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Ram 1500 Years to AVOID — and the Years That Last FOREVER by RAM Central
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This video teaches: it gives model-year specific buying guidance, clear failure modes, repair costs, and fixes rather than pushing a product.
Why this score
- Scored from the transcript, summary, and output signals.
The short version
This video ranks RAM 1500 model years to avoid and the ones worth buying, based on common failures, owner complaints, and repair costs. The host calls out first-year redesign problems (notably the 2019 eTorque rollout), the 2002-2003 sludge and timing chain disasters, and the 2012 overlap of TIPM electrical and HEMI lifter/cam failures. He then recommends durable picks: 1998 Magnum V8s with a simple plenum gasket fix, the 2005 non-MDS 5.7 HEMI, the RAM 1500 Classic (2019-2024) for proven drivetrains, and the 2022 as the last modern non-eTorque HEMI, plus a final maintenance rule to protect ZF eight-speed transmissions.
What it teaches
- Prefer proven simplicity over new features when buying used vehicles. Apply this when a recent redesign introduces new subsystems (for example, eTorque or integrated modules). New tech can bring performance gains but also single-point failures, parts shortages, and high repair bills. The common mistake is treating newe
- Look for single, inexpensive fixes that neutralize recurring problems, then value the truck as a long-term tool. Use this when an ownership problem has a cheap, durable repair (for example, the 1998 Magnum plenum plate). Avoid assuming a cosmetic pass means the underlying issue is fixed; sellers can hide or replace pan
Key moments
- 0:472019 came in hot with 28 recalls: establishes why the 2019 is uniquely risky among RAMs.
- 1:13eTorque description and risk: RAM replaced the alternator with a belt starter generator and a 48-volt battery pack behind the rear seat, creating a new single-point failure.
- 1:35$2,000 part and nationwide backorders: shows real-world repair cost plus long wait times that stranded owners.
- 2:482002 recorded over 2,000 problems: quantifies how bad that model year was in the federal complaint data.
- 3:114.7-L V8 oil sludge issue: missing or wrong oil changes can clog passages, starve the camshaft for lubrication, and destroy the engine.
- 3:44Fragile timing chain system: multi-chain plastic guides lead to stretched or jumped chains and expensive, engine-ending repairs.
Quotes
- The RAM 1500 is the most polarizing truck on the used market.0:00
- the 2019 was the first year of the fifth generation RAM and it came in hot with 28 recalls.0:47
- TIPM stands for totally integrated power module5:28
- The risk of a catastrophic lifter failure on a Hemi built before MDS was added is practically zero.10:35
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