1997 Dodge Ram 1500

First, the good. It’s a very nice truck and years ahead of the competition as far as ergonomics and refinement. They still look nice today. You can get a few different cab options, long or short bed, 2 or 4 wheel drive and a choice of engines from a V-6 (WHY, WHY, WHY!?) or 3 V-8’s or the best diesel motor out there, the Cummins I-6. The manual trans mission is very stout and the ride is actually kinda nice….for a truck.

Common problems for the first generation Dodge Ram would be the intake manifold gasket, these tend to retire early, more than 75,000 miles is not too uncommon and will cost you about $350 - $400. Look for hesitation while driving and a hissing noise from the top of the engine while idling. The Crank position sensors tend to go bad as on most vehicles. If you have an auto trans it’s gonna set you back about $200 - $250 or about $175 for a manual trans.

Another common problem is an ABS light on. First let me tell you, when you first turn the key on or start the truck, the ABS light (as well as all others on the dash) should come on for a few seconds then turn off. If the ABS light stays on there could be any number of problems but understand, your braking system will still work, only the ABS system is affected. Anyway, if the ABS light is on while driving you, more than likely will need a rear wheel speed sensor. Less than a hundred bucks later you will be on the road and all is well. This problem doesn’t seem to affect the 2001 model year trucks.

There have been a few complaints about interior rattles and cheap interior materials. Yes, you will have some rattles but you have a truck, right? It’s a rough riding vehicle and there will be rattles but the interior materials seem to wear well.

A work of caution; while the transmission works well, they really need regular fluid changes to keep them happy and healthy for a long time. Pull the dipstick. The fluid should be red, bright red not dark red, brown or heaven forbid black! It should not have a pungent, burnt smell either. If you are looking at a truck with over 100K and nasty fluid, keep looking is my best advice.