2004 DODGE RAM 2500 Complaints

2004 DODGE RAM [XXX] QUAD CAB SLT. THERE IS AN OBVIOUS NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, BEST DESCRIBED AS A LOUD WHINE. IT OCCURS WHILE ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING AT LOW RPM'S AND ONLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COLD AND THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE IS COLD AS WELL. THE COLDER IT IS OUTSIDE, THE LOUDER THE WHINE NOTED FROM THE REAR END. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MINUTES OF DRIVING, THE NOISE STEADILY DIMINISHES AND THEN EVENTUALLY COMPLETELY DISAPPEARS. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND HAD IT INSPECTED DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT IT WAS NORMAL AND WAS PROBABLY THE PINION GEAR. TOOK THE TRUCK BACK AGAIN AS THE TEMPERATURE GOT COLDER AND THE WHINE GOT LOUDER. THEY LET THE VEHICLE SIT OVERNIGHT AND TEST DROVE IT THE NEXT MORNING AND, THIS TIME, HEARD THE OBVIOUS WHINE. I WAS ADVISED THAT THERE ARE NO RECALLS OR TSB'S ISSUED AS OF YET, BUT IT IS A PROBLEM THAT DAIMLERCHRYSLER IS INVESTIGATING. THE PRINTOUT FROM DEALER CONNECT STATED THAT IT IS A REAR PROPELLER SHAFT CENTER BEARING NOISE ISSUE-"ESPECIALLY WHEN COLD." THEY ALSO STATED THAT A TSB OR OTHER NOTIFICATION MAY BE ISSUED AFTER ENGINEERING REVIEW OF THE REPORTED PROBLEM. IT HAS BEEN ASSIGNED A "SOLUTION NUMBER" OF [XXX]. I JUST WANTED TO REPORT THE PROBLEM TO NHTSA SO THAT APPROPRIATE FOLLOW UP CAN BE DONE AND HELP EXPEDITE A RECALL NOTICE IF WARRANTED. *AK UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

UPON PUTTING THE GEAR IN PARK, THE VEHICLE WOULD AUTOMATICALLY PLACE ITSELF INTO REVERSE AND TAKE OFF IN THAT POSITION. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB

THE WEATHER STRIPPING IN THE DOOR HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN BECAUSE THEY ARE PINCHING. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THIS COULD CAUSE LEAKS, WHICH CAN RESULT IN AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE RE-DESIGNED THE WEATHER STRIPPING IN THE NEWER MODEL YEAR TRUCKS WHICH IS MADE OUT OF A DIFFERENT MATERIAL BUT FAILS EVEN QUICKER THAN THE ORIGINAL ONE. *JB

THIS VEHICLE IS SUBJECT TO VIOLENT SHAKING OF THE LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION UPON HITTING A BUMP AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE SHAKING IS SO VIOLENT THAT IT CAUSES THE TRUCK TO JUMP OUT OF IT'S LANE. THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED FOR THE THIRD TIME IN 10,000 MILES. THERE ARE NO MODIFICATIONS TO THIS SUSPENSION SYSTEM. I DROVE DIRECTLY TO THE DEALER WHO INSPECTED THE TRUCK BUT REPORT "NOTHING IS WRONG" WITH IT. I HAVE SINCE FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS DESCRIBING THIS PHENOMENA ON THE INTERNET. ALL DESCRIBE THIS THE SAME WAY - AS VIOLENT SHAKING - AND ALL REPORT THE SAME "CAUSE" IE., HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND SMALL BUMP OR BREAK IN THE PAVEMENT SUCH AS A EXPANSION JOINT ETC. *JB

VEHICLE SLIPPED OUT OF THE PARK GEAR TO REVERSE GEAR. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ROLL BACK INTO A WALL. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

2004 DODGE RAM 2500 4WD. PURCHASED VEHICLE NOVEMBER 2004. UPON DRIVE HOME, AT SPEEDS OF 60 MPH AND ABOVE, A VIBRATION THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE WAS FELT. CONTACTED LOCAL DEALER WHO KEPT THE TRUCK FOR 2 DAYS. AFTER SECOND DAY OF TEST DRIVING, 70 MILES PUT ON BY DEALER, WAS TOLD THAT COMPLAINT COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. I WAS TOLD BY SERVICING DEALER THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I HAD TO DEAL WITH. THIS VIBRATION IS BEGINNING TO CAUSE UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS AT THESE SPEEDS. THE CONDITION NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS HURT.*AK

AT AROUND 20000 MILES ON MY RAM 2500 THE ROTORS WARPED, SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM ON DODGE RAM TRUCKS. DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED AFTER 12000 MILES. HAD ROTORS TURNED AND THEY GOT WORSE. BOUGHT NEW ROTORS(DODGE IS THE ONLY PLACE YOU CAN PURCHASE THESE FROM AT THIS TIME) SO I AM HOPING FOR THE BEST SINCE THEY ARE THE SAME TYPE. NOTIFIED DEALER WERE I PURCHASED TRUCK AND THEY WILL NOT RETURN CALLS. *JB

MY DODGE 2500 SERIES TRUCK DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARDS IN THE 49 CFR 567.4 3) ``GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING'' OR ``GVWR,'' FOLLOWED BY THE APPROPRIATE VALUE IN POUNDS, WHICH SHALL NOT BE LESS THAN THE SUM OF THE . *AK UNLOADED VEHICLE WEIGHT, RATED CARGO LOAD, AND 150 POUNDS TIMES THE VEHICLE'S DESIGNATED SEATING CAPACITY. MY DODGE HAS AN EMPTY WEIGHT OF 6072 POUNDS WITH AN ADVERTISED PAYLOAD OF 2690 POUNDS AND SEATS SIX PASSENGERS. 6072 + 2690 + 900 = 9702 POUNDS. IF I LOADED MY VEHICLE TO IT'S CAPACITY, I WOULD BE 702 POUNDS OVER MY GVWR OF 9000 LBS. FURTHERMORE MY TRUCK ACTUALLY WEIGHS IN AT 7490 POUNDS WITH MY FAMILY OF FIVE AND A FULL TANK OF GAS. IF I WAS TO LOAD MY TRUCK TO THE PAYLOAD OF 2690 POUNDS, MY TRUCK WOULD WEIGH 10,180 POUNDS. THIS WOULD LEAD ME TO BE 1,180 POUNDS OVER MY GVWR. IN ESSENCE THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY TO SAFELY STAY WITHIN MY GVWR IF I LOADED MY TRUCK WITH SIX PASSENGERS WEIGHING 150 A PIECE AND THEN LOADED TO MY PAYLOAD CAPACITY. THE ONLY OPTION IS TO LOAD MY VEHICLE TO LESS THAN HALF OF IT'S PAYLOAD CAPACITY ON MY DOOR PLATE. THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION FOR THOSE ONLY READING THE DOOR PLATE AND MANUFACTURER LITERATURE. I HAVE BEEN LED TO OPERATE MY VEHICLE IN A UNSAFE MANER BY USING MANUFACTURER LITERATURE.

2004 DODGE RAM 2500 4X4 CUMMINS DIESEL VIBRATION AT 70 MPH TO 75 MPH VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT NEW. I TOOK IT BACK THE NEXT DAY AFTER DRIVING 150 MILES ASKED FOR A DIFFERENT VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED A LEMON DODGE BEFORE I JUST DID NOT WANT THE HEADACHE OF A PROBLEM VEHICLE. THE VIBRATION FEELS LIKE THE REAR AXLE OR THE DRIVESHAFT SHAKE THE STEERING WHEEL AND MIRRORS AND THE BRAKE PEDAL. ALSO, MY DASHBOARD IS STARTING TO RATTLE. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE FOR FEAR OF SOMETHING FLYING OUT FROM UNDER IT AND POSSIBLY KILLING SOMEONE OR MYSELF. THE STEERING WHEEL ON EXTENDED TRIPS WILL MAKE YOUR HANDS GO NUMB FROM THE VIBRATION! I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES THEY HAD THE DRIVESHAFT BALENCED FROM THE LOCAL DRIVESHAFT SHOP THEY SAY THAT THEY HAVE CALLED STAR TECH AND THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON THE PROBLEM BUT STILL I HAVE A VIBRATION THAT CANNOT BE FIXED .*AK

THE FRONT LEFT TIRE STARTED WOBBLING SEVERELY AT ABOUT SIXTY MILES AN HOUR AND COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY IF TRAFFIC HAD BEEN ANY HEAVIER.*AK