Thirty years ago, in 1989, Dodge and Cummins made the inseparable duo that became a force to reckon with. It started with the Cummins 5.9, and following multiple iterations, the Cummins 6.7 became the diesel engine of choice for the Ram pickup trucks. So if you’re looking for a lot of power and torque (up to 1000+ lb-ft) from an engine that doesn’t guzzle too much diesel, in a package that looks great and drives well, it’s hard to wonder why anyone would want to look elsewhere. But the Cummins 6.7, although one of the best engines out there, isn’t exactly problem-free. Let’s take a look at the common problems and we’ll over some possible solutions to help you make your 6.7 Cummins ownership a lasting, happy experience.

Clogged Turbo Charger

As Ram moved from the 5.9 Cummins to the 6.7 Cummins, a lot of important components got updated. 

Among these improvements was the turbocharger. On the 6.7 Cummins, there’s a 

variable-geometry-turbine turbocharger. It reduces the turbo lag and hence makes the truck easy to 

drive. Another development was with the turbo/exhaust brake. This made driving the truck while 

towing a lot less taxing on the brakes.

If you’ve got a faulty turbocharger or turbo actuator, you can be looking at reduced performance 

and added strain on the engine. The issue with the turbocharger failure was blamed on the presence 

of emission control devices, EGR in particular. This made the air that goes into the turbocharger 

dirtier, which would cause the turbocharger to clog.

Obviously, this isn’t the best position to be in since the 6.7 Cummins is a decently powerful truck 

— even in its early specs. Without a properly functioning turbocharger, both the performance and 

longevity of the vehicle will be reduced. The

replacement turbochargers are generally updated, and therefore don’t face the issue.

EGR and DPF issues

As Ram moved from the 5.9 Cummins to the 6.7 Cummins, a lot of important components got updated. Among these improvements was the turbocharger. On the 6.7 Cummins, there’s a variable-geometry-turbine turbocharger. It reduces the turbo lag and hence makes the truck easy to drive. Another development was with the turbo/exhaust brake. This made driving the truck while towing a lot less taxing on the brakes.

If you’ve got a faulty turbocharger or turbo actuator, you can be looking at reduced performance and added strain on the engine. The issue with the turbocharger failure was blamed on the presence of emission control devices, EGR in particular. This made the air that goes into the turbocharger dirtier, which would cause the turbocharger to clog.

Obviously, this isn’t the best position to be in since the 6.7 Cummins is a decently powerful truck — even in its early specs. Without a properly functioning turbocharger, both the performance and longevity of the vehicle will be reduced. The replacement turbochargers are generally updated, and therefore don’t face the issue.