Buying used full size truck... Dodge vs GM

[rdlsz24]

It's time to get a full size truck with a back seat. I love the look of the 99-01 Ram 1500 Sports but am weary about the trannies. I also like the Sierra/Silverado from the same time period. I'm having trouble finding either the Ram or GM with under 100k miles. What are your experiences with both over 100k? My dad gets a new Sierra every 4 years or so but he never keeps them long enough to worry about longevity.

Rob

[MTS]

I Dont have Any experience with the Ram, i did have a 01 Gmc Sierra Sl or sle...cant remember, was ext cab, 2wd with the 4.8 v8 magnalflow, k&n cold air intake, and i think a few other goodies. It had 188 thousand km's. payed 4 grand for it, Was a nice truck got around 7-800km to a tank..on the highway and pulled a trailer good....Had the G80 Diff.. If i hand not beat it so hard i would still have it :D

[mopar_man]

A friend of mine has a '97 Ram. His transmission gave up on him a couple years ago at about 140k miles. I think he's got over 160k on it now with no mechanical problems at all.

[300rman]

i'd go with GM. i prefer fords, but i'd take GM over dodge......

[big yeller]

ok i own a 2002 dodge but its a hopped up diesel. i can say the dash board has a enourmous hole in it and its all cracked up...very very typical for these trucks. the cloth on the seat is weak tears very easly. i think the seat swithces are a common problem on these trucks too. the exterior is not many problems except the fake looking chrome bubbling up on the grille but you dont have to worry with the sport cause its painted. the auto trannys are a problem in dodges also. the electrical system kinda suxs too, had numerous problems out of it and i aint the only one. i hate to say im ragging on dodges but i know a bunch of people that has the same problems as me. the chevy is a great truck cause my uncle, grand paw and friends own one, i had no experinces with chevy half tons. i hadnt heard of any complaints except from my uncle some reason his has a small oil leak and his truck has a 120k on it. but me personally im a ford man but still like my dodge for all the power it has. i would of never thought i can take a heavy 3/4 ton diesel and make it run a 13.2 in a quarter of a mile. check the dodge forums and look around. the go to the chevy forums and look around in the problems section.

[83ATC185S]

Ford

I would not buy a government motors vehicle, or a dodge(every dodge i have worked on,sucked to work on, even spark plugs)

[Mosh]

The Chevy silverado with a 5.3 engine is pretty durable.
The interior is nice and plush in them,they ride nice and the back seat area is plenty large.

The only things I have seen with them is the waterpump gaskets leak at about 100K, some trans issues around 100-140K and intake gaskets(Cost about 50 bucks and 2 hours to repair) will cause a vacumm leak at about 100K-130K.They do tend to chew up fuel pumps more than other brands. About every 100K.
No real major issues with the engine.

They are not the best on gas,but neither is a dodge with a 318.
I have a 2000 silverado with a 5.3 and 88k.
I have had to do a starter and water pump gaskets.That is it. Starter was 120 bucks and water pump was 160.
I have owned it for about 6 years.

The list of repairs I see on Dodge rams is pretty extensive so I wont go into that.
We work on More Dodge and Ford trucks than Chevy's at our shop.

[muddog]

in our shop you will see about 4-5 fords/dodges for every gm

at work we have an 01 sierra and we beat the trailprotrailprotrailprotrailpro out of it not a single problem so far

[Trimotomike]

Ive got an 04 Ram that has 136k with not a single problem other than the dash being brittle . I put a leveiling kit and 34-1050-17 swamper ltbs 2 weeks after i bought it(brand new) and it was put in places a 2wd should never be and beat hard for the 1st 2 years i had it , even had to put a poser 4x4 emblem on the tailgate so they would let me play in the mud at the local mudhole because all the other 2wds where getting stuck ten feet into it and causing pile ups. Never ever got it stuck and after all that its pulled a lawn trailer with 2 mowers on it for atleast 100k of the 136k it has on it now . Ohh I forgot to mention its taken all the abuse and its a 3.7 v6 , had nothing for a dodge until i bought this truck and now ill never own anything but a dodge . A tought truck that has never let me down . As for GM all Ive evr owned by them were mid 80s Camaros a Z28 and a RS both great cars , but when i detailed cars for the local chevy dealer it blew me away with how plasticy the body panels feel on the new GM stuff , Didnt like how the weight of a car wash brush with soap on it could cave the roof in and the fact you can dent them by pushing in hard with your finger , also wasnt to fond of how the back of the cab pops way out if you have all the windows up and you shut a door . I forgot to mention My truck pulled a Mitsubishi eclipse on a trailer from Kileen TX , all the way home to Midstate FL with no problem what so ever . Also had 35 bfg m/ts on it at the time . heavytruck little motor still gotter done pure workhorse .

[JohnR.]

I was always a Chevy man but owning my 1996 Ram 2500 diesel for the past 7 years has changed that. I prefer a solid axle in the front and you can't get that in a Chevy. If you want a 1500 I would say get a pre-2002 Dodge with a manual trans. You get the solid axle like a 4x4 should have and a trans that isn't going to give you much trouble. Plus the 318 and 360 are both far more reliable than the turdular motor that comes in the Fords.

[jb2wheels]

The 1/2 ton auto trannies are spotty in both GM and Dodge so go with the one you like.
My experience with used trucks = I can only find beat down work trucks dirt cheap or somebody's perfect princess for a fortune and very little in between.
Spend a little extra and get a 3/4 or 1-ton. You get better axles, better brakes, better transmissions (generally).
Actually, if you're buying a 10 year old truck, go whole hog and get a diesel. Anything you want a truck for, the diesel will do better. Otherwise, just get a sedan and save some $ on gas.

[big yeller]

as mentioned chevys are the worlds worst on fuel pumps...forgot to add that. i do agree get a diesel. newer 3/4 ton diesels have straights except for chevy...they have a weak suspension. you will like the power and fuel economy of a diesel...except the new ones which my 6.4 gets 12 mpg.


Plus the 318 and 360 are both far more reliable than the turdular motor that comes in the Fords.

tudular...i had never heard it called that. i agree them modular motors from ford SUX. my dads f-250 blew 3 spark plugs out of the head before 80,000. my moms 4.6 i dont even want to get started on it...she had problems since the day she bought it new.

[300rman]

honestly, we work on more ford trucks in our shop than anything. but in the other hand, most local business guys (landscaping, cement work, etc) run fords, and most of the ones we work on have 200K+ on them. being abused plow trucks and heavy load carriers, we do some trannies, turbo rebuilds for the diesels, but mostly general maintenance stuff. seldom are motor swaps done on the fords. Any vehicle that is company owned and employee operated gets the snot beat out of it........

as for the GM trucks, they arent horrible, but they definitely seem more problematic than most of the fords we get through our shop, as far as odd/uncommon parts going bad.


but dodge....we DO NOT work on any dodges that are from the same era as the GM or Fords that we work on, because they simply arent around. very few of the local contractors use them, and the few that do wont be in the future.
Worst part is, the parts are expensive, and they are very problematic. out of everything we have worked on, dodges get some of the wierdest, hardest to diagnose issues.

Oh, did i mention they suck? for example: a close family friend is a chrysler employee, and got a new RAM truck a couple years back. the thing has 50K on it, and it has been through a steering rack and 3 complete sets of brakes. (rotors, pads, calipers) just to name a few . He babies this thing when he does drive it, but he drives his old GM 1500 most of the time because of the problems with the dodge.

[Trimotomike]

Ive got 136k on all the "faulty " parts mentioned above including brake pads yes thats right 136k on the ORIGINAL pads calipers, rotors , steering gear , still runs and drives like the day i bought it and its a work/daily driver truck . Worked at Crystal Dodge in Inverness FL , most of the mechanics drove dodge Rams , never out of the 3 years did i see ANY Ram come in the shop ineed of major work , mostly chevy and ford trade ins . Got a kick outta seeing how big the gap between the bed and the cab of an f-150 could magically grow when put on a lift .lol Hell most of the mechanics at the sister Chevy dealership drove Rams .

my Ram was the last truck i test drove, Ford being the 1st , you should go drive them and se for yourself which one you like best and then do some local research on the truck of choice . If your driving an 01 Ram now you will love the newer ones .

[Trimotomike]

heres a couple of pics of my baby and her 136k mile brake rotors.

[rdlsz24]

Tri-motomike that looks to me like it's an 02+ Ram.

Not sure what to do yet. I like the look of the Ram Sports so much better than the Silverado/Sierra. Don't really need a diesel since I will drive this truck probably a couple times a month when I need to haul something or just for fun on the weekends, or as a backup when I'm working on my Saturn work car.

Rob

[Trimotomike]

Tri-motomike that looks to me like it's an 02+ Ram.

Not sure what to do yet. I like the look of the Ram Sports so much better than the Silverado/Sierra. Don't really need a diesel since I will drive this truck probably a couple times a month when I need to haul something or just for fun on the weekends, or as a backup when I'm working on my Saturn work car.

Rob

Its an 04 but yes the 02s are 95% alike Aside of very minor body differences and powerplant options . The older ram sports do have a sharp look to the front facia of the truck , i didnt have the option when i purchased my truck to go used thats why i bought mine brand new . I truly dont think you will have any problems with the Dodge you like, just make sure that the tranny shifts smooth with no funny noises and no slippage and you will love the truck. My fiancees Dad had a 97 Ram1500 5.2v8 base auto trans in it(purchased new) that was drven 150 miles a day comuting to work and back with no major trans issues March of last year he traded it in for an 06 Ram which he loves .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmofbFuJoT8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QrZowfMkas

this last one is the best !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onYGv6jRHiY

sorry last one .lol http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9HLNNBBod8