Our 1984 Dodge was Not “Ram Tough”

My husband and I have had a few vehicles that had their little quirks and problems, but this 1984 Dodge Ram pickup truck is at the top of the list of worst vehicles we have ever owned. It shouldn’t have been, because we bought it brand new, right off the Dodge lot.

The 1984 Dodge Ram pickup was the first new vehicle we had ever bought, except for a new motorcycle back in 1974. We were proud of the fact that even while raising kids, we were able to afford a brand new pickup truck. We thought it would last us for years.

The 1984 Dodge Ram was a Beauty with Problems

I have to say that the truck was a beauty. It was a gorgeous shade of blue. With a 6 cylinder and a five speed, it was stylish yet very economical to drive….when we could drive it that is! Within a month, the Ram went back to the dealership for transmission problems.

After that came a steady stream of funny little quirks. One time it would drive fine and then the next the transmission would jump and buck. We continued to return it to the dealership and voice complaints, where a mechanic would test drive it and find nothing wrong.

Honestly, the truck spent more time at the dealership than it did in our driveway. All the while it gave us problems, we gave the bank a payment! Just as it seemed like the transmission was straightening up, the power steering went out of it and had to be replaced, again a long time at the shop.

The 1984 Dodge Ram decided to have brake problems next. Sometimes the brakes were just fine, but then the next time they locked up. The last time this troublesome truck slid me right out into the middle of a busy intersection was the last time I drove it!

Again, my husband took it to the dealership. They replaced the brakes, even though they test drove it and declared it fine. Him screaming at them that he had a brand new vehicle he was making payments on that his wife wouldn’t even drive might have had something to do with it!

The Dodge Ram’s Untimely Demise

We purchased this vehicle in March of 1984. The Dodge Ram met its demise on January 1st 1985. My husband totaled it out, just hours into the New Year. The steering went crazy one last time and ended our short ownership of this vehicle.

Did we buy another new one? No, not for many more years. We went back to driving the 1979 Thunderbird as our primary vehicle. I hadn’t driven that new truck in quite awhile anyway, opting instead to drive my trusty old thunderbird, while the Dodge sat in the driveway.

My husband always said he thought that Dodge Ram had either been built on a Friday afternoon, when someone was in a hurry to start their weekend, or on a Monday, when they were still hung over from the weekend. Sometimes, I just think it was evil…but then again, maybe I read too much Stephen King!