1997 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE RAM 1500. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INSPECTION STATION AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPAIRED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE REPAIR WAS PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED BY THE DEALER ON AUGUST 19, 1997 UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 97V084000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES). THE DEALER FAILED TO USE A STAINLESS STEEL RETAINER FOR THE REPAIR AS STATED IN THE RECALL NOTICE. INSTEAD, THE ORIGINAL PLASTIC PART WAS STILL ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72000. UPDATED 05/06/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER DID NOT MAKE THE REPAIR AND THE TRANSMISSION EVENTUALLY FAILED.

I DROVE 20 MILES TO PICK UP MY ELDERLY FATHER TO TAKE HIM OUT TO LUNCH LAST FRIDAY, THE 21ST OF MARCH, 2008. AFTER WE GOT IN MY TRUCK, (1997 DODGE RAM PU 1500), I PUT IN REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF THE PARKING LOT, I HEARD A HISSING SOUND AND REALIZED THE AIR WAS COMING OUT OF MY TIRE. I GOT OUT OF THE TRUCK, THE TIRE WAS FLAT AND I NOTICED THE TIE ROD HAD BROKEN, AND DROPPED DOWN AND PUT A HOLE IN THE RIM OF MY TIRE. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING 55MPH DOWN THE HIGHWAY, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED OR WORSE YET, KILLED!! IT COST ME OVER $350 AND I HEARD SOMEONE ELSE SAY THAT SOMEONE THEY KNEW HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE. I DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING BEFORE TO ALERT ME TO THE FACT THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE TIE ROD. I FEEL THIS IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT AND CHRYSLER SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS SITUATION-ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAD NO WARNING. I ALSO HAD TO HAVE MY TRUCK TOWED 20 PLUS MILES TO REPAIR SHOP,(AND HAD TO PAY THE TOW BILL), HAD TO HAVE SOMEONE ELSE DRIVE 20 MILES TO COME AND GET ME AND I WAS WITHOUT USE OF MY TRUCK FOR TRANSPORTATION FOR AWHILE. *TR

TRANSMISSION WILL SHIFT THROUGH ALL GEARS APPROACHING 30MPH... IT WILL THEN NEED TO BE ALMOST FLOORED TO GET THE TRUCK TO DOWN SHIFT SO I CAN BEGIN TO MOVE AT A QUICKER RATE OF SPEED. OVERDRIVE SLIPS EVERYTIME YOU PRESS THE PEDAL AND SOMETIMES WON'T GO INTO OVERDRIVE. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THE TORQUE CONVERTER HAS FAULTY CLUTCHES CAUSING THEM TO BREAK DOWN. THE DEBRIS CLOG UP THE CHECK VALVE OUT OF THE COOLER BLOCKING FLOW OF FLUID TO THE TRANSMISSION... THEREFORE CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE AS EARLY AS 20MILES WITHIN CHECK VALVE CLOGGING. DODGE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE I'M GOING TO LOOSE A TRANS SOON AND THOUSANDS OF OTHER PEOPLE ALREADY HAVE. DODGE REPLACES THE TRANSMISSION LEAVING THE CLOGGED CHECK VALVE THIS CAUSES THE SECOND TRANSMISSION TO GO ETC. I BELIEVE YOU GET THIS GIST OF IT. SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS WHY IS OUR GOVERNMENT BLIND TO THE CHEAP, DANGEROUS AND FAULTY ASSEMBLY OF THIS VEHICLE. SOMEONE PLEASE FORCE A RECALL ON THESE POWERTRAINS!!! THE DODGE OWNING CITIZENS ARE TIRED OF BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF DAY AFTER DAY. *TR

DASHBOARD AND ALL OTHER INTERIOR PLASTIC DETERIORATING, CRACKED, BROKEN, FALLING INTO FIREWALL AREA. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON I-95, LARGE PIECE OF DASHBOARD BROKE OFF AND FELL INTO AREA BEHIND SPEEDOMETER AND CAUSED DASH LIGHTS TO GO OUT. THIS SCARED ME TERRIBLY AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AND RECONNECT THE WIRE COUPLING TO GET MY DASH LIGHTS BACK ON. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE 1500. APPROXIMATELY THREE YEARS AGO, THE DASHBOARD BEGAN CRACKING IN SMALL SQUARES. HE HAD TO GLUE THE PIECES BACK ON THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER ADVISED HIM TO CALL THE DODGE MANUFACTURER FOR AN APPROVAL NUMBER, BUT THEY REFUSED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 189,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

DASH BOARD CRACKING ALL UP AND FALLING APART MAKING SHARP EXPOSED PLASTIC PIECES EASILY TO GET CUT ON . *TR

DASH HAS CRACKED IN NUMEROUS PLACES. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE INTEGRITY OF WIRING AND AIRBAGS BENEATH THE DASH MAY BE COMPROMISED. *TR

DASH CRACKED AND STARTED TO FALL INSIDE, LARGE PIECES FELL ON FLOOR. I HARD TO PAY 3 HOURS OF LABOR PLUS THE PRICE OF THE NEW DASH BOARD. *TR

DASHBOARD CRACKED/SPLIT INTO PIECES CAUSING WIRES TO BE CUT. LOSS OF HEADLAMPS, TAILLAMPS, AND BRAKE LIGHTS. UNKNOWN IF ANY DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE TO THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. HOW DO I CHECK THAT? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD BEGAN TO CRACK FIVE YEARS AGO. THE CRACK HAS WORSENED OVER TIME AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. HE THOUGHT IT WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT UNTIL HE RESEARCHED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NO PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS. THE CONTACT FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT CAN PROVIDE PHOTOS IF NEEDED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 86,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.