Used 1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 1996 Ram Pickup 2500, so we've included reviews for other years of the Ram Pickup 2500 since its last redesign.
400k and still rolling (slt automatic dodge 2500 diesel)
allllchemist, 08/18/2011
1995 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Extended Cab LB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
Bought the truck used from an auction. previous owner had hauled trailers all over new england in snow/ice (salt corrosion) for 280k miles with jake brake and after-market overdrive. bad tps and fuel pump had led him to dump it. got some flakey overdrive issues when cold (showed up when a transmission shop removed the overdrive unit and cut the ground wire)... 125k miles later she's still "busting a hump," moves right along at 2200 rpms, 15 mpg. Not going to win any races, but every time I sit down to calculate the cost of replacing her, she makes dollars and sense. I'll keep her another year and see how she acts. I'd like to take the cummins out and drop it in another vehicle.
I LOVE MY TRUCK
Horsegal, 04/13/2003
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Extended Cab 4WD LB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
I love my truck. I just wish that when I wanted to buy a new one that they would offer the suicide doors again. Those 4 full doors are so geeky. For peets sake its a truck. I get pretty fair gas milage but it is a gas engine. I still get about 14 which is good. The mileage never changes when I haul the horse trailer either. I like that. The truck hardly gives when you hook it up.
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 for sale near you
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- 1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500MSRP: $5,9952,164 mi away
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excellent truck
hiebert, 03/03/2003
1995 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Extended Cab 4WD LB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
the deisel dodge is a great puller.
Would buy it again
nadinemarie, 01/30/2009
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 ST 2dr Extended Cab LB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
We used it as a work horse the first ten years, hauling furniture, sawdust, rocks and etc., but putting very few miles on it as used car for out of town trips. Then with only 20,000 miles and a dozen years old decided to put a camper on it's back. Performs beautifully with a 8.5 camper fully loaded. Makes hills with little effort, as much as diesels do, if we do not lose RPM behind a truck. Never had it in the repair garage until this year, other than normal maintenance. This year have to have A/C fan fixed. Averaging 12-14 mpg with camper.
Great truck
gcd, 06/01/2002
1995 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Regular Cab LB (5.2L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Outstanding. Wouldn't consider any other truck. A diesel Ram is the way to go. On the older trucks be careful of the automatic tranny. Other wise, outstanding
light use, reliable, V10 5-spd
Dan Patterson, 08/24/2020
updated 08/30/2022
1995 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Extended Cab 4WD LB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Bought used in 2000 with 40k, 120k miles now. Rarely tow. V10 gets worse mileage than a diesel but is a lot quieter. It runs fine, no engine or trans problems. Uses a teensy bit of coolant- not worth fixing. Replaced radiator and A/C clutch way back. I'm in northern California so the only rust is on top where the sun has burned off the paint (driving it around Death Valley in August a few years back probably didn't help). Put in LED headlight bulbs- massive improvement. Added cable-actuated selector for 4WD since the vacuum-actuated system is unreliable. Also added a backup camera and a home-made cupholder because the factory one is so absurdly bad. The truck is handy for when I need a truck. The rest of the time it sits out back under a lemon tree with the battery hooked to a trickle charger. Book value is almost nothing, so it's not worth selling. At this rate it will easily last another 20 years.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
not bad
dlromo, 09/30/2002
1995 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Extended Cab LB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
so far so good I have 130000 miles no problems . milage can fluxuate drasticly difficult to park in tight spaces
The truck rocks!
Jens2, 09/19/2003
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Extended Cab LB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
I've had nothing but great luck with my Dodge 2500 with the Cummins turbo-diesel! While lighter-duty trucks are rated at 14 city and 17 highway, I get 18/25 from the diesel, and it can tow large trailers and boats without breathing hard. It seats six with no trouble, and the two benchs are roomy enough that when it rained on us during a camping trip, we each stretched out on a bench seat for the night in comfort.
Awesome Diesel
TomG, 01/28/2006
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Extended Cab 4WD SB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
Bought this truck new in 96 and have been extremely happy with it. The only real problems I've had have been related to rust after spending 6 long winters in Upstate NY where they use lots of salt. I have quite a bit of rust under the doors and had a fuel line and brake line rust through--not a good feeling having a 7,000 lb vehicle going down the road and finding I had no brakes. Fortunately, the high compression diesel slows you down quite a bit, and having a manual transmission helped too. I bought the truck for towing, but haven't done much (never got my boat), but when I have towed its as if there is nothing behind me--gobs of torque!
V-10 Satisfaction
Jason Halverson, 03/13/2006
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Regular Cab LB (5.2L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
4 of 6 people found this review helpful
I'm very pleased with this truck. It does everything I ask and more. I would buy another one "No Problem". Not the best on gas though.
Great Truck with lots of Power
G. Lilley, 11/07/2006
1995 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Extended Cab LB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
What a great truck with the 12 valve diesel. I did the adjustment with great results. I did sell this truck with over 380K miles still running strong and getting over 22mpg and 16 pulling trailer. Tranmission replaced at 180k. No problems with the motor at all. This truck was very easy to work on and very reliable. I wish I still had the truck.
Disappointing Experience
DJ2002, 06/13/2002
1995 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Extended Cab 4WD LB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
2 of 4 people found this review helpful
Drive train major component failures out of warantee but under 80,000 miles in light duty operation, costing over $5,000, makes this the most unreliable, costly to operate truck I ever owned. Looks good and handles nicely but not a vehicle you can depend on for reliable, efficient operation.
Diesel power
GT2002, 12/28/2002
1995 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Regular Cab LB (5.2L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
My 2500 has about 63,000 miles on it and I use it for towing a 30ft 5th wheel trailer.Mine pulls like a tractor. ride quailty and comfort in the cab are very good on a long trip. If you choose the auto trans, plan on replacing the torq converter to get that diesel power to the rear wheels. Trans is the weak link. The diesel engines will run 300,000 before needing rebuilt. Also no smog required. The in line 6 cyl is a 12 valve engine and as such is quite easy to boost the horsepower and engine torque. 70 more hp for about $225.00 Get around 25 mpg empty in hiway driving, 14 towing.
Great truck--better w/ Banks upgrade
poniehauler, 02/24/2003
1995 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Extended Cab LB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I drove this truck for 8 yrs before I broke down and bought the turbo upgrade from Banks. Wish I'd done it sooner. So far I have had no problems with this truck except that it was a bit underpowered hauling my 7000+ lb trailer on hills. I have a the 5 speed manual and would not recommend the auto tranny.
Muscle Truck
G.D. Everett, 08/11/2002
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Extended Cab 4WD LB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
The V10 engine guzzles the gas but feels like it should be powering a tank. Without a load the 2500's ride is stiff though not worse than expected. Overall this muscle truck makes you proud to be seen on the road.
1996 Dodge truck/cummins
rooster, 10/13/2002
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 ST 2dr Extended Cab 4WD LB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
The Cummins motor combined with this long wheel base provides a cadalac ride with 20 MPG fuel economy.
A Good Truck, A Glorious Engine
andrew_kaber08, 01/03/2015
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Extended Cab LB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
My 1996 Ram 2500 with the Cummins 5.9L i6 turbo diesel is a great truck. What I've found, though, is that the engine is far better than the truck. The truck has only left me stranded once in 210,000 miles due to a broken clutch. The interior is a good design, but the dashboard is falling apart, knobs stop working, and the A/C is just awful. The engine, on the other hand, is bulletproof. I have never had a problem with the engine; tons of power and torque, and is surprisingly quick for a 2500 truck! This truck will get you from point A to point B every time, but not always in the best comfort. If I had the option, I would most definitely buy this truck again.
96 12valve cummins
Anonymous, 12/08/2010
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 LT 2dr Regular Cab 4WD LB (5.2L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
2 of 6 people found this review helpful
The truck has a lot or power it will pull anything very reliable sounds awesome. It gets ok fuel mileage
Cummins Diesel
BIG TOM, 01/24/2004
1995 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Regular Cab LB (5.2L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Great hauler with the Diesel
dodge
gordon wurth, 02/26/2002
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Regular Cab 4WD LB (5.2L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
good
350 K and still going
dodgeman1996, 06/04/2012
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 LT 2dr Regular Cab LB (5.2L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I have a 1996 ram 2500 2 wheel drive standard box. This truck was ordered with the old and reliable 318 8 cyl. gas engine. We use this in our business here in BC Canada. I haul a 20 foot flat bed trailer out of the mountains on Vancouver Island with up to 20 8 x 6 inch x 18 foot cants of red cedar. We just finished a 10,000 KM ( 6213 mile ) trip The engine used three liters of oil ( .79 gal ) of oil. Fuel economy was in the 20 mile per gallon range. I have never had a more reliable truck. We change the oil every 5000 KM ( 3000 ) and the transmission oil every 12 months. Regular maintance is all we have done and the truck just keep on going. Dodge builds a great product.
Dodge Ram: A good Bet
DodgeTech, 11/28/2002
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 ST 2dr Extended Cab 4WD SB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The Dodge Ram 2500 is a strong vehicle, designed clearly for work and comfort.
Dodge/Cummins 2500
Cruiser, 07/30/2003
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Extended Cab 4WD LB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The best truck I've ever owned. Except for the defective fuel gauge Dodge has been putting in their diesel trucks for the pst decade or so, this is an exceptional truck.
Great Truck!
Judi, 02/20/2004
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 LT 2dr Regular Cab LB (5.2L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This has been a fabulous vehicle. You may hear me coming a mile away, but that seems to keep pokies out of my path! Heavy, strong, and durable. I intend to keep this one for many years to come. My only problem is wearing out the brakes -- she's so heavy, it takes a lot of brake to slow her down.
My old relyable
jerrialt, 08/14/2004
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Extended Cab SB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Good towing plenty of power looks good strong constitu.tion
Dodge RAM, 4X4, Diesel, Extended Cab
Jacob Skokan, 03/07/2005
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 ST 2dr Extended Cab 4WD LB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
My 1996 Dodge RAM diesel pickup was an excellent choice for a full size, 4X4 vehicle. In 9 years (180,000 miles), I replaced a power steering pump (1 time), front brake pads (3 times), an alternator (1 time), a rear seal on the transfer case (1 time), a headlight housing (1 time), and 12 volt batteries twice (it takes two). It is a rugged truck that has required very few repairs over the years. Besides that, I have never paid for an oil change or lube job since I bought the truck in March of 1996. It came with a "Yellow Card" which includes oil changes plus labor (but not the cost of the oil filter).
"RAM TOUGH"
William Blewitt, 08/22/2005
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 ST 2dr Extended Cab LB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This is the best pickup I have ever had. It still looks good. It has never missed a beat in all these years. It gets about 17 mpg solo and about 9-10 mpg towing my light weight trailer. Don't tow anymore, but it is rated to haul a 13,500 trailer. It has heavy duty trailer towing pkg from the factory and "D" rated tires. Presently equipped with a 5th wheel hitch and has a factory installed class three hitch as well.
Best truck I've owned
ontheridge, 04/13/2021
1996 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 Laramie SLT 2dr Extended Cab 4WD SB (5.9L 8cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought my 1996 Dodge Laramie 2500 diesel 4x4 extra cab manual in 1999. It had 125,000 km on it. I've used it for everything and have been so happy with it. Now it has 568,000 km. I've pretty much used it up. The rust holes started in the Alberta oil fields before I bought it, and only started to show through about 12 years after I bought it. The engine leaks oil now, and nothing much works on it. I just bought a newer Laramie 3500 quad cab 4x4 diesel dually. Everything works, and it's so big! I love it! I would have bought another 1996 Laramie, but I needed a truck that could carry 3500 pounds of water every day during the dry season.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value