1996 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45MPH, THE HOOD SAFETY LATCH FAILED ALLOWING THE HOOD TO FLY UPWARD INTO THE AIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THE LATCH WAS REPLACED UNDER A RECALL, HOWEVER THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPLACE THE HINGES OR HOOD. THE NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID# IS NOT AVAILABLE.

ON 3/9/06 MY HOOD ON MY 1996 DODGE RAM 1500 BLEW OPEN ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE IS DAMAGE TO THE HOOD AND THE HOOD HIDGES. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE HOOD LATCH #01V04000. I CONTACTED DODGE ABOUT THIS, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD REPAIR THE LATCH BUT NOT THE DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK. THEY SHOULD REPAIR THE DAMAGE ALSO, SINCE I DID NOT RECEIVE THE RECALL NOTICE. *NM

THE TOP SIDE OF THE INTERIOR DASH STARTED CRACKING APPROXIMATELY 9 MONTHS AGO AND WITHIN VERY SHORT TIME FRAME, IT NOW HAS VERY LARGE, MULTIPLE CRACKS. SEEM TO HAVE STARTED AROUND THE VENT AREAS. IT ALSO HAS A PROBLEM WITH SURGING WHEN DRIVING AT A LOWER STEADY SPEED. *NM

1996 DODGE 1500 BRAKES FAILED. *TS WHILE BRAKING AT A TOLL BOOTH THE VEHICLE BRAKES FAILED AND RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE HITTING THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO IT'S FRONT GRILL, FRONT BUMPER, THE HOOD WAS PUSHED BACK, THE RADIATOR WAS DAMAGED AND POSSIBLE ENGINE DAMAGE. THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT HIS BACK AND NECK FELT TIGHT AFTER THE CRASH. THE OTHER VEHICLE SUSTAINED HEAVY REAR END DAMAGE. THAT VEHICLES OCCUPANT STATED THAT HIS HEAD AND LEGS HURT. *NM

I PURCHASED THE TRUCK IN 1996 NEW FROM PARKS MOTORS IN AUGUSTA, SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION REBUILD 3 TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF 1 OR 2 GEAR OR IF IT DOES IT TAKES HIGH RPMS TO DO IT. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A SEAL IN THE UPPER HALF OF THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAULTY FROM THE FACTORY. THE FIRST TIME I HAD THIS REBUILT I COVERED THE COST MYSELF BECAUSE OF THE LOW MILEAGE WARRANTY THE SECOND TIME I HAD THIS REBUILT CHRYSLER AGREED TO PAY FOR HALF OF THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY KNEW IT HAD BEEN REBUILT ONCE BEFORE AND FAILED A 2ND TIME, THE THIRD TIME I PAID TO HAVE IT REBUILT OUT OF POCKET, I AM NOW AT THE POINT OF NEEDING IT REBUILT FOR A 4TH TIME MY TRUCK HAS 120,000 MILES ON IT NOW AND I HAVE YET TO SEE A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM I HAVE TALKED TO MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAVE ALSO BEEN TO MANY WEB SITES DESCRIBING THE SAME PROBLEMS I AM HAVING, THE TRANSMISSION ALSO HAS A 5 MILE AN HOUR DIFFERENCE THAN WHAT IT SHOULD BE. MY INCIDENT DATE IS NOT EXACT AS THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED MANY TIMES NOW OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD, I HAVE ALSO REPORTED THIS BEFORE BUT NEVER HAD ANY LETTERS OR HAVE BEEN INFORMED AS TO WHAT WAS GOING ON FROM THE DOT. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATES THAT BRAKE LINES THAT CARRY THE FLUID FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE WHEELS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE IS FROM WISCONSIN, AND THIS COULD HAVE BEEN BECAUSE OF THE SALT ON THE ROADS. ONE BRAKE LINE HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY BEEN REPAIRED, AND THE CONTACT IS WORRIED ABOUT THE BRAKE LINE RUSTING ON THE OTHER SIDE. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE RAN INTO A DITCH BECAUSE THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. ; HE HAD TO BE PULLED OUT OF THE DITCH. THE LINE RUSTED TO THE POINT WHERE IT FORMED A HOLE IN THE LINE. THE VEHICLE IS IN FLORIDA NOW. AND THE CONTACT DOES NOT FEEL HE WILL HAVE THE RUST PROBLEM AGAIN BECAUSE HE IS NOT LIVING IN A SALT STATE . THE ABS BRAKES HAVE NOT WORK SINCE THE BRAKE LINE WAS TEMPORARILY FIXED. *AK

NOTHING LEADING UP TO EVENT EITHER INCIDENT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SECONDS BEFORE TIRE SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE BECAUSE BOLTS WERE SHEARED OFF, THERE WAS A SLIGHT VIBRATION. FIRST INCIDENT IN 1999, BOLTS SHEARED OFF FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 25 MPH, NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO TRUCK, REPAIRED AND HAD NO FURTHER PROBLEMS UNTIL 2005 WHEN TRAVELING 65 MPH BOLTS AGAIN SHEARED OFF FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE, AGAIN VIBRATIONS ABOUT A MINUTE BEFORE TIRE SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE. THIS TIME THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE, FORTUNATELY NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED TO THOSE IN VEHICLE OR OTHERS. CURRENTLY TRUCK IS IN FOR REPAIR, AGAIN USING CERTIFIED CHRYSLER PARTS, AND THEY ARE NEW AND INSTALLED CORRECTLY. WILL NEED AUTOBODY REPAIR THIS TIME DUE TO OTHER DAMAGE SUSTAINED TO VEHICLE. NEW TIRES WERE PUT ON CORRECTLY ABOUT 4000 MILES AGO WITH NO PROBLEMS TO THIS POINT EITHER. *NM

DT: CONSUMER STATES HE OWNS A 1996 DODGE RAM 1500 PICK UP TRUCK. WHILE HAULING A TRAILER, THE WIRES FROM THE TRAILER BECAME CAUGHT BETWEEN THE TRAILER AND THE TRAILER HITCH OF THE VEHICLE. THIS CAUSED THE WIRING HARNESS SYSTEM TO BURN OUT. THIS CAUSED THE FUEL GAUGE TO FAIL, IT SHORTED OUT THE FUSE TO THE FUEL PUMP CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STALL. THE CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE SERVICE DEALER. HE STATED THIS WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THE WIRING HARNESS CAME WITH A 40 AMP FUSE. THE CONSUMER ASKED FOR A 30 AMP FUSE TO BE INSTALLED BUT THE SERVICE DEALER WOULD NOT INSTALL THIS TYPE OF FUSE. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER; THEY SAID THEY WOULD CONSIDER REFUNDING THE CONSUMERS MONEY FOR REPAIRING THE VEHICLE. A NEW HARNESS HAS BEEN INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED FOR THE WIRING HARNESS, THE RECALL SERVICE WAS PERFORMED AUGUST 2, 1999. *JB

DT: WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE BRAKE LINE FAILED AND THE CONSUMER HAD NO BRAKES. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO STOP WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE AGAIN. THE BRAKE LINE WAS REPAIRED, AND THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED TO HAVE ALL OF THE OTHER LINES INSPECTED AND REPLACED. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, BRAKE FLUID LEAKED ONTO THE MUFFLER AND PRODUCED A CLOUD OF SMOKE. *JB THE BRAKE LINES, REAR BRAKE ON THE AXLE AND THE BRAKE LINE FROM THE BOTTOM WERE REPLACED. *SC *JB

THE SWITCH FOR THE HEADLIGHTS MUST BE FALSE SINCE THIS IS ALREADY THE SECOND TIME IN THE TWO YEARS THAT I HAVE OWNED MY TRUCK THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED. I UNDERSTAND THAT RECALLS DO OCCUR, BUT THIS IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND OUT OF MY WALLET. NOW, I DOUBT THAT I WILL BUY A DODGE AGAIN SINCE DODGE DOES NOT COVER ITS MISTAKES. *AK