After being the first on the scene with a V10-powered pickup truck in 1994, the Dodge Ram 2500’s 8-liter Magnum V10 engine was ultimately discontinued after 2003. If you’re wondering, that’s the same year the Hemi V8 engine arrived on the Mopar pickup truck scene, and also, the first year that Lamborghini put a V10 engine in their entry supercar, the Gallardo.
The V10 heyday has come and gone, leaving Dodge’s daring V-10 pickup truck engine as one of the most affordable ways to access V-10 power in the second-hand market today. For the purposes of the feature below, we’re sticking to the Magnum V10-powered Ram 2500 models, not the Viper-powered Ram 1500 SRT performance truck of 2004-2006.
1998 Ram 2500 V10Bringatrailer.com
Today, the owner’s community is finding plenty of reasons to keep the original V10-powered trucks alive. If you’re not scared of a high odometer reading, access to the Ram 2500 V10 experience is surprisingly affordable, provided you’re okay with the fuel bill. Below, we’ll get you set up with the information you’ll need to make the most informed purchase decision possible.
What You’ll Pay (And What You’ll Get) For A V10 Ram 2500 in 2026
It’s a pickup truck spec sheet with some curious similarities to more modern-day performance cars. After all, where else do you ever see a V10-powered, four-wheel drive with three pedals on sale for $10,000 or less – let alone one that can tow your boat?
1996 Dodge Ram 2500 with Magnum V10BringaTrailer.com
The Dodge Ram 2500 V10 was retired in 2003. That’s the same year the Hemi V8 engine arrived on the Mopar truck scene, and the first year Lamborghini put a V10 engine in the Gallardo. If an Audi R8 or Lamborghini Gallardo isn’t on the cards, a Ram 2500 V10 might just be the next most amusing way to take in a V10 experience in 2026. If you’re not scared of a high odometer reading, you can pick up a copy for $7,000 or less. If you’ve got $20,000 to spend on a rare, obscure pickup that’ll gather a crowd wherever it goes, you can do very nicely, too.
1997 Dodge Ram 2500 V8
1997 Dodge Ram 2500 V10
Displacement, Engine
5.9-liter Magnum V8
8.0-liter V10
Valvetrain
OHV (Pushrod)
OHV (Pushrod)
Power
235 hp
300 hp
Torque
330 lb-ft
450 lb-ft
Defining Characteristics
The standard heavy-duty V8
This commercial-grade V10 engine was the first of its kind
1997 Ford Triton V8
1998 Ford Triton V10
2003 Dodge Hemi V8
Displacement, Engine
5.4-liter Modular V8
6.8-liter V10
5.7-liter Hemi V8
Valvetrain
SOHC (Modular)
SOHC (Modular)
OHV (Pushrod)
Power
235 hp
275 hp
345 hp
Torque
330 lb-ft
425 lb-ft
375 lb-ft
Defining Characteristics
Standard heavy-duty gas engine from the Triton family
Triton 5.4L V8 with two cylinders added
Reset the standard gas benchmark, retiring the 5.9L V8 and 8.0L V-10
More specifically, current pricing data suggests that shoppers can select from one of three tiers of machinery depending on their preferences. Generally speaking, collectible models will run you $25,000–$35,000 with a manual transmission and very low miles. Across most of the teens and into the low 20s, you’ll find clean second-hand copies, many with sub-100,000-mile odometer readings. If you’ve got under $10,000 to spend, you’re likely looking at a higher-mileage, two-wheel drive version.
What To Know Before You Buy, According To The Experts
1996 Ram 2500 V10Bring a Trailer
Common problems and reliability concerns are well-documented within the owner’s community, and are worth understanding. Though the Magnum V10 engine is a relatively simple powerplant, that doesn’t mean all second-hand copies are definitely trouble-free.
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As reported by 8020 Media during a recap of common problems and issues, some owners reported cracked cylinder heads as their trucks aged, a problem that would require an expensive engine rebuild. This problem is major, though it’s widely considered rare enough not to cause much alarm. If the V10 in the Ram 2500 you’re considering is showing signs of cylinder head damage, a new set of remanufactured heads can be had for under $1,000 in parts, but professional installation is advised.
1996 Dodge Ram 2500 with Magnum V10BringaTrailer.com
Another issue worth being aware of (but not afraid of) relates to engine hesitation. This can manifest under acceleration and while idling as the engines age. According to 8020 Media’s video, running seafoam or a fuel injector / valve cleaner tends to fix this issue, which looks most common on higher-mileage units.
Another high-mileage concern relates to fuel injectors that won’t likely last the entire life of the engine itself. With injectors known to start quitting around 150,000 miles, owners can expect to install 10 new injectors if they’re keeping their Dodge Ram 2500 V10 for the long term.
1999 Dodge Ram 2500 V10Bring A Trailer
The fuel injectors on this engine tend to leak as they reach the end of their life, allowing excess fuel into the combustion chambers as a result. This can lead to additional issues downstream, where catalytic converters are damaged by the excessive fueling.
Thankfully, a new set of fuel injectors should cost you less than $600, and your favorite technician shouldn’t find them too tricky to swap over. Spending a few extra bucks to replace these pre-emptively on a high-mileage vehicle can help add confidence to your purchase.
1996 Dodge Ram 2500 with Magnum V10BringaTrailer.com
The lifespan of a pickup truck’s transmission depends in no small part on how it was used and maintained during its life. A safe assumption is that the factory automatic transmission can be considered trustworthy for 100,000 to 150,000 miles with regular maintenance and an easy life on the road. Many owners reporting the highest mileage on their V10 Ram 2500s mention that they aren’t on the original transmission.
1998 Ram 2500 V10Bringatrailer.com
As one owner from the RME4x4.com forums put it, his truck needed a transmission replacement under warranty at 40,000 miles, and the replacement transmission was starting to slip again at 120,000 miles when he later sold it. Many owners accept the short lifespan of the factory automatic transmission as a fact of life, budgeting for a replacement or two during the truck’s life.
1996 Dodge Ram 2500 with Magnum V10BringaTrailer.com
The truck you’re considering may have already had its transmission rebuilt or replaced, so check documentation carefully. If you’re willing to spend a bit of extra money up front to eliminate this potential pain point, budget about $5,000 for a factory-original rebuild by a professional shop, which should get you another 100,000 or more worry-free miles.
Shoppers interested in upgrading the gearbox with tougher internals have plenty of options, but tack another $2,000 or more onto the cost for the required hardware upgrades. A transmission expert in your area can walk you through various options and price levels if you’re interested in a pre-emptive rebuild.
A strong reputation for reliability, simple servicing, and relatively low replacement and upgrade parts costs mean this primitive pushrod V10 should prove relatively easy to live with for years to come, especially if you and your friends can spin their own wrenches.
Base Trim Engine
5.9L Magnum V8
Base Trim Transmission
5-speed manual
Base Trim Drivetrain
Rear-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
245 HP @4000 RPM
Base Trim Torque
335 lb.-ft. @ 3200 RPM
Base Trim Battery Type
Lead acid battery
Segment
Full-Size Pickup Truck
450 lb-ft Of Torque Was No Easy Feat In 1994
1998 Ram 2500 V10Bringatrailer.com
In 1994, generating a massive 450 lb-ft of torque from a gasoline engine was no easy feat, let alone an affordable one. With its daring design, Dodge rose to the challenge of building a reliable, mass-market torque monster in the pickup truck scene and helped ignite a fascinating era of V10 engines in the process.
The Dodge Ram 2500 was the first pickup truck with a V10 engine, and one of just three to ever adopt one. The others were the Ram 1500 SRT-10, a Viper-powered performance truck built in limited volumes, and the Ford Super Duty lineup, which, along with other commercial applications, saw the American V10 era to its completion when the 6.8-liter Triton V10 ultimately left production after 2019.
1996 Dodge Ram 2500 with Magnum V10BringaTrailer.com
Why did Dodge put a V-10 engine in the Ram 2500? There were several reasons. A key advantage of this configuration was that it used the same simple pushrod valvetrain and two-valve architecture as the proven V8 gas V8 engine beneath it in the lineup. It made diesel-like torque output as a result: a mighty (for the day) 450 lb-ft without the use of noisy and complex hardware of diesel engines in the same era. If you preferred your engines gas-powered and on the simpler side, this was a smooth-running alternative to a 90s-era diesel powerplant that you could fill up just about anywhere.
Those are the V-10 engine’s key strengths. Key weaknesses included fuel economy, which many owners report landing around 10 to 13 miles per gallon (MPG). There’s also the transmission: the 47RE automatic fitted to many models was widely considered the weak point of this truck, perhaps overwhelmed by the extra power.
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The Ram 1500 may not sell as well as the Silverado or F-150, but it’s arguably still the most comfortable and upscale of the large pickups.
This Workhorse Captures Some Historical Nostalgia In Pickup Form
1996 dodge ram v10 side showing v10 badgingWorthless Whips (Youtube)
The Dodge Ram 2500’s standard V8 was the 5.9-liter Magnum unit, delivering 230 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque. For serious commercial work and heavy towing, buyers could step up to the massive 8.0-liter V10, a dedicated truck architecture that churned out 300 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque.
Ford countered in 1997 with its Triton engine family, bringing a new 5.4-liter modular V8 as the standard heavy-duty gas engine, with 235 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque. The Triton V-10 added two more cylinders to create a 6.8-liter V10, which initially brought 275 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque by time the late-90s F-Series Super Duty models arrived. By 2003, Dodge retired both the aging 5.9-liter V8 and the 8.0-liter V10 to make room for the 5.7-liter Hemi V8, which reset the standard gas benchmark by pushing out 345 hp and 375 lb-ft of torque.
1996 Dodge Ram 2500 with Magnum V10BringaTrailer.com
Over this same decade-long timeline, powerplants like the 5.9-liter Cummins inline-six, Ford’s legendary 7.3-liter Power Stroke, and General Motors’ 6.6-liter Duramax V8 were piling up revisions and enhancements to reshape the landscape in the towing space, where they had become the dominant technology.
Of course, the spec sheet only tells part of the story here. With 450 lb-ft of low-rev torque, a low-range transfer case, and a manual transmission, the Dodge Ram 2500 V10 gave drivers a mountain of torque with precise control. This makes the driveline particularly attractive when towing, launching a boat, or crawling around off-road.
1996 Dodge Ram 2500 with Magnum V10BringaTrailer.com
For many shoppers, the Dodge Ram 2500 V10’s potential repair and rebuild costs are a relatively small price to pay for its uniqueness, and the nostalgia and mystique that comes along with keeping a V10-powered pickup ticking today.
Sources: 8020 Media, AlliedMotorParts.com, HeadsOnly.com, PowerDriven.com, RME4x4.com, Dodge, JDPower
