5.7 Hemi eTorque Problems – Good or Bad Engine?

The new generation of Hemi engines is much closer to cutting-edge technologies than you might think. You may wonder - what kinds of technologies can you see in a 5.7-liter gasoline engine without a turbocharger that is considered to be absolutely traditional and simple? And you are right, but Chrysler has some other plans for this.

Key features and my opinion about the engine

• Production years:2009-now
• Average lifespan of 5.7 Hemi:220,000-250,000 miles
• Fuel supply type:port injection
• Power range:355-395 hp
• Fuel efficiency:bad
• Engine block material:cast iron
• Engine reliability score:high
• The most common problems:you will need thin oil, otherwise lifters will die, EGR problems, exhaust manifold problems, Hemi ticking noise issues.

What are Hemi eTorque 5.7 engines like? Are they good?

Well, you may ask why should Chrysler attach some hybrid technologies to a wonderful engine that is legendary and can go for decades with no major problems? The answer is simple - they need to keep up with ecology requirements. EPA will not allow Chrysler to produce huge Hemi engines that burn gallons of gas and just can't be considered eco-friendly.

So, they decided to save the Hemi series, at least some of these engines. And one possible decision is to use hybrid technologies. The Hemi eTorque technology is not new and revolutionary. A lot of car manufacturers all over the world have already employed this construction. But we still don't know a lot of successful powerplants of this kind.

Here are some specific features of the eTorque engines you may want to know:

• enhanced performance thanks to the electric motor attached to the main powerplant;
• better payload thanks to the possibility to enlarge the overall torque;
• better fuel economy that is very important for a modern truck or any other vehicle with a big gasoline engine;
• lower emissions - this is the main goal of using eTorque technology in a 5.7 Hemi engine;
• the start-stop system now works better, it doesn't discharge the battery too much and helps start the engine quickly;
• the mild-hybrid system feels better than a gasoline engine in a RAM truck.

We think these explanations are absolutely enough for you to start thinking that the eTorque is not a bad option at all. But is it really so good? This section of the article we just wrote to let you know why Chrysler started attaching electric engines to its legendary Hemi gasoline engines. And why at all a 5.7-liter naturally aspirated engine needs this mild hybrid system.

Now you know, this is engineered just for ecology. Otherwise, in 2-3 years, EPA will stop production of the Hemi engine at all and you'll have an L4 2-liter turbocharged engine in your truck as the biggest possible option.

What are the problems with the 5.7 Hemi eTorque engine?

Don't put too much sense in the idea that the 5.7 Hemi eTorque is actually a hybrid car. No, it's just a mild hybrid and the battery with an electric motor work more like an alternator (generator) and the helping system for the start-stop facility. Nothing more than that. You can't drive using just the electric engine, you will not economize too much on your fuel bills. But will you have more problems? We think you will.

Well, now the eTorque system is very new and fresh. It has a lot of wonderful reviews but we are a little skeptical about whether we need this system in a truck or not.

It's too early to talk about some common problems, but we'll think about some possible problems with this system. Here they are:

1. A complicated technology. We believe it won't be very cool if this system malfunctions. Well, you have the 80,000-mile warranty, but what about high-mileage cars with eTorque technology? No one knows because the powerplant is completely new.
2. Parts. Mainly, we are concerned about the prices. Now you may not care about it because you have the warranty. But in the end, you may end up in the shop buying a part that costs thousands of dollars and your car just can't go without it.
3. No advantages on the highway. We would make it a separate problem because many buyers just don't understand what they actually buy. On the highway, this system doesn't help at all - it won't save your fuel and won't make your car any faster. It's only good for city roads.
4. Additional maintenance. In the first 3 or 4 years, you will not need to invest a lot of money in the system to make it work. But after that, things may get worse. In 4 years, you may need to replace the battery, for example. It will not be a very cheap experience, we would say.
5. Minor problems. We've seen reviews with complaints about minor problems that cause sudden stalling or problems with starting the engine. These problems are not very common. But probably it's just because there are not so many cars with eTorque engines and we just don't know the real things.
6. The need to pay more. The 5.7 Hemi eTorque will cost approximately $1,200 more than just the 5.7 Hemi. And we would say it's a big problem. But we know that a simple Hemi engine will probably be discontinued soon because of poor ecology features.

We haven't seen many fatal problems with 5.7 Hemi eTorque but let's remember that only some of these engines are now in action. They were presented a couple of years ago and we wouldn't say they are extremely popular among RAM truck buyers.

But let's be honest, we've seen a lot of good reviews. People say that they don't have any problems with 5.7 Hemi eTorque engines, they save fuel in the city, and they love the way the start-stop system works. If you don't expect much from your new truck engine, you actually can be satisfied with what you get from your new Hemi eTorque.

2021-2022 Ram eTorque Problems

You may say: OK, eTorque technology has some common problems. But what about the new 2021-2022 Ram truck that has probably fixed all the issues and now is a problem-free vehicle?

We wouldn't agree because some of the main problems are still there: you will need to maintain your vehicle with more costs and you will need to pay more to buy your truck. But the fact is obvious - soon you will not be able to buy the pure Hemi version of the Ram 1500. Unfortunately.

The 2022 Ram truck will show some specific problems with the eTorque that you should be careful with. Here are some of them:

• total inability of the owner to predict any problems and issues that can occur;
• reliability issues after the truck puts on some high mileage;
• battery issues that are going to affect your budget really much;
• dealership maintenance only - we don't think small shops will be able to repair your Ram;
• high consumption and emissions on highways.

As we've already told you, the eTorque technology will only work fine in the city. Yes, it will reduce emissions a little and will affect gas mileage. But as soon as your truck goes on the highway, it starts burning as much fuel as a simple Hemi powered Ram truck.

So, before investing another thousand or two in purchasing a Ram with eTorque, you should check whether you mostly drive your vehicle in the city. If not, you are just throwing away some money and getting possible problems with maintenance and driving costs.

Longevity of the 5.7 Hemi eTorque - what do we know?

Unfortunately, we can't tell you how many miles this engine will go. We know that a simple Hemi 5.7L engine can go over 300,000 miles if well maintained. But it's hard to say if it's the same with Hemi eTorque because we still have little experience with these engines and we don't know what kinds of problems we can have in 5 or 7 years.

But we can predict that the longevity of these engines will not be as good as with simple Hemi engines. We see a couple of problems. The eTorque system is basically a mild hybrid system and it can't live as long as 300,000 miles. Just look at the longevity of hybrid vehicles to see why.

Also, we see another problem with the start-stop system. When the engine starts, it wears a little more. So, every time you start your engine, it gets little damage. With a simple Hemi, you will start your engine once and then go to your next point. But with the eTorque, your engine may start dozens of times until you get to your final point.

When is it OK to buy a truck with the 5.7 Hemi eTorque engine?

We believe you will still want to pay more and get the Hemi eTorque engine in your future vehicle because these engines are technological and better than many other truck engines from different manufacturers. At least, they are based on the legendary 5.7 Hemi engine.

Here are some important checkpoints for you. You should buy a vehicle powered by Hemi eTorque engine if:

• you are going to drive your truck mainly in the city and at slow speed;
• you aren't going to economize money on maintenance;
• you don't care if you spend $1.2K more when you buy a car;
• you will not expect a lot from your new truck powered with Hemi eTorque;
• you aren't going to drive your new truck for 300,000 miles;
• you can spend some money on repair if needed.

So, if you only drive your truck on the highway and you don't want to pay more for maintenance, you shouldn't consider buying a RAM truck with the 5.7 Hemi eTorque - you will only spend more money and get no actual benefits from this.

Final words

It's important to understand that every engine is made for certain conditions. If you buy a vehicle with a 1-liter turbocharged engine and will try to use it for racing, you will say goodbye to your car very soon. With a 5.7-liter Hemi eTorque engine, you should understand that it's made for cities, it's absolutely useless on the highway.

Also, you should understand that your mild-hybrid truck will need more money for maintenance. And we would say that will compensate for all your economy in the city driving.