Dont shoot..09 Tacoma or 09 Ram

There was a TSB for the pinging. Solves the problem completely....hope you had other reasons for ditching the truck.

 

I waited and waited for the TSB (a software upload) to arrive and the dealership just kept saying it should be soon but it never happened. At the same time the auto trans started hunting real bad especially on upshifts during acceleration and I unloaded the truck before it blew out completely. I saw the truck a couple years later at a bait camp (Marker 37) so it must have gotten fixed enough to drive it. It was bad enough between the pinging and the transmission that the truck was almost undriveable. At that point the truck was six months old.

 

Oh boy did they! It was infamously known as the "death flash" on the Durango forum I used to read. Seriously... do a Google search on "Dodge Death Flash". All it did was significantly retard the timing - which did get rid of the pinging - but it also killed the power and fuel mileage. Made the engine sluggish as hell. It was HORRIBLE. I had it done to my Durango before I knew what it was - and then it was too late... it was not reversible (by the dealership anyway). The only way to reverse it was to replace your PCM with a MOPAR Performance PCM - to the tune of $800 or so. F*** that. Suck it, Dodge... never again. Sheeze... I got rid of that thing three years ago and I can feel my blood pressure going up just thinking about it. POS.

 

Enough has been said, but I got to pile on too. Chrysler van transmission goes out as expected. My uncle, transmission mechanic, calls to order me replacement. Chrylser will sell me a new transmission with a 12month/12000 mile warranty or a rebuilt transmission with a 36month/36000 mile warranty. No brainer on which to buy, but shouldn't the newer transmission have the better warranty

They send the transmission and low and behold a new one shows up on the delivery truck instead of rebuilt tranny. My uncle calls them back and says we will keep it if they give me the 36month/36000 mile warranty, otherwise they have to pay to ship it back. They declined and paid to have the new one shipped back and a rebuilt one shipped. Pretty odd to my simple mind. He was also not to open up the dead transmission.

This along with all the other problems I had with the van made it my first and last Chrysler.

Now, I just bought a 2006 Taco and Toyota has replaced the leaf springs for free. They even called me to see how the service was. Someone get the defib unit...

Yamabiker

 

I can just see you getting all worked up talking about it, lots of horror stories about dodges. hey you get that lifetime warranty now, backed by the US taxpayer until they realize they don't want to do it anymore and get the Fug out of that obligation in year or 2, then your SOL

 

Stock 5.4 Expeditions run mid to high 16's at best, 4.0 Taco should beat it by a good second or more in the 1/4.

 

You buy a Chrysler dude and your fucked. Period. Terrible, terrible, terrible repair record.

 

that's the problem, it feels faster than it is. I mean its beaten some Accords and little V6 rice burners but not too much. It is quick, I just think it's faster than it actually is. Kinda sucks for me.

 

Can not speak for the Dodge as I have never had one however I have had my share of Toyotas. I will say that todays V6 models will really suprise you as far as power. I would say honestly how fast do you need to go as again the modern V6s of todays trucks do plenty much for most situations.

I am not sure how you feel about a manual transmission either however all of my past and current vehicles are manuals. To me they simply "feel" stronger and the last two V6 trucks I have driven would run like hell with a manual. (06 Frontier, 09 Tacoma) Sure some of the bigger V8s may take you on the track however for daily driving, towing, or simply playing in the woods surely the V6 can hold its own....and last a hell of a lot longer while doing so.

As many others here have said it would be no contest at all,if it were my decision, yet I am sure you expected as much on a Toyota forum. My current Taco (09 access cab manual V6) has just reached about 1200 miles thus I am beginning to drive it much harder now. I must say that as far as V6 trucks go the Taco is one of the top performers with only one other V6 that I can think of having more actual HP.

I was first a little shocked that the Taco had less HP than my old Frontier but damn if it feels like it does. It is a little lighter than the Nissan and now that I have driven it hard it seems as if it is just as quick. Surely it would not be that much less than the other option you are considering and again with such a little difference I would go with the Taco....good luck regardless.

 

What are you gonna use it for?

I had a 04 Ram 1500 quad cab for 3 years. Bought it new.
Primarily, we bought it to tow 6500lbs on a regular basis. Nice looking truck and seemed heavy duty enough and definately towed our load like there was nothing back there. But honestly? In my oppinion, if you're not towing or hauling on a regular basis, it's just not worth getting a fullsize truck no matter what it is. They're just too damn big for normal day-to-day driving.

The Dodge I had was at the dealership for a few things under warrantee.
I had the TSB computer flashed to help prevent the transmission from hunting for gears while towing. Even after the TSB was done - it still hunted. While using the cruise control, you had to manipulate the accel/coast buttons on the cruise to force the tranny to shift when you think it should (to prevent the hunting). The 'Service 4WD light' came on multiple times and wouldn't allow me to put the truck in 4WD. It took the dealership 6 trips and several parts replaced later for them to figure out a connector deep inside the dash was loose. Around the same time & during one of those 6 trips, they had to replace the high pressure steering lines - they were leaking at the crimps.


As for gas mileage.... well, if you're buying a fullsize truck - you really can't be concerned about the gas mileage. Mine got about 13-15mpg half/half driving and about 10mph while towing. I put a dual exhaust on it and got about 13mpg while towing.

If you're not towing or hauling on a regular basis, I'd get the tacoma.

 

Looks like their closing down a bunch of Mopar dealers. You might want to see how far you will have to take the vehicle now to get the warranty work done. Chances are you'll need it at some point. The only Ram I'd own would be a 2500 or 3500 with the Cummins, but I don't own anything that needs that kind of power to tow it. The Taco town surprisingly well.