1998 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

SEAT BELT BEGAN TO REFUSE TO COME OUT OF IT'S ROLLED-UP, UNUSED POSITION, UNTIL IT COMPLETELY QUIT COMING OUT. BUZZER QUIT SOUNDING, BUT RED SEAT BELT ALERT THAT SEAT BELT IS NOT IN USE REMAINS ON. THIS IS THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM PICKUP TRUCK. HE STATED THE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE LOWER CONTROL ARM ON THE RIGHT SIDE BROKE. THE DEALER AND THE BODY SHOP SAID IT LOOKED LIKE A DEFECT IN THE METAL. THE BODY SHOP SAID THE ONLY PROPER WAY TO FIX IT WAS TO GET A NEW FRAME. CHRYSLER SAID THAT BECAUSE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *JB

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

DT: CONTACT STATES THAT EARLY IN THE MORNING WHEN SHE GOT IN HER CAR AND WAS PUTTING THE SEAT BELT ON, THE SHOULDER PART TIGHTENED UP THE LAP BELT AND SHE NOTICED A BOLT HOLE. THERE WAS A METAL BAR AND THE BOLT HOLE HAD BROKEN. SHE CONTACTED CHRYSLER, AND THEY TOLD HER THAT THE TRUCK WAS A 1998 MODEL AND HAD A LOT OF MILEAGE ON IT. THEY COULDN'T FIX IT. *AK (THE BELT WAS IN PROPERLY BUT THE METAL STRAP HOLDING THE SEAT BELT TO THE FLOOR HAD SHEARED AT THE BOLT HOLE WHICH WAS COMING APART) *SC

PROBLEMS WITH WEAR OF BRAKE SHOES. SINCE I PURCHASED MY DODGE RAM 1500 IN JUNE 1998 I HAVE HAD CONSTANT PROBLEMS WITH MY FRONT BRAKES. I AM HAVING TO REPLACE THEM AT LEAST 3 TIMES A YEAR. I UNDERSTAND THAT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ON THIS PART BUT HAVING TO REPLACE THEM THIS MUCH IN ONE YEAR. I DO NOT RIDE MY BRAKES LIKE I HAVE BEEN TOLD I DO. EVEN RIDING MY BRAKES I STILL DO NOT THINK REPLACING THEM THIS MUCH IS NECESSARY. *NM

DT: BOTH FRONT SEAT BELTS RETRACTOR/LOCK INTERCHANGES BUCKLE ASSEMBLY BROKE. THIS WAS DISCOVERED WHEN TRYING TO BUCKLE UP WITH THE SEAT BELTS, NO INCIDENT WHERE THIS COULD HAVE OCCURRED. CONSUMER FELT THIS WAS DEFECTIVE. SPOKE TO DEALER, WHO SAID THIS WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT WAS TOLD SOME TIME AGO SAID SAFETY FEATURES WERE COVERED. HAS NOT CONTACTED MANUFACTURER AT THIS TIME. *AK

ACCORDING TO THE NHSTA RECALL DATABASE, A RECALL (01V153000) ALREADY EXISTS FOR 1998 DODGE RAM TRUCK CONCERNING THE AIR BAG AND IS SPECIFIC TO MY VIN NUMBER OF [XXX]. HOWEVER, UPON CALLING DODGE AT THE NUMBER SPECIFIED IN THE FILING, MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER THIS RECALL ALTHOUGH IT IS EXPERIENCING THE SYMPTOMS ADDRESSED IN THE NOTIFICATION. NO ACTION WAS AVAILABLE FROM DAIMLER CHRYSLER. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

WAS IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH THE SIDE OF A CHEVY BLAZER AT APPROX. 50 MPH. NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT ON MY VEHICLE, AND MY WIFE WAS EJECTED OUT OF THE PASSENGERS WINDOW.

MY GIRLFRIEND'S SON WAS DRIVING OUR 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 GOING ABOUT 35 OR 40 MILES PER HOUR (HE AND HIS GIRLFRIEND WERE TAKING A RIDE WAITING FOR A PIZZA) SO JUST MOSING ALONG THANK GOD . HE ROUNDED A CURVE AND LOST STEERING HE TRIED TO JERK IT BACK AND SAID IT MADE A CRACKING NOISE AND HE HAD NO STEERING ABILITY. HE RAN OFF THE ROAD STRIKING TREES, KNOCKED HIMSELF OUT BY HITTING HIS HEAD ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW. WHEN HE CAME TO, HIS GIRLFRIEND WAS KNOCKED OUT. HE GOT HER ALERT AND CALLED 911. SHE WAS LIFE FLIGHTED, 5 BROKEN RIBS, MAJOR CONCUSSION AND HE HAD CUTS AND SCRATCHES AND A CONCUSSION. HE WAS TREATED AND RELEASED. I ASKED THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER TO CHECK IT BUT HE LOOKED AT IT (NEVER TORE THE STEERING COLUMN APART) AND SAID IT LOOKED OK. THEY MOVED IT TO A SALVAGE YARD. SINCE THE ACCIDENT 3 PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME THEY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR RAM 1500. NOW HER SON IS BEING FINED FOR DRIVING TOO FAST AROUND THE CURVE..GUESS IT IS ALWAYS A FINE NEVER A TRUE ACCIDENT ANYMORE, BUT I AM JUST THANKFUL THAT THE KIDS ARE BOTH ALIVE AS THE TRUCK WAS TOTALED FROM THE TREES AND STUMPS THEY HIT. HER SON FEELS HE MAY HAVE LEANED ON THE GAS PEDAL WHEN HE WAS KNOCKED OUT BUT KNOWS HE WAS ONLY GOING 40 MPH TOPS PRIOR TO THE STEERING FAILING. *JB

TRANSMISSION NO LONGER HAS REVERSE. THIS WAS REPAIRED ONCE AT DEALERSHIP IN FEBRUARY 04 AT COST OF $2135.41. NOW, TO REBUILD FOR SAME PROBLEM 13 MONTHS AND 22K MILES LATER IS $3064.47 AT SAME DEALER. THEY BLAME INCREASE IN COST OF PARTS. CONTACTED DODGE CONSUMER HELP LINE AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO DUE TO 12/12 WARRANTY EXPIRED. THEY BLAMED INCREASE COST ON INCREASED LABOR RATE AT DEALERSHIP. BOTH SUGGEST REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION AT COST OF $3857.95. CALLED LOCAL TRANSMISISON REPAIR SHOPS AND WAS QUOTED $1100 - $1700 FOR SAME REPAIR, AND BOTH OFFER SAME OR BETTER WARRANTY. SECOND SHOP TOLD ME WHAT MY PROBLEM WAS BY JUST KNOWING YEAR AND MAKE OF MY TRUCK. THERE IS A MANUFACTURER'S PROBLEM WITH THIS TRANSMISSION !!!!!!!!!*AK