1994 DODGE RAM Complaints

LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING FAILED, CAUSING THE TRUCK TO SWERVE VIOLENTLY INTO OTHER TRAFFIC. TOTAL COST OF REPAIRS WAS $800 DUE TO OVERHEATING OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND BRAKE COMPONENTS. *AK

TRANSMISSION COOLER FAILED WHEN THIS HAPPENS THIS DESTROYS THE TRANSMISSION. IF VEHICLE IS TRAVELING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED, THIS COULD CAUSE REAR END TO LOCK UP POTENTIALLY, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT OR COLLISION. *AK

THE IGNITION SWITCH WIRING MELTED AND ALMOST CAUSED A FIRE! APPARENTLY THE IGNITION WIRING HARNESS INCORPORATES THE BLOWER MOTOR MAIN WIRE FEED AND OVERLOADS THE CUIRCUT CAUSING THE CONNECTION TO MELT. IT MELTED A HOLE IN THE STEERING COLUMN BACK COVER. I HAVE FOUND OUT SINCE THAT DODGE MUST BE AWARE OF THIS BECAUSE THEY NOW HAVE AN UPGRADE WITH A NEW WIRING HARNESS THAT HAS A SEPERATE CUIRCUT & RELAY FOR THE BLOWER MOTOR, INSTEAD OF RUNNING IT THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH.I FOUND THIS OUT ON THE WEB THROUGH AOL NEWSGROUP(ALT.AUTOS.DODGE.TRUCKS) DATED 10/30/99 BY [email protected]. HE WRITES THE SAME PROBLEM AND DODGES' PART NUMBER#4874996 SW PKG IG 8050083 AND INSTRUCTION SHEET # K6855214 DATED 2/26/1996 REVISED 3/13/1996. I ALSO FOUND OTHERS ON YOUR WEBSITE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. NHTSA # PE99031 & # EA99027. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND YOU SHOULD INVESTIGATE IT . THERE IS A REAL FIRE POTENTIAL HERE. OBVISOULY DODGE IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT I THINK IT SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL AND NOT UP TO THE CONSUMER TO PAY FOR IT OR THEIR VEHICLE TO CATCH FIRE.

SMOKE WAS COMING FROM IGNITION SWITCH/ REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH AND WIRING. ALSO TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY SHIFTS OUT OF OVERDRIVE. *AK

INTERMITTENTLY THE HEADLIGHTS BECOME INOPERABLE, OBSTRUCTING THE VIEW OF THE DRIVER. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 25 MPH HAD A DIRECT FRONTAL IMPACT WITH A POLE AND DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN THIS CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

DUE TO A DEFECTIVE CHECK VALVE, THE FUEL GAUGE IS INOPERATIVE. OCCUPANT CANNOT DETERMINE HOW MUCH FUEL IS IN THE VEHICLE. *AK

ENGINE FAILURE APPARENTLY FROM TIMING CHAIN WEARING OUT. MECHANIC SAYS THERE IS A HOLE IN PISTON THROUGH WHICH AIR FLOWS FROM SPARK PLUG HOLE THROUGH TO OIL FILL PORT. OIL WAS CHANGED BY OWNERS EVERY 2500 MILES. CAR WAS APERSONAL, NOT FLEET VAN. MILES WERE NOT HARD DRIVEN MILES.

PROBLEM #1 ON 31 MARCH 1999, I VISITED MY GRANDSON IN CENTERVILLE, VA. I DROVE MY TRUCK THERE AND EXPERIENCED NO PROBLEMS. WHEN I LEFT TO GO HOME, I STARTED THE TRUCK, PLACED THE SHIFTER IN REVERSE AND LET IT ROLL BACKWARDS DOWN HIS SLOPED DRIVEWAY, BRAKING WHEN I GOT ON THE STREET. I PLACED THE SHIFTER IN DRIVE AND STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND. IT CRAWLED FORWARD DOWN THE STREET. I PUMPED THE ACCELERATOR AND GOT NO RESPONSE. I STOPPED THE TRUCK, PLACED THE SHIFTER IN PARK, GOT OUT, AND THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR WITH MY HAND. IT DID NOT HAVE ANY RESISTANCE. I OPENED THE HOOD AND LOOKED AT THE INJECTOR PUMP WITH MY FLASHLIGHT AND NOTICED A LINK HANGING DOWN FROM THE PUMP AND IT . THERE ALSO APPEARED THAT THERE WAS SLACK IN HE ACCELERATOR CABLE. I LET THE TRUCK IDLE BACK TO MY GRANDSON'S DRIVEWAY AND PULLED THE TRUCK OFF THE ROAD. HE DROVE ME HOME IN HIS CAR AND MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO HAVE THE TRUCK TOWED TO MY DEALER THE NEXT DAY, A DISTANCE OF OVER 50 MILES. THE SERVICE PEOPLE EXAMINED THE PROBLEM AND REPORTED THAT THE ACCELERATOR CABLE HAD SHREDDED AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED WITH A KIT THAT CHRYSLER PROVIDES. IT WAS NOT UNDER THE WARRANTY THEY SAID. THIS REPAIR COST ME $344.92. IT WAS COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED AND I WOULD HATE TO THINK OF THE POTENTIAL HAZAR IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING 65 MPH IN THE FAST LANE OF AN INTERSTATE WHEN IT SNAPPED, REDUCING MY SPEED FROM 65 MPH TO IDLE. I ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER IF THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND SHE INDICATED THAT THEY HAD HAD THE CONDITION OCCUR PREVIOUSLY AND THAT CHRYSLER HAD A KIT TO REPAIR IT. IT WAS NEVER A RECALL SO FAR AS ANYONE KNEW. THEY ALSO SAID THAT CHRYSLER HAS MODIFIED THE INSTALLATION ON LATER MODELS TO PREVENT REOCCURANCE. I FEEL THAT (1) CHRYSLER SHOULD REPUIRE AN EXAMINATION OF ALL EARLY MODEL DODGE RAM TRUCKS WITH DIESEL ENGINES AND, (2) PROVIDE REIMBURSEMENT FOR MY COSTS IN HAVING THIS PROBLEM .

UPPER CONTROL ARM HAD BROKEN OFF THE FRAME. THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING 30MPH IN A SCHOOL ZONE. HAD CONTROL OF VEHICLE AT THE TIME. HAD NO PRIOR WARNING ALSO, ALIGNMENT WAS DONE PRIOR TO THIS. HAD CONTACTED MFG & DEALER. WAS INFORMED PROBLEM HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. *AK