AUBURN HILLS, MI – Higher prices – and better build quality – have consumers keeping their vehicles longer and longer, and that has inspired Stellantis’ Ram brand to launch an industry-first 10-year/100,000-mile (162,000-km) powertrain warranty in the U.S.
Owners are keeping their vehicles on average for 12.6 years, and 85% are financing them for seven years or more, Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis notes here at a backgrounder on the brand’s latest product and marketing initiatives.
“But no one has changed the warranty,” he says. “So now we have the best warranty in the industry.”
The initiative is just the latest in what is promised to be at least 25 product announcements and models to be unveiled between now and the end of 2026. It comes on the heels of Ram’s move to reintroduce the Hemi V-8 into its lineup and launch aggressive new marketing initiatives that include a new ad campaign and a reentry into NASCAR racing.
The 10-year/100,000-mile warranty will be available initially on light-duty models only. But if the offering proves a successful enticement to buyers, the brand will roll out the extended warranty across most of its lineup. Previously, the longest warranty offered by Ram was a seven-year/70,000-mile (113,000-km) protection plan.
Ram joins other brands Genesis, Hyundai, Kia and Mitsubishi in offering 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranties in the U.S.
Kuniskis notes studies show that if an out-of-warranty repair is required while a buyer is still making monthly payments, they are far less likely to purchase another vehicle from that brand.
“If you lose a (customer), good luck getting them back,” he says.
Ram says original buyers or lessees of 2026 model-year Ram trucks and vans (excluding full battery-electric vehicles) sold in the U.S. get the new warranty, which covers the engine, transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, differentials, and axles for 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. The warranty excludes purchases of 2026 Ram trucks or vans by fleet buyers but is applicable to those purchased by businesses as well as individuals.
Kuniskis is counting on the warranty extension, the return of the Hemi V-8 to the light-duty Ram 1500 lineup and the aggressive marketing initiatives to continue the sales momentum he has built since rejoining Stellantis in December after a brief retirement.
Although total U.S. volume reached only 93,368 vehicles in the first quarter, down 2.0% from year-ago levels, and is forecast to remain flat with 2024 at the half-year mark, Kuniskis expects global Ram sales, including those to fleets, to top 230,000 units this year.
The extended warranty raises table stakes for truck producers in the U.S. If the gambit works, competitors likely will have to follow suit or offer other equivalent spiffs to lure buyers to their brands. But for now, Ram has gotten the jump on its rivals.
