1997 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

AN ELECTRICAL SHORT OCCURRED UNDERNEATH DRIVER'S SEAT, POSSIBLY DUE TO MOTOR BURNING UP. CAUSED AN ELECTRICAL FIRE DIRECTLY BENEATH THE DRIVER'S SEAT. CONSUMER DISCONNECTED BATTERY TO STOP THE FIRE. *AK *ML

TRUCK ACCEELRATED UPON PUTTING INTO DRIVE.....THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR ....COULD NOT STOP IT. THE ABS ACTIVATED AND VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A BUILDING....IT SQUEELED THE TIRES AS SOON AS I STEPPED ON PEDAL AND IT WENT TO THE FLOOR......CRASHED INTO A BUILDING AND IT WAS STILL REVVING AT FULL THROTTLE.........CAN YOU HELP US......WE DONT WANT TO DRIVE IT AGAIN UNLESS WE KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT TO DO THIS.........THE EXTERIOR DAMAGE IS BEING REPAIRED BUT WE STILL DONT KNOW WHY IT DID THAT........THANKYOU... *AK

WHEN DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF VEHICLE, CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER. DEALER LINKED THE PROBLEM TO THE FRONT WHEEL BEARING WHICH WAS FALLING OFF THE VEHICLE, DEALER WAS REPLACING PARTS. *AK *ML

1ST TAKEN TO DEALER FOR IMPROPER TIRE WEAR @ 30704 MILES / DEALER CLAIMED TIRE ROTATION PROBLEM / CALIPERS WERE FAULTY INSTEAD / ROTORS FAILED AT 38728. *AK

WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN ON A ROAD OR A PARKING LOT, AND THERE IS WATER IN THE ROAD,THE WATER WILL SPLASH ON THE POWER STEERING BELT. AT THIS TIME I LOSE ALL STEERING CONTROL AND I KEEP GOING IN THE DIRECTION THAT THE WHEEL IS IN. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST THREE TIMES. AFTER ABOUT ONE TO TWO SECONDS THE STEERING RETURNS. SO FAR THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY ACCIDENTS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS AND WHAT I CAN DO TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPINING AGAIN. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AND STEPPING ON THE BRAKES THE DRIVER'S SEAT WILL MOVE FORWARD. THE SAME THING COULD HAPPEN WHEN ACCELERATING, BUT BACKWARD. *AK

CLUNK IN FRONT SUSPENSION.TRIED FIXING 14 TIMES.ALSO FOUND CRACK IN WELD AT CONTROL ARM BRACKET AND FRAME.

THE BRAKING SYSTEM DOES NOT STOP THE TRUCK AS IT SHOULD. WHEN YOU MAKE AN EMERGENCY STOP THE PEDAL FEELS AS IF THE MASTER CYLINDER PISTON BOTTOMS OUT, METAL AGAINST METAL. I CHECKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS A BRAKE PEDAL STOP AND THERE WERE NONE. WHEN I HAD TO MAKE MY FIRST EMERGENCY STOP I HAD PLENTY OF DISTANCE TO STOP. MY SPEED WAS 35MPH WITH ABOUT 50FEET OF CLEARANCE. I HAD TO SWERVE AND RUN THRU A YARD CAUSING $200.00 DAMAGE. I TOOK THE TRUCK OVER TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG. I WENT HOME AND DID A PLANNED EMERGENCY STOP IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. AT 30MPH, IT TOOK 30 -35 FEET TO STOP. MY BROTHER HAS A 1992 DODGE TRUCK OF THE SAME WEIGHT AND HE CAN STOP IN 12- 15 FEET AT THE SAME SPEED. BEFORE THE WARRANTY RAN OUT I TOOK THE TRUCK BACK TO THE DEALER AND HAD THE SERVICE MGR TO TEST DRIVE THE TRUCK AND HE FELT THER WAS A DEFINITE PROBLEM. HE ORDERED A MORE AGGRESSIVE SET OF PADS AND CHRYSLER CANCELLED THE ORDER AND SENT A KIT WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO INSTALL THE KIT INSTEAD OF THE PADS. TO ME. THAT TELLS ME THEY KNOW OF A PROBLEM, BUT DO NOT WANT IT TO GET OUT CAUSINF A RECALL ON ALL 1997 TRUCKS. THE DEALER STATED THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR BULLENTINS ON BRAKE PROBLEMS. I ASKED THEM IS IT GOING TO TAKE A FATALITY DUE TO FAULTY BRAKES BEFORE THEY FIX THE PROBLEM. AFTER THE INSTALLATION OF THE KIT THE BRAKES WORK A LITTLE BETTER BUT FAR FROM BEING SAFE AS TO PULLING A 4 WHEELER AND TRAILER OR A BOAT AND TRAILER. LAST WEEK I HAD TO EXECUTE ANOTHER EMERGENCY STOP. 50 MPH WITH APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET OF DISTANCE. I ENDED UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION.MY POLICE CRUISER AT 30 MPH CAN STOP IN 10 -14 FEET . EVEN MY BROTHER'S TRUCK WITH A 1000 LBS OF WEIGHT IN THE BED STOPS IN A SHORTER DISTANCE THAN MY TRUCK. ARE THERE ANY OTHER VICTIMS OF BRAKE PROBLEMS BESIDES MYSELF?*AK

THE AUTOMOBILE SHOP THAT REPAIRED MY TRUCK SAID THAT WHEN THE DEALER REPLACED MY REAR MAIN SEAL THE JOB WAS DONE IMPROPERLY. THAT WAS MOST LIKELY THE REASON THE ENGINE FAILED. THE ALSO NOTICED THAT WHEN THE NEW PARTS CAME IN THE NEW OIL PICK UP TUBE SCREAN WAS A LOT LARGER THAN THE OLD ONE. *AK

STRONG GAS SMELL; CALLED ONE DEALER WHO WAS BOOKED SOLID, (BYRD DODGE, SALTLICK, KY.) HE SAID "FUEL LEAKS ON THE 97 DODGE RAM 5.2 ARE NOT COMMON"; FUEL RAIL ORDERED FROM DETROIT BECAUSE NOT STOCKED BY ANY LOCAL DEALERS; MANN DODGE SAID NOT TO DRIVE--FUEL DRIPPING ONTO MANIFOLD; FR PART SUPERSEDED AND REQUIRED ADAPTER; OWNER-CUSTOMER SUSPECTS THE PART WAS FLAWED AT MANUFACTURER. *AK