING from Chrysler after Lee Iacocca left and Daimler bought them out during the ’90s. The experience you’ve had with the EcoDiesel puts that much more icing on the cake. It isn’t so much the engine or the truck itself but rather all the emissions equipment & everything else that has to be added on to make it EPA-and-NHTSA/IIHS-compliant; that’s just about the case with all vehicles now, gas OR diesel. And all automakers nowadays are having to issue recalls for one thing or another–airbags especially–but guess which one seems to be the most prevalent?
I have a 2014 eco diesel. Been sitting since last Sept 2019 waiting for recalls to be done. Pickup won’t start needs the emission recal done. Junk
This does not seem to be a FCA only issue. I have been on the hunt for a new truck, and have seen tons of F-150 diesels that were buybacks. It seems like every used diesel F-150 is a lemon buy back. I could be wrong, but this is something that I have noticed.
You are brave to consider buying another one. After the first few tows I would be done with it never to buy one again.