2003 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB Complaints

I OWN A 2003 DODGE RAM 1500 4X4 QUAD CAB SLT VIN 1D7-HU18N53S-188168 ASSEMBLY POINT, WARREN, MICHIGAN. THE TRUCK STALLED WHILE IN TRAFFIC MAKING A 10-15 MPH RIGHT TURN. THE SECOND OCCURENCE WAS JULY15, 2004. VERY CLOSE CALL HERE. I WAS IN THE SMOKEY MOUNTAINS CAMPING. THE SIX HOUR DRIVE HOME TOWING MY POPUP WAS NERVE RACKING TO SAY THE LEAST. ESPECIALLY, SINCE MY 13, 6 AND 3 YEAR OLD WERE IN THE TRUCK. I MENTIONED THAT THE TRUCK RUNS EXTREMELY ROUGH INTERMITTENTLY TO THE DEALER MORGAN DODGE DURHAM NORTH CAROLINA ON AT LEAST TWO OCCASIONS. I AM ALSO EXPERIENCING AN INTERMITTENT SHUDDER THAT SEEMS TO BE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION, ALSO MENTIONED TO THE DEALER ON AT LEAST TWO OCCASIONS. THE DEALER SIMPLY SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE SHUDDER OR STALL. I ALSO HAD A SEVERE BRAKE PULSATION. THEY DID REPLACE FRONT PADS AND CALIPERS AND CUT ROTORS. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW UP WITH ME REGARDING THE SHUDDER AND STALL BUT AS OF THIS DATE, 7/18/2004 I HAVE NOT YET RECEIVE A CALL BACK.

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD REAR AXLE BROKE WHEEL OFF MY 2003 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB, MY HUSBAND AND 4 YEAR OLD SON WAS ALSO IN TRUCK, LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT IN TRUCK OR WHEN WHEEL FELL OFF NOT HITTING ANYONE ON A BUSY INTERSECTION. DAIMLER CHRYSLER HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE THIS HAPPENED, WOULDNT GIVE US A RENTAL CAR SAYING IT WAS OUR FAULT IT BROKE ACCUSING US OF TAKING IT 4 WHEELING AND ABUSING OUR TRUCK. OUR TRUCK IS OUR ONLY TRANSPORTATION, AND WE BOUGHT IT NEW FOR THE FACT OF RELIABILITY AND FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT WITH 3 CHILDREN. AFTER A LONG WEEK OF WAITING AND WAITING TO HEAR SOMETHING THEY SENT OUT A INVESTIGATOR TO TAKE PICTURES OF DAMAGE WHICH WAS FINALLY DONE ON THE 11TH OF JUNE, A WEEK AFTER THIS HAPPEN. STILL NO RENTAL CAR, DAIMLER SAID THEY WILL NOT PAY FOR ONE. WAS TOLD DAIMLER GOT THE PICTURES THAT WERE TAKEN ON THE 14TH, AND STILL WAS NOT REVIEWED. MY HUSBAND IS A TRUCK DRIVER AND TOOK A VACATION WHICH DOES NOT HAPPEN TOO OFTEN, AND SINCE SCHOOL WAS COMING TO A END, WE WANTED TO TAKE THE KIDS AWAY TO HAVE A GOOD TIME. NEEDLESS TO SAY, OUR VACATION WAS A VERY DISAPPOINTING ON. DAIMLER CHRYSLER HAS ACCUSED US FOR MAKING THE AXLE BREAK, I THINK IT WAS THEIR WAY OF NOT WANTING TO TAKE OUT OF THEIR POCKET A VAHICLE FOR US TO USE. THIS IS THE 2ND WEEK NOW STILL WITH NO WORD ON IF OUR TRUCK WILL BE GETTING FIXED, IT IS NOT EVEN A YEAR OLD TO US WITH 12,000 MILES ON IT, ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED WHERE WE BOUGHT THE TRUCK AND DAIMLER EVEN DIDN'T TAKE THEIR WORD WITH THE DAMAMGE. MY HUSBAND SAID HE DAIMLER MADE HIM FEEL LIKE A CRIMINAL AND WE WILL NOT PURCHASE ANOTHER DODGE OR CHRYSLER AND WILL ALSO TELL OTHERS THAT, AND WITH HIM BEING A TRUCK DRIVER HE CAN TELL ALOT OF PEOPLE NOT TO BUY THEIR VEHICLES. IT IS TOTALLY IS A SHAME THAT THIS COMPANY ACTS THE WAY THEY DO TO PEOPLE. I THINK DODGE IS REALLY GOING DOWN HILL. I WILL NEVER FEEL SAFE AGAIN IN MY DODGE, ESPECIALLY WHEN OR IF THEY EVER GET AROUND TO FIXING THIS PROBLEM. *AK

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE ON MY 2003 RAM 1500, AT 14000 MILES HAD FRONT CALIPERS REPLACED, NEW FRONT ROTORS AND THEY TURNED THE REAR ROTORS. THIS WAS ALL BECAUSE OF WARPED ROTORS I NOW HAVE 23000 MILES ON TEH TRUCK AND WILL AGAIN BE TAKING IT IN TO HAVE THE ROTOR REPLACED. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS FILED AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. MAYBE WE NEED TO CONTACT THE MEDIA. I KNOW THAT WHEN MORE PEOPLE START DIE FROM THIS PROBLEM THE MEDIA WILL BE ALL OVER IT. JUST LIKE THE TIRES PROBLEMS ON FORD SUV'S. PLEASE DO SOME THING BEFORE IT IS TO LATE.*AK

WHEN COMING TO A STOP AT RED LIGHT VEHICLE WOULD DIE. TOOK PICK UP TO DEALER, AN WAS TOLD THEY COUNLDN'T GET PICKUP TO REPEAT PROBLEM. PICKED UP PICKUP FROM DEALER AN WITHIN THIRTY MINUTES PICKUP DIED AT RED LIGHT. TOOK PICKUP TO DEALER ON 3/29 AN 3/30 DEALER STILL COULDN'T FIND PROBLEM. ON 3/31 TOOK PICKUP FOR DRIVE WITH DEALER MECH. AN DROVE PICKUP FOR FORTYFIVE MINTUES, WHEN PICKUP DIED AT REDLIGHT. WAS CALLED BY DEALER AN SAID THEY COULD FIND ANY CODES. WOULD KEEP PICKUP FOR TWO MORE DAYS. *AK

FRONT BRAKE PULSATION. ROTORS MACHINED AT 13000, 18000 AND PROBLEM KEEPS RECURRING. DODGE WILL NOT ADMIT ANY PROBLEMS AND WILL NOT REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY AS IT IS A WEAR ITEM. THIS TRUCK IS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD AND ONLY SEES HIGHWAY MILES, NOT STOP AND GO DRIVING. THE BRAKES ARE PULSATING AGAIN AT 22000 MILES. WHAT IS THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM DODGE? I'VE WORKED ON CARS FOR 15 YEARS AT GM. LET ME KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND I'LL FIX IT MYSELF IF NEED BE. *JB

FRONT BRAKES ON 2003 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB DEVELOPED MAJOR PULSATION AND DECREASED STOPPING ABILITY AT 6500 MILES. RETURNED VEHICLE TO DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRONT ROTORS WERE INDEED WARPED AND REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. SEEMS TO BE AN ALL TO COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE COMPLAINTS SEEN ON THIS SITE AND BELEIVE THAT THE NHTSA SHOULD LOOK VERY HARD INTO THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. HOW MANY COMPLAINTS DOES IT TAKE TO GET INVOLVED? AFTER THE NEW CAR WARRANTY IS UP AT 12K MILES IT WILL BECOME THE OWNERS EXPENSE FOR THESE "WEAR ITEMS" AND STRONGLEY URGE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THESE SUB-STANDARD COMPONENTS AND DEMAND DODGE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND EXTEND WARRANTY PERIOD TO AT LEAST 36,000 MILES AND PRORATE THE DIFFERENCE FOR ALL SUBSEQUENT BRAKE JOBS FOR EXISTING NEW CAR PURCHASERS BASED ON WHAT THEY PUBLISH FOR BRAKE SERVICE MILEAGE. *AK

BRAKE FAILURE HAD 2 ACCIDECTS BECAUSE OF THIS AND DODGE WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY I HAVE HAD THIS TRUCK FOR ONLY 6 MONTHS AND ALREADY HAVE A BRAKE FAILURE

ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM, DEALER REPLACED ROTORS 3 TIMES DUE TO A DEFECT RELATED TO THE BRAKES, SERVICED ABOUT 10 TIMES AND THE PROBLEM STILL PRESENT.*AK

I OWN A 2003 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB 4X4. RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS, THE ENGINE DIED. I RESTARTED AND HEARD A LOAD CLANKING SOUND FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. THE NOISE SOUNDED LIKE A CONNECTING ROD KNOCK. I CONTACTED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND THEY ARRANGED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE DEALER, THE MECHANIC COULD NOT GET IT STARTED. WHEN HE FINALLY GOT IT STARTED, THE ENGINE LOCKED UP. THE ENGINE WAS TORN DOWN AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE VALVE SPRING ON THE INTAKE VALVE FOR THE #6 CYLINDER HAD BROKEN IN TWO, THE VALVE HAD DROPPED INTO THE CYLINDER, FLIPPED OVER, PUNCTURED A HOLE IN THE #6 PISTON AND SNAPPED IN HALF. THE DEALER, FENTON AUTO GROUP IN PAMPA, TEXAS HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF ARRANGING FOR A LOANER CAR, AND GETTING THE MECHANIC TO WORK ON IT IMMEDIATELY. DODGE IS REPAIRING UNDER WARRANTY A BRAND NEW SHORT BLOCK, BRAND NEW PASSENGER SIDE HEAD, VALVE SPRING AND VALVE. THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THE PARTS IMMEDIATELY (THE NEXT DAY) AND PLAN TO HAVE IT REPAIRED QUICKLY. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT IF I WERE BUILDING OR REBUILDING AND ENGINE THAT HAD A BROKEN VALVE SPRING PROBLEM THAT I WOULD REPLACE EVERY VALVE SPRING ON THE ENTIRE ENGINE. AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE AND A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS COULD SAVE SEVERAL THOUSAND LATER. SECONDLY, I THINK I AM ENTITLED TO SOME SORT OF COMPENSATION FOR THE LOSS OF THE USE OF MY PICKUP IN THE WAY OF AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AT NO CHARGE, SERVICE CONTRACT ETC. THE PAYMENTS DON'T STOP JUST BECAUSE THE TRUCK IS IN THE SHOP. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE FRONT ROTORS TURNED DUE TO WARPAGE. THE TRUCK WAS A DEALER DEMO PURCHASED WITH 5,669 MILES ON IT AND CURRENTLY HAS 11,285 MILES. DODGE IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, AS THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED AT DALLAS DODGE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS AND STATED HE HAD HEARD OF THE PROBLEM IN SCHOOLS. *LA

I HAVE A 2003 DODGE RAM, 1500 QUAD CAB WITH A HEMI ENGINE. I ONLY HAVE 7500 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE TAKEN IT IN TWICE TO HAVE THE FRONT ROTORS TURNED DOWN BECAUSE OF SEVERE WARPAGE OF THEM. I AM BEING TOLD THAT THEY NOW HAVE TO REPLACE THE CALIPERS AND BRAKE PADS BUT IT HAS NOW BEEN OVER A MONTH BECAUSE THERE IS A NATIONAL BACK-ORDER ON THE PARTS. THEY STATED THAT THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THE PARTS WILL BE IN SO I HAVE BEEN DRIVING A TRUCK THAT SEVERLY VIBRATES THE STEERING WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES. THEY REFER TO TSB 05-008-03 FOR THE PROBLEM.*AK