2004 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK ABOUT 2.5 MONTHS AGO USED WITH 59XXX MILES ON IT. THIS INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES NOW. THE FIRST TIME I WAS COMING OFF THE FREEWAY APPROACHING A STOPLIGHT. AS I WAS SLOWING DOWN WHEN I HIT ABOUT 20 MPH MY TRUCK COMPLETELY STALLED. ALL POWER WAS ON AFTER STALL, BUT I HAD NO BRAKES, NO STEERING, AND NO ENGINE. LUCKILY IM A STRONG GUY AND HAD PLENTY OF ROOM TO KEEP A STRAIGHT LINE AND VERY FORCEFULLY APPLY THE NON POWERED BRAKES. IT STARTED RIGHT BACK UP SO I KIND OF SHRUGGED IT OFF. IT HAPPENED A FEW MORE TIMES SINCE THEN, SAME SYMPTOMS: SLOWING DOWN FOR A TURN OR A STOP.... ENGINE DIES, NO STEERING, NO BRAKES, DEAD TRUCK, STARTS RIGHT UP. HOWEVER LAST NIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY IT STALLED ON ME A QUARTER OF THE WAY THROUGH A LEFT HAND TURN AT ABOUT 15 MPH. I COULDN'T TURN THE WHEEL HARD ENOUGH TO FINISH MY TURN, I COULDN'T APPLY THE BRAKES HARD ENOUGH TO STOP IN A SAFE AMOUNT OF TIME, I DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. I HAD TO QUICKLY APPLY MY EMERGENCY BRAKE. STOPPING JUST IN TIME ABOUT 1 FOOT SHORT OF DRIVING INTO A GUARDRAIL WITH A STEEP EMBANKMENT ON THE OTHER SIDE. I AM LITERALLY SCARED TO DRIVE THIS TRUCK NOW, SCARED FOR MY LIFE AND OTHER PEOPLES LIVES. APPARENTLY THERE SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE TRUCKS STALLING, BUT NO RECALLS TO MY KNOWLEDGE OR DEFINITIVE PROBLEM HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED... PLEASE HELP! RESPECTFULLY, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

AFTER RECEIVING THE RECENT SAFETY RECALL NOTICE REGARDING AIR BAGS, I TOOK MY 2004 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB TO SOUTHERN DODGE CHRYSLER JEEP RAM LOCATED IN NORFOLK, VA. MY VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED, AND I WAS INFORMED BY A REPRESENTATIVE THAT THE AIR BAGS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE REP. ALSO STATED THAT THE REQUIRED PARTS WOULD BE ORDERED, BUT DUE TO A BACKLOG/SHORTAGE, IT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS (MINIMUM) UNTIL THE REQUIRED PARTS ARRIVED. I INQUIRED ABOUT HAVING THE AIR BAGS DEACTIVATED AS A SAFETY PRECAUTION SINCE THEY MEET THE CRITERIA TO BE REPLACED. THE REPRESENTATIVE STATED IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO DEACTIVATE THE AIR BAGS BECAUSE DOING SO WOULD VIOLATE FEDERAL REGULATIONS. I FIND IT HIGHLY UNACCEPTABLE THAT I NOW HAVE TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE, FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS (MINIMUM), WITH A KNOWN SAFETY DEFECT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, A GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD AND A BURNING OIL ODOR ENTERED THE CABIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR AXLE PINION BECAME LOOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V796000 (POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 121,355.

PULLING UP TO STOP SIGN TRAVELING ABOUT 5-10 MPH. DRIVE SHAFT FELL OUT AND REAR END LOCKED UP. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO SHOP AND TOTAL BILL WAS OVER 1200.00 INCLUDING TOW. HAS OTHER DODGE RAMS HAD THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AND MY 2004 DODGE RAM 1500 4X4 SPUTTERED AND DIED WITHOUT WARNING. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE, AND IT WAS ALL I COULD DO TO PULL IT TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD AS IT LOST POWER. I WAS HEADED UPHILL, SO I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND LET IT ROLL BACK BECAUSE I WAS BLOCKING AN ENTRANCE RAMP TO THE INTERSTATE. IT WAS 5 PM AND I WAS WESTBOUND, SO PEOPLE HAD DIFFICULTY SEEING MY HAZARD LIGHTS WHILE LOOKING INTO THE SUN. IT WAS SCARY! WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND GARAGE KEPT, THIS TRUCK BROKE AN ENGINE VALVE SPRING. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE ENGINE FAILS IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE THERE IS NO LONGER COMPRESSION IN THAT CYLINDER. I WAS LUCKY, THE SPRING HELD IN PLACE AND DID NOT ALLOW THE VALVE TO DROP INTO THE CYLINDER, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC AND IRREPARABLE. AFTER RESEARCH, I FOUND DODGE KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IN THE 2004 HEMI ENGINE. IN FACT, THEY REDESIGNED THE VALVE SPRINGS IN THE 2005 MODELS. SEVERAL SITES & BLOGS SHOWED OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT DODGE NEVER STARTED A CAMPAIGN OR ISSUED A RECALL. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER (DODGE) AND THEY REFUSE TO ASSIST OR ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. IF THIS HAD OCCURRED ON A BUSY INTERSTATE, I COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED, I LOST POWER STEERING AND ANY ABILITY TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE. IF NEEDED, I HAVE ALL DOCUMENTATION, AND I ALSO HAVE THE BROKEN VALVE SPRING IN MY POSSESSION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V354000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS FOGGED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE BLEND DOORS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TRUCK LOST ALL POWER, THROTTLE LAMP BLINKING. STALLED ON ROADWAY, WOULD START BUT WOULD NOT GIVE THROTTLE TO MOVE THE TRUCK. TURNED KEY OFF THEN BACK ON A FEW TIMES AND WOULD LET ME APPLY THROTTLE FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN BACK TO NO POWER. I DID THIS A FEW TIMES JUST TO GET OFF THE ROADWAY. THERE IS NO THROTTLE CABLE SO IT IS A COMPUTER CONTROL PROBLEM. *TR

I CLOSED MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND LOCKED IT WITH THE KEY LESS ENTRY. WHEN I CAME BACK TO THE CAR KEY LESS ENTRY WOULD NOT OPEN MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND LOCK IS STUCK IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE ONLY WAY TO GET INTO THE TRUCK ON THE DRIVER SIDE IS TO OPEN THE BACK DOOR AND REACH AROUND FROM THE INSIDE. I HAVE READ HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS, WHY IS THERE NO RECALL??? *TR

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, WHILE AT LOW SPEED (PULLING INTO AN INTERSECTION FROM A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN), THE ENGINE IDLE DROPS AND THE ENGINE STALLS. I HAVE TO BRAKE WITH MY LEFT FOOT AND KEEP THE ENGINE IDLE UP BY PRESSING ON THE GAS TO KEEP FROM STALLING. I HAVE BEEN ALMOST REAR ENDED SEVERAL TIMES AND DO NOT TRUST THE TRUCK. AFTER READING THE COMPLAINTS AND RESEARCH ON THE TRUCK, THIS HAPPENS A LOT AND IS DANGEROUS. WHEN I TALKED TO THE DEALER, THEY SAY THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS LIKE THIS AND THEY WOULD BE HAPPY TO DIAGNOSE THE TRUCK (FOR $125.00) AND GO FROM THERE. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, IT SEEMS THEY WANT TO EXCHANGE PARTS AND CHARGE FOR THE SERVICE. *TR