So, I'm in the market for a new truck.  My 92 Chevy K1500 has going on 274,000 miles on it.  The rear brakes went out.  The fuel tank leaks.  The transfer case is starting to make strange clicking noise.  The cab is rusting out.  It's time for a new truck.

Problem is, I want to stick to a budget.  If I am going to have a payment, I want to keep it below $150.  I also want a full size 4x4 with an extended cab.  

I've been looking but any truck I like that is in my price range is a piece of junk.  

However, I recently spied a 97 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie SLT on a Dodge dealer lot.

This one is nice enough they put it on the lot instead of sending it to the auction.  It's the 5.8L.  Tires are like new, aftermarket exhaust.  Very sharp white and silver.  It has Dodge running boards and a hinged fiberglass truck bed cover.  Runs very good.  Looking it over, it is in very mint shape.  This truck was very well taken care of.

The bad -
Air conditioning isn't all that cold.
170,000 miles on it.

On the mandatory disclosure form, they list the following defects:

1.  Rear brakes worn.
2.  Belt tensioner defect (I looked at it and it is working?)
3.  Seepage from front axle seal.  (I don't think this is a big deal.....my Chevy has been seeping oil out of the axles for 8 years).
4.  Air conditioning not cold.

They have it listed at $8,888.  KBB says the truck's retail value is $7995.  I am thinking of prequalifying and trying to deal this truck down to around $6500 out the door.

I asked them about the famous trans issues, and the salesman said that by 97 they had those issues sorted out.

Talk to me ARFCOM.  What say you?  What issues with these trucks do you know about?

 

My dads 96 Ram 3500's tranny went out at about 90k, that was a hard 90k though.

Edit: Great truck.

Quoted: So, I'm in the market for a new truck.  My 92 Chevy K1500 has going on 274,000 miles on it.

Do you expect to get 274k miles out of a Dodge?

Quoted: So, I'm in the market for a new truck.  My 92 Chevy K1500 has going on 274,000 miles on it.  The rear brakes went out.  The fuel tank leaks.  The transfer case is starting to make strange clicking noise.  The cab is rusting out.  It's time for a new truck. Problem is, I want to stick to a budget.  If I am going to have a payment, I want to keep it below $150.  I also want a full size 4x4 with an extended cab.   I've been looking but any truck I like that is in my price range is a piece of junk.   However, I recently spied a 97 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie SLT on a Dodge dealer lot. This one is nice enough they put it on the lot instead of sending it to the auction.  It's the 5.8L.  Tires are like new, aftermarket exhaust.  Very sharp white and silver.  It has Dodge running boards and a hinged fiberglass truck bed cover.  Runs very good.  Looking it over, it is in very mint shape.  This truck was very well taken care of. The bad - Air conditioning isn't all that cold. 170,000 miles on it. On the mandatory disclosure form, they list the following defects: 1.  Rear brakes worn. 2.  Belt tensioner defect (I looked at it and it is working?) 3.  Seepage from front axle seal.  (I don't think this is a big deal.....my Chevy has been seeping oil out of the axles for 8 years). 4.  Air conditioning not cold. They have it listed at $8,888.  KBB says the truck's retail value is $7995.  I am thinking of prequalifying and trying to deal this truck down to around $6500 out the door. I asked them about the famous trans issues, and the salesman said that by 97 they had those issues sorted out. Talk to me ARFCOM.  What say you?  What issues with these trucks do you know about?

way too much money.

check craigslist and other online sources.

I paid 7k for 98 Dodge 4x4 Laramie that was in pristine condition and way under 100k miles.

And that Dodge won't get the same kind of gas mileage the Chevy did.

I would be thinking more like $5k to maybbbbbbbbe 6k, maybe.

WALK!!!! Seriously, WAY high miles and I guarantee a front end rebuild teardown, Tcase, and A/C repair will run you in the thousands. 8 grand can buy you a 97 with around 100K miles, not 170K.

You are getting into the dime part of the truck life, and you'll have a loan on it also, plus these things are piggys on the gas.

You can do far better pricewise on a lower milage truck.

With those miles I would not pay more then $4K for it.

Quoted: I would be thinking more like $5k to maybbbbbbbbe 6k, maybe.

+1

I would never buy any vehicle with that kind of milage on it.

For that kind of money you should be able to find something decent with alot less miles on it.

It is a 5.9 BTW.

It MIGHT have tranny issues, mine didn't at 143k miles.  If it has gone that many miles, it has either been replaced at one time, or it is going to need to be rebuilt.

Cold a/c-probably just needs to be recharged.

Seeping from the front axles can easily be fixed, there is a seal inside the axle housing that you have to pull out and replace, it is like $16/each side for the seal(it has been awhile, so don't quote me on that price), and you can do it yourself, but it will take some time.

Rear brakes shouldn't be a problem to fix because they are drum brakes, mine went out on me going down the road, as the cylinder inside there was leaking.  Not fun, and had to be at a dealership over a weekend.

Honestly, I got 3K on my 97 3 years ago when I traded it in, with 143k miles.  Nothing major was wrong with it, except for it needed new exhaust(and that set off a check engine light, which lowered the trade in price from 4 to 3k).  Everything else that had gone wrong had been replaced.  I wouldn't pay no more than 5k for one with 170k miles, IMHO.

You probably won't be as happy with it as you were with the Chevy.

It is a BIG job to change the front axle seals. They usually start leaking after
the axles have been R&R'd for u-joint or ball joint replacement.
They tend to start leaking more and more.

The price seems a little high.

Quoted: You probably won't be as happy with it as you were with the Chevy. It is a BIG job to change the front axle seals. They usually start leaking after the axles have been R&R'd for u-joint or ball joint replacement. They tend to start leaking more and more. The price seems a little high.

Yup, figgure about $500-900 because they WILL want to rebuild it once they open it up. Plus if the control arm bushings are original they are ready for replacement.....and these trucks are known to eat front tires on a very regular basis.

Way too much. That is only a $4500 truck at the most. 170k on a cummins isnt nothing, but what you are looking at is too many.

Don't buy it, just save your money and keep looking.  And for future reference the next time you get your car/truck/suv paid for, keep paying the car/truck/suv payment but make the payments to yourself in a separate hard to access savings account.  

Then when that one starts to wear out you'll have a nice sized down payment ready to go.  You could also used the money for emergency uses too.  Like if your ac in your house goes out, or if your hot water heater goes, any appliance that may crap out.

Way high for that truck, miles and condition.

If you don't mind driving, there are quite a few people farther down south here that are selling nice dodges, ford, and some chevys from the mid to late 90's cheap, and no rust.

BTW Broncos rock and are dirt cheap right now in great shape, if you don't always need the bed and can stomach the gas bill

It's a Chrysler, that says it all.

The milage,problems,overall condition dont justify that high of a price I would leave that one alone and find something better. keep in mind that truck is 10 years old and IMHO its best miles are behind it. It isint long before it starts having the same issues your Chevy now has.

Quoted: The milage,problems,overall condition dont justify that high of a price I would leave that one alone and find something better. keep in mind that truck is 10 years old and IMHO its best miles are behind it. It isint long before it starts having the same issues your Chevy now has.

That's what I am thinking.  However, I only drive the truck on weekends.  I'm looking at probably 5 - 6 thousand miles a year.  Pay it off in three years and I'll have around 190,000 on it.  On the other hand, for 4k more than what they are asking, I can get my hands on a 2000 or newer Chevy K2500 with less than 100k miles.....which would have around 110,000 miles once I get it paid off and be in much better shape, along with a lot higher residual value as a trade in.

I know that "buy right and buy once" is really the best way to go.........residual value is a huge part of the total overall cost calculation.


I really like the truck.  But I think this is one of those deals where I need to offer them $4500 cash and walk if they balk.

Quoted: Walk, you can find something lower mileage and better condition for less the money.

I am usually a Dodge girl since that is the truck my Grandfather only bought.  We have a 1987 Dodge Ram 3/4 ton I think that has saved my parents from dieing in a fire storm in Ca in 1989.  They told my father when he took the truck to the dealer after the fire was put out and we were able to leave the mountain that their was nothing that they could do for it the brain reprogrammed it's self to work in the lack of O2 situation that is created during a fire storm of that magnitude.  

I no longer believe in Dodge Trucks because my friend bought a brand new 2002 Dodge truck with only 5 miles on it and the truck was at the dealer more than he got to drive it due to transmission problems.  So the sales man you talked to lied about the transmission issues being solved.

I currently drive a 1995 dodge ram 1500 extended cab 4x4 with 280,000 miles on it, it is starting to get some rust and last year I had to totally replace the front end from the ball joints to the track bar and all in between. Proper maintenace and most vehicles will last a long time. that being said  almost 9000.00 for that vehicle is about 5,000  to much