2010 Ram 3500--Is it a Lemon?

[Flatbed Fred]

Well... after all those inquiries, seems I still ended up buying a lemon.

The dealer did all these things to it to make this truck LOOK like a great buy... instead of actually fixing it.

It was manufactured mid-year (April 2010) and I bought it this past December. It's been in the shop most of the time.

It supposedly had a one year AAMCO 24/7 Warranty on the transmission.
They fixed the transmission TWICE.

Third time they said they'd supply free labor, but I had to buy the parts. I was getting desperate and didn't want to argue .... feeling ... "just get it fixed and I'll worry about getting my money back later." :confused:

Kelly Blue Book listed it at $30,000
I bought it for $26,000
I've put in almost $3,000 more.

There supposedly is an issue with the drive shaft on this year.
But the dealer had straight pipped it, and done several other things. GREAT fuel mileage ((20 mpg!!)) on this 3500 Ram 4x4 dually.


BEAUTIFUL "looking" truck. The engine is a beast!
They may have swapped out the computer or a chip or something...
So I bought a transmission case (because it kept running too hot and cracking them.
Then I had to buy a transfer Reman case.
Then a drive shaft yoke.

I finally picked it up last Friday and drove it very slowly 8 miles to a driveshaft shop where they're going to check if the right one is in it and balance it.

Everyone says: SELL IT.
On the other hand... if it's fixed... it may be .. (gulp) ... okay :(


Seeing as there's so many records on this truck, would I get a good deal from a DIFFERENT dealer on a trade in ... or do I go directly to Craigslist?
I've been online trying to find the dealer who sells most trucks in the U.S. and I'm surprised at how difficult that is. I'm pulling up everything BUT that. Anyone recommend a REALLY GOOD dealer ... anywhere in the U.S.?

Advice?
Comments??
I'm going with a Chevy or GMC this next time.
(I'm retired and I want to put camper in it and travel for the next two years.)

[DmaxMaverick]

"Lemon" is a strong word, especially when it applies to the legalities. Most states limit the classification to only original buyers. Also, many repair "warranties" are not transferable, meaning they are most often only available to the original customer. Again, state laws usually define this in some manner. Check your local laws. Your best bet is to try to get the selling dealer to stand behind their sale. If a sell-back is an option, I'd pursue that. They may also be able to source the truck you want/need, despite the brand name.

Is it a "lemon", as in a money pit? Sounds like it, to me. Without going into the merits and pitfalls of Dodge trucks, in general, your experience doesn't sound uncommon within my exposure and experience with them. Great engine for the most part, but it comes wrapped in a Dodge truck. Trading it to another dealer will likely be a loss to you. Perhaps list it and hope a Dodge fanatic will be interested. Maybe lose a bit less than a dealer trade, but expect a loss in any case. Good luck.

[Flatbed Fred]

After all that investigation.. I bought a Lemon.

Question is... can a lemon ever be "fixed" enough to be dependable?

This is a beautiful truck with a BEAST of an engine ...
But the transmission has repeatedly had to be fixed
One of the drive shaft yokes had to be replaced
I had to buy a new transmission case (long story)
I had to be a remanufactured transfer case
The drive shafts had to be checked and balanced.

The transmission people say... sell it.
The driveshaft people say... "it should be good"....

(the truck was manufactured in April 2010)

What are some of your comments and opinions?

[svcattle]

How are you getting the transmission so hot the case cracks? Manual or auto?

[rustyk]

I suggest calling SunCoast Diesel (http://suncoastdiesel.com/) (f/k/a "Suncoast Converters") - they know transmissions! They uprated my 4L80E to handle the torque of my AMG 6.5. The prior owner had the tranny rebuilt by AAMCO - I got about 35K miles on it.