2001 DODGE RAM 2500 Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS WOULD SHOOK, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO SLOW DOWN. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT UPPER BALL JOINTS WORE OUT PREMATURELY. *AK

CONSTANT WANDERING OF TRUCK, CONSTANT CORRECTING PLAY IN STEERING. I CANNOT TURN STEERING WHEEL AT A STANDSTILL,STEERING GEAR BOX AND PUMP HAVE BEEN REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. NOTHING FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE TIRES HAVE BEEN CHECKED AND ARE NOT A CONCERN. THE DEALER SAYS THAT IS THE WAY THEY ARE AND NOTHING ELSE CAN BE DONE. THIS IS A PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. *AK

MY DODGE RAM 2500 DIESEL TRUCK LOSS POWER AND WOULD NOT RUN WELL AT ALL. I ASKED ARCHER DODGE ON JAN 20, 2004 TO FIND AND FIX THE PROBLEM. A FUEL TRANSFER PUMP, PART # 5080885AA (REPLACEMENT PUMP #) WAS INSTALLED FOR A TOTAL OF $500. THE FAILURE OF THIS PUMP IN THIS VEHICLE IS COMMON AND IS DOCUMENTED IN AN ARTICLE BY CHUCK ARNOLD "WHAT HAPPENS TO DODGES". FAILURE OF THE INJECTOR PUMP, A $2000 REPLACEMNET JOB IS COMMON WHEN THE CHARGE PUMP FAILS, I WAS LUCKY. DODGE RECALLED DEFECTIVE PUMPS INSTALLED IN ALL TRUCKS BUILT 7 DAYS PRIOR TO THE DAY MY TRUCK WAS BUILT. I FEEL I GOT ONE OF THE OLDER PUMPS FOR ONE THING AND THAT DODGE SHOULD PAY FOR THE WORK. THE OTHER THING IS THAT THERE IS NO IDIOT LIGHT OR GUAGE TELLING YOU THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CHARGE PUMP. I AM LOOKING FOR A RETROFIT SO I CAN MONITOR THIS PRESSURE AND PREVENT DAMAGE TO MY FUEL INJECTION PUMP IN THE FUTURE. THIS ENGINE SHOULD RUN FOR 1,000,000 MILES AND I DONT WANT THE POSSIBILITY OF A $3000 WORKOVER EVERY 60,000 TO 120,000 MILES ( THE ESTIMATED LENGTH OF TIME BEFORE FAILURE FOR THE CHARGE PUMP.) FAILURE OF THIS SYSTEM IS TOTAL AND IF IT HAPPENS AT THE WRONG PLACE COULD CAUSE LOSS OF LIFE, FIRE, AND SERIOUS PERSONAL AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE DODGE RECALL ALL UNITS AND RETROFIT THEM WITH A DEVICE THAT MONITORED THE DISCHARGE PRESSURE OF THE CHARGE PUMP, NOTIFYING THE DRIVER THAT A FAILURE OF THE FUEL SYSTEM IS EMINANT. THIS COULD BE DONE WITH AN ADDITIONAL GAUGE OR EVEN A ENGINE WARNING LIGHT. I HAVE CALLED DODGE AND OPENED A COMPLAINT #12000342, BUT I DID NOT GET THE SATISIFICATION OF HEARING THAT IT WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM TO THEM. IF IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS FAILURE OCCURS, WHY NOT ALERT THE CUSTOMERS OF DODGE THAT IT IS A PROBEM. EVEN THOUGH MY TRUCK WAS NOT RECALLED, IT APPEARS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BASED ON WHAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM OTHER OWNERS AND DODGE. THANK YOU FOR ANY ASSISTANCE YOU MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE.

WHILE BACKING OUT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO TURN AND THEN BECAME LOOSE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS, AND MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE SHAFT FROM THE STEERING GEAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. A FEW MINUTES LATER THE VEHICLE UNLOCKED. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS, AND MECHANIC COULD NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

ANOTHER WORN TRACK BAR IN THE FRON AXLE. 82,000 MILES. VEHICLE STARTS TO WANDER. THIS WILL MAKE THE THIRD ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THEY LAST ABOUT 10,000 MILES. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM WITH DODGE RAMS MADE FROM 1994-2002 THAT IS FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WITH THE CUMMINS DIESEL. I HAD HEARD THAT SOMEONE HAD ONE THAT CAUSED THEM TO LOSE CONTROL

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH ENGINE STARTED MISSING,THEN SUDDENLY THE ENGINE STALLED. CONSUMER TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO GET THE ENGINE RUNNING AGAIN. CONSUMER FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE FUEL PUMP. THE CONSUMER WENT TO THE DEALER TO BUY A NEW FUEL PUMP, AND WAS INFORMED BY THE MECHANIC THAT THERE WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THAT VEHICLES FUEL PUMP. *AK

STEERING. I PURCHASED A USED 1998 DODGE 2500 WITH THE DIESEL ENGINE. THE STEERING WAS VERY LOOSE, WITH ALMOST 1/4 TURN FREE PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DEALER SAID THE TRACK BAR WAS WORN OUT, SO I REPLACED IT BUT DID NOT SEE ANY IMPROVEMENT. THE DEALER THEN TOLD ME THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING BOX DURING THAT YEAR AND A DIFFERENT TYPE WAS USED IN 1999 DUE TO CONTINUOUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE FREE PLAY IN THE STEERING. BECAUSE I FELT DRIVING A VEHICLE WITH THIS MUCH FREE PLAY WAS DANGEROUS AND I WAS TOLD THE PROBLE WAS CORRECTED, I TRADED FOR A NEW TRUCK OF THE SAME TYPE, BUYING A 2001. WHEN NEW, THERE WAS NOT MUCH FREE PLAY. AT ABOUT 20,000 MILES, I HAD ABOUT 1/8 TURN OF FREE PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS FREE PLAY CAUSED ME TO RUN OUT OF THE ROAD ON THE RIGHT SIDE AFTER PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE THEN ALMOST HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE WHEN I CAME BACK INTO THE ROAD AND WENT INTO THE LEFT LANE. I HAVE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO 2 DIFFERENT DODGE DEALERS AND BEEN TOLD THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING, THAT THE FREE PLAY IS NORMAL. *AK

2001 DODGE RAM 2500 DIESEL MANUAL TRANSMISSION EXT. CAB - CLUTCH ASSEMBY - OUR TRUCK IS USED FOR LIGHT TOWING AND HAD ONLY 19,451 MILES ON IT WHEN THE CLUTCH WENT OUT. WE TALKED TO THE CLUTCH EXPERTS AND WERE TOLD THAT MANY OF THIS SAME TYPE OF TRUCK HAD CLUTCH PROBLEMS, BUT ALL WERE USED FOR HEAVY TOWING AND HAD WAY OVER 50,000 MILES ON THEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, THE FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER'S HEAD HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DRIVER RECEIVED 20 STITCHES AND HAD CONTINUOUSLY BEEN HAVING BAD HEADACHES. *AK *SCC *JB