Trucks · Buyer's guide

Used Ram 1500:
what to buy and what to skip

Ram won the interior war a decade before anyone else caught up, and the coil-spring rear suspension makes it ride better than any competitor. What you're accepting in exchange is Chrysler electrics and the Hemi's appetite for lifters. Two specific things decide whether a used Ram is a bargain or a money pit: the power distribution module on 2011–2013 trucks, and whether the 5.7 has started ticking.

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Best years to buy

Generations where the known problems were already fixed and the price hasn't caught up yet.

2015–2018

The best of the fourth generation. The eight-speed automatic is smooth and durable, and the TIPM problems of the early cars were behind them.

2019–2022

The DT redesign. Excellent interior, well-sorted powertrains, and the eTorque mild hybrid has caused fewer problems than expected.

2009–2010

Cheap entry into the coil-spring generation if you accept an older truck and check the electrics carefully.

Years to avoid

Not "these are bad cars" — these are specific years with a specific, documented failure that costs real money.

2011–2013

The TIPM power distribution module fails and causes random electrical faults — fuel pump running with the key out, no-starts, wipers operating on their own.

2014–2016 EcoDiesel

Emissions recalls, EGR cooler failures and repair costs well beyond what a used truck of this value justifies.

Common Ram 1500 problems

The failures that actually show up, and roughly what each one costs to put right.

01 TIPM failure (2011–2013)

The Totally Integrated Power Module controls most of the truck's electrics. Symptoms are random and maddening. A replacement module is $900–1,600 installed.

02 Hemi tick and lifter/camshaft failure (2009–2019 5.7L)

A ticking that grows into a misfire, tied to the cylinder-deactivation lifters. A camshaft and lifter job is $2,500–4,000.

03 Exhaust manifold bolt breakage (5.7L, most years)

A ticking that's loudest on cold start and quiets when warm. Cheaper than a lifter — $400–900 — and easy to confuse with one.

04 Air suspension faults (Laramie/Longhorn trims)

Compressors and air struts fail. A single strut is $700–1,200. Confirm the truck sits level and raises and lowers on command.

What a used Ram 1500 costs in 2026

Private-party asking prices for average-mileage, clean-title cars. Dealer retail runs roughly 15–25% higher.

Years	Typical price	What you're getting
2009–2013	$8,000–16,000	Discount heavily for TIPM risk on 2011–2013 trucks.
2014–2018	$15,000–28,000	The value sweet spot. Look for a 5.7 with service records.
2019–2023	$28,000–48,000	Limited and Longhorn trims carry a large premium.

What to check before you buy

Model-specific. Bring this list to the test drive.

Cold-start it and listen. A tick that quiets as the engine warms is usually manifold bolts; a tick that stays or worsens is the lifters.
On 2011–2013 trucks, test every electrical function — wipers, horn, locks, lights, fuel pump prime on key-on — before you drive it.
If it has air suspension, cycle it through every ride height and confirm it holds after sitting.
Check the exhaust manifolds visually for a black soot streak, which marks a broken bolt or leaking gasket.
Ask for oil change records. Hemi lifters fail earlier on trucks with stretched oil intervals.

Ram 1500 questions

What is the Hemi tick?

A ticking noise from the 5.7-litre V8. It's either broken exhaust manifold bolts, which are relatively cheap, or collapsing lifters, which are not. A mechanic can tell them apart in minutes.

Which Ram 1500 years should I avoid?

2011–2013 because of TIPM electrical failures, and the 2014–2016 EcoDiesel because of emissions recalls and expensive EGR problems.

Is the Ram 1500 reliable?

Less so than an F-150 with the 5.0 or a Tacoma, more so than its reputation from a decade ago. The 2015 onward trucks are meaningfully better than what came before.

Should I buy a Ram with air suspension?

Only if it works perfectly on the test drive and you accept that struts and compressors are a when-not-if expense. The coil-spring trucks are cheaper to own.