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Mercedes vs RAM Reliability

RAM leads on our inspections: 64/100 average condition vs 62/100 for Mercedes, from 354 real pre-purchase inspections. The average car we check scores 61/100.

vs
Head to head
MercedesRAM
Cars inspected27480
Average condition62/10064/100
In good shape (60+/100)56%64%
Holds up to (avg dips below decent)~92k mi~136k mi
Repainted or replaced panel77%63%
Structural repair found1%0%
Fault codes recently cleared19%35%

Green = the better number of the pair. Condition reflects the mix of cars that came to us — age, price, model — so treat small gaps as a tie.

How they score
Mercedes
Excellent 26% Good 30% Mediocre 24% Poor 20%
RAM
Excellent 36% Good 28% Mediocre 16% Poor 20%
How long do they stay good?
Good cars by mileage
▬ Mercedes▬ RAM▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Mercedes, 0–20k mi: 90% in good shape (29 cars)Mercedes, 20–40k mi: 78% in good shape (49 cars)Mercedes, 40–60k mi: 73% in good shape (48 cars)Mercedes, 60–80k mi: 53% in good shape (43 cars)Mercedes, 80–100k mi: 46% in good shape (37 cars)Mercedes, 100–120k mi: 13% in good shape (23 cars)Mercedes, 120–140k mi: 12%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars in this band)Mercedes, 140–160k mi: 9%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars in this band)Mercedes, 160–180k mi: 7%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars in this band) RAM, 0–20k mi: 100% in good shape (7 cars)RAM, 20–40k mi: 95%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars in this band)RAM, 40–60k mi: 82%, drawn from the nearby bands (9 cars in this band)RAM, 60–80k mi: 69% in good shape (13 cars)RAM, 80–100k mi: 61%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars in this band)RAM, 100–120k mi: 46%, drawn from the nearby bands (9 cars in this band)RAM, 120–140k mi: 32%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars in this band) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
▬ Mercedes▬ RAM▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Mercedes, 1 years old: 94%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age)Mercedes, 2 years old: 92%, drawn from the nearby bands (16 cars this age)Mercedes, 3 years old: 88% in good shape (25 cars)Mercedes, 4 years old: 80% in good shape (25 cars)Mercedes, 5 years old: 67% in good shape (27 cars)Mercedes, 6 years old: 61% in good shape (23 cars)Mercedes, 7 years old: 59% in good shape (22 cars)Mercedes, 8 years old: 51%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars this age)Mercedes, 9 years old: 41% in good shape (17 cars)Mercedes, 10 years old: 40%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Mercedes, 11 years old: 31%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Mercedes, 12 years old: 25%, drawn from the nearby bands (14 cars this age)Mercedes, 13 years old: 18%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age)Mercedes, 14 years old: 18%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age)Mercedes, 16 years old: 30%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 cars this age) RAM, 3 years old: 78%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age)RAM, 4 years old: 78%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars this age)RAM, 5 years old: 69%, drawn from the nearby bands (6 cars this age)RAM, 6 years old: 59%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars this age)RAM, 7 years old: 65%, drawn from the nearby bands (9 cars this age)RAM, 9 years old: 35%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars this age) 2y 4y 6y 8y 10y 12y 14y 16y vehicle age when we inspected it

Share in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; a band under 20 cars follows the nearby bands, so a run above the all-cars line stays above it, and a band of 20 or more uses the rate we measured; where a band has too few cars, the line follows the trend between the bands on either side; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). Dashed grey = all cars we check.

Most common faults
Mercedes
Oil leaks · Engine
65%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
50%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
39%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
36%
Electronic components issues · Engine
19%
RAM
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
38%
Oil leaks · Engine
38%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
30%
Oil leaks · Automatic transmission
29%
Low coolant / cooling system issues · Engine
28%
Trajectory by generation
Mercedes ▲ Newer Mercedes vehicles are holding up better 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 43% in good shape (age-adjusted; 32 cars, raw 44%) 43 2015–17: 58% in good shape (age-adjusted; 42 cars, raw 60%) 58 2018–20: 61% in good shape (age-adjusted; 34 cars, raw 68%) 61 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+
RAM

Not enough RAMs at the 5–10 year checkpoint yet to draw a generation trend.

Share in good shape when inspected at the same age (5–10 years, age-adjusted), by model-year generation; dashed = all-brand average. All brands →

FAQ
?
Which is more reliable, Mercedes or RAM?
RAM leads on our inspections: 64/100 average condition vs 62/100 for Mercedes, from 354 real pre-purchase inspections.
?
What are the most common problems with used Mercedes vehicles and RAM vehicles?
On Mercedes vehicles we flag oil leaks (65%), active error codes (50%), tires condition & wear (39%). On RAM vehicles: active error codes (38%), oil leaks (38%), tires condition & wear (30%).
?
How many Mercedes and RAM vehicles have you inspected?
274 Mercedes vehicles and 80 RAM vehicles — 354 real pre-purchase inspections. Updated Oct 27, 2026.
?
How long do Mercedes vehicles and RAM vehicles stay in good shape?
In our data, the average Mercedes dips below “decent” around ~92k mi; RAM around ~136k mi. Individual cars vary — get the one you’re buying inspected.
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Based on 354 inspections · updated Oct 27, 2026