2002 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

I HAVE HAD LARGE CRACKS DEVELOP IN THE STRUCTURAL PORTION OF MY DASH. THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENT OR DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 OR 2002 DODGE RAM 1500 (CAN'T RECALL THE YEAR SITTING AT MY DESK) AND THE DASHBOARD HAS STARTED TO CRACK. AT FIRST IT WAS ONE SMALL CRACK AND NOW I HAVE 4 SEPARATE CRACKS AND MY DASH APPEARS AS IF IT MIGHT CAVE IN. I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL SIMILAR ISSUES LIKE THIS WITH THIS MODEL VEHICLE. *TR

REAR DIFFERENTIAL BEGAN MAKING A HUMMING NOISE UNDER LOAD. IT HAD PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE UNTIL FAILURE. PINION BEARINGS ARE BAD. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE DODGE TRUCK PRODUCTS. A REPAIR SHOP IN MY TOWN JUST DID 3 REBUILD ON THIS TYPE TRUCK IN ONE WEEK. A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED . THIS REAR END COULD COME APART AND INJURY COULD BE HAPPEN. *TR

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THE CHECK GAUGES LIGHT AND AUDIBLE ALARM CAME ON. I LOOKED DOWN TO SEE I HAD NO OIL PRESSURE ON MY TRUCK. IT WAS A 2002 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB 4X4 WITH 69043 MILES. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND CHECKED THE OIL. EVERYTHING SEEMED OK. I THOUGHT START THE TRUCK TO SEE IF THERE WAS A FLUKE IN THE WARNING. THE OIL PRESSURE CAME UP AND I SET THERE EVERYTHING WAS OK. I PROCEEDED DOWN THE HIGHWAY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE OIL PRESSURE I NOTICED IT DROPPING AGAIN. I PULLED OVER AND CALLED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEN A TOW TRUCK TO PICK UP AND DELIVER MY TRUCK TO THE DEALER. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THE MOTOR NEEDS REPLACING AND WILL NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. OIL SLUDGE HAS BUILT UP IN THE MOTOR. THE OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED THREE TIMES BY A DODGE DEALERSHIP ONCE BY A LOCAL GARRAGE AND THE OTHER 5 TIMES BY ME. I HAVE CHANGED THE OIL AS RECCOMMENED BY THE VEHICLE MANUAL. THE FAILURE HAS CAUSED A ENGINE LOSS AND REPLACEMENT IS REQUIRED. I HAVE TRIED TO WORK EXTENSIVLEY WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND CHRYSLER CORPORATION WITH REFUSAL FROM BOTH. THE TRUCK IS CURRENTLY AT FAILURE WAITING FOR WARRANTY REPAIRS. *AK

2002 DODGE RAM 1500 5.9 - VEHICLE OFTEN STALLS OR ALMOST STALLS DUE TO COMING TO A STOP AT A STOP SIGN/LIGHT, DRIVING BELOW 5 MPH, OR STARTING THE TRUCK. THE RPMS WILL DROP BELOW 500 AND THE TRUCK WILL START TO SPUDDER & THEN STALL. IT STALLED COMING UP TO A STOP SIGN MORE THAN ONCE CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK AND ALMOST CAUSING ACCIDENTS. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM SO I HAD FUEL SYSTEM CLEANED & THROTTLE BODY CLEANED. DID NOT FIX ISSUE. *JB

I HAVE SUFFERED TWO MAJOR SYSTEM FAILURES IN MY 2002 DODGE RAM 1500, BOTH OF WHICH RESULTED IN A COMPLETE LOCK OF THE STEERING WHILE DRIVING. IN BOTH INSTANCES, FIRST AT 30,000 KM IN FEB 04, AND NOW AT 72,000 KM IN FEB 07, THE POWER STEERING RACK HAS BROKEN, RESULTING IN A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE, REQUIRING A KING KONG GRIP ON THE STEERING WHEEL SIMPLY TO TURN THE WHEEL EVEN ONE INCH. THE FIRST FAILURE WAS COVERED BY CHRYSLER UNDER THE THREE YEAR WARRANTY, BUT THIS ONE IS NOT BEING COVERED UNDER THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. BOTH FAILURES WERE LUCKILY AT LOW SPEED, BUT IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN IN TWO YEARS, I PRAY THAT IT DOES NOT HAPPEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS ON CARCOMPLAINTS.COM FOR THE SAME FAILURE, AND THERE IS ANOTHER DODGE RAM AT THE DEALER RIGHT NOW WITH THE SAME BREAK DOWN. *JB

LOST ENGINE OIL PRESSURE . USED BERRYMANSB12 IN ENGINE OIL . OIL PRESSURE CAME BACK . DRAINED OIL AND INSTALLED NEW OIL AND FILTER . STARTED ENGINE NO OIL PRESSURE . REMOVED OIL PAN , SUCTION SCREEN PLUGGED WITH SLUDGE AND HARD OIL DEPOSITS . CLEANED EVERYTHING . INSTALLED OIL PAN . NEW OIL AND FILTER . STARTED ENGINE , SO FAR OK . HAVE 110,000 MILES ON ENGINE. *NM

FOUND METAL PIECES THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL OF MY 2002 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB 4X4. THE WHOLE REAR END HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS APPARENTLY A WELL DOCUMENTED KNOWN PROBLEM BASED ON HUNDREDS OF FORUM THREADS UNDER "C-CLIP", "RETAINER CLIP" AND/OR "CLUTCH PACK RETAINER" PROBLEMS. *JB

DRIVING ON RT. 10 IN NJ, OIL PRESSURE GAUGE DROPPED AND ENGINE MADE A LOUD NOISE AND STOPPED. BARELY MADE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AFTER ALMOST GETTING REAR ENDED. HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER WHERE DODGE'S INDEPENDENT INSPECTOR SAID IT WAS THE THERMOSTAT. HAD ENGINE REPLACED BY MY MECHANIC AND WAS DETERMINED TO BE SLUDGE BUILD UP WITH THE PUMP COMPLETELY CLOGGED AND THE OIL SCREEN ALSO CLOGGED WITH METAL FRAGMENTS. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS LEAKING FLUID FROM THE RACK AND PINION. THE FIRST LEAK OCCURRED AT 68,000 MILES WHICH WAS A MINOR LEAK ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE RACK AND PINION SHOULD BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RACK AND PINION SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED AT A MILEAGE OF 70,000. THEN THERE WAS A MAJOR LEAK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AFTER THE REPAIR SHOP DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT IS AWARE THAT THERE IS NO RECALL ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE FOR HIS VEHICLE. *JB