1998 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY OVERNIGHT. WHEN THE CONSUMER WOKE IN THE MORNING THE VEHICLE HAD BURNED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TOTALED. PLEASE PROVIDE MILEAGE INFORMATION. *JB

98 DODGE RAM 1500 PICK-UP. SEAT BELT FAILURE LEADING TO THE RELEASE OF INFANT CAR SEAT. CALLED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION ONLY TO BE TREATED LIKE A CHILD AND TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO.*AK WHILE DRIVING MY PICK UP AND STOPPING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, MY SONS INFANT SEAT CAME LOOSE AND LUNGED FORWARD. HE WAS ABOUT1 YEAR OLD AT THE TIME AND AS A RESULT, HIT HIS HEAD ON THE BACK OF THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE SEAT BELTS ARE DESIGNED IN A MANNER THAT THERE IS A LITTLE PEICE OF PLASTIC THAT RETAINS THE BELT PORTION, IN TURN, THIS IS WHAT RETAINS THE INFANT SEAT. BOTH MY WIFE AND I TOOK CLASSES AT THE LOCAL DEALARSHIP SO AS TO BE ABLE TO DO THE INSTALLATION CORRECTLY LONG PRIOR TO THIS EVENT. I DID TAKE THE TRUCK IN TO TRY AND HAVE THE NOW FAULTY BELTS REPLACED ONLY TO BE TURNED AWAY. I NOW HAVE TO COMB THROUGH THE LOCAL JUNK YARDS FREQUENTLY TO FIND NEW BELTS WITH ALL THE CORRECT PIECES. I STILL HAVE THE TRUCK AND ONLY RECENTLY LEARNED OF YOUR SITE. HOW CAN FAULTY SEAT BELTS BE IGNORED. CURRENTLY, BOTH THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS BELTS DO NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY. THE DATE BELOW AND THE FOLLOWING MILAGES ARE APPROX. GUESSES. I HAVE ALSO PUT (1) FOR NUMBERED OF PERSONS INJURED, BUT IT WAS NOTHING SEVERE LUCKILY.

SEVERE CORROSION OF PAINTED FRONT AND REAR BUMPERS COMPOMISES THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE BUMPERS.*AK

SEAT BELT FAILURE IN 1998 DODGE RAM--ONLY 13000 MILES, NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT. I GOT IN VEHICLE ONE DAY, AND SEAT BELT WAS LOCKED IN RETRACTED POSITION--CAN NOT FREE. CURIOUSLY ENOUGH, PASSENGER SEATBELT WOULD ALSO NOT UNREEL FOR ANYONE ELSE TO USE. SIMULTANEOUS FAILURE OF BOTH SEATBELTS? I HAVE NEVER OWNED A VEHICLE WHERE EVEN ON HAS DONE MORE THAT BE A LITTLE SLOW ON THE UPTAKE, BUT FOR BOTH TO FAIL OVERNIGHT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THERE MAY BE A DESIGN FLAW.*AK

AT 35 DEGREE OR COLDER ORJUST RAINY DAYS WITH WARM TEMP.TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE ,CAN DRIVE 15 MILES ON HIGHWAY IN 3RD GEAR. WHEN IT DOES SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE AND I HIT A BUMP IN ROAD IT WILL GO OUT OF OVERDRIVE. ALSO THE ENGINE WILL REV AS IF IT IS TRYING TO SWITCH OUT OF OVERDRIVE. ALL OF THESE FACTORS ARE RESULTING IN INCREASED FUEL USAGE, WHICH AT $2 A GALLON IS BECOMING AN EXPENSIVE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD AT TIME OF PURCHASE,THIS WAS A NORMAL FUCTION OF THE TRANSMISSION, BOUGHT TRUCK FEB. 2003 AND BROUGHT TRUCK BACK 2 TIMES TO A CHYSLER DEALER AND WAS TOLD SAME STORY, DEALER IS NOW NO LONGER IN BUSINESS AND MY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, BUT STILL HAVE PROBLEM. *JB

I HAVE HAD MY VAN SINCE 98 GOT IT NEW THE DEALERSHIP HAD MY VAN MORE THEN I HAVE, THEY FIXED ONLY A FEW PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD OTHER PROBLEMS THEY COULDN'T FIND. THE SIDE PASSENGER DOORS WOULDN'T UNLOCK, WHEN COMING TO A STOP SECONDS AFTER STOPPING I WOULD FEEL A HICK COMING FROM THE BACK END, ON VACATION AFTER RESTING AT A WAYSIDE WHILE ENTERING HIGHWAY THE YOU HEARD A CLICK FROM THE ENGINE THEN YOU LOSS ALL POWER IT WOULDN'T GO ANY FASTER THEN 30-35 MPH, TOOK VAN IN AFTER THIS ONE GUY AT SHOP SEEN MY HANDICAP DAUGHTER AND WENT IN BACK TO GET A PAPER HE THEN GAVE ME, PAPER WAS FROM DODGE TELLING OF THIS PROBLEM AND NOT TO SHOW TO ANY CUSTOMERS,HE GAVE THIS PAPER TO ME,AND TO THIS DAY I STILL HAVE SAME PROBLEMS,ALL PLASTIC LINING INSIDE OF VAN HAS CRACKED ABOUT 6 MONTHS AFTER GETTING VAN, GO THROUGH BRAKES LIKE CRAZY, AND VAN ALWAYS PULLS TO RIGHT . THERE ARE SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS VAN I CAN'T LIST THEM ALL,TRIED TO RETURN VAN AFTER 7 MONTHS THEY WOULDN'T TAKE IT BACK. *JB

WAS DRIVING 45 MPH ENTERING AN INTERSECTION, THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THERE WAS A NOISE AND THE CONSUMER THEN REALIZED THE VEHICLE HAD NO BRAKES. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO GET HOME AND UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED A BOLT THAT ATTACHED TO THE MASTER CYLINDER AND POWER BOOSTER HAD BROKEN. THE BOLT HAD SHOWN STRESS FRACTURES. *JB

WE HAVE NOT HAD A CRASH, BUT MY DODGE RAM HAS BEEN IN OUR GARAGE SINCE APRIL WE ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE IT, THE ABS BREAKS ARE ON AND THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT ALSO SMELLS LIKE FIRE CRACKERS AT TIMES. *NM

I WAS DRIVING ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY AT 65 MILES PER HOUR WHEN I SUDDENLY LOST SPEED AND THE RPM WERE HEADING TO REDLINE. I HIT MY BRAKE IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC TRYING TO KEEP FROM HURTING MY ENGINE. WHEN I GOT PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I CHECKED TO SEE IF I COULD GO AND I HAD NO TRANSMISSION. I ONLY HAVE 78,000 MILES ON MY TRUCK AND DON'T PULL HEAVY LOADS OR LOAD MY PICK-UP WITH HEAVY LOADS. I HAVE TALKED WITH OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE SAME YEAR DODGE PICK-UP AND THEY HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I AM HAVING MY TRANSMISSION REPLACED ALONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION COOLER BECAUSE IT HAS PARTS OF MY CLUTCH IN IT. I FOUND 5 PEOPLE IN MY COUNTY THAT HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEIR 98 PICK-UPS AND HAVE HAD THEM FIXED AND THEN TRADED THEM FOR ANOTHER BRAND OF VEHICLE. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW WHY NOBODY HAS INVESTIGATED THIS OR RECALLED THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. *NM

GOODYEAR WRANGLER AP TIRES ON 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. I HAVE NOW HAD TO REPLACE ALL 5 (4+SPARE) DUE TO SPLITS IN THE SIDEWALL NEAR THE RIM. THE FIRST ONE WAS 2 SUMMERS AGO, 3 MORE TIRES LAST LAST SUMMER, AND THE LAST ONE NOW. I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO FIND THE PROBLEM BEFORE BLOW OUTS.*AK