2002 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB Complaints

I OWN A 2002 DODGE RAM 2500 AND FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, THE DASHBOARD HAS BEEN CRACKED AND IS OVER TIME CAVING IN. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF BONIFACE HIERS DODGE IN MERRITT ISLAND, FL AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND THEREFORE WOULD BE MY EXPENSE IF I WANTED IT REPLACED. RECENTLY, I HAVE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH MY LIGHTS AND BELIEVE IT MAY BE CAUSED BY THE DASHBOARD ISSUE. OUR LOCAL NEWS CHANNEL IS RUNNING A STORY ON THIS ISSUE RIGHT NOW (WWW.LOCAL6.COM, CLICK ON PROBLEM SOLVERS)AND HAS LOCATED SEVERAL PEOPLE THROUGHOUT CENTRAL FLORIDA THAT ARE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I DID NOT REALIZE THIS WAS SUCH A POPULAR ISSUE AND I DEFINITELY FEEL SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. SOME OF THE OTHER OWNERS ARE SAYING THAT THE DASHBOARD IS CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH WIRING AND COULD CAUSE HEADLIGHTS TO FAIL. THAT IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND I WOULD THINK THIS WOULD NEED TO BE FIXED BEFORE ANY FATALITIES OCCUR. I AM EMBARRASSED OF THE WAY THE INTERIOR OF MY TRUCK CURRENTLY LOOKS. I TRY TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY TRUCK AS I EXPECT TO OWN IT FOR SEVERAL MORE YEARS AND VEHICLE APPEARANCE IS IMPORTANT TO ME. WHILE I THOUGHT THIS PROBLEM WAS SIMPLY COSMETIC, I WAS EMBARRASSED BUT NOT COMPELLED TO PUSH THE ISSUE WITH DODGE. NOW THAT I REALIZE THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE AND MY LIFE OR MY HUSBANDS LIFE COULD BE IN DANGER, I AM VERY CONCERNED. I HAVE PICTURES I WOULD BE HAPPY TO FORWARD TO YOU IF THEY WILL ASSIST IN YOUR REVIEW OF MY CASE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSE. *TR

FORWARD PLASTIC DASHBOARD FAILURE. DASH CRACKED AND BROKE IN ABOUT FIVE PLACES. *TR

THE REAR DOOR LOCKS ON THE 2002 RAM 1500 WILL NOT UNLOCK WITHOUT HITTING THE BUTTON MORE THAN 8-9 TIMES. THIS WAS FRUSTRATING BECAUSE I PAID THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR THIS TRUCK, AND I WOULD EXPECT THINGS LIKE THIS TO WORK ON FIRST TRY.*AK

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 60 MPH IN THE 2002 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED. THE TRUCK DISENGAGED FROM OVERDRIVE, AND THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT TURNED ON. HE PUSHED THE BUTTON TO ENGAGE THE OVERDRIVE. HE DROVE ABOUT ONE MILE AND THE TRANSMISSION LIGHT TURNED ON. HE HAD TO DRIVE ANOTHER 1/2 MILE TO GET TO SAFE PLACE. ONCE THERE HE PUT THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL, SET THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ,AND HE CHECKED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. HE STATED THAT WHEN HE CHECKED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID IT SEEMED THAT THERE WAS TOO MUCH ON THE DIP STICK. HE TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND LET THE VEHICLE SIT FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES, CHECKED AGAIN., AND THE FLUID WAS NORMAL ON THE DIP STICK. WHEN HE RESTARTED THE VEHICLE ALL LIGHTS ON DASH SEEMED TO BE NORMAL. HE DROVE ANOTHER 100 MILES AND THE VEHICLE WAS FINE. HE STATED THAT THE NEXT MORNING HE DROVE TO WORK AND BACK HOME, AND THE NEXT DAY THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED. THE NEXT DAY THE OVER DRIVE OFF LIGHT TURNED ON AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. MHAD TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN FIRST GEAR AND DROVE TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS VEHICLE HAD 87,000 MILES, AND WAS INFORMED HIM THAT SOMETHING CAME LOOSE IN THE TRANSMISSION ,AND THAT WAS WHAT CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO SEIZE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS TOLD THAT MAYBE SOMEONE WILL GET BACK WITH HIM AT LATER DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87879.*AK

I'M A MECHANIC I CHANGE THE OIL REGULARLY WITH VALVOLINE AND THE ENGINE SLUDGES UP . THIS WEEKEND WENT OUT OF TOWN AND THE ENGINE LOST OIL PRESSURE CAUSING IT TO BLOW UP RESULTING IN MY FAMILY GETTING STRANDED 400 MILES FROM HOME. IT TOOK FOUR DAYS AND A 1000.00 TO GET IT BACK HOME AND NOW IT SITS IN MY DRIVEWAY BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR A NEW ENGINE . 2002 DODGE RAM 4.7L . *NM

I HAD TO REPLACE THE STEERING RACK AND ALL ITS COMPONENTS AT ONLY 54,000 MILES ON A 2002 DODGE RAM 1500. I LOOKED INTO THIS AND THIS IS A VERY COMMON THING TO HAPPEN, AND IT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE, SOME AS LOW AS 20,000 MILES! I THINK DODGE NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS AND FIND OUT WHY IT IS FALLING APART SO SOON, AND POSSIBLY ISSUE A RECALL AND A REIMBURSEMENT FOR THOSE OF US WHO ALREADY SPENT THE 1100 TO FIX IT! *JB

POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKAGE.I HAVE TO DUMP A WHOLE BOTTLE IN ONCE A WEEK. BALL JOINTS NEED REPLACED. LIFTERS IN MOTOR KNOCK AND HAVE TO BE FIXED. *NM

A/C CONDENSER SHROUD FAN STOPPED. INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED THAT THE DESIGN WAS DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED WITH A NEW DESIGN AT A REPLACEMENT COST OF APPROX $500.00. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE MOUNTING CABLE FRACTURED AND THE SPARE TIRE DETACHED FROM THE CABLE. THE SPARE TIRE LANDED ON THE PAVEMENT AND SKIDDED ACROSS INCOMING TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE SPARE TIRE WINCH ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT ORDERED THE PARTS AND INSTALLED IT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.*AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE PRESENT. UPON INITIAL INSPECTION, NO LEAKS WERE DETECTED. THE CONTACT ALERTED THE DEALER WHO INSTRUCTED THE CONTACT TO START THE ENGINE AND UPON DOING SO, FLAMES ERUPTED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE QUICKLY SPREAD CONSUMING THE VEHICLE. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ALERTED, AND EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. THE POLICE WERE ON THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHERE A FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE FINDINGS OF THE INSPECTION WERE NOT DIVULGED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.