2005 DODGE RAM 3500 Complaints

BACK UP LIGHTS WOULD ONLY WORK WHEN SHIFTER HELD IN REVERSE. EVENTUALLY BACK UP LIGHTS BECAME INOPERABLE. DIAGNOSED BY MECHANIC AS SWITCH FAILURE. NOT REPLACED YET. *NM

2005 DODGE RAM 3500 WITH CUMMINS TURBO DIESEL. THIS PARTICULAR MODEL HAS A "TOW-HAUL" MODE THAT WILL NOT LOCK THE TRANSMISSION OUT OF OVERDRIVE. IF YOU ARE DESCENDING A HILL AND YOU SO MUCH AS TOUCH THE ACCELERATOR THEN THE TRUCK AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTS INTO OVERDRIVE AND SENDS YOU SPEEDING DOWN THE HILL. THE "TOW-HAUL" MODE ALSO DOWNSHIFTS THE TRANSMISSION INTO SECOND GEAR AT 50+ MPH AND THAT CAN ALSO SPELL DISASTER WHILE DESCENDING A HILL ON A COLD DAY. MY FIST EXPERIENCE WITH THIS WAS EARLIER IN THE WEEK WHILE TRAVELING TO TENNESSEE. WE HAD TO TOW OUR 8000 LB RACE TRAILER OVER MT. EAGLE AND ENCOUNTERED BOTH SITUATIONS WHILE DESCENDING THE HILL. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. THE 2004 MODEL AND THE NEW 2006 MODELS BOTH HAVE AN OVERDRIVE "LOCKOUT" TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING AND I'M NOT SURE WHY IT WAS NEGLECTED ON THE 2005 MODELS. *JB

VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED WITHOUT TOW HOOKS AT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. IT GOT STUCK IN SOFT WET SAND ON A CAMPING TRIP. NO MEANS WAS AVAILABLE TO EXTRACT THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ATTACHING A TOW CHAIN DIRECTLY TO THE CHASSIS. WHEN VEHICLE WAS PULLED OUT, THE FRONT SPOILER AND BUMPER WERE DAMAGED. ON 9-2-05, A DAIMLER CHRYSLER REPRESENTATIVE ON THEIR 1-800 LINE REFUSED TO ASSIST IN REPAIRING THE VEHICLE, OR EVEN PROVIDE THE TOW HOOKS THAT THE VEHICLE IS LACKING. *AK

DODGE REPRESENTS THE 3500 RAM I PURCHASED TO BE A HEAVY DUTY TOW VEHICLE CAPABLE OF SAFELY TOWING NEARLY 16000 LBS. UPON MY PURCHASE I QUICKLY DISCOVERED THAT THEY HAVE REMOVED THE BASIC OVERDRIVE LOCK OUT FEATURE FOUND ON MOST IF NOT ALL VEHICLES IN THIS CLASS OF AUTOMOBILE. THE COMPUTER PROGRAM AND TRANSMISSION CONTROLS WILL COMMAND THIS VEHICLE INTO OVERDRIVE REGARDLESS OF TERRAIN OR LOAD BEING TOWED OR CARRIED AT THE TIME. BOTTOM LINE IF YOU TOUCH THE GAS WHILE GOING DOWN A GRADE PULLING A 16000 LB TRAILER YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF IN OVERDRIVE LACKING ANY WAY TO BRING THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL OTHER THAN THE BRAKES. PLENTY OF COMPLAINTS ARE AVAILABLE TO BE SEE AT WWW.DIESELTRUCKRESOURCE.COM THIS FORUM HAS SEVERAL POSTINGS CONCERNING 2005 TOW HAUL MODE. THE DISCUSSIONS CAN BE FOUND IN THE 3RD GENERATION DRIVETRAIN DISCUSSION BOARD. *NM

A WEEK BEFORE TAKING IN MY 2005 RAM 2500 TRUCK TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT, I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING HAD CHANGED. THE TRUCK WANDERED, THERE WAS A VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL, AND MID WAY THROUGH A TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK UP. THREE DAYS BEFORE TAKING IN MY TRUCK INTO THE DEALER, THE STEERING GEAR BOX STARTED TO MAKE A GROWLING NOISE. AFTER TAKING MY TRUCK IN TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT, THE ASE TECH THAT WAS GIVEN TO WORK ORDER FOR MY TRUCK DECLARED IT SAFE FOR ROAD USE. 8 HOURS LATER AFTER PLEADING WITH THE HEAD SERVICE MANAGER TO TAKE MY TRUCK FOR A ROAD TEST, THE STEERING GEAR BOX THAT WAS DEEMED SAFE BY THE ASE TECH WAS CONDEMNED BY THE HEAD SERVICE MANAGER. TO DATE THE NEW STEERING GEAR BOX IS ON ORDER FROM ANOTHER DEALERSHIP EVEN AFTER I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGERS AT JOHN ELWAY DODGE THAT THE PART WAS IN STOCK. *JB

DT: DODGE RAM WITH CUMMINS DIESEL ENGINE . THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO DECELERATE WHEN LETTING OFF OF THE THROTTLE. HAD ONE MINOR FENDER BENDER, AND A NEAR MISS AS A RESULT OF FEELING AS THOUGH THE MOTOR WAS STILL PULLING. NO REPAIRS, BUT HAS BEEN TO DEALER TWICE. CONTACTED CHRYSLER, WHO STATED THIS WAS PROGRAMMED INTO THE COMPUTER TO DO THIS DUE TO THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHICH MAGNIFIED THE PROBLEM. HAD NO PLANS TO CHANGE THIS DESIGN. CURRENTLY THIS IS STILL A PROBLEM. *AK *JB

DT WHEN PUTTING THE VEHICLE INTO PARK IT WILL JUMP INTO REVERSE. ON ONE OCCASION THE VEHICLE ROLLED AWAY, AND OVER TOP ON THE CONSUMER, ACROSS A STREET, AND HIT A PARKED VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAD CUTS AND BRUISES ON HIS KNEES FROM AVOIDING THE ROLLING VEHICLE. ON OTHER OCCASIONS, COULD NOT GET THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION WHEN IT SHIFTED INTO PARK. DID THIS INTERMITTENTLY. THIS HAS HAPPENED A DOZEN TIMES. THIS HAPPENED AROUND JANUARY 15, 2005. HAD NOT CONTACTED THE DEALER. AN ENGINEERING FIRM WAS SENDING SOMEONE TO LOOK AT VEHICLE. *AK

DT: CONSUMER STATED STEERING BOX MALFUNCTIONED. WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL, IT DIDN'T TURN STRAIGHTEN BACK UP ON ITS OWN. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. ALSO, CONTACTED DAIMLER CHRYSLER, AND WAS TOLD THEY DID NOT HEAR OF THE PROBLEM. HAD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER AND HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST DONE TO FIND OUT IF THEY COULD HELP WITH THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER NOTICED THE PROBLEM JUNE 28, 2005. HE HAS A FRIEND WHO HAS THE SAME VEHICLE, AND TOOK VEHICLE TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. HE FELT IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HIS VEHICLE. WHEN THE VEHICLE FAILED IT CONTINUED TO DRIVE, BUT IT WAS LIKE DRIVING A VEHICLE WITHOUT POWER STEERING, AND IT GOT HARDER THE FARTHER IT WAS DRIVEN.*AK

HOOD FLEW UP ON 2001 DODGE RAM TRUCK, ON FREEWAY AT 65MPH. WINDSHIELD CRUSHED, UNABLE TO SEE ROAD OR OTHER CARS, GLASS ALL OVER INTERIOR OF TRUCK. CHRYSLER HAS A RECALL ON EXACTLY THIS PROBLEM WITH 1994 - 1999. HOWEVER, DEALER REFUSES TO MAKE REPAIRS. AND I DOUBT THEY FILED THE APPROPRIATE REPORT.

I WAS LEAVING A PARKING LOT AND COMMING TO A STOP AT A STOP SIGN IT STALLED OUT. I WAS RUNNING AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND CUMMING TO A STOP IN A LEFT TURN LANE IT STALLED OUT. THIS IS A DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB SHORT BED.