2002 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

LEAF SPRING BREAKS IN THE MIDDLE OF BOLT EYELIT AND REAR AXLE SLIDES BACK AND DRIVESHAFT ALMOST FALLS OUT. *NM

ENTIRE GAUGE CLUSTER FAILED. HEADLIGHTS AND RUNNING LIGHTS CAME ON WITH THE SWITCH IN THE OFF POSITION. TURN SIGNALS, EMERGENCY FLASHERS AND BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT OPERATE. ELECTRIC LOCKS DID NOT OPERATE. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE. THE FIRST TIME IT CORRECTED ITSELF AFTER CHECKING ALL OF THE FUSES. THE SECOND TIME IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP HAS DIAGNOSED A INTERNAL SHORT IN THE GAUGE CLUSTER WITH AN EXPECTED REPAIR COST OF $900.00. *NM

I HAD AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER,WHICH CAUSED ALL OF MY GAUGES TO STOP WORKING. NO SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, BATTERY, OIL OR TEMPERATURE GAUGE. MY TURN SIGNALS, HORN, INTERIOR LIGHTS, WIPERS, AND POWER DOOR LOCKS ALSO FAILED. I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT I HAD NO STOP/BRAKE LIGHTS OR FOG LIGHTS, BUT HAD HEADLIGHTS AND PARKING LIGHTS EVEN THOUGH THE INTERIOR SWITCH WAS IN THE OFF POSITION. EVEN THOUGH THIS TRUCK WAS PURCHASED NEW IN JANUARY OF 2002 AT JERRYS DODGE (NOW SAFFORD DODGE, AND THE THREE YEAR WARRANTY WAS JUST UP, I ONLY HAD 7,078 MILES ON THE TRUCK AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CLUSTER BUT I HAD TO PAY. I THINK THIS CLUSTER SUDDENLY GOING OUT IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. THANK GOD MINE WENT OUT IN THE DAY TIME AND NOT AT NIGHT. I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED AS IT IS. THIS IS THE FOURTH INCIDENT OF A FAILED INSTRUMENT CLUSTER THAT I KNOW OF. I AM SURE THERE ARE MORE, AND I HAVE READ THAT CHRYSLERDAIMLER/DODGE HAS HAD CLUSTER PROBLEMS IN SOME OF THEIR OTHER VEHICLES.*JB

DT: THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET IN JANUARY WHEN HE TURNED THE TURN SIGNAL TO THE TURN RIGHT, HE LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THAT THE TURN SIGNAL WAS FLASHING TO THE LEFT. THIS PROBLEM RECURRED REPEATEDLY. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL WAS ON, THE INDICATOR WOULD SHOW THAT THE TURN SIGNAL WAS TO THE RIGHT. THE OWNER SAID THAT SOMETIMES IF HE'D ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE STEERING WHEEL, THE INDICATOR WOULD SWITCH TO THE OTHER DIRECTION. THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT FIND CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE OWNER CONTACTED DODGE, WHO SAID THAT THE CONSUMER COULD TAKE THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. THE CONSUMER THOUGHT THAT THIS DID NOT MAKE SENSE. THE PROBLEM INTERMITTENT. WHEN THE PROBLEM DID OCCUR, IT SEEMED TO REPEAT ITSELF THEN IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN FOR A WHILE. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR ANY OTHER WARNINGS WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. *AK (11/21/05) *SC

SUDDEN AND COMPLETE FAILURE OF RACK AND PINION STEERING UNIT ON 2002 DODGE RAM 1500 PICKUP TRUCK. SEAL FAILURE CAUSED IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER STEERING FLUILD. CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL ON HIGHWAY. UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND SLOW TO A STOP ALONG THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, BUT ONLY AFTER VENTURING INTO THE ONCOMING LANE OF TRAFFIC. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET HAS BROUGHT TO LIGHT MANY RELATED COMPLAINTS, INCLUDING STEERING FAILURES THAT HAVE RESULTED IN INJURY AND DEATH.

TRUCK WAS TAKEN INTO THE AUTOWEST DODGE DEALERSHIP TO FIX TAILLIGHTS THAT DIDN'T WORK. AT THE TIME THE TRUCK WAS IN THEIR POSSESSION THERE WERE 2 OPEN RECALLS AND THEY DID NOT NOTIFY ME OF EITHER. NINE MONTHS LATER THE BRAKES, CLUTCH, AND POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT. ONCE I GOT IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THE ENGINE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. TRUCK IS A TOTAL LOSS. TRUCK HAD 31,000 MILES ON IT. DAIMLERCHRYSLER HAS DENIED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. *NM

DT: CONTACT STATES: WHEN WATER IS SPLASHED UNDER THE UNDER CARRIAGE OF HIS TRUCK, THE STEERING GOES OUT. HE CANNOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AT ALL. HE SAYS HE IS GOING APPROX. 25-30 MPH WHEN IT HAPPENS. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE WHEN IT HAS BEEN RAINING. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY WOULD LOOK AT BUT AT THE CONSUMER'S COST. THE MANUFACTURER TOLD HIM THE SAME THING. THE CONSUMER SAYS THE WARRANTY HAS RUN OUT. THE CONSUMER SAYS HE DOES NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE WATER IS SPLASHING, JUST THE UNDER CARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE. *NM

DT: WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION IT WOULD STALL AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND THEY ASKED THE CONSUMER WHAT DID SHE WANT THEM TO DO ABOUT IT AND THAT THEY COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER WAS INSTRUCTED TO THE VEHICLE HOME. THE CONSUMER REPORTED TO THE DEALER AT LEAST 4 TIMES AND RECEIVED THE SAME ANSWER EACH TIME. *AK *SC

ON JUNE 4TH,2005 MY WIFE HAD AN ACCIDENT IN A 2002 DODGE PICKUP. ON HER WAY TO WORK SHE WAS DRIVEING AROUND 45 MILES AN HOUR. UNTIL A CAT RAN IN FRONT OF HER BY REFLAX SHE TRIED TO AVIOD THE CAT SO SHE SWERVED TO THE RIGHT AND STRUCK A MAILBOX THEN SHE SWERVED TO THE LEFT TRYING TO GIAN CONTROL OF THE TRUCK. THEN WHILE TRYING TO GIAN CONTROL SWERVED BACK TO THE RIGHT GOING OVER A DITCH AND ENTERING PRIVATE PROPERTY. THEN SHE STRUCK A PINE TREE WHICH ALSO STRUCK SOME POWER LINES. WHEN SHE CRASHED INTO THE PINE TREE THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY ALSO THE SEAT BELT DIDN'T LOCK ETHIER. MY WIFE HIT THE STEERING WHEEL WITH THE CHEST AND HER ELBOWS. AGTER SHE HIT THE STEERING WHEEL SHE BOUNCED BACK TOTHE SET WHICH CAUSED HER NECK PIAN AND LEFT SOULDER AND HER LEFT SIDE OF HER LOWER BACK. WHICH LEAD TO HER DAMAGEING HER LOWER BACK SHE WAS ALSO TAKEN TO THE EMERGNCY ROOM BY AN AMBULANCE. THEN I CALLED CHRYSLER ON JUNE 6TH 2005 THEY ASKED ME FOR MY VIN NUMBER OF MY TRUCK. THEN THEY LIED TO ME ABOUT CALLING, SENDING A LETTER,SEND A FAX TO THE BODYSHOP WHERE MY TRUCK AT, AND EACH TIME I CALLED THEY ALWAYS CHANGE INFOMATION AND THEY HAVEN'T TOLD ANYTHING REGARDING TO MY TRUCK. OLD PARTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE. THIS THE REFERENCE NUMBER 137455235 THE REPORT NUMBER FROM THE STATE TROOPER IS FHPA05FF024427.

EVERYTHING BAD ON MY 2002 RAM 4WD. I HAVE HAD NEW BEARINGS IN MY TRUCK,RADIATOR 2X,FRON AXLES 3X,REAR AXLES 2X, NEW ENGINE, POWER STEERING HOSES 2X, I HATE THS TRUCK I WILL NEVER OEN A DODGE AGAIN... I HAVE ALREADY TOLD ALOT OF PEOPLE NOT TO BUY A DODGE. DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 55 MPH AND THE REAR END LOCKS UP... THEY PUT THE WRONG FLUID IN IT FROM THE FACTORY AND BURNT IT UP! ITS ONY 3 YEARS OLD AND I GOT IT IN NOV OF 2002.... I HAVE PUT 4 SETS OF FRONT AND REAR BRAKES ON IT SINCE I HAVE HAD IT! I TOOK IT IN TO BE FIXED EVERYTIME AND IT HAPPINS AGAIN WITH IN 6 MONTHS! LAST DODGE I WILL OWN!!!!