2002 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

NO HEAT OR A/C ON DRIVER'S SIDE. IT HAS DUAL CLIMATE ZONES. LOOKED ON ONLINE FORUMS AND SAW OTHERS ARE HAVING SAME ISSUES. *TR

I WAS JUST DRIVING ALONG, CRACK MY DASH CRACKED FROM FRONT END TO ALMOST THE BACK. THE CRACK CAUSED ME TO JUMP SWERVE MY TRUCK ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. DODGE HAS BEEN NO HELP AND MY DASH HAS DETERIORATED EVEN MORE EVER SINCE, I'M GETTING VERY WORRIED IT MIGHT AFFECT THE AIR BAGS AS ALL THE DASH PIECES FALL INTO THE RECESS WHERE THE AIR BAGS ARE WHICH WOULD BE A BAD THING SHOULD THERE BE AN ACCIDENT. *TR

STARTING IN OCTOBER OF '08 I NOTICE A SMALL VERTICAL CRACK IN MY DASH ON THE TOP OF MY DASH BETWEEN THE PASSENGER AIRBAG AND THE RADIO. SINCE THEN THE CRACK HAS GROWN AND THEN A PIECE BROKE OFF AND TOO MY SURPRISE IS VERY SHARP. *TR

THE DASHBOARD ON MY 2002 DODGE RAM 1500 HAS DEVELOPED A CRACK (6-7 INCHES LONG) NEAR THE AIR BAG OF THE PASSENGER. I FEEL THIS TO BE A SAFETY HAZARD AS THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT COULD CAUSE PARTICLES OF PLASTIC TO BE THROWN AT HIGH SPEEDS THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS A USED RAM AND IT IS UNKNOWN IF THE CRACK WAS THERE PRIOR TO PURCHASE OR NOT. BECAUSE OF THE SUMMER HEAT, THE VINYL EXPANDS WHICH CLOSES THE GAP AND NOW THE COLD WEATHER CONTRACTS IT AND REVEALS THE CRACK. THIS CONTINUOUS EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING COULD CAUSE, OVER TIME, THE VINYL TO BECOME WEAK AND BREAK DOWN FURTHER. *TR

HI, I READ AN ARTICLE BY CHANNEL 6 NEWS PROBLEM SOLVERS IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA. THAT DID A REPORT ON DASHBOARDS COLLAPSING IN 2002 DODGE RAM AND OTHER MODELS. IN THE ARTICLE, IT SHOWED THAT DODGE WAS REPLACING THE DASHBOARDS AT A COST OF $100 TO THE CUSTOMER. 2 YEARS AFTER I BOUGHT MY TRUCK, MY DASH STARTED CRACKING. A FRIEND OF MINE HAD A 2003 QUAD CAB AND HE WAS EXPERIENCING CRACKS IN HIS DASH IN THE EXACT SAME SPOTS. A YEAR LATER HE TRADED HIS TRUCK IN AND I STILL HAVE MINE. MY DASH IS STILL CONTINUING TO CRACK TO THIS DAY. SINCE MY DASH STARTED CRACKING, I HAVE HAD OTHER PROBLEMS WITH MY TRUCK. MY STEREO IS MESSING UP. MY A/C AND BLOWER MOTOR DON'T WORK RIGHT. MY HEATER CORE LEAKS. IN SUMMER TIME I HAVE NO A/C. IN WINTER I HAVE NO HEAT AND NO WINDOW DEFROSTER. WHEN IT RAINS, I HAVE NO DEFROSTER. THESE ARE A SAFETY ISSUE IF I CANT SEE WHERE IM DRIVING. FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET DODGE TO REPLACE MY DASH. THEY WILL REPLACE IT ONLY AT FULL COST TO ME! WILL YOU FINALLY FORCE DODGE INTO RECALLING THESE 01-04 DODGE RAM, DAKOTA AND DURANGO DASHBOARDS???????????????????????. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE LOW COOLANT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND WHITE SMOKE STARTED TO EMIT FROM THE EXHAUST. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT HE WAITED FOR VEHICLE TO COOL DOWN AND ADDED COOLANT FLUID TO THE RADIATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO REPAIR SHOP OR DEALER TO BE INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF FAILURE WHO FILED A REPORT AND DID NOT OFFER ANY ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,000.

MAIN DASH BEGAN CRACKING IN MULTIPLE PLACES. FORWARD DASH PANEL HAS NOW CRACKED AND SPLIT INTO MANY SEPARATE PIECES CREATING LOOSE, SHARP, PLASTIC MATERIALS WHICH POSE A SAFETY HAZARD IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. SOME OF THE PIECES HAVE CRACKED AWAY AND HAVE FALLEN BEHIND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND SOME HAVE FALLEN INTO THE DUCT WORK AS WELL. HAVING OCCURRED ON MANY DODGE RAMS, THIS CREATES A WIDE-SPREAD SAFETY ISSUE AND NOT JUST AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED ON THE AFFECTED YEARS AND THE FAULTY DASH PANELS SHOULD BE REPLACED BY THE MANUFACTURER TO PREVENT ANY UNNECESSARY INJURIES OR SAFETY CONCERNS. *TR

2002 DODGE RAM 1500 DRIVING AT 55 MPH CAME TO A STOP, SUDDENLY WHITE SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF TAIL PIPE WITH SWEET SMELL OF ANTI-FREEZE. VEHICLE WILL LOSE POWER TOLD THAT ENGINE HEADS NEED TO BE REPLACED. THERE IS A ENGINE DESIGN FLAW FOR THIS YEAR AND MODEL THAT DODGE IS NOT WILLING TO ADMIT NOR REPAIR THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS BUT THERE WAS NEVER A RECALL. VEHICLE WILL SMOKE UPON STARTING AND SMOKE WILL COME BACK OFF AND ON. JUST WANT DOD GE TO ADMIT THE ISSUE AND COVER REPAIR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH A PIECE OF THE DASHBOARD FRACTURED AND BEGAN TO CRACK IN FOUR DIFFERENT PLACES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SEVERAL INDEPENDENT MECHANICS FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO REPAIRS BUT INSTEAD, THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 94,000. ...UPDATED 10/17/12 *BF UPDATED 10/17/12

SHORTLY AFTER ENTERING HIGHWAY 281, MY ENGINE FELL ON IT'S FACE. I PUSHED THE GAS PEDAL BUT GOT NOTHING BUT RPM'S FROM THE ENGINE. I BEGAN TO MOVE OVER TO THE RIGHT WITH NO POWER, LITTLE STEERING, A DASH FULL OF ERROR LIGHTS, AND DOING MY BEST NOT TO GET HIT BY PASSING VEHICLES. ONCE I GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE ENGINE WASN'T RUNNING. I STARTED THE ENGINE AND CHECKED MY GAUGES. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON, THE WATER TEMP WAS NEAR THE RED ZONE, AND THE ENGINE SOUND LIKE BOWLING BALL IN A DRYER. THERE WAS FLUID ON THE GROUND OR SMOKE FROM THE TAILPIPES SO I FELT IT WAS SAFER TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY WITH THE TRUCK. NEAR THE EXIT, I PULLED IN A STATION WHERE I CHECKED THE TRUCK AND TOP-OFF THE WATER. THE SOUND WAS LIKE A DROPPED ROCKER ARM. I HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY FROM THE "FACTORY" COATING INSIDE THE OIL PAN HAD DELAMINATED AND WAS SUCKED INTO THE PICKUP TUBE. THE COATING THEN PLUGGED THE SCREEN AND PICKUP TUBE. I CALLED DODGE CARES AND THEY TRIED TO BLAME ME THEN THE OIL. I TOLD THEM I'VE NEVER USED ADDITIVES, ALWAYS USE MOBIL ONE, AND I HAD RECEIPTS DATING BACK TO THE DAY I DROVE THE TRUCK OFF THE LOT NEW. THEY CLAIMED THIS WAS A NON-ISSUE AND IT HAD NOT BE REPORTED BEFORE NOW. I HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF MY VEHICLES AND TO BE TOLD A MANUFACTURING ERROR IS MY FAULT DOES NOT SET WELL WITH ME. NOW I HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE ENGINE BECAUSE SOME ENGINEER WAS DUMB ENOUGH TO COAT THE INSIDE SURFACE OF THE OIL PAN. I NORMALLY TRAVEL DURING THE NIGHT INTO EARLY HOURS OF THE DAY. WHAT IF THIS HAD HAPPEN WHILE I WAS OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NO-WHERE. I'M HANDICAPPED; I COULDN'T HAVE WALKED A QUART OF A MILE FOR HELP. WHAT IF MY 70-YEAR MOTHER HAD BEEN DRIVING MY TRUCK AT THE TIME! THIS COULD HAVE BEEN REAL BAD!!! AND THEN TO BE TOLD IT'S NON-PROBLEM. I HAVE PICTURES IF YOU WANT TO SEE THEM. *TR