Want To Sell Your Dodge Ram?

[Mike]

By TOM KRISHER and JONATHAN FAHEY
AP Business Writers
DETROIT (AP) - Fiat Chrysler must offer to buy back from customers more than 500,000 Ram pickup trucks and other vehicles in the biggest such action in U.S. history as part of a costly deal with safety regulators to settle legal problems in about two dozen recalls.




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Fiat Chrysler recalls 1M hackable cars



(CNN) - Chrysler is recalling more than a million vehicles after learning they can be hacked.

A security flaw in some newer Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep models lets hackers remotely access them.

They can cut the brakes, shut down the engine, and even remotely drive the car off the road.

The publication Wired discovered the flaw and demonstrated the vulnerability.

Chrysler offered a software upgrade earlier in the week, upgraded its network Thursday, and then issued a formal recall Friday.

Owners will receive a USB flash drive to upgrade the vehicle's software.

The company said it's not aware of any accidents, injuries, or complaints related to the security flaw, other than one incident reported by Wired.

Copyright 2015 Fiat Chrysler Automotive via CNN. All rights reserved.






Inside WSFA.com



AP Source: US to hit Fiat Chrysler with record $105M fine








The Italian-American automaker also faces a record civil fine of up to $105 million. In addition, owners of more than a million older Jeeps with vulnerable rear-mounted gas tanks will be able to trade them in or be paid by Chrysler to have the vehicles repaired.

The settlement is the latest sign that auto safety regulators are taking a more aggressive approach toward companies that fail to disclose defects or don't properly conduct a recall.

The Ram pickups, which are the company's top-selling vehicle, have defective steering parts that can cause drivers to lose control. Some previous repairs have been unsuccessful, so Fiat Chrysler agreed to the buyback, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Owners also have the option of getting them repaired, the agency said in documents released Sunday.

The older Jeeps have fuel tanks located behind the rear axle, with little to shield them in a rear crash. They can rupture and spill gasoline, causing a fire. At least 75 people have died in crash-related fires, although Fiat Chrysler maintains they are as safe as comparable vehicles from the same era.

Both the Jeep and Ram measures are part of a larger settlement between the government and the automaker over allegations of misconduct in 23 recalls covering more than 11 million vehicles. Besides the civil penalty, which was reported Saturday by The Associated Press, Fiat Chrysler agreed to an independent recall monitor and strict federal oversight. It's another step in NHTSA's effort to right itself after being criticized for lapses in some highly-publicized safety recalls.

"Today's action holds Fiat Chrysler accountable for its past failures, pushes them to get unsafe vehicles repaired or off the roads and takes concrete steps to keep Americans safer going forward," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in the statement.

In a separate statement, Fiat Chrysler said it accepted the consequences of the agreement "with renewed resolve to improve our handling of recalls and re-establish the trust our customers place in us."

NHTSA has been involved in vehicle buybacks in the past, but never one of this size. A buyback usually happens when a problem is so serious that it can't be fixed and the vehicles need to be removed from service.

Under the agreement, Fiat Chrysler has to buy back the Ram trucks for the purchase price, minus depreciation.

It's unclear just how many Rams the automaker will have to repurchase, but the cash outlay could be substantial. According to Kelly Blue Book, a 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 - one of the smaller, less-expensive trucks involved in the recalls - could fetch $20,000 in a dealer trade-in, assuming the truck has 60,000 miles on it and is in "good" condition. At that rate, if Chrysler had to buy back even a quarter of the trucks at issue, it could spend $2.5 billion.

Fiat Chrysler said more than 60 percent of the trucks already have been fixed, and the company is allowed to repair and resell the trucks it buys back.

The Jeep trade-ins could add to the tab, but they also could generate more new vehicle sales by getting customers into showrooms. Still, the total could strain the parent company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV. The company posted a first-quarter net profit of $101 million and had more than $20 billion in cash and securities on March 31.

The consent order that Fiat Chrysler agreed to requires it to notify owners who are eligible for buybacks and other incentives.

Models included in the buyback offer are certain Ram 1500s from 2009 to 2012; the Ram 1500 Mega Cab 4 by 4 from 2008; and the Ram 2500 4 by 4, 3500 4 by 4, 4500 4 by 4, and 5500 4 by 4, all from 2008 through 2012. Also part of the offer are 2009 Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango SUVs and the Dodge Dakota pickup from 2009 through 2011.

The fine against FCA beats the old record of $70 million assessed against Honda Motor Co. for lapses in recalls of air bags made by Takata Corp.

Fiat Chrysler also received a $70 million fine, and must spend at least $20 million to meet performance requirements detailed in the agreement. Another $15 million could come due if the recall monitor finds any further violations.

Earlier this month, the safety agency held a rare public hearing where regulators detailed a litany of shortfalls: failure to notify customers of recalls, delays in making and distributing repair parts and in some cases failing to come up with repairs that fix the problems. Some of the recalls date to 2011.

 

[3 M L & C]

I have 2009 and got several cards talking about recall on steering parts. Always called dealership and they said they know about it but couldn't get any of the repair parts to fix. Some they fixed once then had recall on the fix part. I jack up the front and wiggle the tire like service man said to check it pretty regular. Would rather fix than sell back with bale bed and cake feeder already rigged up. We will see I guess.

 

[loomixguy]

Fix It Again Tony. Kinda like FUBAR....FIAT.

 

[Traveler]

Looks like our Rams are either too new or too old.

Any that ever "death wobbled" just needed the front end gone through by a good shop using quality parts, not the dealer. Ball joints, tie rod ends, some other bushings, alignment, etc..... no mystery. The wobble does for sure get the attention of whoever's driving it. About an ~~ $1100 dollar fix. Any that were DIY projects got too time consuming compared to any savings, IMO.

Took one to a dealer to fix. What a waste.

 

[Silver]

Nice easy fix for the death wobble is after an aftermarket tie rod kit, cost including install is about $400 CDN. Problem with the Dodge linkage is in the geometry, the slightest bit of wear and things get out of whack. The aftermarket kit changes the geometry and life gets good again. Was the best thing I did for my '10. Wait, no it wasn't, selling it and buying a Ford was the best decision. My mechanic phoned awhile ago and wondered if I was mad at him because he hadn't seen me in so long :lol:

 

[Faster horses]

I have 2009 and got several cards talking about recall on steering parts. Always called dealership and they said they know about it but couldn't get any of the repair parts to fix. Some they fixed once then had recall on the fix part. I jack up the front and wiggle the tire like service man said to check it pretty regular. Would rather fix than sell back with bale bed and cake feeder already rigged up. We will see I guess.

Kinda the same here. We have a 2011...with a flatbed, gooseneck hookup, Truck Defender aluminum bumper/grill guard. Pretty expensive to trade with all that stuff on ours. Guess we better call the dealership and find out what is going on. We had a recall on it and they said they didn't have the parts yet for the recall......that was last winter and it has been fixed....don't remember what it
was exactly. We have had ZERO problems with this vehicle and didn't plan to trade it for awhile yet.

 

[jodywy]

Equipment salesmen " in not old enough to be an antique and not new enough to be worth anything , so it just JUNK"

 

[LazyWP]

I hope my 2012 is recalled. I am about as disappointed in it, as I was in the Ford that got me into Dodges to start out with. I like the way it drives down the road, but the mileage SUCKS, and it has a lot less power then my 06 had.

 

[Faster horses]

I hope my 2012 is recalled. I am about as disappointed in it, as I was in the Ford that got me into Dodges to start out with. I like the way it drives down the road, but the mileage SUCKS, and it has a lot less power then my 06 had.

That's terrible. Sorry to hear.

Mr. FH is a power nut and he's well pleased with the power of his 2011. However, he did put a
Smarty Jr. in it....and the fuel mileage is nothing spectacular. 11-13 mph pulling a trailer. He does not have them in this pickup, but he is a firm believer that the 4.10 rear end gear ratio helps get better fuel mileage. He is such a believer in low geared rear ends that he has had them changed in past years in some of his pickups and it has worked out to more power and better fuel mileage.

He isn't crazy about the automatic transmission. He says it shifts more times than it needs to. He says there is more than one
transmission and some are better. Time for me to shut up, because I'm getting in over my head.

I forgot to call the dealership on the topic of this thread. I'll try to remember to do it tomorrow.

 

[LazyWP]

I have NO IDEA why the dealer ordered this one with 3.55 gears. If I can keep it on the interstate, at about 100 MPH it runs great, the rest of the time, my 6 liter gas burner ranch pickup will out perform it, and get better mileage. I should have held out for a manual tranny, and I knew it at the time.
But we travel in comfort in it. Has every option other then back seat DVR! Just can't afford to drive the dumb thing.

 

[Traveler]

Have had my '14 Ram 2500 Diesel, w/6 speed AT, for 16 months now. Probably broke in at 52000 miles, good power and pulls well. Going down the hiway at 70 mph, empty, it gets 19 to 21 mpg consistently. Much worse if you kick it up to 90 on the Interstate. I feel fortunate, because it sounds like many don't do so good. I run Stanadyne power formula in it, or sometimes Howe's, quite a bit. The thing that irritates me most about it, is that it shifts down when it speeds up going downhill when the cruise is set, or you use Tow/Haul mode. Nanny looking out for you.

 

[Faster horses]

Have had my '14 Ram 2500 Diesel, w/6 speed AT, for 16 months now. Probably broke in at 52000 miles, good power and pulls well. Going down the hiway at 70 mph, empty, it gets 19 to 21 mpg consistently. Much worse if you kick it up to 90 on the Interstate. I feel fortunate, because it sounds like many don't do so good. I run Stanadyne power formula in it, or sometimes Howe's, quite a bit. The thing that irritates me most about it, is that it shifts down when it speeds up going downhill when the cruise is set, or you use Tow/Haul mode. Nanny looking out for you.

Mr. FH DOES NOT like the Tow/Haul.
What gear ratio does your Dodge have Traveler?
I realize that ours is a 3500 dually vs your 2500 single wheel, but still 19-21 is pretty darn good fuel mileage!

 

[Silver]

I never minded driving my '10 down the highway, it was out in the patch I hated it. I think the springs were just for looks. Dang thing beat the stuffing out of me. Back roads in these parts are hell on vehicles and Mr. Dodge wasn't up to the task. 90% of my miles are off hwy and when you put on 45,000 miles a year you separate the wheat from the chaff. I'd have probably kept that truck for a long time if it were driven under happier conditions, but I needed something capable of daily torture testing so had to go to plan B.

 

[loomixguy]

A colleague of mine bought a new 2001 or 2002 one ton 4x4 Doodge dually with the Cum-Apart to deliver LOOMIX with. I ordered my 2003 Ford F550 in December 2002. I set up my tanks almost exactly like my buddy did, so they were working under the same load. He was constantly having brake work done, replacing springs, having the front end worked on etc. I just hauled feed. He always bragged how great his Doodge did on fuel. The 550 would average 10-11 under all conditions with the dreaded 6.0. The mileage on both trucks was nearly identical. To my knowledge, he never touched the Cum-Apart. A little over a year ago I dropped close to 10 large and had the 6.0 bulletproofed. Last year my pal bought a 2014 4500 Doodge 4x4. He upped the gallons he could haul on the 4500, and is already getting chummy once again with the service department at the dealership with brake, suspension, and front end issues.

We met up one day last week and looked each other's rigs over pretty good. When he was done giving the 550 the critical eye, he made the comment that the 550 would probably still be going strong when he'd totally worn out his 4500. He's probably right. I sure as hell wouldn't trade him...even straight across. But the big difference is how you treat them. I don't load her with all she can carry, and with a 4:88 rear end, 55 is generally fast enough...60 if I'm empty. I fully expect to have a truck that isn't completely worn out when I'm ready to retire.

 

[Traveler]

Have had my '14 Ram 2500 Diesel, w/6 speed AT, for 16 months now. Probably broke in at 52000 miles, good power and pulls well. Going down the hiway at 70 mph, empty, it gets 19 to 21 mpg consistently. Much worse if you kick it up to 90 on the Interstate. I feel fortunate, because it sounds like many don't do so good. I run Stanadyne power formula in it, or sometimes Howe's, quite a bit. The thing that irritates me most about it, is that it shifts down when it speeds up going downhill when the cruise is set, or you use Tow/Haul mode. Nanny looking out for you.

Mr. FH DOES NOT like the Tow/Haul.
What gear ratio does your Dodge have Traveler?
I realize that ours is a 3500 dually vs your 2500 single wheel, but still 19-21 is pretty darn good fuel mileage!

3.42, but will lock out 6th when pulling much. The torque and hp ratings from year to year kind of help compare oranges to oranges, assuming the chart is correct. http://www.cumminshub.com/timeline.html

 

[Faster horses]

He says ours has 3.73 and he wishes it was 4.10. Long ago we had a 2 WD 1967 Ford pickup with a 352 gas engine and 4:56 gear ratio. He loved that pickup. Lots of power for those days. He always said you could pull a horse trailer
over the Big Horn Mountains as fast as you wanted to go. He said "it would go!!" He doesn't know how much gas it used, because back then gas was so cheap it wasn't a concern. So after that 1967 Ford he had the rear ends changed until we started buying 4WD so he just made sure he got the gear ratio he wanted. We lived a long ways from town and bought a 1973 Ford pickup with high gear ratio. He told the dealer that he didn't want that, but the dealer convinced him to try it....so he did. He was so disgusted with it, he said it didn't have enough power to go into a high wind. We changed the gears to a 4:56 and we gained 5 mpg
and way more power. That had the 360 dog engine, but that lower gear ratio really helped a sorry engine.

 

[Traveler]

Probably didn't want those old pickups to go too fast with a trailer, as stopping might have been a concern. :wink: Did trailer brakes ever work back then? :lol2:

 

[Faster horses]

Probably didn't want those old pickups to go too fast with a trailer, as stopping might have been a concern. :wink: Did trailer brakes ever work back then? :lol2:

Excellent point! The trailers weren't so big then, but he is a worrier. He has said many times, "they make these outfits go
fast, but they don't do much to stop them." For years now he has had an exhaust brake installed in all the 3500's he has.
The 2011 came with the exhaust brake installed. I think all the bigger pickups have them now as standard equipment.

 

[Traveler]

Since I'd already mentioned Stanadyne Power Formula in this thread, thought I would pass this along. Our employees that have been running the rotary New Hollands this summer, which are a thirsty machine by nature, claim that by adding the Standyne, they're getting an extra 5 hours between fill ups. I would just about call BS on that much improvement, but they swear by it, fwiw. As much as it costs it better do something wonderful. I know that it seems to keep the engine fault codes, which are basically emissions, from returning on a T8 that's been problematic.