The Ram 3500 is an enormous beast of a truck with a lot to offer. It can haul and tow like no other truck, and it has a rugged appearance that makes it an appealing choice. Yet maintaining the Ram 3500 is no joke. According to CAREdge, which tracks how much people spend on their trucks over the vehicle’s lifetime, the Ram 3500 is at the bottom of the list in terms of repair and maintenance costs. So what are the problems with the Ram pickup, and what can you do to minimize these costs?

What are the maintenance costs for a Ram 3500?

If you already own a Ram 3500, you’re likely already in love with it and don’t want to think about the possibility of having costly repairs. Unfortunately, CAREdge says that maintaining and repairing your Ram 3500 will cost you approximately $25,844 over the first ten years of your pickup truck’s life. 

This is obviously a huge sum of money, and it’s much more than the average cost of maintaining and repairing a large truck. In fact, it’s $11,764 more. On top of that, there’s a 79.19% chance that the Ram 3500 will need a major repair within this time frame. A major repair is anything costing over $500 to do. This is 57.69% worse than other trucks in its class. 

Are Ram 3500 trucks reliable?

Consumer Reports tracks the reliability of vehicles. They do this by sending out surveys to their subscribers, and analyzing the data they get. Their surveys measure how well a vehicle holds up over time, and what kinds of problems they tend to have. Then Consumer Reports takes their knowledge of vehicles to determine how reliable they believe a particular vehicle will be. In the case of the 2021 Ram 3500, the reliability score is a 3/5.

There isn’t a ton of data from Consumer Reports about what goes into this rating. The most recent historical information about the reliability of the Ram 3500 is from 2018. The overall reliability verdict for the 2018 is only a 1/5. There are a few major trouble spots within that poor reliability rating. The transmission major and minor, for example, only get a 1/5. Similarly, the suspension and brakes also get just a 1/5. Also factoring into the 3500’s poor reliability score are the body integrity and power equipment, which get poor ratings of 1/5 as well.

How can I make my 3500 last longer?

All is not lost if you already own a Ram 3500 or you love it despite these projected repair and maintenance costs. There are things you can do to stay on top of your 3500 so that hopefully you can avoid some of these bills. Regular maintenance of your pickup is essential, especially when you’re dealing with a truck that is susceptible to problems.

Make sure you change your oil regularly. You can find out exactly how often your Ram 3500 needs an oil change in the owner’s manual. You should also change filters, balance and rotate your tires, and check your fluids regularly. Keeping up with these sorts of things can help you save money on your Ram 3500 long-term. It also helps to have a trusted mechanic check in on your truck every so often to get ahead of any potential problems. 

Although the Ram 3500 may cost a lot of money in maintenance and repairs, there’s no guarantee that your particular truck will. Additionally, there’s always the possibility of any vehicle needing major and unexpected repairs. So if you’re already driving a Ram 3500 and you can’t imagine parting with it, don’t fret. Just be aware of your pickup and what’s normal so that you can keep it running smoothly.