New member and owner; excitement has now turned to concern

[gofishingup]

I'm in 100% agreement with you, I love the truck but hate the engine. I was just looking at the FORD F-150 with the 3.5 ego boost gas engine (I'm very negative on these small diesel motors at the moment). If you're into the HP and torque game, that motor has more horsepower and torque than this 3.0 diesel and is suppose to get about a 21-22 gallon average. The problem is to get a fully loaded one that has the same features as my 2016 Dodge Longhorn the price tag is north of $50,000. It was hard to justify $40,000 for the 2016 diesel but now another $10,000 on top of that for a lateral move to a gas motor, ouch!

On mpg issues, before I had the computer updated my overall mpg was 23.4 MPG. Today it's at 20.8 mpg. My driving habits have not changed since I got the upgrade to the software. My mpg is quite a bit less than what the MPG on the window stickers advertised when I bought the truck and what I was told by the dealership. I suspect it's just a matter of time before you see this become an issue with the owners of these vehicles who have the software update completed. I'm going to give it another 2 months and see what happens with the mpg.

 

[Holymoly]

I meant the epa thinks it's so bad they have screw everything up so, surly they will soon be after firewood. I just don't believe it. I was around during the gas wars of the 70's. Let these engines breath with minimal restrictions.

FCA shouldn't have sold the engine and should have taken care of their customers but chose not to because money.

I'm in agreement with you on it!
I'm just frustrated by it all, everywhere I turn these days big business and politics bending people over.

 

[Holymoly]

I think fca will try to make adjustments to clear things up but, people can't wait for years.
40, 50, 60k is a life changing amount of money for people and, to see people loose it on an engine that claims to be the best thing is over the top a crime.
I spent over 50k. I would have purchased a gas burner at the same price if the salesman would have informed me of the situation. I won't be back to him.
All owners of these trucks should go to the dealership of purchase and tell them how they feel about witholding ED problems from them.
Mine is a 2016 and fca was hood deep in litigation when I drove off the lot and nobody told me anything.
I will break even with this and maybe I will be a repeat customer if I don't have to jump through too many hoops along the way.
Nice to read you post by the way!

 

[gofishingup]

FCA originally went to Cummings with the idea to build this small 6 cylinder diesel (obviously Dodge has a long history with Cummings). What would have been better than a Cummings? Cummings turned them down. Apparently Cummings said they could not produce this diesel to do what FCA wanted it to do. I think Cummings produced a small diesel for Nissan but I'm not quite sure how that turned out. Cummings makes incredible 4 and 6 cylinder marine diesel motors. If they don't want to get involved in making one for these full size pickups, you know something is not right.

 

[Ram19]

I agree with you both.
If I'm going to spend 50 or 60k on your truck tell me the egr system is killing the longevity of the engine.
Tell me the intake manifold is going to be full of carbon in 10k miles.
Tell me it's in litigation with the epa.
Tell me me you see no fix for the egr before the engine fails so I can invest with your company with a vehicle that will serve my family well.
The dealership should have warned us when we made the purchase of the ED about the epa issue and the fact that it is a pos at the time of purchase. They took advantage of the sale, the commission was more important. BOOM oh but wait, take it back tell them it's junk and that you want them to buy it back! What! BOOM, they low ball you and try to screw you again.
Makes you want to rush over and buy another from the greedy bastarts!
One thing for sure and you don't need to be a HS grad!!
It sure as hell isn't the buyers fault the trucks are not suited for average use.
You read know on the web and all they rave about is all the HP and torque but, you don't hear anything about owner satisfaction.
If FCA treats everyone as they should in the end, the might get repeat business. I guess we will see how it pans out.
Love the truck hate the engine

I totally agree with the statements you've made here & I truly am sorry for your experiences with your truck. FCA has a lot of things to answer for and as things unfold with this new recall and the fire hazards the EGR systems present. They may end up being forced into a buy-back situation. When I looked at the BMW EGR fire problems they were having. The South Korean government held BMW's feet to the fire and almost made it illegal for those cars to be driven on the road. Look at what Volkswagen had to do with their diesel cars here in the last few years. They did end up buying back thousands of cars & in the end VW pulled out of the diesel market completely in America and is turning their engineering resources toward the development of electric cars. FCA with this newly announced merger with Peugeot is going down the same path with the EV technology.

Heck look at what Boeing is going through with the 737max because they were killing people due to faulty engineering and technology.

I'm not saying that any of this is right or trying to defend it & some times I wish we could set the clock back to simpler times when things seemed to work right. If I had a way back machine, I would go back to an era before smart phones & computers.

 

[gofishingup]

I'm with you there. When you step on the pedal of a diesel, you should be able to see it belch some black smoke out the tail pipe, now that black soot just stays in the motor. Not good. I posted in other threads that I think FCA is going to be forced into a buy back at some time in the future. I believe the same attorneys that were involved in the class action with the VW Diesel situation are monitoring this FCA 3.0 diesel very closely. As more problems occur and more people come forward, it's going to force FCA to do something. I wonder what it would cost FCA to swap out this motor to either a gas powered Hemi or a Cummings diesel. Granted, the gas milage is going to take a hit, but at least you'd have a motor that worked and if you sold it, you wouldn't get killed on the resale value of this 3.0 diesel. I don't know engineering wise if this is possible/feasable.

 

[Holymoly]

My brother was the same as you.
He got the update and the party was over.
Like you I have been researching theses 3.0 diesels , the duramax looks promising but it will be a couple years before I trust any of them again.

 

[Holymoly]

I believe the VM 3.0 will be a total failure for FCA unless some engineers get it figured out.
I asked a friend how they put up with these diesels in the EU.
He told me they have cleaner burning diesel over there for one.
How many years went by before VW decided to reimburse owners?

 

[carlhenry]

when commiefornia slides into the ocean this will b a better place 2 live

 

[Richard Bays]

I spent a few months (in the spring) researching for a new truck as I needed a replacement for my 2002 Dodge Dakota V6 RWD club cab. I was very excited about the Ram 1500 ecodiesel, had the power and mileage i was looking for in a package much more economical than a 2500/3500 cummins. Knowing I wouldn't be towing anything regularly and when I do it won’t weigh more than 7,500 max loaded this seemed a great option.

So after several delays, last month i purchased a 2019 1500 classic crew 4x4 ecodiesel laramie. Super excited, only the second new vehicle I've ever owned (outside of company cars). I’m pretty handy and work on my 1954 Chevy hotrod myself (and motorcycles and maintained my own vehicles for decades). I was looking for my next truck to reliably and safely carry me through the next 18 years (like the last one).

My previous research and reviews didn't lead me to this site, niw reading all the threads, the reports of fires, problems throwing into limp mode, expensive “fixes”, recall pending, and reading comments about 100,000 mile “motor life”... I’m now seriously upset I didn't pick up a 2500 crew 4x4 cummins in the workman trim, and add the sound deadening, carpet, leather katskin seat covers and stereo upgrades myself over time.

Are any more than a small handful having long term success with these trucks without tuning/deleting?

My truck has 400 miles on it and im concerned to take my wife and toddler anywhere in it now.

Its my truck now... I still have 30 days to purchase warranties.

Thanks for your input.

I have a 2016 Laramie Ltd classic crew with 46,000 and have had zero problems with the engine. Keep in mind that diesel engines in general like steady rpm - as in highway driving. If yop do a lot of stop and go, get on the highway regularly. It's a great engine in my opinion.

 

[Holymoly]

I hope your engine last as long as it should.
I think you would split your pants if you remove the egr tube from the intake manifold and shine a light in there.
If and when you do, ask yourself what good is an air filter if this carbon can build up and get into the system.
Just saying

 

[TC Diesel]

Great engine's go 500K miles with routine manitenence, No 3.0 in its entire history (every 3.0VM Made) has never come close to 500K miles on Routine manitenence, 300K the high mark, gas engine do that.

Trying not to be critical........ but claiming 46K miles its a great engine is not the scale use in the Dsl world.

 

[gofishingup]

I had few problems on my 3.0L until it hit about 45,000 miles; then it is one thing after another. A diesel motor starts getting broken in probably after 150,000 miles or so, I suspect my motor will never see this milage mark. After 45,000 miles the engine light has been on more than it has been off. Today (11/26/19) I got the EGR recall notice in the mail. Basically, it says there is a potential problem with the EGR that may cause the truck to catch fire and they don't know how to fix it at this point but they'll notify me when they have a solution. Very reassuring. I'd like FCA to tell me if I should be putting the truck in my garage that is attached to the house and risk the possibility of the house burning down too or if I should just keep it out in the winter weather until they figure out a solution to the problem.

On a separate topic that is somewhat related, I was reading about a recall and warranty work being done on 3.0L diesels that had the engine block heater on the motor. Apparently, if you had the engine block heater on the motor then it was suppose to trigger some sort of a recall. Does anyone know anything about this? It's my understanding that every 3.0L diesel that was shipped to North America had the engine block heater installed on the motor. I'm assuming this included the US and Canada. Most dealerships did not have a clue that the engine block heater was included with the motor. When I bought my truck the dealership tried to sell me the engine block heater as a $200 option, and they strongly recommended it. I took them over to a 3.0L in the showroom and asked them to show me where there engine block heater was listed on the factory invoice. The manager told me it wasn't listed on the invoice because the truck did not have an engine block heater. I opened the hood and showed him the engine block heater with the cord setting tucked away and ready for use.The manager was baffled, he said they had been selling the engine block heater as a $200 option. I told him that the trucks come with it and on some it was reported that they did not have the cord for the engine block heater but on the 3.0L trucks I checked, they all had the cords and were ready to be plugged in.

I believe all the North American 3.0L have the engine block heaters, does anyone know which recall the engine block heater was or will be tied to? Thanks.

 

[TC Diesel]

Gofinhingup, Please post the Stealership Name.. No doubt they be swindling owners for how long. I've never came across any Ram 3.0 in the pickup without one.

 

[1shadowsabre]

when commiefornia slides into the ocean this will b a better place 2 live

What does this have to do with anything in this thread? Just a random negative comment? Are you expressing displeasure at C.A.R.B.?

 

[carlhenry]

EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Will_CathVT]

55500 on my 2016, 2 exhaust sensors and a replaced EGR cooler prior to the recall later...no other issues. I follow the maintenance schedule to the letter, cold weather guidelines (live in the Northeast) and have taken advantage of the warranty. Knowledgable service department, knowing my rights and driving 75 miles each way to work helps. Plenty of time to regenerate...