2025 Ram 1500 RHO 15k Mile Owner Update: Battery Failure, Fit-and-Finish Woes Emerge

After 15k miles with the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO, I’ve started seeing some issues with our long-term review truck that I wasn’t expecting.

Dead Truck?

A fan asked me how it was holding up, so I decided to do a video updating the experience. I thought the video would be about how much fun I’ve had. Turns out, at that exact moment, I discovered the battery was completely dead. And I’m not talking just needing a jump.

To my surprise, both key fobs unresponsive and the doors were locked tight. This forced me to use the hidden mechanical key to get inside. Once he climbed into the cab, I popped the hood to investigate things further.

I put my battery tester on it and it showed 4 volts of power out of 12 volts. It then proceeded to charge for about 10 minutes before throwing a fatal error code saying it couldn’t charge the battery anymore.

The failure wasn’t unexpected. A number of RHO owners had already reported premature battery issues, and now I had joined their ranks.

Fortunately, Optima had given me a replacement battery that I had kept in my garage thinking this might happen. There is an auxiliary battery I plan on having the dealership check and getting replaced under warranty.

Fit-and-Finish Problems Surface

While the dead battery was frustrating, I’ve been watching another issue get worse by the day.

The front fender on the driver’s side is starting to lift and it resembles a “hangnail.”

As I drives, wind seems to catch the piece and pull it farther away from the body. This should be an easy fix for the body shop, but there’s a catch (isn’t there always!).

The problem is compounded by the fact that the truck is fully wrapped in paint protection film (PPF) by XPEL. Any attempt to adjust or repair the trim would require removing and reinstalling the protective film on that panel — a costly and time-consuming fix.

Paint Bubbles and Persistent Annoyances

Another cosmetic flaw appeared early in ownership and continues to bother me for a $80k+ truck: bubbling paint near the rear of the truck.

The issue is subtle, and many drivers might never notice it, but I see it every time when I’m washing the truck or walking up at a certain angle.

Other RHO owners have shared issues of their own, including Apple CarPlay interruptions and miscellaneous electrical quirks. At 15,000 miles, I’ve avoided most of those concerns with the very occasional time the system has dropped my phone connection — but the cosmetic issues, combined with the battery failure are raising some concerns about what else I can expect.

What’s Next for the Long-Term RHO?

I still have at least another 6-8 months at this point with the truck since the new trucks I’d like to replace it with won’t be out until next Fall in the form of either a new 2027 GM full-size truck or Ford F-150. Until then, I’m going to see if I can get the fender fixed at some point and get the auxiliary battery tested this soon.