1997 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

40AMP IGNITION RUN FUSE KEEPS BLOWING DISSABLING OUR 1997 DODGE RAM 1500 TRUCK. FUSE HAS BLOWN OVER 6 TIMES NOW. CONTACTED DODGE CUSTOMER SERVICE TO FIND OUT ABOUT RECALLS, SERVICE BULLITINS OR THEIR TECNICAL HELP ON THIS PROBLEM. THEY TOLD US TO GO TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER/REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE IT CHECKED. WE WENT TO SUNFLOWER DODGE IN OLATHE,KS. THERE SERVICE ADVISOR BOBBY KIELMAN INFORMED US THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND ADVISED US NOT TO HAVE THEM RESEARCH THE PROBLEM FURTHER BECAUSE OF THE HIGH SHOP CHARGES IT WOULD INCUR AND THEY WOULD PROBABLY NOT FIND THE CAUSE ANYWAY. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT DODGE IS DROPPING THE BALL ON TAKING CARE OF. IT IS MY CONCERN THAT THE FUSE WILL BLOW WHILE MY WIFE IS DRIVING CAUSING HER TO BECOME STRANDED. OR WORSE, A FIRE OCCURING BECAUSE OF THE OVERHEATING OF FAULTY WIRING & COMPONENTS. SUNFLOWER DODGE DID INFORM US OF RECALLS FOR SIMILAR PROBLEMS ON DODGE RAM TRUCKS LIKE OURS FOR YEARS 1996 AND EARLIER.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH ACCIDENT OCCURRED DUE TO WHEEL DISENGAGING FROM VEHICLE. THERE WERE 2 INJURIES. *AK CONSUMER ADDS THAT THE TIRE WAS SO HOT THAT A FIRE HAD STARTED IN THE MEDIAN. *TT

MY FUEL PUMP QUIT WORKING, HAD TO HAVE TRUCK TOWED TO DEALER TO FIX,(UNDER WARRANTY) WHILE THERE I COMPLAINED ABOUT TRANSMISSION (BANGING GOING INTO 3RD GEAR,DRIVE SHAFT CLUNK), WAS TOLD WE SERVICED TRANNY, EVERYTHING OK. TRUCK WAS STILL ACTING THE SAME.THEN AT 33,000/34,000 MI.TRANY STARTED SHIFTING ERRATIC FROM 2-3RD GEAR,HAD DEALER CHECK AND RESERVICE TRANY, SCAN SYSTEM, THEY ROAD TESTED VEHICLE, SAID EVERYTHING IS OK. NOW THE NEXT DAY,TRANY SLIPS GOING INTO 3RD GEAR,(ENGINE OVERREAVES BETWEEN 2-3RD GEAR). CALLED DEALER AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD CHARGE ME TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN. I TALKED TO A COUPLE OF TRANY SHOPS AND WAS TOLD DODGE HAS DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS, FOR MY YEAR VEHICLE.*AK

ENGINE HAS ALWAYS PINGED ON REGULAR GAS - 5+ TRIPS TO DODGE FOR SERVICE AND THEY NEVER FIXED THE PROBLEM. AT ONE POINT, THEY POURED FUEL INJECTOR CLEANER IN THE ENGINE WHICH IS SOMETHING THEY TELL YOU NOT TO DO WHEN YOU PURCHASE THE VEHICLE. AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM COMPLETELY SHOT AT 50,000 MILES IN OCTOBER, 2001. A MONTH LATER, MY REAR-END WENT UP AT A COST OF $1345. TWO WEEKS LATER, MY TRANSMISSION WENT UP AT A COST OF $1700. IN JUNE OF 2001, MY FUEL PUMP WENT UP AT A COST OF $216. I DID NOT HAVE ANY OF THESE REPAIRS DONE AT DODGE ALTHOUGH I PURCHASED DODGE PARTS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NEVER FIXED ANYTHING WITHOUT EITHER SCREWING UP SOMETHING ELSE OR JUST NOT PROPERLY REPAIRING THE PROBLEMS. I CALLED THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR REPAIR PRICES AND THEY WERE MUCH HIGHER THAN INDEPENDENT SERVICE SHOPS. I WROTE THEM FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THESE REPAIR COSTS BUT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST ME BECAUSE REPAIRS WERE NOT DONE AT DODGE. THEY SAID I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THEM FOR HELP FIRST BUT I COULD NOT WAIT FOR A RESPONSE FROM THEM BECAUSE I NEEDED MY VEHICLE RIGHT AWAY. I ALSO DID NOT TRUST THEM TO PROPERLY REPAIR MY VEHICLE. OF COURSE, MY TRUCK WAS OUT OF WARRANTY FOR ALL OF THE PROBLEMS. I EVEN TOOK THEM TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT FOR THE ENGINE PING THEY COULD NOT CORRECT AND THEY BROUGHT IN 4 HIGH DOLLAR LAWYERS, SO, OF COURSE, IOST THE CASE. I HAVE NOT YET HAD MY AIR CONDITIONER REPAIRED. I AM GOING TO CONTACT THEM TO SEE IF THEY WILL REPAIR IT WITH SOME FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ALTHOUGH I AM NOT SURE IF I SHOULD TRUST THEM AT THIS POINT. I HAVE SPENT A TOTAL OF $3,331 IN REPAIRS OVER THE PAST 3 MONTHS AND AM NOT FINISHED YET. WHAT A LEMON! THEY ALSO COULD NOT PERFORM A SIMPLE OIL CHANGE PROPERLY-THEY DID NOT REPLACE THE OIL PLUG AND THE OIL WAS LEAKING.*AK

WHEN DRIVING DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT COLLAPSED TO RECLINING POSITION. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER; THE DEALER HAS REPLACED SEAT TRACK AND ANCHOR TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM. *AK THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO OVER 40 MPH. THE DEALER FOUND OUT THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED AND REPLACED IT, BUT IT FAILED AGAIN AFTER 6000 MILES AND WAS REPLACED ON WARRANTY. *YH

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER TO HAVE BRAKES DONE AND A GEAR BOX PUT ON, AND CONSUMER FOUND OUT THAT FORNT COIL SPRINGS WERE BUSTED DUE TO DEFECTIVE STEEL. *AK

INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAK , TALKING TO DEALER AND MECHANIC SHOP THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND HAS BEEN FOR A LONG TIME, CHRYSLER HAS A TSB 09-05-00 OUT ON THIS PROBLEM BUT NO RECALL ISSUED. HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON VEHICLE FOR 5 YRS/100000, PROBLEM STARTED BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRED, BUT DIDN'T BECOME AWARE OF WHAT IT WAS UNTIL AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED, CHRYSLER WARRANTY WON'T COVER REPAIR EVEN THOUGH PROBLEM STARTED WHEN WARRANTY WAS STILL ON VEHICLE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM.*AK

DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF VEHICLE THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM REAR END. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND DETERMINED THAT INNER RING PINION BEARING WENT OUT DUE TO A CASING DEFORMATION. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS.*AK

TRANSMISSION COOLING SYSTEM FAILED... TWO TRANSMISSIONS LATER THEY DISCOVER THE PROBLEM. THE FIRST FAILURE AT 24000 WAS UNDER WARRANTY, THE SECOND FAILURE AT 48000 THEY CLAIMED WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND COST ME $1500... THIS PROBLEM IS PREVELANT IN MOST 1997 (1500 DODGE RAMS,GAS). JUST ASK A STRANGER DRIVING ONE. FEEL FREE TO CALL ME 1-530-332-9565. NO ONE IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT.