2000 DODGE RAM 1500 Complaints

THE DODGE RAM 1500 4X4 TRY K NEEDS TO BE RECALLED DUE TO BADE FRAM RUST AND BAD BODY RUST AND FOR THE BAD DASH THAT DODGE PUT IN THEM BUT LET'S FIRST. TALK ABOUT A SAFETY RECALL FOR THE BAD FARMS THAT WAS USED I WANT MY TRUCK FIXED AND DODGE SHOULD BE MADE TO DO SO

THE SPARE TIRE IS LOCATED UNDER THE CAR AND HELD UP WITH A STEEL CABLE VIA A WINCH HOIST. OVER TIME THE STEEL CABLE SHEERED OFF SO AT ONE POINT RECENTLY I LOST THE SPARE TIRE WHILE DRIVING AND I HAVE NOT NOTICED IT. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AS IT MAY HAVE DAMAGED A VEHICLE FOLLOWING ME. I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO BE DRIVING BEHIND ANOTHER PICKUP TRUCK AND SUDDENLY ITS SPARE TIRE FALLS OUT FROM UNDERNEATH IT. ATTACHED IS A PHOTO OF THE SPARE TIRE WINCH HOIST SHOWING THE SHEERED STEEL CABLE. THIS APPEARS NOT TO BE AN ISOLATED CASE AS CERTAINLY THERE ARE VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE AVAILABLE WHERE OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. I DON'T KNOW WHEN EXACTLY I LOST THE SPARE TIRE, I DO KNOW THAT I CHECKED ITS AIR PRESSURE ABOUT 6 MONTHS BEFORE WRITING THIS REPORT, HENCE I AM PICKING BELOW TODAY'S DATE.

DRIVING MY VEHICLE DOWN A CITY STREET I STARTED TO APPROACH A STOP SIGN. AS THE VEHICLE CAME ALMOST TO A STOP I HEARD A SCRAPING NOISE AND THEN THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY STOPPED. WHEN I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE ENGINE WOULD REV AND THE TRUCK WOULD ACT LIKE IT WAS IN PARK WHILE IN "D". I GOT OUT OF THE TRUCK TO INSPECT AND FOUND MY DRIVESHAFT WAS NO LONGER ATTACHED AT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, TO THE TRANSFER CASE. NO ABNORMAL NOISES WERE HEARD PRIOR TO THIS, OR ANY RUNNING ISSUES THAT WOULD HAVE INDICATED A PROBLEM. THE TRUCK WILL NOT MOVE IN FORWARD POSITION, BUT WILL ROLL BACKWARDS IN NEUTRAL. ONCE I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE DRIVESHAFT FROM THE TRANSFER CASE AND INSPECT, I FOUND THAT THE PINION NUT HAD BACKED OFF AND WAS STILL ENCASED INSIDE THE REAR FLANGE ATTACHED TO THE DRIVESHAFT & U-JOINT. FLUID HAD BEEN BLOWN OUT AND COVERED ALL OF THE REAR AXLE AND DIFFERENTIAL. I WAS ABLE TO ROLL MY VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL BACKWARDS OUT OF THE ROADWAY. WE HAULED VEHICLE HOME USING ONE OF OUR OTHER VEHICLES AND A TRAILER WITH A COME-A-LONG WENCH. VEHICLE IS STILL NOT REPAIRED AT THIS TIME. I HAVE CONTACTED DODGE DIRECTLY AT THE DEALER AS WELL AS THROUGH THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE CHAT. BOTH INSTRUCTED ME THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE AT THIS TIME. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT I FIX THE VEHICLE AND THAT IF A RECALL WAS RELEASED AT A LATER DATE THEN REIMBURSEMENT COULD POTENTIALLY BE ISSUED. THE REASON I CONTACTED DODGE WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MODEL YEARS THAT ARE SLIGHTLY NEWER THAN MY VEHICLE. A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR ALMOST 300K VEHICLES FOR THIS EXACT SAME COMPLAINT. I FEEL DODGE SHOULD HAVE DONE FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO HOW LONG THEY HAD BEEN USING THIS PARTICULAR DESIGN FOR THEIR REAR DIFFERENTIAL PINION NUT AND EXTENDED THE RECALL FURTHER.

WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY ROAD, THE VEHICLE JUST SHUT OFF. ALMOST LIKE I TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. ALL GAUGES WORKED AS NORMAL, STEREO, A/C, ETC(AUX POWER COMPONENTS) . NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON OR ANYTHING. PULLED TO SIDE OFF ROAD AND TURNED HAZARDS ON. I TRIED TO RESTART VEHICLE IT WOULD TURN OVER BUT WOULD NOT START, I THEN NOTICED IN THE ODOMETER THAT IT STATED "NO BUS" . THINKING IT MAY HAVE BEEN AN ELECTRONIC SYSTEM ISSUE WITH FUEL SYSTEM I CHECKED FUSE BOX UNDER THE HOOD. I PULLED THE FUEL SYSTEM RELAY OUT THEN REINSTALLED. TRUCK STARTED UP ( ALL THIS TOOK ABOUT 5-10 MIN). SO I PURCHASED A NEW RELAY BUT WAITED TO HAVE SEE IF ISSUE WAS RESOLVED. SITTING IN A PARKING LOT A FEW DAYS LATER I STARTED VEHICLE AND STARTED TO LOAD GROCERIES , THE VEHICLE SHIFT OFF AGAIN, I TRIED TO RESTART AND SAME THING, LOOKED AT ODOMETER AND AGAIN IT STATED 'NO BUS" SO I INSTALLED NEW RELAY. PUT IN OFF POSITION AND TRIED AGAIN. STILL NO LUCK. WAITED A FEW MIN AND TRIED TO START VEHICLE AGAIN AND IT STARTED UP. LOOKED UP ON FORUMS TO FIND POSSIBLE SOLUTION AND THE NEXT STEP WAS TO TRY THE COIL. I HAVE INSTALLED NEW COIL ON 06/05/2018 AND AM CURRENTLY WAITING FOR ISSUE TO COME AGAIN. TO DAY IS 06/06/2018. THINKING BACK THE VEHICLE HAS HAD SOME JERKING MOTIONS THAT ALMOST RESEMBLE THE SAME SYMPTOMS BUT NEVER FULLY DIED , JUST JERKED REALLY BAD BUT CONTINUED TO DRIVE. THIS IS UNSAFE FOR IF I WAS ON A HIGHWAY IT KILLS POWER TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *TR

LINKAGE IN STEERING COLUMN WILL REMAIN IN 2ND GEAR WHEN I HAVE PUT IT IN DRIVE. IT HAS BEEN IN MECHANICS TWICE. TWICE INTO MECHANICS REGARDING ANTIFREEZE SPILLING INSIDE THE CAB OF TRUCK. REPAIR WAS ON WATER PUMP BOTH TIMES. STILL HAVING PROBLEMS WITH BOTH CONCERNS. RESULTING IN HEALTH ISSUES BEING AT RISK LINKAGE WHILE IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY. ANTIFREEZE SPEWING INSIDE CAB OF TRUCK ON WINDSHIELD, CARPET AND MATS, ALSO CENTER OF CAB NEAR 4 WHEEL GEAR SHIFTER.OCCURS WHEN STATIONARY OR WHEN DRIVING.

VEHICLE STARTS TO HESITATE IN THE MIDDLE OF A LEFT TURN ALMOST SHUTTING OFF DOES IT COLD OR WARMED UP. TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET INTO GEAR AT A STOP LIGHT OR SIGN AND ALSO WHEN IT IS IN PARK AND PUT INTO DRIVE.

DASHBOARD TOTALLY AND I MEAN TOTALLY FELL APART, JUST FROM EVERYDAY DRIVINGS BUMPS, BOUNCES, AND VIBRATIONS ON CITY, STATE, AND NATIONAL STREETS, ROADS, AND HIGHWAYS.

10:30 PM DRIVING DOWN A TWO LANE HIGHWAY NO SHOULDER ON A HILL, IT WAS LIKE I TURNED THE KEY OFF. SURE GLAD THE FLASHERS WORKED,I HAD MY CELL PHONE AND A FLASH LIGHT SO I COULD SLOW TRAFFIC DOWN.LUCKY.. NO ONE WAS HURT OR KILLED.THE PICK UP WILL CRANK OVER WONT START. TOWED IT HOME,THE ODOMETER READS NO BUS THERE IS NO CODES THAT CAN BE READ AT THE DIAGNOSTIC LINK CONNECTOR.IT READS NO LINK.. WHY DOES DODGE PUT A LINK CONNECTOR ON VEHICLES IF THERE IS NO WAY TO READ ANY CODES SO I CAN FIX IT WITHOUT SPENDING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS AT THE DEALERSHIP? THE INTERNET IS FULL OF DODGES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM THAT PEOPLE CANT FIX WITHOUT HAULING TO THE DEALERSHIP.SURE HOPE YOU CAN HELP FIX THIS PROBLEM.(AN ELECTRICAL MESS).

MY DASHBOARD WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY THE SUN AND HEAT ( 2008). IT STARTED AS CRACKS AND MORPHED INTO PIECES FALLING APART. I ASKED DODGE IN 2008 IF THEY WAS ANY RECALLS AND THE RESPONDED NO. I COULD HAVE IT REPLACED FOR APPRX 600 USD. ITS NOW 2016 AND I FINALLY HAD MY DASH REPLACED WITH A NEW AFTERMARKET PIECE THAT IS MADE WITH PLASTICS THST ARE DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND SUNLIGHT AND HEAT. WHY IS DODGE ALLOWED TO PRODUCE A PRODUCT THAT FAILS SO EASILY AND NOT HELD RESPONSIBLE? THERE SHOULD BE RELEIF FOR THE OWNERS !!

I'VE ONLY OWNED THE TRUCK FOR ABOUT 8 MONTHS AT THIS TIME. ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO I EXPERIENCED WHAT MY RESEARCH HAS SHOWN TO BE THE DODGE DEATH WOBBLE, THIS IS WHERE ONE OF THE FRONT WHEELS HITS A BUMP IN THE ROAD AT FREEWAY SPEED AND THE FRONT END OSCILLATES VIOLENTLY AND WILL NOT STOP WITHOUT SLOWING THE VEHICLE DOWN AND RADICALLY MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL FROM CENTER (STRAIGHT LINE). IF LEFT TO "WOBBLE" IT SEEMS THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE ITSELF TO DEATH!! MAYBE EVEN BREAK A STEERING/SUSPENSION COMPONENT. I DID TRY INSTALLING THE ENHANCED BRACE THAT TIES THE SWAY BAR MOUNTS/ANCHOR POINTS TO A NEW BEARING SUPPORTING AN EXTENSION ON THE PITTMAN ARM SHAFT AND I ALSO HAD THE FRONT END COMPONENTS CHECKED, ALIGNED AND TIRES BALANCED TO NO AVAIL, THOUGH THE BRACE KIT SEEMED TO HELP. IT IS HARD TO PREDICT WHEN A BUMP IN THE ROAD WILL SET IT OFF BUT THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED I BARELY KEPT IT FROM PULLING INTO THE NEXT LANE BEFORE I GOT IT SLOWED AND CONTROLLED. I NOW TRY TO MINIMIZE MY TIME ON THE FREEWAY IN MY COMMUTE TO/FROM WORK.