2005 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

1ST INCIDENT 2/21/13: DRIVING ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY W/CENTER LEFT TURN LANES AT 40 WHEN A CAR CUT ACROSS FROM THE RIGHT TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. HIT THE BRAKES CAUSING THE FRONT TO LOCK UP (REAR ABS ONLY). TRUCK STARTED STOPPING, BUT CONTINUED MOVING FORWARD AGAINST THE FRONT BRAKES AND INTO THE CAR. TRUCK LEFT UNUSUALLY LONG SKID MARKS. POLICE AND INSURANCE REPORTS MADE. DAMAGED TO FRONT BUMPER. 2ND INCIDENT 3/5/13: DRIVING AT 40 ON CURVED SECTION OF HIGHWAY WITH 2 LANES IN DIRECTION I WAS GOING AND 1 LANE ON OPPOSITE SIDE SEPARATED BY LARGE GRASS MEDIUM WHEN A CAR PULLED OUT FROM THE LEFT HAND U-TURN IN THE MEDIUM. HIT THE BRAKES CAUSING THE TRUCK TO SLIDE STRAIGHT THROUGH CURVE ONTO GRASS SHOULDER. TRUCK CAME TO COMPLETE STOP AND HEARD THE RIGHT REAR SPINNING IN THE DIRT. PUT MY LEFT FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO HOLD TRUCK FROM MOVING. I CHECKED TO MAKE SURE I WAS NOT ON THE GAS. IT SPUN FOR SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE STOPPING. TRUCK LEFT NORMAL LENGTH OF SKID MARKS. DID NOT SMELL BURNT BRAKES IN REAR; POSSIBLY NOT ENGAGED AT ALL. I AM CURRENTLY LOOKING TO SEE IF I CAN TEST THE BRAKING AT A LOCAL DIRT TRACK TO VERIFY THIS ISSUE, AND TO HAVE OUTSIDE OBSERVATION OF THE OCCURRENCE. I HAVE REPLACED ALL FOUR DISK BRAKES WITH HIGH PERFORMANCE BRAKE ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS TO ASSIST WITH BETTER BRAKING IN THE LAST WEEK. I WILL POST THE RESULTS HERE ONCE I CAN ARRANGE THE TEST. HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH NORMAL OR HEAVY BRAKING; ONLY EMERGENCY BRAKING. FIRST INCIDENT RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT, LUCKILY NO INJURIES. THE DRIVE WHEEL WAS IN THE DIRT FOR SECOND INCIDENT; THERE WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, AND MAY BE THE CAUSE OF OTHER ACCIDENTS AND NOT REPORTED BECAUSE DRIVER COULD NOT REALIZE IT HAPPENED. IT APPEARS TO BE THE PROBLEM WHERE THE ABS SYSTEM CAUSES EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILD UP RESULTING IN COMPUTER MALFUNCTION. *TR

THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR FAILED CAUSING IT TO BE STUCK IN THE "LOCKED" POSITION. USING THE KEY FOB AND MANUALLY TURNING THE KEY IN THE DOOR LOCK HAD NO EFFECT ON THE MECHANISM. THE ONLY WAY TO OPEN THE DOOR WAS BY ENTERING THROUGH THE PASSENGER SIDE. UPON OPENING THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE BY USE OF THE DOOR HANDLE THE HANDLE BECAME STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION AND HAD TO BE PUSHED BACK TO ITS DEFAULT SETTING. THE LOCK MAKES A VERY LOUD "PANG" NOISE NOW WHEN LOCKING AS IF METAL ON METAL CONTACT IS BEING MADE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX 30MPH, I HEARD A GROWLING SOUND COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE, WHICH STOPPED. A FEW SECONDS LATER, ANOTHER, LOUDER, GROWLING SOUND WAS HEARD. AS I STARTED TO PULL OFF THE ROAD, THERE WAS A LOUD BOOM, FOLLOWED BY THE REAL WHEELS LOCKING UP. UPON INSPECTING, FOUND THE DRIVESHAFT HAD COME OFF THE DIFFERENTIAL. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 195 I ENTERED EXIT LANE 28A AND WITHOUT WARNING AT 60MPH MY REAR TIRES LOCKED UP, THE DRIVESHAFT DISCONNECTED FROM REAR AND MY TRUCK WENT INTO AN UNCONTROLLED SPIN. IT WAS 5 SECONDS OF TERROR THAT I THOUGHT WOULD SURELY END IN DISASTER. I STOPPED DANGEROUSLY BLOCKING THE EXIT RAMP AND HAD TO RISK MY LIFE TO PULL THE SHAFT OUT OF THE FRONT SWITCH TO FOUR WHEEL DRIVE AND DRAG MY TRUCK ONTO THE SHOULDER AS CARS SPED AROUND ME. I HAVE A 9.25" REAR WITH A 3.92 RATIO AND THE PINION NUT CAME OFF LODGED IN THE SHAFT AS THE PINION GEAR JAMMED UP THE REAR AXLES. SOUND FAMILIAR? HELP!! I WAS TOLD BY CHRYSLER THERE ARE NO ISSUES WITH MY MODEL YEAR TRUCK BUT I SEE A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS ONE. I WAS LUCKY THAT I WASN'T KILLED. HOPEFULLY CHRYSLER FIXES THIS FAULT BEFORE SOMEONE ISN'T SO LUCKY. *TR

TRUCK STALLED AS I WAS TURNING INTO A DRIVEWAY. THIS RESULTED IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. THERE WERE NO INDICATORS ON THE DASH THAT THE ENGINE HAD STALLED. IN DOING AN INTERNET SEARCH, THIS SEEMS LIKE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH DODGE PICKUPS OF THIS VINTAGE. *TR

DRIVING HEARD NOISE FROM REAR OF TRUCK. SOUNDED LIKE A VERY HARSH GRIND, THEN A LOUD BANG. REAR WHEELS LOCKED UP AND TRUCK WENT INTO A HOPPING SKID. DRIVE SHAFT AND YOKE STILL TOGETHER WAS ON THE GROUND AND PINION NUT, IN TACT, TRAPPED BETWEEN UNIVERSAL JOINT AND YOKE. TOWED TO SHOP, FOUND EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO RING AND PINION GEARS, PINION BEARING, CARRIER (GEAR HOUSING) AND CRACKED OUTER HOUSING. GEAR OIL IN GREAT CONDITION, NO SIGNS OF OVERHEATING. *TR ...UPDATED 01/07/15 *BF UPDATED 06/2/2015 *JS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, A LOUD NOISE SOUNDED OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AS THE DRIVE SHAFT DISENGAGED AND THE REAR WHEELS SEIZED. THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY TURNED A FULL 180 DEGREES. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT AUTO MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT ONE OF THE NUTS HAD DISLODGED FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 178,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED HOWEVER, THIRTEEN ELECTRICAL UPDATES WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE IN AN ATTEMPT TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS AND PARKING, THE BRAKES FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HIT A CURB. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE NON SERVICEABLE HYDRAULIC PUMP IN THE ANTI LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. TWO YEARS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 95,000. UPDATED 03/12/13*LJ UPDATED 3/13/13 UPDATED 3/27/13 UPDATED 04/18/2013*JS

THE WIPER DELAYS DON'T WORK AND SHUT OFF ON THEIR OWN. THEY WILL TURN ON WHEN THE SWITCH IS TURNED OFF. THEY WILL SOMETIMES WORK ON THE DELAY AND OTHER TIMES GO FULL SPEED ONLY. I LIVE IN BELLEVUE WASHINGTON WHERE IT RAINS FREQUENTLY SO I RELY ON MY WIPERS TO WORK PROPERLY SO I DON'T GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE TRIED TO REPLACE THE RELAY SWITCH (NO LUCK). I HAVE READ MAY POSTS IN FORUMS FOR DODGE RAM 1500 OWNERS AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE BUT NO FIXES HAVE BEEN FOUND. MANY OWNERS HAVE BROUGHT THEIR TRUCKS TO THE DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR WITH NO LUCK. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND IT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. IT IS OBVIOUSLY NOT A SIMPLE FIX AND DODGE SHOULD BE LOOKING INTO A SOLUTION FOR ALL THE OWNERS OF DODGE RAM 1500 TRUCKS. *TR