Durability of Dodge Trucks

[DRH1175]

I have been a Ford fan for most of my life. My wife wanted a durrango back in 2001. I really didn't want a dodge but decided to give it a try to keep her happy. Well now We have around 90k on it. It has been bullet proof so far. We had the front ball joints replaced per a recall and 1 sensor replaced under warranty. Other than that is has been one of the best vehicles we have owned. I have had my heart set on a Ford Superduty diesel my next go around. But being I have had less problems with the durrango than with my last F150. It has me thinking... Maybe a Dodge cummins 2500 is what I should be looking at. I was thinking about maybe having a plow put on it as well. And since Dodge does seem to have one of the toughest front ends on a HD truck I might just have to stick with them. For those who have had a Ram truck and or a Ford what do you think? I also believe the Cummins diesel is the best diesel out there, as it is built like a real diesel a Straight 6.

[Black Bear]

I will try and not "hi-jack" your topic but if you do just a little "google" research on Chrysler and Daimler. It certainly is very possible (some in my business say probable) that Chrysler/Dodge will not longer be in business within a year or two. I would think that might be a very important consideration when purchasing an expensive full size diesel truck. Look at what the dealers are doing now just to get rid of the Pontiac's and Saturn's. The buyers are saving a ton right now but what will they be worth in 12-24 months?

[311Hemi]

My father in law's current and previous truck have been Ford Super duty's. He traded in the previous one to get the 04' he has now. Just off the top of my head the 04' has had a the computer replaced once, the head gasket replaced last year, and the head gasket is now going bad again. He has 116k on the truck. He is trading this one in in the next few weeks and is getting a 2010 Dodge diesel. He said he will not get another Ford because of all the head gasket issues he has heard about....and obviously his experiences with his current truck.

Not sure how the newest Dodges are as far as front ends, but things like ball joints and hub/bearing assemblies do wear out and need to be replaced. I have replaced all 4 ball joints and both hub/bearing assemblies on my 2003 Dodge Cummins 4x4 in the past year. I just hit 131k on mine and other than a couple u-joints, a water pump, and the oil pressure sending unit I have not had to do anything other than normal maintenance.

[deadeye]

Im not going to comment on what diesel motor is better as I am not really educated on that. I do know that just about everyone I know that owns a cummins has little to no problems with them vs some real weird issues with people owning the powerstrokes. But again, I don't know specifics about them and my friends tend to be really tough on their trucks.

However, I do think that Dodge uses pretty good drivetrain parts now. They now seem to use the heaviest of the stuff out of the parts bins when it comes to axles, transmissions ect. I think that during the short time they were paired with Daimler the transmissions and other components made huge jumps in the quality/durability department. They appear to be keeping up the trend with using good stuff since they split.

I don't currently own a dodge product myself right now. However, my Father has been using a Durango to pull his enclosed trailer with construction equipment for a couple years now with no problems. The truck started pulling the big trailer with 60k on it and now has well over 120k with no problems. The lack of work I have to do to my dad's truck with him beating on it like he does convinced me to get a dodge for my next truck. If the little stuff is that solid the big ones are mint.

As far as the who will go under topic, Its hard to say what will happen to Dodge. I would like to think that they will stay around for a while. I haven't done research on market status lately but I still doubt that they will go anywhere. If your basing your buy off of just that and not features/durability/longevity then Ford would be the way to go. They are not going anywhere and are the only ones (out of the Detroit 3)who are turning a profit at this point. Give it a year and who knows where we will be.

[311Hemi]

One other thing to think about, if your looking at 2010 Fords it sounds like they will have a 4.4L diesel V8 that will require you to fill an extra tank with urea....possibly every other fill up is what I read on one site but who knows what it will actually be. This is substance needed for them to meet emissions requirements. I think GM may have a similar deal for their 2010 truck, Dodge is complaint for 2010.

[DRH1175]

I was thinking that if my durrango has been as good as it has been that the ram would be even better. I am not sure I really am worried if they will be around in a couple years. There are so many rumors going around. Which I think are just that, Rumors. I also heard that Diamyler and GM were going to merge so who knows? Is there any dodge cummins owners out there that will never by another?

[croixflats]

May I ask why a diesel. Dont get me wrong diesels are great. With the new tech out there their claiming 400 HP with 20 mpg and torque to match.

Each have there trade offs. The Dodge truck has come along way and it looks like its the big seller in the last year from the new one Ive driven I'm impressed and I'm a chevy guy. I'd go Dodge if only they change up that front end and down size em, same with chevy and ford, a bit. They seem to be a heavy truck.

[DRH1175]

For its pulling power, durability, and because i like them!

[furnace man]

I have a dodge 06 2500 with the cummins. I have had injectors go out and the front end is not that great I have had tie rods and ball joints and well it eats u joints.

How ever when it is 20 below this weekend I will promise you that my dodge will start and my two buddys that have powerstrokers will not start they have proven it in the past.

I have eat three trannys and rear u joints.

But I did program the truck after the second tranny.

But I tell you what I pull a 28' fifth wheel and a 19' bass boat behind that and when it comes to a hill that old cummins just blows a little smoke and the way we go does not miss a beat and I pull it at 75 on the free way.

Now for the milage I get 13 city 18 freeway and 8.5 pulling my fifth wheel and boat.

There is the truth on my 06 dodge cummins..............

[Valv]

Ok, I am a WELL KNOWN Dodge fanatic, but I can tell you my choice for this brand is based on durability, and performance, compared to the other 2 brands.

I currently own a 2006 Dodge 2500 MegaCab and it's my 9th Ram diesel. I had 3 Fprds (2 mine, 1 at work) and I was happy when they had the 7.3l, Chevy has a great motor and transmission is awesome, but at the end of the day I chose Dodge without hesitation.

I can tow over 32,000lbs combined, and still do 12mpg/14mpg.

The new 2010 are exceptional, and rumors that Chrysler will no longer in business are just rumors without facts. Besides Daimler has nothing to do with us, it's a German brand that owns Mercedes, we are no longer connected to them, we have FIAT at this time.

[slurpie]

I would think you would be happy with any newer diesel you buy. Alot of the 6.0 headgaskets are a mixup of the EGR cooler being cracked same symptoms as a headgasket being out. Pick one you like and think is comfortable and go from there. As for mileage pulling they'll all get the same anything over 10-11 is a bonus.

[Valv]

I forgot to mention I am in the transportation business, I work for others now but until last year I was "on my own" and I used to buy Dodge Cummins 3500 with 120k/150k miles and work them heavy to 220k/250k miles, then sold them. They never had any serious problem.

Ford uses the light duty 6.4l up to the F550, from F650 and up the use the medium duty Cummins 6.7l (same as Dodge trucks) and so does Chevy on their Kodiak.

The body of the 2003/2009 Rams are smaller compared to Ford and GM, unless you get a Megacab, if you need room in back seats, Dodge will be at bottom of list. The new 6.7l have the new 6RFE 6 speed transmission that finally is built like a transmission should.

The future of Dodge and Cummins is obscured by Fiat which has their own engines (and pretty good ones too). Rumors of Cummins being dropped are in the air, but I believe they are just rumors.

[311Hemi]

The future of Dodge and Cummins is obscured by Fiat which has their own engines (and pretty good ones too). Rumors of Cummins being dropped are in the air, but I believe they are just rumors.

Thought I read somewhere that their contract with Cummins is up in 1012....don't know for sure though.

[DRH1175]

The new 2010s are suppose to have bigger stronger u joints. A regular crew cab and a sweet looking new interior. I was looking at both Chevys and dodges a couple months ago. I went in looking at the chev. I talked to the truck guy there. He said his preference was dodge. He said the allison is a great tranny but he actually sees more of them come back for warranty work more than the dodges. He said the new 6 speed tranny dodge is using is one tough tranny. I drove a 09 and it was smooth, and quiet. I can't wait to drive the new 2010! Just to think this all started cause my current dodge has been so good despite what I thought before buying.

[LMITOUT]

I have a hard time believing the Allison comes back for warranty work more than the Dodges. I've yet to hear/read about any issues with that transmission except for when power adders are applied to the engine. It's virtually bulletproof.

Does Dodge still de-rate the Cummins if it's equipped with an automatic?

It's ironic this was brought up because just yesterday at work we were discussing diesels and one guy said that he wished they'd put the Allison in a Dodge....then you'd have the winning combination.

[Macgyver55]

I have a hard time believing the Allison comes back for warranty work more than the Dodges. I've yet to hear/read about any issues with that transmission except for when power adders are applied to the engine. It's virtually bulletproof.

Thats because its true! I've been a mechanic for 35 years now, seen a lot of the insides of trannies. Funny thing is, very few of them were Allison. We usually have at least 50 Allison trannys in our fleet at any given time. Few times if ever does the motor outlast the tranny. The only warranty things we send them back for were harness issues outside the transmission.

[DRH1175]

I agree. The chevy and dodge dealer told me that the allison came back more often. I find that hard to believe. From the research I have done I do feel the Allison is be best tranny on the market and the Cummins is the Best diesel. To bad you couldn't get both in the same truck!

[LwnmwnMan2]

Since '01, the only thing I've run are Dodge 2500s with the Cummins.

I had an '05 which I tore out a front outter u-joint snowplowing at 22k miles, operator error, but the dealer fixed under warranty.

I do minimal maintenance on my trucks, run them 100k miles, and trade them in for about $16-18k.

All summer I have a 24' enclosed or 26' flatbed trailer pulling about 10k lbs, all winter they have an 8' Boss V-plow.

I wouldn't have anything but a Dodge anymore after experiences with a GMC I had, and a Ford F350 that wouldn't start under 20 degrees outside.

I just wish I had a reason to trade one of my '06 Dodges in on a new '10.

[Valv]

I just wish I had a reason to trade one of my '06 Dodges in on a new '10.

Maybe we should go all together to see if they give us a "group buy" discount.

[LMITOUT]

Question for the Dodge guys:

I saw a commercial for the 2010's and they said it's been "totally redesigned". I thought they did that in 2009? What did they change from '09 to '10?

[DRH1175]

They did the 1500's in 09. They now did the 2500 & 3500 heavy Duty's in 2010. I just went and looked at one today and man are they sweet!

[LwnmwnMan2]

They did the 1500's in 09. They now did the 2500 & 3500 heavy Duty's in 2010. I just went and looked at one today and man are they sweet!

Where did you go?

I saw one the other day that came from North Branch, I wish Forest Lake Dodge was still open.

[LMITOUT]

Ahh. Thanks. I guess I missed the part where they said the "Heavy Duties" were totally redesigned for 2010.

I like the looks of the new Rams and it would almost sway me to buy a Dodge because of how ugly the Chevy's have become (Fords are even worse), but the interior of the Dodge is still circa 1978. What is the deal with the cheesy woodgrain and ugly door panels/instrument panels? And that steering wheel.....every time I see that I think back to riding in my grandpa's Fury III. The only thing missing is the turn signal indicators on top of the fenders.

I guess regardless of what decade we're in, they still want to retain that '70's Dodge feel.

[311Hemi]

Sounds like my father in law is picking up a 2010 Ram long box diesel in the next week (trading in the 04' Ford pstrk). If all goes as planned we will be taking it out west in a couple weeks with 5 guys, 2 sleds on the deck of the bed and a 20' enclosed trailed with the rest of the sleds and gear. I should be able to give a good report of it then!!

[DRH1175]

North Branch