Am I the only one with this ongoing problem?

2017 Ram 3500 Cummins diesel.
Truck has 19,000 miles on it.
The 1st 2000 miles, engine light comes on.
Code reads Nox sensor rear bank.
This was while I was on vacation 587 miles from home.
Clear code .All good till 2 hours in to the ride up
Says going in to limp mode in 275 miles. Do not turn off engine.
Panis sets in and I'm 395 miles from where I bought it.
I call up and they say you need to leave it. I say I cant.im on vacation and not near my home. They don't give me loaner. I said I'll pass. Found another dealership and they bring it in. We will fix it while you wait. Great dealership.
30 minutes later I am on my way. 2 Nox sensors bad.
Now at 6000 miles engine light goes on and it's saying DEF System needs service.
Another week and needs new DEF Tank and heater.
Now at 19,200 miles. Engine light comes on and says going in limp mode in 125 miles now.
Brought it to my local dealership
Needs 2 more Nox sensors, a Def injector and traction cobtrol ABS code went off.
Are these trucks junk?
I cant trust it anymore and rhinking of trading it in since resale is excellent.
Thinking of going back to a 3500 gas truck. Am i making a mistake? Im so confused..

DEF tank needs to be replaced!? The DEF tank is likely made out of polyethelene or similar plastic. Unless the DEF fuel is contaminated with silicone I really doubt a DEF tank can go bad. Or is there something integral to the DEF tank that requires it be replaced in total. Perhaps the DEF tank heater is integral to the tank? I could see a tank heater failing.

With the cost of diesel going far more than gasoline, and the fact you have to buy DEF for it as well, if you can get a good trade value for it I'd go to a gas engine. Those are WAY too many issues for a truck, that to me, for the miles is nearly new.

DEf heater went bad inside tank. DEF Fluid couldn't get contaminated. I was told never to fill it 100% and let it run down. I put in one jug each time.
Every jug is sealed.
Is this the norm for these diesel trucks?

14 to 18 is my favorite era of the Ram CTD. I’ve put on a couple NoX sensors, but certainly not a common issue. Maybe replaced 2 def tanks due to 1 contaminated and the other the DEF quality sensor (part of tank). I own a 17 and the few times we’ve driven it absolutely love it. I actually had myself convinced to go with a 6.4 Hemi but about a year ago a 3500 long bed single CTD came in to the dealer I work at and I made it mine. It had 17k miles on it. We’ve only put 6800 miles on it this year….. what a waste

Diesel owners with DEF systems and particulate filters of all makes and sizes are having tremendous problems.

Diesel fuel is shockingly dirty today. Fuel filters are having to be changed much more frequently, some particular filters are in nationwide shortage.

Notice all the big new shiny wreckers being seen much more frequently?
Their bill for a haul is eye watering.

On the other hand my brother just hauled a max weight trailer using a less than 1000 miles on Odometer, Enterprise rented, 2022 Cummins Ram from Dayton Ohio to Houston Texas.
He told me it was the smoothest most comfortable trip ever using a big pickup in his 40+ year driving experience.

On the other hand he dreads even starting his new diesel Vacuum truck because of the particulate filter warning light.

Well….. I could easily delete mine, but personally I haven’t seen enough issues with the def system on the 14-18 to bother. I REALLY like being able to start and run my diesel in my garage without the lingering stench. I also have a friend who “lightens” these trucks and he has stacks of emission parts so I’ve been fortunate enough to pick up a few “spare items” especially the costly ones. I do agree though…. It’s a shame that they’ve had to laden everything with this bs. Replacing a NoX sensor is a very expensive guess most of the time. In my experience they don’t simply “fail” but will act up at their own free will.

Every day I am more thankful I bought a 2010 Cummins, the last Def-free year. Also the last year they were officially Dodges rather than Rams.

2012 was is the last year for no DEF. And I am glad I have one of those!

I have an extremely low opinion of the 07-12 6.7 SOOT MONSTERS….. if they’re deleted they’re “ok”, but in stock form a big no thank you.

I love the smell of diesel. I'll keep my old VE pumped 12 valve thank you.

While I can see why you enjoy your tractor, I’ve come to love how much more relaxing it is to drive my 17 3500 over even my 01.

I brought an 11 home back in 17 that got traded in. My mild modded 01 towed circles around it, but to be fair I’d a deleted and tuned that anyways. The 17 I have is an absolute joy to tow with. The addition of a Titan 55 tank has extended our range to 600 miles towing the race trailer.

Is the 1992 VE 12 valve significantly different than the 1994 or 1995 Cummins 12 Valve?

Good friend has a '16 3500 he bought new. Last year at 40k miles, his went into limp mode with a DEF code. Dealer quoted him $3500(?) for all kinds of related parts. I guess they just play it safe and replace everything. Did a little research and checked the injector which was out of spec. $300 and some change later he's back on the road. So far, it's the only problem he has had with it.
Hope I haven't jinxed him.


Tim

i work in a peterbilt dealership and see all kinds of def problem.the funny one today is someone put diesel fuel in the def tank.you couldnt get me to own anything with def

I wouldn't mind finding a diesel dodge pickup, preferably a 93-older, definitely 02 or older I want nothing to do with a more -door model, though.

At work we have a bunch of internationals with DEF systems and bad (and impossible to find) QLS sensors.
On a case by case basis international was reprogramming the QLS out of the system as a workaround, w/mandatory restoration to original configuration once new QLS sensors become available. These are better known as the big orange IDOT dump trucks that plow the snow off the highways.
They won't preorder any, won't "make a case" for any truck that doesn't yet have specific codes showing up in the computer, and no assistance at all anywhere besides at the dealer itself. So once the codes appear you have no choice but to limp it to a stealership, before they did the temporary program workaround they had bunches of state trucks littering their parking lots waiting for replacement sensors to arrive. What a batch of BS

After replacing most everything on my 06 CTD 4x4 it’s a pretty good truck now

The craze has seemed to ended but last year we got 2 very nice 07 5.9 trucks in. The 3500 6spd only had 70k miles on it and it was sold sight unseen within hours for 30k. The 2500 with 120k got 26k. I shudder to think what they got for trade in value

To the person who posted about working at a Peterbuilt dealership and seeing all kinds of DEF issues, can you list them for us? It'd be interesting to understand how many are system issues, design issues, user issues, etc.

The engine it self is the same. The only diesel I ever owned that I like was my old 12V VE pump, I ran it off used oil at the honda dealer I worked at. It was quite easy to turn up the power just a little from turning a couple screws and was very reliable and had a really neat feel but my 2011 2500 Ram with my "special built" 6.4 hemi tows a lot better and gets almost as good MPG as the old 12 valve did.

“Special built” 6.4….. is that a subtle hint that it ate the camshaft and you had to overhaul? After 20 years of owning a diesel I pretty much had myself convinced to go the 6.4 route. Properly equipped they have quite the job rating. Driving empty I see “some” with avg mpg numbers in the shop that are not too much worse than my CTD. Obviously towing those numbers split, but for how often I tow anymore the much less costly initial investment I would be ahead $$$ anyways. It’s not been kind for the past year being a diesel owner for sure with the fuel costs.

My bad. Got confused with the other marques.

It should not be forgotten that the big $ root problem was
making ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) maximum sulfur level so low
that only adding in highly expensive synthetic diesel fuel made from pure natural gas
could get the blended fuel down to this sulfur level.

Remember when Diesel Fuel cost less per gallon than gasoline?

This is such a massive mistake.

It would make more sense to stop growing all the corn for ethanol,
and devote that massive farming acreage to growing peanuts
and blending peanut oil in to make ULSD.

Peanut (and other plant oils) are nearly sulfur free.
Just like corn made into ethanol leaves “Distiller’s Grain” byproduct to feed to farm animals,
oil from peanuts would leave a byproduct food rich in protein.

When Rudolf Diesel could not make his engine invention work on coal dust,
one of his coal mine engineer uncles suggested that
he “temporarily” switch to peanut oil to work the bugs out.
He got bugs worked out and switched to kerosene, then heavy oil.

The ULSD mistake is so big it is hard to wrap your brain around how it came to be law.