Skip to FiltersReport abuse
16 listings
Showing 22 - 21 out of 16 listings
Consumer Reviews for the Dodge Ram Pickup 2500
Read recent reviews for the Dodge Ram Pickup 2500
Reliable, powerful, but has important issues
73anoldguy, 06/02/2019
2001 Dodge Ram Pickup 2500 2dr Regular Cab ST 2WD LB (5.9L 8cyl 5M)
The good: reliable; never fails to start and run, powerful with 5.9 v8 gas, stops well, and fairly quiet for what it is. Full gauges standard, even tach is standard equipment. Runs well on regular fuel and tilt wheel also standard. Handles full load of GVW of 8800 well, rides well when fully loaded.
The bad; fuel economy is poor, I get 6-7mpg in hilly, traffic clogged San Francisco … area traffic; highway milage not good at 13 mpg. Interior plastics are the worst; dash pad top cracking into little pieces extremely common; seat comfort and durability fair to poor, my truck has a serious and deep pocket in the driver's seat cushion and I weight in the low 130's; ride is another sore point, if you don't lug around at 500 lbs in the bed, the truck bobs around seriously over bumps and pot holes, Chevy and Fords ride much better with the same empty bed and GVW. Parts is another concern; if you are into used parts, here on West Coast, Dodge trucks in general are a lot harder to find in recycling yards compared to Chevy and Ford models. Can be a great used vehicle purchase as the seem to be less expensive than Ford or Chevy (except Diesel). The w/s trim (fleet special interior trim), is ultra basic, but at least other than interior plastics, seems durable and reasonably comfortable.
High oil consumption could be due to plenum gasket failures; common on these engines. Recommend replacement of the thin sheet metal plenum plate with thick alloy plate and new gasket. Replaced mine and oil consumption improved to the normal range; when the gasket failed, consumption was at 150 miles per quart!
Factory ball joints are poor; replaced my upper ball joints and control arm bushings; both worn out at 125K miles, after market units can generally be lubricated through grease fittings, factory units are sealed.
Most Dodge base pick up have group 35 battery; replace with group 65 battery that was offered as factory option, has more reserve capacity and CCA (cold cranking amps).
Seen several with rear main seal seepage or oil leakage, fairly common, especially given the age of second generation Ram pick up.
If you own a RWD edition, make sure that your inner tie rods don't damage the drag (center link), as it has been discontinued by Chrysler and isn't available in the after market parts area. Body structure is weak where the front door hinges bolt up; not uncommon for potential cracks in or around where the hinges bolt up to inner body structure.
High output ignition coil can help power, might slightly improve economy, but not worth after market ignition system unless you can get it inexpensively.
Auto transmissions are a known weak point; 46RE/47RE can benefit from add on transmission cooler, especially if you tow. Any aftermarket cooler that is larger than factory will help; if the transmission is already bad, certain updated internal hard parts can help improve performance and add more positive shifts.
If you can live without the latest safety improvements, low fuel economy and somewhat weak transmission, can be a good reliable choice over the long term. Much cheaper to maintain than next generation of Ram truck.
Filters
Skip to Results