1997 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE VIBRATES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE GAS LINE AND BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTY. *MR

WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED DRIVER SIDE DOOR OPENED WITHOUT WARNING. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. HOWEVER, THE DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION.*AK

I OWN A 1997 DODGE 1500 RAM P.U. I STARTED MY TRUCK UP TOWARM UP. I THEN BACKED OUT OF THE DRIVE. WHEN I PUT TRUCK IN DRIVE, IT STALLED. I STARTED IT BACK UP AND PUT IT IN DRIVE AGAIN. THE ENGINE WAS GOING FULL THROTTLE AND IT TOOK OFF LIKE A ROCKET. I CUT THE ENGING TO LOOK FOR A PROBLEM. EVERYTHING APPEARED OK SO I STARTED IT UP AGAIN AND PUT IT IN GEAR. THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING SO FAST THAT EVEN THOUGH I HELD THE BRAKE PEDDAL TO THE FLOOR THE ENGINE PULLED ME RIGHT THRU A STOP SIGN. I PLAYED WITH THE GAS PEDDAL AND IT BEGAN TO RUN NORMAL. I THEN TOOK IT TO MY SERVICE STATION AND HAD THEM LOOK AT IT. THEY ADVISD ME THAT IT WAS A DEALER PROBLEM AND THEY COULD DO NOTHING. I THEN PROCEEDED TOWARDS TO THE FREEWAY WHEN IT SUDDENLD ACCELERATED AGAIN. I THEN BROUGHT THE TRUCK HOME AND AM SCARED TO DRIVE IT. I CALLED CHRYSLER CORP. TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM MAY BE AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE NEVER HAD ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS AND YET I HAVE FOUND SEVERAL SAME OR SIMULAR PROBLEMS LISTED ON YOUR SITE. I ALSO HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IT SUDDENLY STOPPED FUNCTIONING, AND HASEN'T WORKED SINCE. AGAIN CHRYSLER CLAIME TO NOT BE AWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS. THE EXACT SAME THING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL HAPPENED ON MY 1998 PLYMOUTH VAN AND IT WAS TAKEN CARE OF UNDER RECALL. IT APPEARS THAT EITHER YOU ARE NOT RELAYING ALL THESE COMPLAINTS TO CHRYSLER CORP., OR THEY ARE LIVING IN A VACUUM.

I HAD THE EXHAUST SYSTEM REPLACED.WHEN I RETURNED TO PICK UP MY VEHICLE FROM THE SHOP I WAS INFORMED THAT A DEFECTIVE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS THE CAUSE OF A RATTLE AND THAT I SHOULD RETURN TO THE DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT BECAUSE THE CONVERTER IS UNDER WARRANTY TO 80K MILES. THAT EVENING I CALLED DODGE CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPLAINED IN DETAIL WHAT WORK HAD BEEN DONE TO THE SYSTEM. MY SHOP TOLD ME TO MAKE SURE I INFORMED THEM OF A WELD. DODGE CS SAID NO PROBLEM THAT THE CONVERTER WOULD BE COVERED.UPON TAKING THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THE CONVERTER BECAUSE I HAD ALTERED THE SYSTEM BY REPLACING THE FACTORY EXHAUST."THE ALTERING THAT WAS DONE WAS THE FRONT CLAMP WHICH WAS RUSTED IN PLACE HAD TO BE CUT OFF THE SYSTEM AND REPLACED WITH A WELDED CONNECTER" WHEN I CALLED DODGE CUSTOMER SERVICE I SPOKE WITH A WOMAN NAMED BOBBI I INFORMED HER THAT THE ONLY REASON I REPLACED THE EXHAUST WAS IT SOUNDED LIKE THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE MUFFLER SHE SAID "WHY DIDNT YOU TAKE IT TO THE DEALER IN THE FIRST PLACE"I RESPONED THAT THE DEALER CHARGED CLOSE TO $500 FOR THE SAME THING I HAD DONE AT AN EXHAUST REPAIR SHOP FOR $300 AND THAT IT WAS THE PREMATURE WEAR OF SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE LASTED MUCH LONGER IE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. SHE SAID THAT I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER AND PAID FOR THE WORK IN THE FIRST PLACE AND THAT IF THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS BAD THEY WOULD HAVE REPLACED IT ,IF IT WAS THE MUFFLER I WOULD HAVE HAD TO PAY THEM $77 FOR 1 HOUR OF DIAGNOSTIC REGARDLESS OF WHAT WAS ONE. I PAID $300 FOR AN EXHAUST THAT I DIDNT NEED BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE CATALYTIC CONVERTER ON MY TRUCK THAT SHOULD BE UNDER WARRANTY TO 80K MILES.I NOW HAVE TO PAY ANOTHER $250 DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TO BRING MY TRUCK BACK IN LINE WITH MY LOCAL EMISSIONS BECAUSE THEY REFUSE TO HONOR THE WARRANTY BECAUSE ONE CLAMP WHICH WAS RUSTED IN PLACE WAS CUT OFF OF THE FACTORY PIECE WHEN I HAD IT REPLACED.

WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC WHICH INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE UPPER BALL JOINTS WORE OUT PREMATURELY. *AK *SC

MY DASH IS CRACKING ALL OVER AROUND VIN NUMBER FROM THE DEFROST VENTS. I KEEP MY TRUCK IN THE GARAGE AND IN THE LAST 2 YEARS IT HAS CRACKED MORE AND MORE AND FOR TWO YRS I HAVE NOT DRIVEN IT MORE THAN 1 THOUSAND MILES CAUSE I AM NOT HOME TO DRIVE IT. ALSO THE COLUMN ON THE SIDES OF THE WINDSHIELD I CAN NOT SEE AROUND THEM I HAVE ALMOST HIT SEVERAL PEOPLE AND CARS THIS IS A BLIND SPOT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS BECAUSE OF THE SEAT AND WEAR I SIT I THINK THIS COLUMN IS TO FAT AND OBSTRUCTS MY VIEW. *JB

I HAVE A 1997 DODGE RAM 1500. I NOTICED A STRONG GAS SMELL AND FOUND THAT THE PLASTICS FUEL RAIL WAS SPRAYING GAS ONTO THE INTACT MANIFOLD. THIS WAS LOCATED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE BY THE FIREWALL. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE PART WAS SUPERSEDED BY A NEW DESIGN AND IT WOULD TAKE A WEEK TO GET THE PARTS. *JB

PASSENGER SIDE EXTERIOR MIRROR IS DEFECTIVE. IT WILL NOT REMAIN STATIONARY AND MOVE AROUND IN THE WIND. WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK OF OWNERSHIP, A SMELL OF FUEL BECAME INCREASING STRONGER AND A WHINING SOUND UPON TAKEOFF BECAME LOUDER. I FOUND THE LEAK AT THE END OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE PLASTIC! FUEL RAIL NEXT TO THE FIRE WALL ABOVE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THIS STARTED AFTER OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE REACHED 1 DEGREE FAHRENHEIT. FUEL FALLS DIRECTLY ONTO A REALLY HOT MOTOR. FOG LIGHTS, CRUISE CONTROL AND HORN DOES NOT WORK. *LA

EARLY TRANSMISSION FAILIER. 1997 DODGE RAM 1500 SLT. MILEAGE: 62823. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DEALERSHIP REQUESTED TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. TORQUE CONVERTER LOCK UP AND METAL IN FLUID PAN WAS DIAGNOSIS.

HAD TO REPLACE THE BALL JOINTS ON MY DODGE RAM1500 AT 50,000 MILES, NEW PROGRAMS HAVE INDICATED DODGE IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH BALL JOINTS. I ASKED DOGE CUSTOMER SERVICE IF THIS IS NORMAL WEAR, THEY ONLY SAID THERE ARE NO MAJOR COMPAINTS WITH BALL JOINTS. IT APPEARS THIS MAYBE A VERY WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM WITH DODGE. *AK