If you plan to be a 'long-hauler' on 2012 Ram ownership, here are a few other things to be aware of. These aren't to scare you, but make you aware of a couple other *potential* issues that are part of Ram ownership ...which can help if you're aware of them (if you believe Knowledge is King).
1) WIN module. This is the electronic module behind your key ...where you put your key. It's on the backside of the dash, that you can't see. Usually after many miles ...and a heavy keychain hanging on the key, the contacts can become dirty or slightly bent and the truck might not start. Got to youtube and type in WIN Module Repair, and watch a few. It's almost DIY. It may never happen to you but if it does, you won't freak out.
2) Fuel Pump Relay. This was more of a 2011 thing...but on some of those earlier tks there's a relay on the computer which engages the fuel pump, which was a source of problems. Basically cranks ...but doesn't start. There's an inexpensive fuel pump bypass cable
HERE which would be a great thing to toss into the glove box along with the instructions, and could save your bacon. A good mechanic who likes to do Root-Cause fixes (that's almost NO mechanic out there), could solder in a new
exact replacement relay onto the computer circuit board, rather than spend $1200 for a new computer. But it may never happen to you. But still....for a few bucks, since you said you don't want to get stranded, consider buying the bypass cable and being prepared for the worst. There's also a fuel pressure regulator down by the brake booster than can do something similar.
3) Odd Behavior -- No Start ....Dash Says Computer is Bad: When the batteries fail on these trucks, the lcd screen on the dash can display some very odd messages. The first thing to do when your tk doesn't start and seems 'flakey' is to ensure the battery terminals are good. And THEN, do a battery LOAD TEST. A bad battery is usually the cure. But just be aware of it and don't freak out if it happens.
4) Rust Issues - We already touched upon this. You might squirt some oil on the bracket that goes above your fuel tank and supports it. There's a pocket which catches and holds debris which can rot the tank support. It was an item that was a recall. Was yours replaced? But at the bare minimum, squirting a few pumps of oil in the door bottoms, cab corners, rear (and front) wheel housings, and tailgate would be a great idea. You can get access to the rear wheel arches from in front of each rear wheel. They also tend to get a lot of rocks and debris on them ..but that's another story (which is why I recommended removing each taillight and spraying a jet stream of water to clean the rear wheel arches a week before.
Get some oil on that stupid "Hemi" badge on the front fenders! Oddly it can rust around that badge from the back. It's a wierd situation, but you want to avoid it. You gotta get heavy oil on the BACKSIDE of that badge. Just do a google image search of Ram rust issues, and I'm sure you'll see an example.
5) Rear 3rd Brake Light Gasket Leak - There's a seal between the light housing and the cab that shrinks/dries/cracks ..and leaks water into the cab. You might want to be proactive and replace that before you get leaks. Leaks get on the floor which can rust ground contacts ...causes all sorts of potential downstream issues. All from a single water leak! Simple fix ....get in front of it.
6) Rear trailing arm bushings - They get loose after a while. Easy and relatively inexpensive for a mechanic to change. Maybe have your mechanic guy have a look at yours. Not a freak-out thing...more of something to just know about. The ones on my truck have been weak for a few yrs. I'll get to them one of these days.
Maybe I'm forgetting something, I'm sure other guys will chime in. Again, these aren't to freak you out, they may never occur. But knowing these things may empower you to know they aren't end-of-the-world issues ...if they rear their head, and how you can be on the front-side of things. Being on the front side could make something a minor annoyance vs a bad day. Just like anything, the more you know the better. Newer trucks have their issues too,, and some of them can be VERY expensive (on newer tks). Besides that, keep your fluids changed regularly per the schedule. Plugs when it needs them. Should be good for many more miles.
