2013 Ram 1500 Laramie on 2040-cars

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Ram trucks lead 2021 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study

For the first time ever, Ram leads in J.D. Power's annual Initial Quality Study with a score of 128 PP100, or problems experienced per 100 vehicles in the first 90 days of ownership. Ram was in third place in last year's rankings. Coming in second place is Dodge (139 PP100), a sister division to Ram under the Stellantis umbrella, followed by Lexus (144 PP100), this year's highest-ranked premium automaker, in third. These findings reinforce an overall trend over the last few decades where mass-market brands have outperformed premium brands that tend to introduce bleeding-edge technologies that can confuse owners or fail to work entirely. Genesis (148 PP100) is the only other premium automaker to perform better than average. At the bottom of the official rankings is Chrysler (251 PP100), which seems to make little sense considering most of its technologies are shared with Dodge and many with Ram until you consider that Chrysler only offers two platforms and one of them is the Pacifica/Voyager minivan twins that are unique to the brand. The next worst are Audi (240 PP100) and Volkswagen (213 PP100). Tesla would fall in between VW and Audi with its score of 231PP100, but because the electric car manufacturer doesn't provide access to J.D. Power in every state, it's not officially included. Interestingly, J.D. Power said on a followup call that the problems that Tesla owners report most often are more traditional issues, such as panel fitment, interior noises or paint problems instead of problems with the car's electronics. According to J.D. Power, the industry averaged a score of 162 PP100. That is four points higher than the overall score in 2020, and 20 of 32 brands improved their quality scores over the last year. That's a two percent increase in quality in 2021, which is good but slightly lower than the average rate of improvement over the last decade. On a car-by-car basis, the Nissan Maxima leads the overall field with a score of 85 PP100. Issues with infotainment systems — and in particular problems pairing smartphones with in-car technologies — continue to be the top-reported problems. Headaches connecting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto dominate the complaints. "Owners want wireless connectivity, and the industry has responded," according to Dave Sargent, vice president of automotive quality at J.D. Power. "However, this has created a bigger technical challenge for both automakers and tech companies.

Ram introduces Harvest Edition for chassis cab trucks

Trucks are workhorses first and foremost, and Ram is adding a Harvest Edition to its Chassis Cabs trucks to drive that point home. That means the Chassis Cabs are available in Case IH Red and New Holland Blue to match the other farm machinery in your shed. The Harvest Edition trucks are Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cab models, available in all four-door Crew Cab and two-door Regular Cab configurations. The trucks can also be 4x4s with the 6.4-liter Hemi or 6.7-liter Cummins diesel. It's not the first outing for this specific limited edition, as a year ago Ram offered Harvest Edition 1500, 2500 and 3500 models. This year, it's the chassis cab trucks' turn to go red or blue. The nod to Case IH and New Holland makes sense because both companies are owned by CNH Industrial, which in turn is related to FCA. Ram North America head James Morrison says that the color choices were originally a direct request from farmers. And for those with no feelings toward either Case IH or New Holland — or those whose blood runs John Deere Green — there's the choice of black or white exterior paint. But the trucks aren't as basic as a tractor can be: There's an exterior chrome package for the grille, side steps, door handles and mirrors, and depending on the model, the polished aluminum wheels are either 18-inch or 19.5-inch. Inside, there's connectivity tech from 4G WiFi to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. For hardware functionality, there are large front tow hooks and a skid plate for the transfer case. The limited edition's pricing starts at $43,990 for the 3500 Chassis Cab, for $48,140 for the 4500 and $49,240 for the 5500. The 3500 Harvest Edition is available with either single and dual rear wheels, and the 4500 and 5500 are dualies, with 60-inch and 80-inch cab to axle lengths. The Harvest Edition goes on sale in the third quarter of 2018. Related Video:

Chrysler recalling 280k Dodge Ram 1500 pickups over axle seizures

Following a June investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will be recalling 280,000 Dodge Ram pickups from model year 2005. The issue, NHTSA told The Detroit News, centered on a loose pinion nut, which could cause the rear axle to seize and, potentially, the driveshaft to detach. The affected vehicles were built between January of 2004 and August of 2005, while of the 280,000 trucks, only 257,000 were sold in the US market. According to The News, the recall will begin on February 13, and will see owners report to dealerships to have "a retention feature" added to the pinion nut.