Newer Dodge "Ram" trucks with Rust?

[SwampSurvivor]

Got mad at the Mercury and decided to do some truck shopping.

I was looking at the Dodge 1500 "Classic" trucks. There's a bunch off lease. Basically 4th gen Dodge Ram made after the 5th gen came out in 2019.

No DI, good ZF transmission ... no oil pump belts like Ford has on the 2.7 and 5.0 and it seems that GM and Ford are having transmission problems. I was only looking at Hemi trucks because Pentastars don't have the official towing capacity I need.

Looked at a few. One was a 2023 Tradesman model .... with rust holes in the rocker panels and the wheel wells on the bed starting to bubble. The other was a 2022 Warlord model and again, rust on the rockers. The wheel wells had trim over them. Both trucks had under 30K miles

Those were the worst but there were some other 4th gen Dodge trucks that were recent lease returns with rust starting at the parking sensors and on the painted steel bumpers.

Really surprised at how those trucks have body rust issues.

Ended up at the Nissan dealer looking at 2025 Frontiers with a 7100 pound towing capacity for the same price as used Dodges ...

Then decided I didn't want to spend the $$$ and going to stick to my rolling junk piles.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

You should consider the Titan. Available with a V8 or even a Cummins diesel

And of course, whatever you get, make sure you get rustproofing done

 

[OVERKILL]

That's odd, we had no rust issues with our DS trucks (though we did start getting them undercoated with Rust Check). There's a 2014 here right now with no rust and another 2014 that just left, also no rust.

Maybe these have "COVID" paint or something?

 

[supton]

That's a bummer.

That's odd, we had no rust issues with our DS trucks (though we did start getting them undercoated with Rust Check). There's a 2014 here right now with no rust and another 2014 that just left, also no rust.

Maybe these have "COVID" paint or something?

Climate difference? NY over the last few years, maybe it kept getting above freezing, and thus rust was just hammering away, while your clime would get cold and stay cold? Pure guess on my part, although COVID likely did not help.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

You should consider the Titan. Available with a V8 or even a Cummins diesel

And of course, whatever you get, make sure you get rustproofing done

No diesels for me! At least no modern ones. If I could get a mechanical diesel!

Titans are nice but they just don't seem to exist - new or used. I know Nissan killed them off a year or so ago, but there's just none near here for sale.

I have a friend who does fluid film but he's thinking of changing into another similar product. He'll be loading up whatever I buy ... or the mercury if I stick with that

I can't bring myself to drop the $$$ and I can't stomach paying interest if I financed.

 

[OVERKILL]

That's a bummer.


Climate difference? NY over the last few years, maybe it kept getting above freezing, and thus rust was just hammering away, while your clime would get cold and stay cold? Pure guess on my part, although COVID likely did not help.

I can't see NY being much different from SW Ontario? And we use massive amounts of road salt and calcium chloride on the roads.

 

[supton]

I can't see NY being much different from SW Ontario? And we use massive amounts of road salt and calcium chloride on the roads.

Not familiar with Ontario. I just figure, if the weather keeps getting warm, then a threat of snow so that they salt heavily, that can be the worst setup (or best) for rotting out vehicles.

 

[OVERKILL]

Not familiar with Ontario. I just figure, if the weather keeps getting warm, then a threat of snow so that they salt heavily, that can be the worst setup (or best) for rotting out vehicles.

Buffalo and Windsor are at approximately the same latitude, as are Hamilton and Rochester.

 

[oldhp]

Some of the rusting comes from foam sound deadening inside the front fenders. Rear is from dust / moisture settling on top of inner fenders. Front your stuck. At least with the rears you can pop the tail lights out and spray the gunk off.

 

[THORROMIG]

I am seeing newer Chevy and Ford with rust issues also. Not singular just for Dodge.

 

[Zap1967]

Middle Indiana here. We see mostly 2012 and earlier Rams with rocker and wheel well rust.

I had a an extremely clean 2010 Ram from 12 to 2017. It was side swiped and required rocker removal. Truck was spotless underneath but I looked at the rocker they cut off and it was probably 3 years away from coming through the paint in the rearward part of the rocker.

I purchased a new 21 DT and started doing fluid film inside the rockers and over the rear wheel wells as preventative maintenance.

I’m floored by the amount of 2014-2018 GM trucks I see around here with rockers basically competely gone. Rear wheel wells and fenders starting to show too. The frame wax coating during those years was also awful.

I actually owned a 2016 Silverado for year looking for something more reliable but it was an absolute dumpster fire of a vehicle. GM touted their new rust prevention measures from paint processes and galvanized panels but it seems it was all fluff.

 

[fdcg27]

Got mad at the Mercury and decided to do some truck shopping.

I was looking at the Dodge 1500 "Classic" trucks. There's a bunch off lease. Basically 4th gen Dodge Ram made after the 5th gen came out in 2019.

No DI, good ZF transmission ... no oil pump belts like Ford has on the 2.7 and 5.0 and it seems that GM and Ford are having transmission problems. I was only looking at Hemi trucks because Pentastars don't have the official towing capacity I need.

Looked at a few. One was a 2023 Tradesman model .... with rust holes in the rocker panels and the wheel wells on the bed starting to bubble. The other was a 2022 Warlord model and again, rust on the rockers. The wheel wells had trim over them. Both trucks had under 30K miles

Those were the worst but there were some other 4th gen Dodge trucks that were recent lease returns with rust starting at the parking sensors and on the painted steel bumpers.

Really surprised at how those trucks have body rust issues.

Ended up at the Nissan dealer looking at 2025 Frontiers with a 7100 pound towing capacity for the same price as used Dodges ...

Then decided I didn't want to spend the $$$ and going to stick to my rolling junk piles.

One does see more youngish Rams with serious rust than one does Ford or GM pickups.
Blame the corporate association with Fiat, always famous for rust.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Not familiar with Ontario. I just figure, if the weather keeps getting warm, then a threat of snow so that they salt heavily, that can be the worst setup (or best) for rotting out vehicles.

The warm weather does lead to a lot of salt spray. Could be.

Buffalo and Windsor are at approximately the same latitude, as are Hamilton and Rochester.

I'm in the Syracuse area but similar climate. Maybe these were leases that got abused ?

I am seeing newer Chevy and Ford with rust issues also. Not singular just for Dodge.

Middle Indiana here. We see mostly 2012 and earlier Rams with rocker and wheel well rust.

I had a an extremely clean 2010 Ram from 12 to 2017. It was side swiped and required rocker removal. Truck was spotless underneath but I looked at the rocker they cut off and it was probably 3 years away from coming through the paint in the rearward part of the rocker.

I purchased a new 21 DT and started doing fluid film inside the rockers and over the rear wheel wells as preventative maintenance.

I’m floored by the amount of 2014-2018 GM trucks I see around here with rockers basically competely gone. Rear wheel wells and fenders starting to show too. The frame wax coating during those years was also awful.

I actually owned a 2016 Silverado for year looking for something more reliable but it was an absolute dumpster fire of a vehicle. GM touted their new rust prevention measures from paint processes and galvanized panels but it seems it was all fluff.

That era GM truck seems to rust bad too

 

[Rmay635703]

They all rust

 

[clinebarger]

Fly to DFW & buy a Ram of your choice....What price premium would you put on all that rot?

 

[RBT]

I am wondering if people clean the undersides and wheel wells thoroughly after bad snow storms. We have a 2019 Ram, had a 2009 Ford before that, no rust issues on either but I clean the undersides pretty much after any event requiring road salt. Same with out Toyota SUV, no problems there either.

 

[brandon9715]

I am seeing newer Chevy and Ford with rust issues also. Not singular just for Dodge.

Newer fords? All the trucks are aluminum bodies.

 

[road_rascal]

I am wondering if people clean the undersides and wheel wells thoroughly after bad snow storms. We have a 2019 Ram, had a 2009 Ford before that, no rust issues on either but I clean the undersides pretty much after any event requiring road salt. Same with out Toyota SUV, no problems there either.

My 2012 Rav4 has lived in Minnesota the entire time and I have very little rust on the undercarriage and none on the body. It gets washed as often as possible in the winter.

 

[OVERKILL]

Posted these originally a couple of years back now, but this is a 2011 RAM:

 

[64bawagon]

The Rams always seem to be the first to go around here but none of them will tolerate neglect. Treating the rockers, bed wheel arches and the boxed frame areas is essential but most folks dont do it.