Thirty-Five Years of Both
Ram has some of the most loyal buyers in the pickup market, and the trucks have earned that loyalty unevenly. Some generations built their reputation on durable engines, serious towing ability, and the kind of longevity owners remember. Others became known for electrical problems, transmission complaints, and recalls that affected huge numbers of trucks. The difference between a great Ram and a troublesome one can come down to the model year. Here are 10 that helped build the brand's following, followed by 10 that tested it.
1. The 1994 Redesign
Dodge was moving under 100,000 trucks a year on roughly 7 percent of the market, which is close to irrelevant. The 1994 Ram showed up with a hood and fenders that looked lifted off a semi, a shape its designers drew from a 1950s Studebaker. Sales tripled in the first year and nearly doubled again the year after, landing well past 400,000.
2. The 1989 Cummins
Dodge dropped a 5.9-liter Cummins inline-six into a pickup and changed what a three-quarter-ton truck was for. The engine came out of commercial equipment, and people started buying the truck to get it.
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3. The 12-Valve and Its Injection Pump
From 1994 to 1998 the 5.9 ran a Bosch P7100, an inline pump driven off the camshaft gear with no electronics anywhere in the fuel path. It was simple enough to outlast the trucks it came in, and it would deliver far more fuel than stock if you asked it to. Clean examples still trade for real money because of it.
4. The 2003 Common Rail
Cummins moved the 5.9 to Bosch high-pressure common rail injection for 2003, and the numbers jumped to 305 horsepower and 555 lb-ft. A version called the Cummins 600 followed the next year at 325 and 600. Diesels got quieter and quicker in the same stroke.
5. The 2009 Coil-Spring Rear
Ram pulled the leaf springs out from under the 2009 1500 and put coils back there instead. The ride improved and the wheel hop that leaf springs produce went away, and payload stayed where it had been.
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6. The 2013 1500
Motor Trend named it Truck of the Year, pointing at the air suspension and the spread of engines and trim levels. It also carried the segment's first eight-speed automatic. Ram advertised 25 mpg on the highway, which was a loud number for a full-size pickup at the time.
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7. The 2019 1500
Motor Trend handed it Truck of the Year a second time, beating GM's twins and Ford's diesel F-150. The judges said nothing in the segment balanced capability and quality better, and singled out the ride and the interior materials.
8. The Power Wagon
A 12,000-pound Warn winch comes bolted to the front from the factory. The sway bar disconnects electronically for articulation and both differentials lock, which is hardware the Raptor crowd mostly does without. The line is 90 feet of synthetic rope instead of steel cable, saving 28 pounds off the nose.
9. The 2019 6.7
The Cummins went to 400 horsepower and 1,000 lb-ft for 2019. Four digits of torque in a pickup would have sounded absurd when the same block showed up in 1989 at a fraction of it.
10. The Aisin Option
Ram sells a Japanese-built Aisin six-speed as the heavy-duty alternative to its own transmission. It shifts harder and pulls more engine torque out during changes, and it survives work the standard unit doesn't. People who tow for a living order it on purpose.
Now, here's 10 that tested loyalty.
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1. The VP44 Years
When the 5.9 went to 24 valves in 1998 it went electronic too, with a Bosch VP44 pump. That pump failed at noticeably higher rates than the mechanical P7100 it replaced. Owners sold on Cummins durability got a different lesson.
2. Dashboards That Split Open
The 2002 Ram 1500 alone has 522 dashboard-cracking complaints logged at CarComplaints. They tend to show up around 84,000 miles and run about $880 to fix. The site rates the problem 8.2 out of 10 for severity.
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3. The Emissions-Era 6.7
Dodge put the 6.7 out halfway through 2007, built to meet standards that weren't mandatory until 2010. Vanes inside its variable-geometry turbo move to control boost, and recirculated exhaust coats them until they stop moving. The truck goes soft and throws a P2262, and cleaning the turbo only buys time.
4. The 68RFE
Chrysler built this six-speed in 2007 for the 6.7 and it has been the weak link since. The torque converter stalls high and the separator plate in the valve body leaks, and burnt overdrive clutches are routine. It's good for about 500 rear-wheel horsepower with programming, and a 2019 rework helped without ending the argument.
5. The Exhaust Manifold Bolts
Hemi manifold bolts snap after years of heating and cooling, usually at the back of the head. You get a tick on cold start that fades as things warm up, which is the cheap version of the Hemi tick.
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6. The Other Hemi Tick
When the needle bearings inside a roller lifter seize, the roller grinds a flat spot into the camshaft lobe. That tick holds steady or gets louder as the engine heats, and metal shows up in the oil. The fix is frequently a whole engine.
7. The Uconnect Hack
Researchers took over a Jeep remotely in 2015, and FCA recalled roughly 1.4 million vehicles behind it. Ram 1500 through 5500 trucks from 2013 to 2015 were in that recall. An IP address was the only access anyone needed.
8. The EcoDiesel Settlement
FCA agreed to pay $800 million over emissions software in the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel. Around 104,000 vehicles were covered, 2014 to 2016 Ram 1500s among them, and owners averaged about $2,800 apiece. Bosch put in another $27.5 million.
9. The Steering Linkage Recall
More than 573,000 Ram 2500s and 3500s from 2013 to 2017 went back because a steering link could separate and take the steering with it. FCA counted eight crashes and one injury. NHTSA later opened a look at whether the repair was good enough and whether two-wheel-drive trucks belonged in the recall too.
10. The Backup Cameras
Ram recalled 272,911 trucks in 2023 because the rearview image could fail to appear when the truck was in reverse. It was the second camera recall in two years, and the failure breaks a federal safety standard.
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