I like your attitude.

 

It is quite obvious that nothing Dodge does is going to be recieved very well on this forum by blue bleeding ford folks but you have to give them some credit.

I believe blind loyality is causing many not to admit what is actually going on. It is very simular to what happen in the car market for the big three. Big three remain unchanged and everyone else kept building their line of cars up and before anyone acknowleged it, they were knocking on the door to market share.

Rememeber this thread - Tales from the back seat of a Dodge many hammered dodge for the lack of rear passenger size of the quad cab (which in fact is nothing more than a extended cab with 4 doors).

The Mega cab is a very good addition to the dodge lineup. It has the largest cab available it also has the cummins as a option, coming in the near future, the dually and later on, the 6.1 liter with over 450lbs of torque. This is just another small step to improving their lineup. Will it be for all, no way. Just like the 4 door charger, is not for everyone, it is marketed to the majority. The majority of the buying customers would rather have a sporty 4 door sedan instead of a 2 door sports car that is difficult to get in and out of, not mentiong the fact that your is right up against the back window.

 

I like what they did with the Charger. I like the evolution the Jeep Cherokee is going through (Buying the SRT-8 for the wife when it comes out). What Dodge did to the front of that Ram (The almighty Ram design, the innovative big body pickup that changed the industry in '93)... Is no less than a crime. I just hate to see the old front end design go. It was unique. Now, it looks like a Nissan.

I do have a question about the Mega Cab. Do the back seats slide back into that pocket to utilize the space, or do they just recline?

 

It still a Dodge megacab or not. The build quality is no better. Have you really compared a Ford an a Dodge truck. There is no comparison. How can you be loyal for something that cheaply built. Dodge does not have a loyal following like Ford for obvious reasons.

 

Build quality? I have a 2004 f150 with 35K on it that has the rear end making noises when turning and needs to go in for service before the warrantty expires. Also the right rear wheel bearing also appears to be going out as I can feel a lot of wheel movement when pushing sideways on the truck. It also make a popping noise with the truck in gear and slightly pushing on it. Maybe a brake issue. I'm not going to discuss the paint issues nor the tranny issues with this truck. I have never towed with at all.

I have to change the fuel filter at least once per year or the engine starts sputtering and running bad even if it has no so signs of dirt. I am on my second go around so I can only assume it will have to be once per year.

Take a look at what many are saying about the 6.0L PSD on the other forums. Talk about issues.

My neighbor has a 2005 that has had the rear end changed out in his and now it's leaking and making a whining noise. He tells me he has to bring it back in. It has always made a whining noise since day one.

Another comparision, (I can take pics if you want me to), my 98 dodge quad cab exhaust looks like new when comparing it against the 2004 f150. I am questioning if it makes another year before rusting out completly. BTW, I have over 100K miles on the dodge and it has never been back to a dealer, for anything. Just changed out my battery earlier in the year, and one set of brakes. Rest is normal maintaince. I do use it as my primary tow and hauling. I have hauled in excess of 3600 lbs in the bed of this truck with no issues at all.

All of this may not be what some believe to be build quality, it may be more reliability but in my opinion, its all the same. Ford needs to step up, and IMHO, those that choose to ignore these on going issues and continue to purchase product from compainies that have these type of issues only makes things worse for everyone because they are not going to do something until it affects bottom line.

 

well said frecsf. dodge has come along way in quality. most consumers have realized this. but on this site if it is not a ford, than it is junk, no matter what. i have a 04.5 ctd with 55,000 miles. it has been to the dealer once. for a tsb on door weatherstripping. i have not had one problem! not one squeak, rattle-nothing!! (alot better than my bro's 04 f150 with 15,000 miles!) the truck is driven hard- but well taken care of. my father has an 03 with 83,000 miles. he also has not had one problem! but, the answer here will be- it will still fall apart before a ford! nobody here will admit dodge makes a good product! i can admit short comings with my truck. are there things i like better about a ford or chevy-sure. but i am happy with my truck and i am looking foward to racking up many more miles!

 

I beg to differ. I think we acknowedge good vehicles irrespective of manufacturer. The Cummins certainly hasn't got a bad wrap from this site (despite the fact I personally don't like it that much).
I don't think anyone said that Dodges were attrocious. Thier build quality has improved, but in my opinion it still has to improve further to reach the levels of Ford (or even GM).
While I am sure that you have had great experience with your vehicles made by other manufacturers, and bad experiences with Fords, your case may simply be one of bad luck.
I am not questioning the issues you have had with Fords, but I don't think a case involving 1 or 2 vehicles is a direct relationship to the actual quality of every vehicle produced by them.
I have seen a new 4 cyl Toyota Camry (boring but very reliable) throw a rod through the block with less than 5000 miles with no abuse - does that mean that they are unreliable vehicles?
No, just means that they got a rare bad one.

There are probably more than 250,000 members on here (at a site that attracts owners with issues) that like their truck quite a lot.
I happen to be one of them.

 

Well said Fred.

EDIT: That rhymes

 

BigF350- Your right, not everyone in this site is as brand biased as others-but I don't see Ford as being the top of the Big three. Ford was number 1 with recalls this year ( out of the 3). I've had many Ford products and had a love/hate relationship. Never had an engine failure, one tranny went bad, but they always had small things go-manifolds, bearings, bushings, exhausts, electrical issues, etc. I currently have a 02 Ram 1500 quad cab, 4.7 Auto and it has 87k miles on it. I get a constant 18-21mpg highway, and it runs mint. Its solid, smooth, and a very nice truck. The kicker-its pulled a 5th wheel trailer its entire life, but the previous owner was meticulous about maintenance. Its still on its original tranny and still shifts without any problems. Every experience will be different, but I wouldn't put one of the big three above the rest, they all have their issues, it comes down to personal preference. Right now Dodge is ahead with power and size-that will change with the new Duramax and Vortec's coming out. Hopefully Ford steps up their game because the 5.4 isn't cutting it compared to the current offerings let alone the new models coming out.

 

Dodge and chrysler have been getting quality ratings very similar to Ford and Chevy for four or five years. In fact dodge won the initial quality award for 03 with their full size pickup beating out both ford and chevy. As we all know these surveys are meaningless if they paint someone else in a good light.

 

Really, I don't see where the Dodge quality is less. I work on all 3 of the domestic makesas well as import cars and trucks. As far as the ford, GM, and dodge full size, I see problems with dodge trucks the least. Gm trucks seem to be the most problematic by far, but the 97 up f150's arn't far behind, with blown up 4.2's and ball joints being the norm. Superdutys seem to do better than the f150s as far as problems are concerned. Really, I have only seen 1 dodge ram tranny fail, and never saw a ram engine fail, be it a V6, V8, or diesel. I am a dodge fan. Always have been, always will be. But I bought a ford. Mainly becsue I could better equip the truck to my taste.

 

Boy now everybodies on the Dodge bandwagon. Lots off Dodge fans on FTE. Ive seen enough off Dodge not to have one. Real world experience rules out any awards a truck gets. If I was getting 18-21 MPG out off any Dodge truck I consider myself lucky. I was just looking at the most fuel efficient vehicles an the Dodge ram was at the bottom off the list. 10 to 12 MPG. The biggest complainton most Dodge trucks is gas mileage. I have never yey seen one Dodge guy ever buy another one. One is enough. I think Dodge caters to the young crowd. Hemi this hemi that. It takes an older guy to know better.Dodge has no loyalty in there products.

 

I had two dodge trucks a few years ago. Both did better than 19.

The Hemi seems to be innefficient but 345hp out of a 5.7 is up there with the ls1, is it not. As far as gas engines go Im a fan of the chevy 6.0. Have yet to drive one of fords new 3 valve jobbies. I drove the v10 back in 01 and it seemed anemic. I wasnt the only one that thought so. My brother owned both and at least the hemi gets double digit fuel mileage. Talking about quality he went through 3 torque converters in his f350 and then they denied his warranty any further. Saying that he was towing too heavy. He was towing maybe 2000 lbs. I wonder if the engine remembers loads like the diesels do cause they were full of pucky?

 

Care to tell us which model you quoted the MPG figures for? What does the current equivalent Ford model get?

I notice that the 4.7 is rated just slightly better than the 4.6 Ford, with the 5.7 and 5.4 being rated the same...

Anyway, back on topic, I think the megacab is an excellent idea. A seat test will really let me know though (lumbar and whatnot). I usually have to ride in the backseat of my Aunts Superduty on the long trips for work, it would be really nice to have those reclining seats to take a nap in.

 

The hemi was the truck listed. The most popular engine in there half tons. Thats what Ive heard about what most people get. The 5.4s 3V get about 14-18 depending on what you do. These are actual results not what the sticker says.