1997 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE TRANSMISSION OF THIS VEHICLE DUE TO WHINING NOISE FROM COLD TRANSMISSION WHEN IN REVERSE. SYMPTOMS AND REPAIRS PERTAIN TO TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS 21-08-99 AND 21-11-97 REV. A. REPAIR SHOP IS DOING QUITE A NUMBER OF THESE REPAIRS. REPAIR COST $500 AND 4 DAYS OF DOWN TIME.*AK

INOPERABLE SAFETY LATCH WAS INOPERABLE, AND HAS BEEN. HOOD FLEW OPEN TO 90 DEGREES, AND CAUSED LOSS OF ROAD VISION. I HAD JUST CHECKED FLUID LEVELS AND CLOSED HOOD AT HOME. I DROVE TO A LOCAL MARKET, AND WAS RETURNING ON A SURFACE STREET NEAR MY HOME, WHEN THE HOOD UNEXPECTEDLY OPENED. I NOTICED THAT WHEN I PERFORM MY PERIODIC MAINTENANCE, AND I RELEASE THE HOOD, I CAN OPEN HOOD WITHOUT RELEASING THE SECONDARY LATCH. NOW I KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS, BUT LUCKILY I WASN'T INJURED. BUT, MY INSURANCE COMPANY MUST PICK UP THE TAB AT THE EXPENSE OF ALL POLICY HOLDERS. *AK

PREMATURE FAILURES ON TRANSMISSION ON DODGE RAM PICKUPS 1995-1997. REDESIGNED PARTS BY DODGE BECAUSE OF KNOW FAILURE RATE LEADS TO HIGH DOLLAR REPAIRS BECAUSE OF PART COMPATIBLITY. *AK

OUR FIRST BLOW OUT CAME ABOUT 3 WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE OF OUR NEW DODGE RAM VAN. AFTER RETURNING TO A GOODYEAR DEALER, THEY REPLACED THE ONE TIRE. SINCE THAT DATE UP UNTIL JULY 1999, I HAD 11 FAILED TIRES. EITHER BLOW OUTS OR FLATS. AFTER MANY PHONE CALLS TO THE DEALER MARK THOMAS MOTORS, CHRYSLER, MARK III CONVERSION, GOODYEAR (THIS PROCESS TOOK ABOUT 4 MONTHS), THEY AGREED MAYBE MY TIRES HAD A PROBLEM. THEY AGREED TO PAY 200.00 TOWARDS A 500.00 BILL TO REPLACE THE TIRES. I HAD NO CHOICE SINCE I REALLY WANTED TO DRIVE MY NEW VAN. THEY SAID THE TIRES MAY HAVE BEEN TO LIGHT TO BE PUT ON THE HEAVY DUTY VAN. I HAVE SINCE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE REPLACEMENTS, ALSO GOODYEAR WRANGLERS. THESE WERE TO BE FOR HEAVY DUTY WEAR. THEY ARE FAR FROM WEARING WELL. I HAVE HAD OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE, BUT NONE AS SERIOUS AS THE TIRE PROBLEM. MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS I WAS TOLD BY ALL AGENCIES THAT IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM WHEN I FIRST REPORTED THIS ORIGINAL TIRE PROBLEM. IT TOOK EVERYTHING I HAD ALONG WITH A FINAL THREAT TO CALL MY ATTORNEY BEFORE I GOT ANY ASSISTANCE. AFTER THE FIRESTONE PROBLEM..I AM VERY CONCERNED AND WANT TO BRING THIS PROBLEM OUT TO THE PUBLIC..MY CHILDREN, THEIR FRIENDS, MY HUSBAND AND MY LIFE ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. TO BAD GOODYEAR DOES NOT FEEL THE SAME. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH MY DEALER AGAIN AS OF TODAY 112100. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND OBVIOUS CONCERNS IN THIS MATTER. KAREN BACA. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )

UNABLE TO STOP TRUCK SAFELY. BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR,TRUCK COMES TO STOP VERY,VERY SLOWLY.LT225/75R STANDARD SIZE TIRES REPLACED W/SPORT APPEARANCE PACHAGE P265/75R16 BY MANUFACTURER. TIRES TOO LARGE FOR BRAKE SYSTEM?*AK

ON MAY22 A TIRE SEPARATED. GOODYEAR WAS NOTIFIED, AN OTHER FAILED ON OCTOBER 3. TIRE WAS ADJUSTED AT GOODYEAR DEALER. OCTOBER 22, THE TIRE SEPARATED ON THE FREEWAY AT NIGHT. THE TRED SEPARATED AND FLEW INTO THE HIGHWAY. WE WERE TRAVELING WITH 2 SMALL CHILDREN, A YOUNG MOTHER, AND 2 SENIOR CITIZENS, PLUS A VERY VALUABLE JUNIOR RODEO HORSE. A FRIEND CAME BY AND HELPED US GET OFF THE HIGHWAY. GOODYEAR WAS NOTIFIED ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2000 THAT THESE TIRES WERE MALFUNCTIONING, AND DID NOT DISCLOSE TO US THAT THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. THEY WERE TOLD THAT WE HAUL. HORSES AND CHILDREN, AND CHOSE TO KEEP IT A SECRET. THESE CHILDREN HAVE SUFFERED A TERRIBLE TRAUMA BEING OUT ON THE FREEWAY WITH THIS TIRE FAILING AND CAUSING A TERRIBLE NOISE WHEN IT HIT THE FENDER, CAUSING DAMAGE TO IT. THIS IS A VERY SCARY THING. GOODYEAR ADVERTISES THAT THEIR TIRES ARE SAFE FOR FAMILIES. NOT TRUE. (TIRESIZE: 245/75R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 245/75R16 )

BELT SEPARATED ON THIS STEEL TEX 16 WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL RUNNING THE TRUCK INTO A DITCH. FIRESTONE HAS BEEN CONTACTED. ONE INJURY DUE TO INCIDENT. *AK *MJS

SINCE JANUARY I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IT STALLING WHEN I PUT IT IN REVERSE IF I HAD IT IDLE FOR AWHILE OR WARMING UP. I TOOK IT BACK TO AUTO NATION AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THEY TOOK IT TO DICKINSON DODGE (910) 864-2411 AND THEY COULD NOT GET IT TO DUPLICATE. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED PERIODICALLY UNTIL APRIL WHEN THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING. THIS WOULD ONLY HAPPEN WHEN I WAS IN REVERSE THEN WOULD TRY TO PUT IT IN DRIVE. THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HESITATE AND IT WAS LIKE I WAS IN NUETRAL. AFTER A FEW SECONDS THE DRIVE GEAR WOULD KICK IN AND IT WAS FINE. A FEW TIMES I HAD TO PUT IT IN D2 THEN PULL OUT AND PUT IT IN DRIVE. I HAD DICKINSON DODGE CHECK THIS AGAIN AND THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEM. IN LATE JUNE I TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE AND TOLD DICKINSON TO CHECK THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING OR GET IT TO DUPLICATE THE SLIPPING AND STALLING. THEY DI REPLACE THE SERPENTINE BELT AND TOLD ME THAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE PROBLEM BUT IT WASN'T. TWO DDAYS AFTER ON JULY 1ST I WAS DRIVING AROUND FAYETTEVILLE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I CONTACTED DICKINSON DODGE AGAIN AND ON 5 JULY TOOK IT IN. INITIALLY THEY SAID THE FAULT REGISTERED AS A DROP IN RPM'S. THEY COULD NOT FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM AND THOUGHT IT WAS ELECTRICAL INITIALLY. THEN ON 6 JULY THEY DECIDED TO DROP THE TRANSMISSION PAN AND FOUND THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS SEPARATING AND PUTTING METAL FRAGMENTS IN THE TRANSMISSION. THEY SAID THIS ATE AWAY THE SEAL FOR THE GEAR BOX AND ALLOWED OIL IN THE CLUTCHES. THAT WAS CAUSING THE SLIPPAGE AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE REBUILT. THEY ALSO SAID MY OVERDRIVE GEAR WAS ALREADY OUT. THEY SAID IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $1500 TO REBUILD IT. I HAVE ALREADY SPENT $95 FOR TESTING WHICH SHOWED NOTHING AND ANOTHER $80 FOR THE SERPENTINE BELT REPLACEMENT. I WOULD THINK A TRUCK WITH ONLY 48,000 MILES ON IT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD BE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. I AM SUSPECTING IT MAY BE A FLOOD VEHICLE.*AK

THE FAILURE OF THE REAR VIEW MIRROR APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. THE MIRROR SUPPORT ARM BECAME LOOSE INTERNAL TO THE CONNECTION BRACKET ON THE VEHICLE AND THE MIRROR WOULD NOT REMAIN STABLE ONCE IT WAS SET AND THE VEHICLE PLACED IN MOTION. AS YOU DRIVE THE MIRROR WOULD JUST FLAP IN THE WIND. AFTER HAVING THE MIRROR REPLACED AND LOOKING AT THE MALFUNCTIONING MIRROR, MY INVESTIGATION CONCLUDED THAT THERE ARE FOUR(4) INTERNAL SCREWS AND A BRACKET THAT SECURES AND STABILIZES AND SECURES THE MIRROR SUPPORT ARM INTERNALLY. TWO(2) OF THE FOUR(4) SCREWS SECURING THE SUPPORT ARM WAS FOUND TO BE LOOSE AND BOUNCING AROUND INSIDE THE SUPPORT COVER. THE SCREWS OR HARDWARE SHOWS NO SIGNS OF BEING STRIPPED OR WORN, THEY WERE JUST LOOSE. WITH THIS MIRROR BEING A SAFETY ITEM, I FEEL THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD ABSORB THIS COSTLY REPAIR OF $379.32 WHEN THESE FAILURES OCCUR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ANY INSIGHT OR GUIDANCE YOU MAY PROVIDE IN RESOLVING THIS ISSUE.

THE POSTS ON EACH SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD ARE APPROX. 6" WIDE AND RESTRICT THE DRIVERS VISABILITY SERVERLY. MY SON AND I HAVE SIMILAR TRUCK DODGE TRUCK MODELS AND WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL NEAR ACCIDENTS INVOLVING PEDESTRIANS AND VEHICLES. MY MOST RECENT NEAR COLLITION WAS WITH A RAILROAD LOCAMOTIVE AT AN UNGATED CROSSING. LUCKLY ANOTHER DRIVER ALERTED ME TO THE LOCAMOTIVE AND I SAW IT IN TIME . HOWEVER IT WAS COMPLELY HIDDEN FROM MY VIEW BY THE POST . I HAVE OWNED DODGE TRUCKS FOR THE PAST 23 YEARS WITH OVER 700,000 MILES OF SERVICE AND HAVE ALWAYS FOUND THEM RELIABLE AN SAFE . *AK