How Crazy Am I? Ram 1500 vs F-150

[Snakebitten]

Very common window sticker on Tundras sold in Texas

Sponsored

 

[Paul Neubauer]

I’ve read about the issues you have had. It’s truly disheartening.

I’m not sure what I would do if I had to move on from my F150.

I can say this, I would drive a dodge before a Chevy

For the longest time, I just wanted my truck fixed and returned to me since it was what I considered the perfect truck and uniquely rare due to having the diesel engine. As the days without my truck kept counting upwards, I accepted the fact that the truck might not be fixable and wanted it replaced with another similar F-150 but that was refused by Fords buyback department.

Now after 18 months and 280 days of dealing with Ford "Customer Service" and dealership service centers, I no longer want this or any other F-150. I honestly hope it falls off the lift or is stolen from the service parking lot.

I don't know if any other brand is better but Ford lost my trust and I'm not taking another gamble on an F-150 again mostly due to corporate Fords decisions regarding this truck.

Chevy is not an option because I don't want another one of those awful 10 speed transmissions that also already failed on my current truck.

 

[Paul Neubauer]

Very common window sticker on Tundras sold in Texas

That image popped into my head as soon as I read "Toyota" in your previous comment!

 

[Forumlurker24]

That truck was dump worthy more than a year ago. Your threshold of pain is beyond my comprehension.

Although a current Ram wouldn't be where I'd draw the next card from the deck. Personally.

Honestly, as crazy as it might sound, if I were looking for a 1/2 truck with the emphasis on least likely to visit a service department, it'd be a Tundra built currently. Post main bearing fiasco. Toyota is likely to be hyper-focused on what they were already good at, which is Quality Control and good engineering. Their huge snafu and the bad press that came with it, ironically could be way in favor of the Tundra consumer. Or put another way, there probably hasn't been a better Tundra built in the current generation than the one that came off the assembly line last night.

Having said all that, there ISN'T a Tundra built for me as the target buyer. But if Toyota would give me 1 more foot of bed length, and an inverter on the Hybrid battery? As well as finding some way to give me 1500 lbs of Payload...... I'd go get one today.

But they don't and they aren't going to.
It's just not how they play the game.

I'm not buying it being a bearing issue, it wouldn't take years for them to catch it and fix it if that was the case. Also reminder that they never recalled the hybrids for the issue despite them having the same engine with the same issues.

Any Toyota fan will tell you that since around 2018 their quality has went down. Any new vehicle theyve released has had issues and they are known for denying warranty for ridiculous reasons.

I would buy a ram, Chevy, or maybe even a Nissan truck before a Toyota one

 

[Snakebitten]

That image popped into my head as soon as I read "Toyota" in your previous comment!

My dad has 4 boys.
The oldest, my older brother, is a diehard GM LS guy. He's old and frugal, and has a 2007 Cadillac Escalade and a 2008 Denali (Suburban like). He'll openly admit that he has to have both so he can drive one when he's repairing the other. Both are very high mileage, as you can assume.

Then there's me. I'm the Ford son and considered the kiss-up to 93 year old dad because dad drove Ford trucks while we were growing up.

Next son down, is a Ram man. Has both a 1/2 ton and a 1 ton. He's the bigger hunter/fishing of the 4, and so his trucks are rigged with brush guards, big bumpers, and headache racks. He defends his Ram choice one day, and then complains about paying $7 grand for the rear axle giving up the next.

And then the baby boy. He just turned 50. He's all Toyota. He recently traded his 2023 Tacoma in on a 2025 Tundra. He's the least likely to turn a wrench, and in fact will bring his "stuff" to my barn and ask questions with the intent of getting me or our oldest brother to use my toolboxes to address his concern.

Point is, I'm close up and around most of the brands on a day to day basis. And since I love all 3 of my crazy brothers, I don't really have disdain for any of the brands to choose from. But until Ford lets me down, and they haven't in ~50 years of driving their products, I'll just stay dad's wisest son, if you know what I mean. ???

 

[Larrymoe]

I’ve read about the issues you have had. It’s truly disheartening.

I’m not sure what I would do if I had to move on from my F150.

I can say this, I would drive a dodge before a Chevy

I would buy a GMC before either of those. I know, I know. My aunt has had GMCs for 30 years and, while she's had more problems than me and my dad have with Fords, she's had far fewer that most of the Chevys and Dodges I know of.

If Toyota made a RCSB, I would have seriously looked into it. My wife loves her 4Runner and the Corolla and Avalon we've owned were great.

 

[dmac]

Lease the Ram, buy the Ford. Disable the fuel management on the GM.
Toyota's just doesn't drive well to begin with, so don't mess with them.

If you want, you can update your driver assist modules, add leather and tune your XLT.

Ford trucks in my experience can have issues that need ironing out early on, but I think you're way more likely to have an abused 250K mile ford driving strong than a GM or RAM. Close friend has first year 10-speed with the 3.5 eco. She's had to do phasers twice, valve cover and alternator by 140K. Changed her transmission fluid at 100k.

That truck has given her the worst experience by far of any Ford truck owner I know, but at 150k, it now drives butter smooth and pulls really hard. Trans shifts great, and suspension is super smooth with Bilstein 5100s. Mind you this was the first year of the 10 speed and 2nd generation 3.5 eco.

No major issues on parent's 2021 powerboost platinum after 4 years and 60k. 25K on my 5.0, no issues.

Had a 15 5.0 - a clutch pack TSB done at 5k miles, otherwise zero mechanical issues. Was running better than new at 63k when sold.

Another buddy had a 22 PB. 44k extremely hard mountainous towing miles, and no issues besides the exhaust heat exchanger TSB.

 

[FaaWrenchBndr]

For the longest time, I just wanted my truck fixed and returned to me since it was what I considered the perfect truck and uniquely rare due to having the diesel engine. As the days without my truck kept counting upwards, I accepted the fact that the truck might not be fixable and wanted it replaced with another similar F-150 but that was refused by Fords buyback department.

Now after 18 months and 280 days of dealing with Ford "Customer Service" and dealership service centers, I no longer want this or any other F-150. I honestly hope it falls off the lift or is stolen from the service parking lot.

I don't know if any other brand is better but Ford lost my trust and I'm not taking another gamble on an F-150 again mostly due to corporate Fords decisions regarding this truck.

Chevy is not an option because I don't want another one of those awful 10 speed transmissions that also already failed on my current truck.

Makes perfect sense…….

 

[HammaMan]

If an asteroid took out my truck, I'd do my best to find one as similar to it as I could. Wouldn't go near a modern GM. The thought of a motor with as few as 4 miles on it letting loose, no thanks. Refreshed a YT tab and it was the tow truck guy who claims GMs are keeping them really busy, particularly with the 2+ yr old unresolved fuel pump module failing, towing yet another GM truck stranded.

As for toyo, I've owned a few. They used to be a really solid brand, but so did sony. Not sure what's up with their history of just not wanting to put modern tech into their vehicles on the infotainment side, it's been a turnoff for over a decade now. There's only one brand that's owned its TT stripes in the full size gas truck market and we're here. Want a V8? Perhaps a TT V6? There's ford, and not exactly, currently. Ford has done some dumb things in forecasting for-sure, spurred on by the govt cheese no doubt, but their inability to read the variables in the market is very embarrassing for them and rather detrimental financially.

The whole 3yr run + 3yr refresh cycle doesn't fit today's market. We should have seen a refresh PB in 23 and at the very least a competent PHEV for 25, possibly a range-extending lightning variant for 26. Instead it took 2 years of selling EVs before the CEO tried to road trip one and immediately came to the conclusion that infrastructure was well below what's needed and that was a trip from LA to LV, arguably one of the better places to try such a trip. Most of the US's EV infrastructure is in a far worse state, if it exists at all. Their bandaid was tesla of course.

Stelantis just axed their CEO over their equally as poor pivot to today's market.

 

[Paul Neubauer]

The Ram 1500 interiors are the nicest looking of all the brands I have been researching and the Longhorn edition is giving the King Ranch a run for its money.

 

[Snakebitten]

The interior has been what's sold a lot of their trucks

 

[HammaMan]

The Ram 1500 interiors are the nicest looking of all the brands I have been researching and the Longhorn edition is giving the King Ranch a run for its money.

Unfortunately it's a package deal and the motors are a roll of the dice. They do put a lot of $ into the interiors though. Passenger screen is a bit of a gimmick though unless you're the passenger, and if I'm ever in the passenger seat of my truck, I'm asleep. As to comfort, well I made my own seats and if I could increase the comfort any more I'd tear the seats apart and make changes. On the to-do list is changing parts of the doors to suede as well as the armrest. Not on a timetable for it so don't expect to see a post anytime soon. I do have several fabric samples on hand.

 

[22stx]

I also looked at the ram in 22 but I can't get past the turn knob shifter. I still have my 05 4.7 with 155000 miles on it. Haven't done any engine work on it so far. I have owned a lot of Ford's over the years and love my 22 so I'll stick with the Ford. Just my opinion.

 

[Paul Neubauer]

Unfortunately it's a package deal and the motors are a roll of the dice. They do put a lot of $ into the interiors though. Passenger screen is a bit of a gimmick though unless you're the passenger, and if I'm ever in the passenger seat of my truck, I'm asleep. As to comfort, well I made my own seats and if I could increase the comfort any more I'd tear the seats apart and make changes. On the to-do list is changing parts of the doors to suede as well as the armrest. Not on a timetable for it so don't expect to see a post anytime soon. I do have several fabric samples on hand.

I also agree that the passenger screen is a gimmick and would delete it if possible. My current engine is also a roll of the dice with lots of people that have had Ford replace them under warranty to the tune of $15,000+ and mine is currently acting funny.

When the Dodge dealerships are marking down 2025 Ram 1500's $20,000 and they are as much as $25,000 less than a comparable F-150, it seems like a reasonable gamble to venture into.

I have almost convinced myself to go test drive one except my trade-in is still sitting in a dealership service bay waiting for Ford to respond and tell the tech what part they suggest replacing next in hopes they solve its issues.

 

[Paul Neubauer]

I also looked at the ram in 22 but I can't get past the turn knob shifter. I still have my 05 4.7 with 155000 miles on it. Haven't done any engine work on it so far. I have owned a lot of Ford's over the years and love my 22 so I'll stick with the Ford. Just my opinion.

I've driven so many service loaners with that shift knob over the past 18 months that it is almost become normal. My current POS mini Bronco has the shift knob also. The moment I was given this thing, I decided I was done with fighting with Ford expecting them to save face with a goodwill gesture by replacing or buying back my truck.

 

[Davexxxx]

What does the passenger screen do?

Sponsored