2004 DODGE RAM 2500 Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V462000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE REMEDY FOR THE RECALL REQUIRES PERFORMING A SOFTWARE MODIFICATION TO EQUIP THE VEHICLES WITH AN OUT-OF-PARK ALARM. HE WAS DISSATISFIED WITH THE REMEDY. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,000.

2004 DODGE RAM 2500-VEHICLE IS A SINGLE CAB AND IS FRONT HEAVY. VEHICLE WAS GOING 40 MPH AND FLIPPED END OVER END AND NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. *TR

TREAD SEPARATION AT FREEWAY SPEED CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO DRIVER'S SIDE OF VEHICLE. *JB

VEHICLE HAS AN UNCONTROLLABLE SHIMMY OR WOBBLE SOMETIMES AT SPEEDS ABOVE 40 MPH. IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS NO RHYME OR REASON AS TO WHEN IT MIGHT OCCUR BUT IS USUALLY PRECIPITATED BY ONLY MINOR HIGHWAY BUMPS OR DIPS. IT WILL NOT COME BACK UNDER CONTROL UNTIL THE VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN CONSIDERABLY. I HAVE HAD TIMES WHEN I HAVE HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. *JB

WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY ENGINE STALLED IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT WARNING DUE TO FAILURE OF THE FUEL LIFT PUMP. HAD TO PURCHASE A DEALER MANUFACTURED RETROFIT KIT, WHICH INCLUDED A NEWLY DESIGNED FUEL LIFT PUMP AND WIRING HARNESS. *AK

MY RAM 2500 4X4 DIESEL TRUCK STARTED SHAKING UNCONTROLLABLY AT 60-65MPH AROUND 30K MILES ON VEHICLE, HAD TO COMPLETELY STOP THE VEHICLE TO MAKE THE SHAKING STOP. I THOUGHT I HAD PROBLEMS WITH TIRES AND BALANCING, SO WENT TO TIRE SHOP AND BOUGHT NEW TIRES AND HAD FRONT END ALIGNED. BUT ABOUT A WEEK AFTER NEW TIRES WERE INSTALLED IT HAPPENED AGAIN, SO I HAD DEALERSHIP EXAMINE VEHICLE, THEY CHANGED STEERING DAMPER, AND BALL JOINTS AFTER 3 WEEKS IN SHOP. AGAIN, THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING, SO BROUGHT IT AGAIN TO DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEY STATED I NEEDED TO HAVE THE TRUCK ALIGNED, SO I TOLD THEM TO HAVE IT ALIGNED. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED UNTIL I NOTICED THE FRONT TIRES WERE LOOSING ITS SHAPE GOING BALD ON THE OUTSIDE, OBVIOUSLY ALIGNMENT WRONGLY PERFORMED. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AS ALIGNMENT WAS NOT PERFORMED AT THEIR SITE. THAT'S WHEN I DECIDED TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO MY TECHNICIAN AND PAY FOR A REAL TECHNICIAN TO DO THE JOB CORRECTLY. HERE'S WHAT HE FOUND OUT: ALL TIE ROD ENDS AND BARS WERE DAMAGED, STEERING DAMPER WAS BAD, AND THE FRONT END WAS DISPLACED WRONGLY VIA THE ECCENTRIC ADJUSTMENTS. TO OUR SURPRISE, ALL NEW REPALCEMENT PARTS (TIE RODS, AND BARS) HAD PROBLEMS, WENT BACK TO MOPAR PARTS STORE THREE TIMES TO EXCHANGE PARTS. THIS IS WHEN WE DECIDED TO GO ALL THE WAY AND EXCHANGED ALL TIE RODS AND BARS WITH AFTERMARKET ONES WITH GREASE CUPS AND ADDED A SECOND STEERING DAMPER TO THE PRINCIPAL BAR COMING FROM THE PITMAN ARM. PROBLEM HAS BEEN SOLVED WITH $$$ AND TIME TO THINK ABOUT THE PROBLEM. I CAN FORWRD PICTURES OF HOW THE FRONT END SUSPENSION LOOKS NOW, NOT DIFFERENT FROM ORIGINAL BUT WITH GREASE CUPS AND ADDITIONAL STEERING DAMPER (MOPAR CLAMP ON TYPE). PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO CHRYSLER AND DODGE ENGINEERS.

WHEN TRUCK IS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS - 65MPH AND ABOVE, AND HITS A BUMP, POT-HOLE, OR OTHER IN THE ROAD, IT DEVELOPS A SEVERE SHIMMY/SHAKE (AKA DEATH WOBBLE) IN WHICH THE TRUCK BECOMES OUT OF CONTROL AND HAS TO BE BROUGHT TO ALMOST A COMPLETE STOP IN ORDER FOR THE DRIVER TO REGAIN CONTROL. *TR

MY HUSBAND DRIVES HIS 2004 DODGE 3/4 TON DIESEL PICK UP EVERY DAY TO WORK. ABOUT A WEEK AGO HE NOTICED THAT IT HAD DEVELOPED A VIBRATION WHEN HE STOPPED. BELIEVING IT BE A BRAKE PROBLEM HE TOOK IT TO OUR MECHANIC SHOP AND HAD THEM LOOK IT OVER. WE WERE COMPLETELY NOPLUSSED TO DISCOVER THAT ALL OF HIS FRONT BALL JOINTS HAD FAILED. WE WERE THEN TOLD THAT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS BRAND AND THAT IT WAS BECAUSE THERE ARE NO GREASE FITTINGS ON THE FACTORY INSTALLED PARTS. WE HAD BOTH THE LOWER AND UPPER BALL JOINTS REPLACED AT THE TIME. *TR

THE HORN BEGINS HONKING (UNINTENDED) WHEN THE VEHICLE IS UNOCCUPIED, NOT LOCKED, ENGINE NOT RUNNING. IGNITION KEY NOT IN.

I TOO HAVE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED THE VIOLENT SHAKING/SHIMMY OR DEATH WOBBLE"WITH THE 2004 RAM 2500, THE FIRST TIME AT 75-80 MPH AND COULD DO NOTHING TO STOP THE PROBLEM,. I FIGURED I WAS GOING TOO FAST AND HIT A BUMP AT A WEIRD ANGLE. THEN, IT HAPPENED AGAIN AT 60-65 MPH WITH THE SAME RESULTS. YOU HAVE TO JUST HANG ON AND SLOW THE TRUCK DOWN AND HOPE PEOPLE GET OUT OF THE WAY. THE THIRD TIME IT WAS THE FINAL ONE. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY REPLACE THE STEERING DAMPER, THAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH NO HELP. THE PROBLEM ACTUALLY GOT WORSE AND OCCURRED AGAIN AT MUCH LOWER SPEED. I WILL BE REPLACING THE INNER AND OUTER RIGHT TIE RODS, AND WILL TRY AGAIN ONCE THEY ARRIVED. UNTIL THEN I WOULD BE CONFINED TO CITY DRIVING. DODGE NEEDED TO WAKE UP AND SEE THAT THIS WAS AN EXTREME SAFETY PROBLEM THAT MUST BE LOOKED INTO BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. *AK