In 2003, Chrysler reintroduced the legendary Hemi engine to American automotive consumers after a decades-long hiatus. The primary of the “third technology” Hemis was the 5.7-liter, gas-powered, 90-degree, pushrod V8 that changed the older 5.9-liter Magnum V8 in 2003 Dodge Ram pickups. This new hemi was a clear sheet design with a forged iron block, four-bolt foremost bearings, cast con rods, and light-weight aluminum pistons. The heads had been aluminum cross-flow items with two valves and two spark plugs for every cylinder. It was, for the time, an especially environment friendly, high-tech, and highly effective mill.
From the Ram, the place it was the one gas-powered engine accessible in heavy-duty vans for 9 years, the brand new 5.7 hemi unfold all through Chrysler’s lineup. First to the Durango in 2004, then over the subsequent few years to the LX-platform automobiles — 300C, Charger, Magnum — and even to the Jeep household. Chrysler put the 5.7-liter in a ton of automobiles all through the aughts and teenagers, and general it proved to be a stout, dependable energy plant.
Even essentially the most dependable engine has its points, although. Over the previous 20 years, the 5.7-liter has gained notoriety for a handful of points — some annoying, some severe — which have barely tarnished its status. There are even entire years of manufacturing that realizing automotive nerds keep away from just like the plague attributable to high quality and construct points. What years are these? I am glad you requested.
Ticks, squeaks, stalling, and remembers
Regardless of its basic reliability, and the actual fact it was a Ward’s High 10 Engine award winner for a lot of years, the 5.7 Hemi had its share of points. The most important downside it had was the infamous “Hemi tick,” which was brought on by failed lifters, inflicting the pushrods to eat away on the cam lobes, thereby ruining necessary components of the mill’s valvetrain. Different points with the 5.7 included misfires brought on by spark plugs carrying out early, and weak exhaust manifold bolts in some early years. Whereas these are vital issues that may result in costly repairs, particularly that lifter/camshaft ticking downside, the 5.7 did not have many extra issues than every other comparable engine.
That mentioned, there are a couple of mannequin years that somebody taking a look at a used, Hemi-powered Chrysler product may wish to keep away from. The 2005 and 2006 Hemi-powered LX-platform automobiles, particularly the Magnum, skilled vital points with their 5.7s. The Magnums had a whopping seven remembers with the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration and had a nasty behavior of stalling and hesitation after refueling. Afterward within the engine’s life, the 2011 and 2012 engines utilized in Ram pickups had been infamous for the Hemi tick. The 2012 vans had been significantly dangerous, in truth, and will in all probability be prevented.
Apart from these blips — and make no mistake, these are fairly severe issues — the 5.7 Hemi was a fairly nice engine. Fortunately, the rumors of its loss of life appear to be simply that. In actual fact, Stellantis simply introduced that the 5.7 would come again in 2026.
