3 Dodge Models With Annual Maintenance Costs Over $1,000
Purchasing a car is a considerable investment, and it’s crucial to schedule regular maintenance and repairs to ensure its extended functional lifespan, safety, and reliability. Vehicle maintenance comes with its share of costs, affecting the overall vehicle ownership costs. You must carefully consider vehicle maintenance costs, whether shopping for a pre-used or new vehicle.
In this article, we will focus on Dodge in the context of repair and maintenance expenses. For over eight decades, Dodge has produced powerful cars, such as the Dodge Charger, Durango, Challenger, Ram trucks, and Sprinter vans. Like other cars, Dodge models also suffer issues, which owners can have fixed for a few tens or hundreds of bucks. However, some particular used Dodge cars have annual maintenance costs of over $1,000. Let’s find out which these models are and their average maintenance costs.
Dodge Ram 2500
Dodge car owners have reported 1,496 issues, and the common problems include shifting harnesses and shuddering problems, as well as the engine failing to start at times. A Dodge model’s average annual maintenance cost is $634, meaning it has above-average vehicle ownership costs. With a reliability rating of 3.5 out of 5, RepairPal ranks the Dodge at No. 19 out of 32 or all car companies.
The Dodge Ram 2500 is a truck that people love passionately, thanks to its power and capabilities. It boasts enhanced towing capacity and hauling capabilities, making it a preferred workhorse for various heavy-duty applications. However, the truck has shortcomings, as owners have reported over 50 problems. Issues that require replacing the pressure solenoid in the transmission valve body and engine cranking without starting are the most common.
RepairPal says the average annual cost of repairing and maintaining a Dodge Ram 2500 truck is about $1,075. However, for a truck with a reliability rating of 3.5 out of 5, you can expect to make an average of 0.2 visits to a Dodge repair and maintenance shop per year and slim chances (15%) of the problem being severe.
Dodge Ram 3500
If you’re an in-market shopper hunting for a Dodge Ram 3500, prepare to pay slightly higher annual repair costs. Verified owners have reported 48 problems with their Dodge Ram 3500 trucks, and like the Ram 2500, the commonly reported issue has to do with the Transmission Valve Body causing transmission bucking. Fixing that requires replacing the pressure solenoid in the valve body. Another recurrent issue is engine cranking because of a locked-up wireless control module (WCM).
RepairPal estimates that the average annual maintenance cost for the Dodge Ram 3500 is $1,079. Moreover, if you need a heater core replacement, it will cost you $1,154 – $1,320. Even so, the costs may vary, depending on several factors, including mileage, vehicle use, age, location, and the chosen car repair and servicing center.
Dodge Sprinter 2500
If you’re searching for an excellent utility van, the Dodge Sprinter 2500 is a great option. This high-top, extended work van features a 2.7-liter five-cylinder engine that cranks out 154 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque, as highlighted by Car and Driver. In addition, the car provides ample cargo storage and multiple interior customization options. The only caveat is that the Sprinter is among the Dodge models with the highest annual maintenance costs.
As with its relatively smaller truck sibling – the Dodge Ram 1500 – owners have reported nine problems with their vans. The frequently reported issues include the shifter sticking when in park mode and automatic transmission shifting issues. Other problems include exhaust gas recirculation (EGH) issues that require valve replacement and carbon buildup on the roof of the engine body due to leaky fuel injectors.
As noted on RepairPal, the yearly maintenance cost of a Dodge Sprinter 2500 is an average of $1,165. However, some specific problems cost higher. For instance, replacing the camshaft costs $1,782 – $1,966, while a diesel injection pump replacement will set you back $2,035 – $2,109.
