2001 DODGE RAM 2500 Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED A FRONTAL COLLISION BUT NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK THE STEERING COLUMN HAD BROKE AS WELL. *SCC *JB

LIFT PUMP FAILURE: MY FUEL TRANSFER PUMP DIED DURING ACCELERATION. THIS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN AND ALSO CAUSED THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES TO SHUT DOWN AS A RESULT. THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *PH

MY COMPLAINT CONCERNS MY VEHICLE AND SEVERAL THOUSAND OTHERS THAT BELONG TO MEMBERS OF THE TURBO DIESEL REGISTER. THE REASON I'M WRITING IS IN HOPES THAT WE CAN GET A SAFETY ISSUE ADDRESSED, AND CORRECTED ONCE AND FOR ALL. THERE HAS BEEN A REPEATED TREND OVER SEVERAL YEARS NOW CONCERNING THE LIFT PUMP (FUEL TRANSFER PUMP) UTILIZED IN THE 2500/3500 CUMMINS DIESEL APPLICATION. I AM A MEMBER OF THE FAILED LIFT PUMP CLUB AND HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS LIFT PUMP PROBLEMS ON MY 2001 2500 DODGE CTD. THIS FAILURE CAUSED THE TRUCK TO LOOSE POWER AND SOMETIMES DIE. THIS CAN BE LIFE THREATENING IF THE TRUCK OWNER IS ON THE HIGHWAY TOWING A LOADED TRAILER. I WOULD LIKE THIS DESIGN PROBLEM CORRECTED. I AM NOT ALONE IN THIS CONCERN, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF 1998.5 - 2002, 24 VALVE CUMMINS TURBO DIESEL OWNERS THAT ARE CONCERNED AND HAVE COMPLAINED TO DODGE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH NO RESOLUTION. THIS CAN BE DOCUMENTED BY GOING TO THE TURBO DIESEL REGISTER ON THE WEB. HTTP://WWW.TURBODIESELREGISTER.COM/...15&PAGENUMBER=2 *PH

2001 DODGE DIESEL LIFT PUMP FAILURES. MINE HAS DIED TWICE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. 55,000 MILES ON MY TRUCK. THE SECOND ONE LEFT ME IN THE # 2 LANE OF THE 405 FREEWAY IN SO. CALIF. DEAD HAD TO BE PULLED OFF. *NLM

STEERING WANDERS ALL OVER THE PLACE. 2001 RAM PICKUP 2500 WITH ONLY 19,224 MILES ON IT PROBLEM FIRST SURFACED AROUND 15,000 MILES. DEALER SERVICED AT 17,207 MILES AS A LICENSED INSPECTION MECHANIC, THIS VEHICLE WILL FAIL THE STATE INSPECTION STICKER TEST WHEN IT IS DUE. THE AMOUNT OF PLAY AT THE STEERING WHEEL IS CURRENTLY AT 5+ INCHES AND GETTING WORSE. INSPECTION PROCEDURES REQUIRE THE PLAY TO BE MEASURED WHILE OBSERVING THE TIRE MOVEMENT. ( EXAMPLE : TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT UNTIL VISABLE MOVEMENT OF THE TIRE IS SEEN, MARK A REFERENCE POINT ON THE STEERING WHEEL, NOW TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT UNTILL VISABLE MOVEMENT OF THE TIRE , NOW MEASURE THE DISTANCE THE MARK ON THE STEERING WHEEL HAS TRAVELED. ANYTHING OVER A 2 1/2 " TRAVEL IS CAUSE FOR FAILING THE STATE VEHICLE INSPECTION STICKER. DEALER HAS ALREADY REPLACED THE TRACK BAR BUT THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. AM AWAITING ANOTHER APPOINTMENT. MY WIFE REFUSES TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE STEERING ISSUES. THE VEHICLE ALWAYS NEEDS TO BE " CHASED " LEFT AND RIGHT TO KEEP IT TRACKING STRAIGHT AHEAD.IT IS MY OPINION THAT IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING BOX. THE STAE OF MAINE FISH AND WILDLIFE DIVISION FORCED A BUYBACK OF THESE SAME TRUCKS BECAUSE OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING. IF THEY ARE NOT SAFE FOR OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT THEN THEY ARE SURE NOT SAFE FOR THE AVERAGE CONSUMER. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AS IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT CAN NOT BE IGNORED. THANK YOU. CONCERNED CITIZEN IN MAINE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING REAR BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

I WAS HEADED HOME GOING DOWN A CITY STREET HEADED TO THE HIGHWAY, WHEN I HERD A LOUD NOISE AND FELT A JOLT FROM MY 14' TANDEM AXLE ENCLOSED TRAILER. I LOOKED BACK AND NOTICED THAT THE TRAILER WAS RIDING LOWER THAN NORMAL. I PULLED INTO A GAS STATION AND WHEN I GOT OUT TO LOOK I NOTICED THAT THE TRAILER BALL WAS ABOUT 2" OFF THE GROUND. I LOOKED UNDER MY TRUCK AND NOTICED THAT THE RECEIVER HITCH HAD BROKEN. ONLY 2 OF THE 6 BOLTS WERE HOLDING IT UP, AND THE MIDDLE BOLT ON THE LEFT SIDE HADE COMPLETELY BROKE. I REMOVED THE BALL AND PUT IT ON THE BUMPER TO TOW THE TRAILER HOME. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER THE NEXT MONDAY BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD A RECALL ON THE HITCHES. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE HITCH WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND THAT MY MODEL TRUCK DIDN'T HAVE ANY RECALLS. THEY GAVE ME THE PHONE NUMBER TO THE FACTORY FOR COMPLAINTS. I HAD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER HITCH FROM ANOTHER DEALER. WHEN I GOT HOME TO PUT IT ON, I NOTICED THAT THE NEW HITCH HAD 8 BOLTS INSTEAD OF 6.SOMEONE MUST HAVE KNOWN THAT THE OLD HITCHES WERE DEFECTIVE. I CALLED THE FACTORY THE NEXT DAY AND THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING THAT THE DEALER HAD. I ASKED FOR THE NUMBER TO THE FACTORY AREA REP. AND WAS TOLD THAT THE DEALER WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT THEM.. I CALLED THE DEALER BACK, AND TALKED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER. HE SAID THAT HE HAD ALREADY CALLED FOR THE REP. AND LEFT A MESSAGE FOR HIM TO CALL. NO RESPONSE. I TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THEY NEEDED TO HAVE A RECALL ON THIS HITCH, BECAUSE IF I WOULD HAVE MADE IT TO THE HIGHWAY,AT 65 MPH, THE HITCH COULD HAVE BROKEN ALL THE WAY, AND WITH THE SAFTY CHAINS ATTACHED TO THE HITCH, THE TRAILER WOULD HAVE BEEN ON ITS OWN AND COULD HAVE KILLED PEOPLE. I STILL HAVE HAD NO CALL BACKS. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE OLD HITCH ON MY TRUCK BEFORE I REMOVED IT.

AT ABOUT 40,000 MILES MY TRUCK STARTED TO WANDER MUCH WORSE THAN IT HAD IN THE PAST, IT HAS WANDERED SINCE NEW. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS WITH OTHER CARS AND OBSTACLES BECAUSE THE STEERING SEEMS TO HAVE A MIND OF IT'S OWN AT TIMES AND WILL SWERVE AND WANDER IN DIFFERENT WAYS BASED ON ROAD CONDITION, IF I'M BRAKING OR ACCELERATING. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY STEERING BOX AND TRACK BAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $1400. THIS IS ON A $30K+ TRUCK WITH 40K MILES ON IT! I HAVE CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND COMPLANED ABOUT THIS CONDITION AND THEY WON'T REVIEW IT UNTIL I HAVE IT BACK AT THE DEALER FOR ANOTHER INSPECTION THEN THEY WILL DECIDE IF THEY WILL OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE OR NOT. BASED ON RESEARCH ON THE WEB THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH THE DODGE TRUCKS.

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED, THE DEALER DID REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, HOWEVER THEY COULD NOT GUARANTEE IT WOULD NOT FAIL AGAIN. *JB

THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT, WITH THE STEERING WHEEL BEING STRAIGHT. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *JB VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED 20 TIMES. STILL PROBLEM STILL EXIST. NEW ENGINE AND 2 TRANSMISSIONS REPLACED.