Latest news with #ProMaster
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Ram is lengthening powertrain warranty as truck owners hold on longer
Ram will extend the powertrain warranty available on most 2026 models to last 10 years or 100,000 miles - a level of truck coverage the brand says will be America's best. CEO Tim Kuniskis said it's a needed update as truck buyers increasingly opt for extended financing terms - almost 80% of new truck loans exceed five years - and hold onto their vehicles longer. The average age of light trucks in the United States last year was nearly 12 years, and 12.6 years for all vehicles, according to S&P Global Mobility. "They keep it for 12 years because everything's gotten more expensive," Kuniskis said. But even as people spend more money on big pickups and drive them longer, he said, the warranty length never changed: "You're not investing more money to protect them." Ram's warranty announcement is part of a flurry of product and partnership reveals from the Stellantis NV brand, which wants to generate consumer excitement and claw back market share after sales fell 19% last year. The truck maker's current powertrain warranty runs five years or 60,000 miles; its bumper-to-bumper warranty runs three years or 36,000 miles. The longer limited powertrain warranty will apply to all of Ram's 2026 models sold in the United States except its electric ProMaster van. It covers the engine, transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, differentials and axles. Fleet purchases aren't included. Competing trucks from Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. offer powertrain coverage that runs five years or 60,000 miles. The longer Ram warranty comes as both Ford and GM trucks have recently faced some high-profile problems and recalls regarding their powertrains. Federal regulators are scrutinizing nearly 1.3 million older F-150 pickups over transmission issues reported by dozens of consumers, for example, while GM is dealing with a recall of nearly 600,000 trucks and SUVs due to potential failure of their V-8 engines. Stephanie Brinley, an auto analyst with S&P Global Mobility, said it's too early to say if the new powertrain coverage can significantly boost sales for Ram, "but offering longer warranties has been helpful for some brands in the past." It can give some customers a reason to stick with the brand, she added in an email, while giving Ram "another talking point" to increase consideration of its trucks. The new warranty is the latest of several announcements from Ram, which earlier this month said it was bringing a Hemi engine back to its 1500 pickups and planning to return after a long hiatus to NASCAR's truck series. This week, the brand launched a new ad campaign and an updated tagline, "Nothing Stops Ram." Kuniskis has said Ram will make about 25 product announcements over the next 18 months. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Ram Launches 10-Year/100,000-Mile Powertrain Warranty on Trucks and Vans in U.S.
In an effort to shake concerns about quality and reliability, Ram is launching what it claims will be America's "best" warranty on full-size pickups and vans. It's been a tough year for Ram, and the Stellantis truck brand is rolling out an assortment of new product and marketing programs aimed at drawing back skeptical buyers. One move is meant to burnish the brand's reputation for quality and reliability with Ram announcing a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty on its full-size pickup family, as well the ProMaster vans sold in the United States. "The extended warranty is particularly important at a time when rising new vehicle prices have forced millions of buyers to stretch out their auto loans to six, seven, even eight years," said Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis, during a media background briefing at the brand's suburban Detroit headquarters. "Everything is more expensive, and trucks are certainly no exception. Truck buyers are financing purchases for longer periods of time, with nearly 80 percent of new truck loans exceeding five years," said Kuniskis. "Our customers are making a long-term investment in Ram, and with America's Best Full-size Truck Limited Powertrain Warranty, Ram is making a stronger and longer commitment to our customers." The vehicles covered by the new warranty include: The Ram 1500 pickup;2500/3500 Heavy Duty trucks;3500/4500/5500 Chassis Cab;and ProMaster vans. The new warranty program comes at an important time for Ram. The automaker has suffered a sharp drop in sales over the last couple years, a downturn that took the automaker by surprise in light of its launch of a completely made-off 1500 half-ton pickup for 2025. In his background session, Kuniskis acknowledged that Ram "got it wrong" when it decided to end production of its iconic Hemi engine with the launch of the 2025 truck. That V8 returns to the option list starting later this summer. All told, Kuniskis said, Ram has 25 major announcements to share in the coming months. And it's betting that the longer warranty will be particularly effective in winning back buyers, as well as conquesting customers from rivals Ford, Chevrolet and GMC. It helps that Ram already has build a reasonable reputation for quality and reliability. In the latest J.D. Power Initial Quality released in June 2024 it was the overall highest-ranked brand overall ahead of not only mainstream marques such as Chevrolet and Hyundai, but luxury brands including Porsche, Lexus and Genesis. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Car and Driver
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
Ram's Powertrain Warranty Is Rising to 10 Years or 100,000 Miles
Ram is increasing its powertrain warranty for most 2026 models, with coverage set to rise to 10 years or 100,000 miles. Along with the heavy-duty trucks and ProMaster vans sold in the United States, the improved warranty covers the gas-fed 2026 Ram 1500 lineup too. Currently, Ram's powertrain warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles for gas-only models and five years or 100,000 miles for diesel models. Ram fans are getting a lot of good news lately. Earlier this month, the truck brand revealed that it's bringing back the popular Hemi V-8. Now, Ram has announced that it plans to increase the length of its limited powertrain warranty for most of its 2026 models. By offering 10 years or 100,000 miles, Ram will have the longest powertrain warranty among full-size trucks. Currently, its coverage is limited to five years or 60,000 miles for gas-fed models, which aligns with Ford and GM rivals. Like most heavy-duty trucks, Ram's diesel powertrain warranty lasts until 100K miles, but it's capped at five years. Ram Along with the half-ton and HD trucks, Ram says the models that will receive the improved warranty protection include the chassis-cab 3500, 4500, and 5500, as well as the ProMaster vans. While the off-road-ready Ram RHO and heavy-duty Power Wagon are eligible for the higher warranty limits, all-electric models such as the Ram ProMaster EV are excluded. Ram's new limited powertrain warranty covers the axles, driveshafts, engine, transmission, and transfer case. It's also eligible for new vehicles that are purchased or leased, but fleet purchases don't get the same protection. Eric Stafford Managing Editor, News Eric Stafford's automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual '97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a '90 Honda CRX Si. Read full bio
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Ram's Powertrain Warranty Is Rising to 10 Years or 100,000 Miles for U.S. Models
Ram is increasing its powertrain warranty for most 2026 models, with coverage set to rise to 10 years or 100,000 miles. Along with the and ProMaster vans sold in the United States, the improved warranty covers the gas-fed too. Currently, Ram's powertrain warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles for gas-only models and five years or 100,000 miles for diesel models. Ram fans are getting a lot of good news lately. Earlier this month, the truck brand revealed that it's bringing back the popular Hemi V-8. Now, Ram has announced that it plans to increase the length of its limited powertrain warranty for most of its 2026 models. By offering 10 years or 100,000 miles, Ram will have the longest powertrain warranty among full-size trucks. Currently, its coverage is limited to five years or 60,000 miles for gas-fed models, which aligns with Ford and GM rivals. Like most heavy-duty trucks, Ram's diesel powertrain warranty lasts until 100K miles, but it's capped at five years. Along with the half-ton and HD trucks, Ram says the models that will receive the improved warranty protection include the chassis-cab 3500, 4500, and 5500, as well as the ProMaster vans. While the off-road-ready Ram RHO and heavy-duty Power Wagon are eligible for the higher warranty limits, all-electric models such as the Ram ProMaster EV are excluded. Ram's new limited powertrain warranty covers the axles, driveshafts, engine, transmission, and transfer case. It's also eligible for new vehicles that are purchased or leased, but fleet purchases don't get the same protection. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
2025 Ram ProMaster EV Lineup Expands, but Its Base Price Drops by $20K
The 2025 adds two new cargo van configurations, with either a 12-foot or a 13-foot cargo hold. The new cargo setup starts at $58,490, over $20,000 less than the base price for the 2024 step van model, which was the only configuration offered last year. The step van has received its own discount, down by $8000 to a starting price of $71,990. Last year, Ram joined the increasingly crowded electric-commercial-van segment, launching an electric version of its full-size ProMaster to go up against the Ford E-Transit, Mercedes-Benz eSprinter, and Chevrolet BrightDrop. The ProMaster EV was hamstrung, however, by offering a single configuration for the 2024 model year, which also made it significantly pricier than the competition. But the American truck brand is rectifying that for 2025, adding two new body variations and dropping the base price by over $20K. The 2024 Ram ProMaster EV was limited to a single Delivery step van model, which featured a Super High Roof body, a sliding pocket door on the passenger's side, and a roll-up rear door. When we drove the ProMaster EV last fall, Ram said it would add more configurations later, and the company has delivered on that promise with two new cargo variants for 2025. The cargo van models will come in two setups, either a 12-foot cargo length or a 13-foot cargo length, with both bodies sitting atop a chassis with a 159.0-inch wheelbase. Instead of the Delivery model's pocket door, the cargo model features a sliding side door. Most importantly, the new cargo van models receive a drastic decrease in the ProMaster EV's base price. While the 2024 Delivery model started at $79,990, the new cargo configurations see the base price drop to $58,490. Even better, the Delivery version—which Ram now refers to as the step van model—has received its own price reduction to $71,990, down by $8000 from 2024. Ram claims the electric ProMaster cargo models can travel up to 164 miles on a charge thanks to a battery pack with 97.0 kWh of usable capacity. For 2025, Ram also says it has increased the step van's range for city driving to 180 miles, up from last year's estimate of 162 miles. A DC fast-charger will take the ProMaster EV from 20 to 80 percent in less than 55 minutes, with a peak charging rate of 150 kW. The cargo version has a payload of 3020 pounds, while the step van is capable of carrying 2876 pounds, an increase from the 2030-pound rating that Ram quoted in 2024. Both models feature a single electric motor sending 268 horsepower and 302 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels. Customers can now build and price their ProMaster EV online before connecting with a dealership to complete the transaction. The cargo van variants will begin reaching dealerships in the second quarter of this year. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
