Advice: 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 For Sale...

[CompSyn]

I've been shopping around for a budget truck to buy. A 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab SLT 5.7L 4x4 just popped up for sale. This truck has 130k miles on it and a clean Carfax. Priced squarely with NADA retail value.

Questions:

1) How solid were these trucks? Engine/Trans/Drivetrain?

2) What type of maintenance might I expect assuming it's only had oil/filter changes all of it's life?

3) How well did Chrysler's Bright White Clear Coat paint hold up on these trucks?

4) Other Pros/Cons one can think of??

Thanks!

 

[turbine68rt]

I've been shopping around for a budget truck to buy. A 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab SLT 5.7L 4x4 just popped up for sale. This truck has 130k miles on it and a clean Carfax. Priced squarely with NADA retail value.

Questions:

1) How solid were these trucks? Engine/Trans/Drivetrain?

2) What type of maintenance might I expect assuming it's only had oil/filter changes all of it's life?

3) How well did Chrysler's Bright White Clear Coat paint hold up on these trucks?

4) Other Pros/Cons one can think of??

Thanks!

I've been having issues with my '04 545RFE since about the same mileage as this has. Once the fluid gets to normal temp I get a harsh 2-3 shift then it inevitably goes into limp. Code says governor pressure issue. New sensors didn't fix anything. I'm probably looking at a full rebuild.

 

[hunt2elk]

If the transmission hasn't already been rebuilt, you might as well figure that will be needing done. Seems like the first area to rust on these trucks is around the wheel wells on the box.

 

[66Satellite47]

Not sure if this applies, I have a '05 Durango 5.7, 5 speed AT. 195,000 miles. Regular oil changes, trans fluid change @ 130,000, new plugs @ 177,000, brakes& calipers, batteries, tires. Still running GREAT. Body is starting to rot, but never got the washing it deserved.

 

[Hey-O]

I had an 04, got rid of it with a 127,000 miles on it. It never left me walking. I've had many friend with 200 thousand plus with nothing but regular maintenance done. This is what it looked like when I sold it.

 

[#41]

05 here with the 5.7 and white paint. 109k miles. It uses a quart of oil every 5,000 miles (no leaks), the u-joints have been replaced, and one front wheel bearing went bad. It recently developed an electrical short which will drain the battery in 3 days if the truck goes unused. Overall the white paint has held up extremely well especially considering that the truck is never under cover. Pretty good record in my opinion for a 15 yo truck.

 

[Sixpaksteve]

I have a white/grey 2001 Dodge Cummins with 130k on it. It stays in the garage unless I need to tow/haul something, so the white paint today looks as good as it did in this 2011 photo.

One issue that I did have was at the bottom of the doors [all 4 of them]. Rust formed inside the doors and then started to eat its way to the outside. I took care of it early before any actual holes started to appear and I treated inside the door panels at the bottom of the doors with a rust preventative. So far so good but I'd recommend that you look over the bottoms of the doors very carefully on the truck you're considering. Even if mostly garaged, they'll rust out here from car washings, rain, etc... no matter how conscientious the current owner is.

 

[Daves69]

.........
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen-ram-tech/254074-common-issue-s-with-the-dodge-ram.html

 

[Don Frelier]

Geez, that list makes the 2nd Gen look pretty good.
My son has a 98 3/4 Ton HD, it's a beast.

 

[CompSyn]

Update: the truck is gone. So the search continues. Thanks everyone for the info.