1998 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A 45MPH ROAD AND THE TRUCK WAS NOT SHIFTING SO I PULLED TO THE SIDE SHUT IT OFF TURNED IT BACK ON THE CHECKED ALL THE GEARS AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE THEN I TRIED DRIVING AGAIN AND IT STALLED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND WILL NOT START AND THE ENGINE MAKES A WEIRD RUMBLE NOISE. *TR

MY 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB IS LOCATED IN NEW ENGLAND WHERE ROAD SALT IS USED IN THE WINTER. THE UNDERCARRIAGE IS RUSTING BECAUSE OF THIS, THE MOST DANGEROUS ASPECT, HOWEVER IS THE COIL SPRING FRONT MOUNTS, OR BUCKETS THAT HOLD THE BOTTOM SPRINGS TO THE FRONT AXEL ASSEMBLY. DODGE HASN'T OFFERED TO RECALL DODGE TRUCKS TO REPAIR THIS DANGEROUS DESIGN FLAW, WHEREBY THE COIL MOUNTS WERE INSUFFICIENTLY COATED, AND IMPROPERLY DESIGNED TO TRAP SALTY WATER IN THEM TO ACCELERATE THE OXIDATION PROCESS. THIS IS NOT UNLIKE THE SAFETY ISSUE FORD WINDSTAR MINIVANS HAD WITH THEIR AXLES THAT TRAPPED SALTY WATER DURING WINTER AND CAUSED THEM TO ROT OUT AND SNAP CAUSING INJURY AND DEATH. MY CLOSE FRIEND WHO OWNS A MID 1990'S DODGE RAM TRUCK, WHO HAD HIS COIL SPRING BUCKET ACTUALLY FAIL CAUSING HIS FRONT END TO LUNGE FORWARD, HE WAS DRIVING SLOWLY WHEN IT HAPPENED SO HE WASN'T INJURED. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANY DATA ON INJURIES RELATED TO FAILURE OF THE COIL SPRING MOUNTS, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY HAVEN'T OCCURRED. DODGE SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO AT THE VERY LEAST, PROVIDE A KIT TO TRUCK OWNERS THAT REPAIRS THIS PROBLEM FREE OF CHARGE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE BRAKES BECAME INOPERABLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES OVER A PERIOD OF ONE MONTH. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 178,000.

TRUCK WAS PARK BOTH TIMES..ONE TIME OVER NIGHT..THEN SECOND TIME PARKED AT WORK FOR 8 HOURS..WENT TO GET INTO TRUCK, NOTHING HAPPEN , NO SEAT BELT WAS WORKING.. WHY THERE NO RECALL ON SOMETHING LIKE SEAT BELT A BIG SAFETY ISSUE?? THERE WAS NOTHING I DID WRONG. *TR

I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL OF DEFECTIVE CLOCKSPRINGS THAT DISABLED AIRBAGS IN CERTAIN DODGE PRODUCTS (SAFETY RECALL 982)(NHTSA IDENTIFICATION NUMBER 01V-153). THE RECALL INCLUDED VEHICLES IN THE VIN LAST 8 DIGITS WS501493 TO WS771681. MY 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 HAS A LAST EIGHT DIGITS OF [XXX]. THUS, IT DOES FALL WITHIN THE RANGE OF RECALLED VIN NUMBERS. HOWEVER, FOR SOME REASON MY TRUCK IS NOT DESCRIBED AS ONE OF THOSE RECALLED. HOWEVER, I HAVE AN AIRBAG LIGHT THAT IS ON AND THE STEERING WHEEL MOUNTED CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK IT SEEMS TO ME THAT BOTH OF THESE ARE INDICATIONS OF A DEFECTIVE CLOCKSPRING JUST AS ON THE RECALLED VEHICLES. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE AND WHY MY VEHICLE MAKE MODEL AND YEAR IS NOT DESCRIBED AS RECALLED EVEN THOUGH THE LAST EIGHT VIN DIGITS FALLS WITHIN THE RANGE OF THOSE RECALLED FOR THIS DEFECT. CAN THE RECALL OF THIS BE STUDIED FURTHER AND EXPANDED TO INCLUDE MY VEHICLE? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING FROM A RESIDENTIAL GARAGE, THE FRONT END OF THE FRAME FRACTURED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED THAT THE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

1998 DODGE RAM 1500. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO STRAPS HOLDING GAS TANK THAT CAUSED FUEL PUMP DAMAGE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED. IT WAS DETERMINED THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, DUE TO RUST.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH IN REVERSE, HE NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL HAD BECOME ABNORMALLY LOOSE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE FORWARD BUT HE TURNED THE WHEEL RIGHT AND THE VEHICLE WENT LEFT. THE CONTACT THEN EXITED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE SUB FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. UPDATED 11-04-13 *BF UPDATED 11/8/2013 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 13V038000 (POWER TRAIN) SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE PART FOR THE REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR HAS BROKEN THREE TIMES SINCE 2003 (APPROXIMATE DATE), LEAVING THE SEAT BELT PAID-OUT (UNABLE TO RETRACT) AND USELESS. I REPLACED IT LAST MONTH FOR $185 PLUS TAX. PARTS SALESMAN WASN'T CONFIDENT THAT IT WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE (AS SOME SEAT BELTS ARE DISCONTINUED). SAFETY ITEMS SHOULD HAVE NO EXPIRATION! *TR