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Are 3rd gen Dodge 2500s crap?

BillyBronco

Well-known member
Joined
May 22, 2020
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1138
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I have been kicking around getting a 2006-2007 Dodge 2500 Megacab with the 5.9 Cummins. The engine is likely ok I do know a bit about the common rail Cummins issues. They probably have 180k-220k miles. How is the rest of the truck? Anything I buy would be from the south so no rust issues. Are the Dosges from that era as bad as I think?

I don’t need a diesel or a 2500. I currently have a 2018 F-150 V8. It tows what I need, 7k-ish for a couple short trips a month. But I get board with my vehicles every couple years and try to convince myself that I need something different. :homer:
 
The 4th gen trucks were a vast improvement over anything they made prior and arguably better than what GM or Ford had at that time, and I am the exact opposite of a Dodge fan. If I were to get a Dodge, it would be 4th gen or newer.
 
If I didn't NEED the engine, I would not buy a Chrysler product.

Sure, the engine is great...but transmission issues, ball joint issues, ub issues, crappy steering issues, interior falling apart issues....seems to be a lot of potential (and common) headache for something you don't need.

If you enjoy tinkering, spending money, and working on shit, then I guess you wouldn't be bored....so there is that.
 
fordguy said:
all dodges are crap surrounding an amazing engine
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And thats the rub. The best engine in the word aint worth piss in a pot if the truck its in is constantly burning out steering boxes, tie rod ends, unit bearings and you always gotta have in the back of your mind "is this the day my Chrysler transmission does Chrysler transmission things?"

If you gotta yank round bales of straw all over the place, it might be worth hassling with. To drive around for fun and pull the same load an f150 can without breaking a sweat? Aint worth the maintenance premium. Leave that shit to the flat biller bros.

Unless you can pick it up, cheap, have your fun with it and flip it. Non emissions diesels, I think, is going to be a hot market for the foreseeable future.
 
I can’t imagine a better vehicle for your requirements than the one you already own

Having said that I have the same vehicle ADD issues you do. If you’re anything like me you’ll be wishing for your old f150 back in a year when you’re rattling around in that dodge
 
I like dodges. They make the payment on my shop an then some:flipoff2:

That said.If I could I'd swap my '14 f150 5.0 for something like that today.
 
mjlogan88 said:
I can’t imagine a better vehicle for your requirements than the one you already own

Having said that I have the same vehicle ADD issues you do. If you’re anything like me you’ll be wishing for your old f150 back in a year when you’re rattling around in that dodge
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Yes, I know the F-150 works just fine and has a nice big back seat for the kids/dogs.

I bought a 2017 F150 in 2020. Sold it after a bit over a year for no good reason. Bought a 2002 F-250 7.3L to replace it. I had owned a couple 7.3s in the past. Well the nostalgia wore off the 2002 F-250 after a few months so sold that one and bought another F150. Now almost 2 years later my wandering eye is acting up. :homer:
 
Funny, my 07 had zero interior or body issues, nor transmission (g56:laughing:).

In 300k I did ball joints, u joints, brakes, clutch, injectors, steering and front unit bearings. All between 120k and 220k. Nothing before or after those miles.

The 220k was clutch and injectors.





Oh I forgot, ac compressor at 250k or so.


I'd buy another one if the prices were reasonable but fuck the price they're getting.


Currently shopping for a 2018 with the standard cause last year and all. Take that for what it's worth. I loved my 07 but if I'm buying another truck it'll be a lot newer.
 
I had a 3rd gen hemi 2500 for a long time. I loved it and I hated it.

Engine/ trans/ drivetrain made it 250k no problem. Trans was cold shifted into neutral before D or R since new and towed alot those 250k miles.

Everything electrical in the truck front to back is wired with reject harbor freight 24 gauge speaker wire. It slowly became an electrical nightmare. Taillight modules went out yearly, drivers headlight had to be punched to get it to come on, drivers window wouldn't work if it was raining.... passenger window only worked when it rained. Ignition switch went out like 4 times but don't worry, it'll still crank it's just the hvac will only blow on high. Dome light = sometimes strobe light, TPS dead again, etc. etc. etc.

etc.


I think if you can find the one owner grandpa truck that's been parked indoors since new you have a better chance than I did.

Get your multimeter out and keep it in the fucking center console.
 
Full disclosure... I'm a Mopar guy.

I just bought an 07 2500 5.9 last year, but I got it with a 6 speed manual for obvious reasons. I jumped on this truck in particular because it was surprisingly clean and well maintained. Believe it or not, it was a landscaping/plow truck owned by a menonapper. I don't know what he did to keep the rust down, but it is damn near spotless. Every part he put on it was quality. I shit you not, this truck has the tightest steering, cleanest frame, leak freeest drivetrain, tightest brakes of probably any truck I've driven (I'm a mechanic for a living, and currently do fleet work on a bunch of LS trucks).
.... That being said, it did have an upper BJ with some play when I got it, so I put kryptonite joints in it. These things are absolutely known to rust, so I treat it with fluid film annually. They aren't the quietest cab (full 4" exhaust), so I added a second muffler and started to sound deaden it which made a yuge difference. Run QUALITY replacement parts, and take care of it ... It'll last as long as anything else with the same care. Unfortunately, most of them are beat to hell and back and already falling apart.
I love the 6.7 4th gens, but they are just as bad for rust. With a premium price.
 
Had a 1500, so not exactly the same, but close enough I guess. Never had any real problems til the rear end went out at 220k or so miles. Shitty plastic blend door for the HVAC broke like every other MOPAR vehicle. Rear end wasn't worth the cost to fix at the time. Different rear from the 2500 I would imagine anyway. Zero electrical issues.
 
If the half ton does what you need, that’s probably the best fit. the only reason to get the 3/4 ton is brodozer/ roll coal appeal?

The mega cab and tundra crewmax cabs were huge back in their day, but modern crew cabs have pretty comparable interior space without massive c pillar blind spots of the old trucks.
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Motorcharge said:
Had a 1500, so not exactly the same, but close enough I guess. Never had any real problems til the rear end went out at 220k or so miles. Shitty plastic blend door for the HVAC broke like every other MOPAR vehicle. Rear end wasn't worth the cost to fix at the time. Different rear from the 2500 I would imagine anyway. Zero electrical issues.
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Very different rear axle. 1/2 tons use the 9 1/4" corporate axle, a well known piece of shit and why I, as a Mopar guy, will never own a 1/2 ton Dodge without swapping in a D60. The 9 1/4 was used from 1975 on (74 for the Ramcharger/Trailduster) in almost all 1/2 tons, though the D/W series could have had a 8 1/4 also.


As for the Megacab and towing, remember the short bed. If you plan on a 5th wheel trailer, you can easily get into the cab. Most gooseneck trailers taper back and are not an issue.
 
Full time Mopar retard here, its all I own.
2 of My Cummins trucks have gone to 300k with a stock auto and regular service ( by me), held up well and I was able to get good money out of them when sold. the last one was a 2005 , it towed well and got 18 MPG running empty with 4:10s ( don't go over 72.5 mph though to get good mpg :homer:) I' m on my 3rd one now in 30 years.
Chances are if you don't like something you wont take care of it , If you don't like a Dodge don't buy it to begin with.
 
My uncle bought a megacab 3500 SRW 4x4 new in 2006. 5.9 with a 6 spd. Ironically the engine was the least reliable part of the truck.

It got used for hauling hay home, taking the horses to the mountains, plowing the driveway and dump runs. When my aunt got got rid of it for $1500 a couple years ago it had 80k on it and a rod hanging out the block. No rust, nice western desert truck. Wish she had mentioned the deal to me, oh well.

It needed a turbo at 40k injectors at 60k and had been to the shop twice for low coolant at 80k before it likely hydrolocked and threw the rod.

The recirc blend door did bust at like 30k as well but the rest of the truck held up fine.
 
I daily a 2006 3500 5.9 srw 2wd megacab 295k. Bought from a buddy non running. I went thru the fuel system from the tank to the injectors. Runs great, gets about 17 average, has enough power for what I do, so no tune or hotrod parts other than exhaust. Interior is in good shape because a previous owner put some $$$ seat covers on everything. It has the normal rust in the fenders, frame is good. For some odd reason the lower control arms rusted at the shock mount. Paint is shit. Got 50k miles out of the rock auto unibearings. Ac has been a fight since I bought it. Going to replace everything in the ac for one last try, not looking forward to the evaporator. I've tought about selling it,but for what it would bring, I couldn't get a gas truck in any better shape. Putting new tires on it next week. I drove it back and forth from Charleston to Raleigh for the past year (55k miles) should have bought a small.shitbox and kept the miles off this truck but didn't have parking for a second vehicle during the divorce
 
My son's 03 has 350k+ miles on it now.
We did complete front end a year ago and the reman steering rack was a dud, we had to r&I it 3 more times and finally bought a reman from a different shop.
 
total newb said:
No, the balljoints fail because they are a bullshit design and not properly centerlined in the c.

The aam front is a dog shit axle design as a whole.

The aam rears are good axles though.
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If they were that offset to cause premature failure the truck would have memory steer that was incurable

See retard exhibit A. Wallowed out bore and blames the product. There is an oversized option available because he didn’t check the bore. You can also see that he hammered the shit out of the worn out units in the truck. Nice swing and miss fuckface
 

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I'm a 3rd Gen fan, but I'm not scared to put good upgrades into them to make them last.
I couldn't be happier with my 07 mega after Thuren suspension, hub kit, steering, etc. I also build it all myself so obviously much cheaper in the long run. So far, minimal rust, and the interior is in good shape. I'm at 280k
 
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