1997 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

1) EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE- NORMAL OPERATION. VEHICLE 9 YEARS OLD. 2) FAILURE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES- STEEL BRAKE TUBE SUPPLYING THE REAR BRAKE SYSTEM COMPLETELY DETERIORATED FROM CORROSION AT THE LAST CLAMP STATION PRIOR TO THE CONNECTION TO THE REAR BRAKE HOSE ASSEMBLY. PREMATURE CORROSION OF THE STEEL BRAKE TUBE AT THE LAST CLAMPING STATION RUPTURED THE STEEL BRAKE TUBE RESULTING IN 95% LOSS IN VEHICLE STOPPING POWER WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. BRAKE FAILURE. 3) ACTIONS TAKEN TO CORRECT THE FAILURE- STEEL BRAKE TUBE WILL NEED REPLACED. *NM

METAL BRAKE LINE THAT RUNS FROM PROPORTIONAL VALVE TO REAR BRAKES WAS BADLY CORRODED AND BROKE OPEN. COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES. INCIDENT OCCURRED IN DRIVEWAY. NO OTHER METAL LINES OR METAL NEAR BROKEN LINE SHOWED SIGNS OF CORROSION. REPLACING LINE. *JB

LTR FM CONSUMER WHO (NY) PURCHASED 2-BRIDGESTONE FIRESTONE TIRES FOR HIS DODGE TRUCK OWNER HAD TO REPLACE TIRES DEFECT FWD TO NHTSA. *TS TIRE SHOWED SIGNS OF WEAR AFTER ONLY TWO WEEKS OF USE. *NM *NM

CONSUMER 1997 RAM 1500 FIRESTONE TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED AT OWNERS EXPENSE. *TS THE CONSUMER STATED TWO OF HIS TIRES SEPARATED WITHIN A 2 WEEK PERIOD. *JB *NM

I HAVE THREE CRACKS IN THE UPPER PART OF MY DASH IN MY 1997 DODGE RAM 1500. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1994-2001 DODGE RAM TRUCKS. *NM

I OWN A 1997 DODGE RAM 1500 4X4 EXTENDED CAB. MY DASH BOARD IS CRACKED IN THE CENTER FROM TOP OF RADIO TO THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD. DON'T KNOW WHY IT CRACKED IT JUST APPERED. *NM

CRACKED DASH ON 97 DODGE RAM 1500,TOLD THAT IT COULD CAUSE AIRBAG DAMAGE--STARTED CRACKING AFTER A YEAR OR SO AND JUST KEEPS GETTING WORSE. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. UPON INSPECTION, THE STEEL LINE SEPARATED NEAR THE GAS TANK. THE GAS TANK WILL ACTUALLY HAVE TO BE DROPPED TO VERIFY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TO A MECHANIC, AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPAIRS MADE. *AK

I OWN A 1997 DODGE RAM 1500 W/93,000 ON IT THE PROBLEMS BEGAN THE RADIATOR $250 JUST FOR THE PART WENT BAD THEN TRANSMISSION WENT OUT DODGE IS INFAMOUS FOR THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS I HAD TO PAY $1900 TO GET IT FIXED AFTER THAT WAS DONE THE FUEL RAIL & O RING STARTED TO LEAK ANOTHER WELL KNOW DEFECT ON CHRYSLER VEHICLES MY TRUCK WAS VISIBLY LOSING GAS & OBVIOUSLY DANGEROUS THERE IS NO WAY TO REPAIR THE DEFECTIVE CAP YOU HAVE TO BUY THE WHOLE FUEL RAIL FROM THE DEALER FOR $300 JUST FOR THE PART. I THINK THAT IS NOT ONLY RIDICULOUS BUT DANGEROUS & AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM WITH OTHER CHYRSLER VEHICLES & YET NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING MY TRUCK IN A BUSY SHOPPING CENTER, APPROXIMATELY SPEED OF 20 MPH, I APPLIED MY BRAKES TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I HAD NO BRAKES AS I PROCEEDED THROUGH THE CROSSWALK IN FRONT OF A DEPARTMENT STORE. JUST A FEW SECONDS BEFORE, I HAD PULLED OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE, APPLYING MY BRAKES TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND AGAIN APPLIED MY BRAKES AT THE END OF THE PARKING ROW . EACH TIME, NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEM, BRAKED FELT AND WORKED AS NORMAL. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID THE PEDESTRIAN IN THE CROSSWALK AND NEGOTIATE THE PARKING LOT TO AN AREA WHERE I COULD COME TO A STOP AND INSPECT THE VEHICLE. I FOUND THE FRONT RESERVOIR OF MASTER CYLINDER EMPTY OF BRAKE FLUID. I WENT TO A LOCAL GROCERY STORE AND PURCHASED DOT3 BRAKE FLUID TO FILL THE RESERVOIR AND SEE IF I CAN GET ANY PEDAL BACK. WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTAIN ANY PEDAL PRESSURE. WHEN I CHECKED THE RESERVOIR IT WAS EMPTY AGAIN. I LOCATED THE FLUID ON THE GROUND UNDER MY GAS TANK. THE BRAKE LINE ABOVE THE GAS TANK HAD RUSTED THROUGH. I HAD THE VEHICLE DELIVERED TO A GOODYEAR REPAIR SHOP, FOR REPAIRS. THE BRAKE LINE THAT RUNS THE LENGTH OF THE VEHICLE, TO THE REAR END HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE SYSTEM WAS BLED. THE BRAKES ARE WORKING NORMALLY AGAIN. I REQUESTED AND HAVE POSSESSION OF THE VERY RUSTED BRAKE LINE. IT APPEARS TO HAVE A WHITE ID TAG WITH 52055 ON IT. AGAIN, I WANT TO STRESS THAT THE RUST WAS ABOVE THE GAS TANK, NOT VISIBLE WHEN CONDUCTING MY NORMAL VEHICLE MAINTENANCE - INSPECTIONS. VEHICLE HISTORY: I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN OFF ROAD. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I DID USE THIS VEHICLE TO TOW A 15 FOOT FIBERGLAS BOAT. THE VEHICLE IS A 1997 1500 RAM WITH 59600 MILES. I WORK FROM HOME FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS AND THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT SEE A LOT OF USE, HENCE THE LOW MILEAGE. WHEN I WAS WORKING AT MY FORMER OFFICE, I HAD AN 11 MILE ROUND TRIP TO WORK PLUS PERSONAL MILEAGE. *NM