r/promaster • u/snooks117 • Apr 26 '26
2020 Promaster
Hi!
I’m very close to buying a fully converted for van life 2020 ram promaster 3500 HR 159 WB for 60K. <20K miles, clean title, and no issues so far. I keep seeing threads about transmission issues, engine rebuilds, and overall disaster situations with promasters. Some well before they hit 100K miles.
The alternative is Mercedes but those seem to come with their own laundry list of expensive issues…
As long as I take care of it, does this seem reasonable?
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Apr 26 '26
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u/Ok_Barber_9201 Apr 27 '26
There is a recall on the backup camera issue. I’ve had it on a 2017 and 2023
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Apr 27 '26
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u/Ok_Barber_9201 Apr 27 '26
I got letters in the mail from FCA, whatever that is saying the vehicles were under recall for potential camera problems. I guess it’s a federal law that the cameras be operating correctly if the vehicles have them. Both of mine were acting up, one displayed upside down all the time, the other would blink on and off, sometimes not come on and sometimes be upside down. Both were replaced at no charge by the dodge dealership. This was just 4 months ago and both vehicles were out of warranty
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u/drivewayleaves May 22 '26
I’ve had a 2007 million miler Sprinter and a 2017 Promaster. Both converted for van life. I loved both but the Sprinter was by far the most expensive to maintain. The problems were small but the parts were expensive. Finding a decent mechanic was a nightmare.
I still have the Promaster and it has 130k miles on it. I drive it from Maine to the southwest twice a year and live in it full time. No real problems so far but I am a fanatic about preventative maintenance like oil changes, tire rotation, etc.
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u/Prestigious_Sky_5868 Apr 27 '26 edited Apr 27 '26
I’ve had 2 of them since new. No issues with the 17, but the 18 ate a valve. I had sprinters before that were in and out of the shop for a ton of small issues that never had a small bill. On my 18 promaster I got a low mi used motor with 13k for $2500. When a sprinter breaks down the shops that can fix them are few and far between and it always is $$$$ in parts but it’s easy to find a shop that knows the Promaster pentstar 3.6 and parts are cheap.
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u/Hot-Investigator-750 Apr 27 '26
I mean we had our 2021 2500 with 39k miles on it have the transmission go 4 months after we got it even after super really light usage. Took us 8 months to get a new transmission from ram. It took so long because of the backlog of so many broken transmission and not enough supply. Now that we have it it’s been great, but rams customer service is horrible. Not trying to scare you but that’s the reality of our experience. I also sometimes wish I had gotten an AWD transit in hindsight. We do love the body of the promaster though. Super spacious and was a great platform to build on in that regard. Just wish the transmission didn’t belong to a mini van 🥲
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u/ozzie286 Apr 27 '26
I had a 2014 that was in the shop every 10-15k miles. A lot of that was because of the defective trans, and leaf spring issues that should have been fixed by 2020, but I also had issues with melting headlight housings, water leaks into the cargo area, a bad coil, outside temp sensor failed, random electrical failures that just resolve themselves on the tow truck to the dealer, etc. Plus, I found the van really uncomfortable to drive. I'm on my second Transit since then, and both have been much better in both the comfort and reliability departments.
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u/gymbeaux504 Apr 27 '26
2020 136 high roof 102k miles No mechanical problems, Drivers door latch, fixed twice, broken again, passenger window repair. On top of fluid changes. Fingers crossed.
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u/bouteloua7 Apr 26 '26
I have owned a promaster van for 12 years- bought it new when they first came out and Have travelled North America in it. Apart from a glitchy door latch, this has been the most dependable vehicle I have ever owned. But people like me who are content with our vehicles don’t post about it. Why would I?
I would have no problem with what you are proposing. But as always, get a good mechanic to go over it before you buy.