2009 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

SEVERE CORROSION RESULTING IN COMPROMISED STRUCTURAL FRAME INTEGRITY NEAR WHERE THE REAR BUMPER AND TOWING PACKAGES ATTACHES TO THE FRAME. APPEARS TO BE THE RESULT OF A FRAME REINFORCEMENT ON THE INSIDE OF THE FRAME THAT WAS NOT PROPERLY COATED WITH A RUST INHIBITOR AT THE FACTORY. MOISTURE LIKELY PENETRATED THE SPACE BETWEEN THE TWO METAL PIECES AND CAUSED COMPLETE RUST-THROUGH, COMPROMISING THE INTEGRITY OF THE REAR OF THE FRAME. THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE SINCE BUMPERS AND TOWING PACKAGES MOUNT TO THE FRAME IN THIS EXACT SPOT. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, BUMPERS OR TRAILERS IN TOW COULD BREAK AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE AND BECOME DANGEROUS PROJECTILES ON THE ROAD. THIS ISSUE WAS OBSERVED DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE TO THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. IT HAS LIKELY BEEN ONGOING FOR MONTHS. THE UNDERNEATH SIDE OF THE VEHICLE IS REGULARLY WASHED IN THE WINTER AND SPRING TO REMOVE DE-ICER THAT WAS APPLIED TO THE ROAD DURING WINTER STORMS. BOTH SIDES OF THE FRAME HAVE SEVERE CORROSION IN THE SAME SPOT. THE LEFT-SIDE FRAME HAS WORSE CORROSION THAN THE RIGHT SIDE. THE SUPPORT METAL IS VISIBLE ON THE RIGHT SIDE FRAME AND CAN BE SEEN IN THE IMAGES ATTACHED.

THE TOTAL INTEGRATED POWER MODULE FAILED AND IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM IN ALL CHRYSLER AND DODGE VEHICLES. THAT FAILS THE ENGINE RUNS ROUGH, AC, BRAKE LIGHT, TURN SIGNAL, HORN, WIPERS, STOP WORKING AND TRANSMISSION STAYS IN 1ST GEAR. THE LIGHTS ON THE DAS STAY ON: BRAKES, ABS, SEATBELT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND AIR BAG... THIS IS AN SPECIALLY WHEN THE MODULE FAILS WHILE DRIVING IN THE ROAD. DEALERS KNOW IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM BUT THEY RATHER HAVE CUSTOMER PAY FOR A NEW TIPM.

VEHICLE POWER FAILURE WHILE MOVING ON THREE OCCASIONS. VEHICLE LOSES ALL POWER INCLUDING STEERING. HAVE ALREADY REPLACED SEVERAL SENSORS AND THE PCM WITH NO SUCCESS. VERY HAZARDOUS TO ME AND ALL MOTORISTS AROUND ME.

FELT VIBRATION IN VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING ABOVE 30MPH. WAS DRIVING DOWN A CITY AT APPROXIMATELY 40MPH AND A VERY LOUD BOOM HAPPENED AND MY TRUCK JOLTED TO A STOP. THE REAR AXLE LOCKED UP BECAUSE THE PINION NUT BACKED OFF.

THERE WAS A RECALL AROUND 2012-2013 FOR 2009 DODGE RAM 1500 PICK UP TRUCKS BECAUSE SOME PINION NUTS COULD COME LOOSE. I HAD THE RECALL PERFORMED AS SOON AS I RECEIVED THE NOTICE. THE FIX FOR THIS WAS TO INSTALL A RETAINER THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW THE NUT TO LOOSEN. THIS WEEK, 12/16/19, I WENT TO REPLACE MY PINION SEAL AS I NOTICED LEAKING AT THE SHAFT. I FEEL THAT THE RETAINER THAT WAS USED TO HOLD THE NUT IN PLACE IS DEFECTIVE AND NOT A SUFFICIENT FIX AS THE NUT HAS DEFINITELY MOVED SINCE THE RECALL WORK WAS PERFORMED. THERE ARE MOST LIKELY STILL TRUCKS ON THE ROAD WHERE A DANGEROUS CONDITION IS BEGINNING TO DEVELOP AGAIN. I NOTICED THAT THE PINION NUT HAD ONLY ONE THREAD SHOWING AND TOOK VERY LITTLE FORCE TO REMOVE. AS I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO REMOVE THE RETAINER "HOLDING" THE NUT IN PLACE, I USED A HAMMER AND A PUNCH TO TRY TO SPIN IT. THE RETAINER AND THE NUT MOVED WITH VERY LITTLE EFFORT. THERE WAS ONLY ONE THREAD ON THE SHAFT SHOWING BEFORE I LOOSENED IT. I CALLED A DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME TO BRING IT IN THE NEXT MORNING. THE NUTS ON THESE ARE ALL INDIVIDUALLY ADJUSTED UNTIL THE BEARING YIELDS A CERTAIN RESISTANCE AND THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE WITH THE COMPONENTS IN THE REAR OF THE DIFFERENTIAL REMOVED. THE SERVICE MANAGER IS STARTING TO TALK ABOUT "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" SINCE THE RECALL. MY CONTENTION IS THAT THE ORIGINAL RECALL WAS NOT PERFORMED PROPERLY BY A DEALER WHEN THE RECALL WAS DONE. WE CAN NOT KNOW WHAT WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR IF THE NUT HAS BEEN COMING LOOSE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. THERE MAY BE A REQUIRED WASHER MISSING BUT THAT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED YET. IF THERE IS A WASHER MISSING, THAT MEANS THAT THEY REMOVED THE PINION NUT COMPLETELY BEFORE REPLACING IT WHICH YOU CANNOT DO WITHOUT REMOVING THE DIFFERENTIAL CARTRIDGE TO PROPERLY SET THE PRE-LOAD FORCE ON THE BEARING. EACH ONE OF THESE NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED INDIVIDUALLY.

THE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT WORK, HASN'T WORKED IN OVER 2 YEARS WE HAVE BROKE DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THINKING WE STILL HAD GAS! VERY UNSAFE AND VERY DANGEROUS!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR AXLE PINION FAILED DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE PART WAS SERVICED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V474000 (POWER TRAIN). PARKS MOTORS (11987 US-54, AUGUSTA, KS 67010, (316) 775-6365) PERFORMED THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE SAME DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO WARRANTIES ON RECALLS AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE REAR AXLE PINION WAS DAMAGED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 260,000.

WAS DRIVING ABOUT 25 MILES PER HOUR WHEN I HEARD A LOUD POP OR BANG. THE TRUCK FELT SLIGHTLY FUNNY. PUT INTO NEUTRAL AND COASTED TO AN EMPTY PARKING LOT. APPROX 75 TO 100 FEET AND STOPPED. WHEN I TRIED TO MOVE THE VEHICLE AGAIN IT WOULD LOCK UP WITHIN A FOOT OF TRAVEL. HAD TO TOW IT TO A GARAGE. THE REAR AXLE IS LOCKED UP THE REAR FLANGE IS SITTING AT A CROOKED ANGLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME NEAR THE TWO REAR WHEELS WAS RUSTED OUT. THE FAILURE WAS DISCOVERED BY BOB-BOYD CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM (2810 N COLUMBUS ST, LANCASTER, OH 43130, (740) 653-2277). THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS QUOTED A REPAIR COST OF $2,200. THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULED TO BE REPAIRED AROUND OCTOBER 7, 2019. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 131,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 DODGE RAM 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO FOURTH GEAR INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SOLENOID NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE YEARS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT A DIAGNOSIS WAS NOT PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 183,000.