1998 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

WITHIN 57,000 MILES FRONT BRAKE PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED FOUR TIMES CAUSE UNKNOWN, DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY CAUSE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

FUEL SENDING UNIT WENT OUT. THIS INDICATED THAT TANK WAS EMPTY. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER . DLR PUT IN A FUEL PUMP,.BUT PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE, AND DEALER SENT PART BACK. CONSUMER HAS BEEN OUT OF A CAR 2 WEEKS. *AK FUEL SENSOR FAILED AND LATER ON THE FUEL PUMP FAILED TOO. *YH

REAR DIFFERENTIAL BEGAN GROWLING AT 39K MILES. DEALER REPORTED IT NEEDED OVERHAUL ($1100 COST). COMPLAINED TO MANUFACTURER AND THEY AGREED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 9.25 IN. DODGE REAR ENDS. RUMOR IS DEFECTIVE PINION BEARINGS OR UNDERSTRENGTH EQUIPMENT COMPARED TO ENGINE SIZE. *AK

BOTH FRONT SEAT BELTS WILL NOT OPERATE, BELTS ARE STUCK IN RETRACTORS, LEAVING BOTH OCCUPANTS WITHOUT ANY RESTRAINTS IF VEHICLE BECAME INVOLVED IN A CRASH. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ITS WARRANTY, AND NOTHING WOULD BE DONE. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

ENGINE WAS BURNING A QUART OF OIL WITHIN 700-900 MILES , DEALER CLAIMED THIS WAS A NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC. DEALER DID REPLACED INTAKE MANIFOLD TWICE WHICH STOPPED PROBLEM FOR A WHILE, BUT DEFECT HAS REOCCURRED. *AK *SLC

I REALLY ENJOY THIS DODGE RAM1500 ,BUT I FEEL THAT SINCE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY IT WILL NOT HOLD UP TO MY EXPECTATIONS. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

BRAKES HAVE NEVER WORKED CORRECTLY, VERY SPONGY, HAVE HAD INTO SHOP TWICE FOR THIS AT WORL THOMPSON, CALDWELL, OHIO. BRAKES ARE VERY WEAK AND HAVE BEEN SINCE PURCHASE. I HAD TO REPLACE FRONT BRAKE PADS AT LESS THAN 50, 000 MILES. I REALLY HAVE TO PUSH HARD TO STOP. *AK

WHEN DRIVING, THE TRUCK MAKES CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE, BUT BEFORE A LOSS OF POWER IS FELT. WHEN WE FIRST TOOK IN THE TRUCK, THE MECHANICS AT CAL WORTHINGTON SAID THEY COULD NOT HEAR ANYTHING OR FEEL ANY LOSS OF POWER. AFTER THEY CLAIMED THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM, THE PROBLEM KEPT COMING BACK. AFTER SEVERAL TIMES THEY STILL CLAIMED THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, UNTIL WE GOT FURIOUS AND UPSET. THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, AND THEY ALSO CLAIMED THAT MOST OF THEIR TRUCKS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE TAKEN IN OUR TRUCK SEVERAL TIMES, THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO STOP THE NOISES AND LOSS OF POWER. TO THIS DAY THE PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURING SPECIALLY WHEN WHEN GOING UP A SMALL ASCENT. THE PROBLEM ALSO OCCURS QUITE FREQUENTLY AT THE 60-70 MPH RANGE. WE HAVE NOT FIGURED OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, BUT THEY DO. FROM WHAT WE HAVE NOTICED OVER THE PAST YEARS THAT WE HAVE TAKEN IN THE TRUCK FOR REPAIRS THEY HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO STOP IT.*AK

THIS VEHICLE HAS DISPLAYED FRONT END ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS, AND PARTS IN THE FRONT END KEEP LOOSENING, AFTER PURCHASE NOTICED LEFT FRONT WHEEL IS SHIMMED OUT FURTHER AWAY FROM VEHICLE THAN THE OTHER WHEELS. I WAS TOLD THIS IS A NORMAL PROCEDURE TO "BALANCE" THE VEHICLE AFTER MANUFACTURE. IN LIGHT OF ALL THE FRONT END PROBLEMS I NEED TO KNOW IF THIS TRUCK IS SAFE FOR MY FAMILY TO BE DRIVING. HAS TESTING BEEN DONE AFTER THE "BALANCING" PROCEEDURETO INSURE THIS VEHICLE COMPLIES TO HANDLING AND SAFETY SPECIFICATIONS? DO BOLTS LOOSENING IN THE FRONT END CONSTITUTE A SAFETY HAZARD? I HAVE NOTICED THE VEHICLE PULLS RIGHT AND SOMETIMES SEEMS TO REACT WITH A RAPID PULL RIGHT TO SOME ROAD SURFACE DEFECTS AND HAS ALMOST PULLED THE STEERING WHEEL FROM MY HANDS. I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH CHRYSLER AND THE DEALERSHIPS SINCE DAY 1 AND HAVE GONE THROUGH THEIR DISPUTE SETTLEMENT PROCESS AND WAS TOLD MY DEFECTS TO NOT INFLICT ANY DETRIMENT TO THE VALUE, SAFETY OR USEFULNESS OF THE VEHICLE!*AK

I WAS TRAVELING EAST ON THE PAVED PORTION OF NEVADA STATE ROURE 290 AT ABOUT 50 MPH. THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. ABOUT A 10 INCH LONG PORTION OF THE TIRE JUST SHREDED. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL GOODYEAR DEALER HE REFUSED TO MAKE GOOD ON IT. HE CLAIMED I HAD RUN OVER A CURB OR SOME OTHER OBSTACLE. I HAD NEVER RUBBED A CURB, LET ALONE HIT ONE, OR HIT ANY OTHER OBSTACLE. I FIGURED IT WAS NOT WORTH THE TIME AND EFFORT TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. I KNOW OF TWO OTHER PEOPLE IN CARSON CITY WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH GOODYEAR TIRES. FIRESTONE HAS BEEN RACKED OVER THE COALS. I TINK IT IS TIME TO, AT LEAST, INVESTIGATE GOODYEAR TO SEE HOW SAFE THEIR TIRES ARE. *AK (DOT NUMBER: UNKNOWN TIRESIZE: P265/75R16)