Ram vs Dodge/Chrysler - how complete is the separation?

[Chilliwack Murray]

That’s just false. They don’t “rust” anymore than any other brand. Rust is primarily caused by owner neglect and driving in salt or wet locations without rinsing off.

Ram is a brand and is not a Dodge.

Well, most other vehicles I’ve owned in the past 30 years went well past 300k km and a couple pushing 500k km with very little rust but my dodge ram fenders and box sides are rusted through at 320k. I've been meticulous about washing the salt out but it’s just a poor design - particularly the box sides, and poor metal prep. They aren’t the only ones, mind you… every gm pickup more than 8 years old I see around here has similar rust, just a couple years behind the Dodges.

That said, if you remember before the 90s nearly every vehicle was rusted out between 5 and 10 years after it was built.

I had a late 80s Escort with almost 500k that had no paint left on the fender edges or rockers and they didn’t even rust. That was one of the first vehicles I ever saw that didn’t rust itself apart.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Ram…
…At least it’s not a Silverado.

It would be a credit if it was.

 

[Alan W.]

Wife was given a new company Chrysler van. I asker her why their purchaser chose that particular brand out of curiosity.
She told me that he wanted an American brand made in the USA.
Told her to tell him that every time she drives it she wants wooden shoes and craves pancakes with maple syrup. I then had to explain to her that Stellantis is a Netherlands company and that her van was built in Canada.

 

[Hay Dude]

Well, most other vehicles I’ve owned in the past 30 years went well past 300k km and a couple pushing 500k km with very little rust but my dodge ram fenders and box sides are rusted through at 320k. I've been meticulous about washing the salt out but it’s just a poor design - particularly the box sides, and poor metal prep. They aren’t the only ones, mind you… every gm pickup more than 8 years old I see around here has similar rust, just a couple years behind the Dodges.

That said, if you remember before the 90s nearly every vehicle was rusted out between 5 and 10 years after it was built.

I had a late 80s Escort with almost 500k that had no paint left on the fender edges or rockers and they didn’t even rust. That was one of the first vehicles I ever saw that didn’t rust itself apart.

What you are seeing is that the chemicals being used on roads today, like brine solutions, are extremely harsh on steel and I have seen all brands of trucks with stage 4 terminal cancer in 8 years after being run through salt brine paste.

The old “rock salt” they used 10 years ago did not turn into a paste like the brine solutions, which will stick to the insides of fenders & frames and rust them out very quickly.

I’d doubt it’s a truck brand issue as much as it is the modern chemicals being used by DOT’s

 

[WM75Guy]

I'd say there is segregation when it comes to Suburban's however. All Suburban's are built on their own dedicated assembly line in a GM plant of course (Warren Assembly) and nothing else 'Yukon' or GMC Denali are not run on that assembly line, just Burbs and Burbs are larger than the other's as well.

The Chevrolet Suburban & Tahoe, the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, and the Cadillac Escalade & Escalade ESV are all made at the Arlington, Texas assembly plant. I drive by there quite frequently and see them. This is the link to the GM Arlington Assembly Plant web page.

Site Maintenance

From the website: "Arlington Assembly is home to every new full-size ICE powered SUV in GM’s product lineup sold around the world."

 

[5030]

Used to be in Warren, Michigan but I don't keep up on current dispositions. They are tanks, my wife has an LTZ.

 

[5030]

What you are seeing is that the chemicals being used on roads today, like brine solutions, are extremely harsh on steel and I have seen all brands of trucks with stage 4 terminal cancer in 8 years after being run through salt brine paste.

Not only that, it's hell on electrical connections as well.

 

[5030]

I wonder how the aluminum bodies will fare? Aluminum rusts as well.. White rust.

 

[tulenutn2o]

The aluminum bodies are jokes.

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

The metallurgy in automotive has changed dramatically in the last 20 years.

My 2013 grandcarvan had the paint and primer chipped off but since it's galvanized, it took years to rust