Slideshow: 2019 Ram 1500 Hits Rocky Road in Ramp Up

A rocky road for Ram

If you are a Dodge enthusiast, you are probably in one of two camps. The first would be the muscle car camp which hits the ground running on anything called the Challenger, Charger, or Viper. The second camp is devoted to the Ram, and more specifically the Ram 1500. Such a force is the Ram 1500 that in 2009 Chrysler rebranded its pickup and heavy-duty trucks, dropping Dodge from the name and going with the singular but almighty Ram.  The Ram has been Fiat Chrysler Automobile’s best-selling brand, peddling more than 440,000 units in 2016 alone. But right now, as I write this, the Ram is in production hell.

>>Join the conversation about the 2019 Ram 1500 and factory issues right here in Dodge Forum.

A new look, inside and out

The 2019 Ram 1500 has been remodeled, both inside and out. The newest generation will offer three engine types, but the most popular is the 5.7L Hemi V8 that pushes 395 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque. As Ram’s sales numbers have been slipping the last couple of years, the folks at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) felt the Ram needed some upgrades so they gave the truck a more upscale look and feel both inside and out. But supply and quality problems have plagued the new Ram, slowing its production schedule. 

>>Join the conversation about the 2019 Ram 1500 and factory issues right here in Dodge Forum.

Sergio Marchionne is no Elon Musk

Fiat Chrysler is spending more than $300 million to fix their production issues that seem to be a byproduct of building the truck simultaneously with the 2018 model. But CEO Sergio Marchionne, 65, is not in panic mode and not ready to go the route of Tesla’s Elon Musk, who in April tweeted that he was sleeping at the Tesla factory.

"I'm not sleeping on the floor," Marchionne said during the company's earnings call a couple of weeks ago. "You need to be Elon's age to do that. I'm too old for that crap."

>>Join the conversation about the 2019 Ram 1500 and factory issues right here in Dodge Forum.

Sterling Heights has fallen behind

Instead, Marchionne authorized the expenditure of more than $300 million to fix the problems that have put the truck’s ramp up well behind schedule. He acknowledged that FCA's Sterling Heights Assembly plant, which began building the truck in mid-January, is "probably running today at 60 percent of cycle. That's not where we need to be. We allowed enough time in 2017 to get that installation up, but it's proven to be challenging."

>>Join the conversation about the 2019 Ram 1500 and factory issues right here in Dodge Forum.

Double shifts and holiday pay

Currently, the factory is producing 1,000 trucks per day, but it needs to be at 1,400 per day. To reach their goals, the plant is now operating two 10-hour shifts per day, seven days a week, to get back on track. They even plan to keep the factory running every weekend and holiday through Labor Day. Part of the problem is that the Sterling Height plant is still undergoing construction. Another part of the problem is that some workers still lack proper training, which has led to some more than 2,500 Ram trucks being held back for repairs. A supplier source indicated that the problem is electrical.

>>Join the conversation about the 2019 Ram 1500 and factory issues right here in Dodge Forum.

The lucky few

FCA dealers have started receiving their 2019 pickups, but only the versions that carry the 5.7-liter V-8 engine which is the same as the previous generation truck. Neither the 3.6-liter V-6 variant nor the 5.7-liter mild hybrid variant, both with a belt-drive generator and 48-volt battery, have received a fuel economy rating from regulators.

>>Join the conversation about the 2019 Ram 1500 and factory issues right here in Dodge Forum.

The numbers don't lie

Even though the 2018 model will continue to be built 10 miles down the road at the Warren Truck assembly plant, sales of that generation have not been great. In March, U.S. sales of the Ram dropped 13% in a trend that’s been happening over the last several months. This trend prompted FCA to offer incentives to U.S. dealers that add new trucks to their service loaner fleets and count them as sales. Meanwhile, sales for the Ford F-series and Chevrolet Silverado have increased 7% and 24% respectively over the last month.

>>Join the conversation about the 2019 Ram 1500 and factory issues right here in Dodge Forum.

Well worth the wait

But if you are in the Ram camp, don’t lose hope. Despite the rocky road to dealerships, the 2019 Ram 1500 is garnering much praise from industry experts. Alex Kierstein, the Senior Editor at Autoblog, takes a ride in a new 2019 Ram 15001 and compares two different trim models. Motor1.com's Seyth Miersma reports that it's a pretty great truck all around in his First Drive. Says Miersma: “The new Ram is easier to live with, more fun to spend time in, and every bit as tough as you’d hoped.”

>>Join the conversation about the 2019 Ram 1500 and factory issues right here in Dodge Forum.

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