At 18K dealer and shop trips for the following repairs.

Check Engine Light (Unknown) - Dealer Trip This Week
Radio Head Unit/Speaker (Audio Squeal) - Dealer Trip This Week
Spare Tire Regen Shield (Cracked) - Dealer Repair This Week
OEM Running Board Body Mounting (Fractured) - AM Shop Repair (Twice)
Rear Tailgate Lip Guard (Cracked) - On Order

 

That is a long list of repairs for failed parts on such a new truck. Not Good.

 

Other than those items how do you like the truck?

 

For where he lives and does with the truck i'd say its pretty darn good.

 

It is true, we live in one of the most rugged back country areas in the U.S.
I'm awfully hard on my trucks towing heavy and 4x4 off road everyday.

Even with the repairs this is the definitely the best 3500 I've owned to date. Owned four of them since 2001.

The only thing I don't forgive is the check engine light. It may be nothing but a scan reset but Ram has had plenty of time to sort this technlogy out. With the dealer 200 miles away it's not just a matter of running to town to get it fixed. Disappointing.

I believe others will experience the running board mounting problem as they use their trucks. It just showed up faster because I'm in such rough desert mountain terrain every day. I posted my fix in another thread. So far, good to go. Forget the weld nuts.

The most irritating problem is the driver/passenger window sensor which interrupts on rough roads when commanded to raise the window. Have to stop the truck to raise it. Engineers need to fix that.

 

I bet its an emission CEL. I had lots of cel prior to the deletes on my truck. My 02 can go for years without a CEL. I haven't had a code in about 7000 miles with mine, funny thing is I did the deletes about that long ago. I have about 5000 miles on my oil, and its still clean.

For my truck my center rear seats belt don't work, other than that its been a good truck.

My 02 needed a new torque converter (on my bill) at around 10000 miles mark

 

Interesting day at the dealer.

Thanks to a very experienced service manager, he immediately diagnosed the squeal which I thought was coming out of the front speaker. It wasn't.

Turned out to be a noisy air conditioning freon expansion valve. Sounded like audio feedback behind the dash. Over 60 mph, with the center only A/C button energized the faint squeal (hydraulic originated) starts up and cycles about every 10 seconds corresponding to the valve's noisy regulator.

Service manager had seen it before in pasenger cars but much louder. Part is a new A/C line expansion valve. I would have never guessed that one!

The check engine light turned out to be a Mass Airflow Sensor Circuit software reflash and latest software ECM reflash. No big deal.

In the meantime, the key FOB transmitter (or receiver) is giving me trouble and Ram is apparantly working on that one too.

These 400 mile RT dealer trips are costing me time and money. With check engine lights, I don't wait around for the next oil change.

No one carries inventory of anything anymore forcing us country people to make expensive trips back and forth to town. I plan to ask Ram to reimburse me for the at least the fuel which is over $100 per trip. So far this year, I've had to make three for two bit warranty repairs.

Of course, I've got to go back and get the A/C expansion valve installed when the order comes in. . . .

Come on Ram!

 

I have a Mini and the nearest dealer is 180 miles away - so part of their warranty service is to pay for towing to the nearest dealer if still under warranty and if it's a serious malfunction...and a check engine light could very well be so. Sounds like Dodge Ram needs to think about that for folks like you.

 

That's a very good policy.

Dealer has always treated me very well. I'm sure they'll stick up for me when I ask.

 

I had the same CEL. got the latest flash about 4 months ago and have not had to bring it in again. I have got just over 13k miles.

 

I am at 6500 miles on my 2010 and so far it has been to the shop twice. I kept getting the "service air filter" EVIC message. They flashed the computer for the fix. Shortly after, it started happening again, and this time it was coupled with another problem (weather strip on passenger door). The high pitched whistling noise while driving 60 - 70 mph was more than enough to make me want to yank the wheel into a bridge embankment. So now it has been in twice to fix the air filter message and the weather strip. I just hope my $50K investment doenst make me wish for a do-over. Even though it is small stuff, I still paid $50K and expect a quality product for my money.

 

Just in case, you might ask the dealer to check the A/C expansion valve.

I had that very faint whistling most noticable above 60 mph. It turned out to be the valve and not the radio or wind sealing.

 

Taking the truck back to get the seal in on Saturday...we will see if that is the fix...they were pretty confident that it was. However, now I am also taking it back because I have once again gotten the "Service Air Filter" EVIC message...this makes about 10-12 times in 6500 miles...and after two times to the dealer to fix it...DOH!

 

The expansion valve was replaced which did not silence the faint whistling noise coming from the A/C freon line.

Service is going back to Ram to see what they propose as they are certain this is the source of the noise.

Will post when they solve it.

 

I am blessed with a great running truck. I have replaced all U joints lately, fuel filter due to a very sluggish running engine.. Now machine is cranking out very well.. This truck will definately take me to 300k miles...