2002 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB Complaints

GOODYEAR FORTERA TIRE ISSUE - I HAVE A SET OF 265-70-17 GOODYEAR FORTERA SILENTARMOR TIRES ON A 2002 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB 1500 4X4. BAD VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I THINK THAT THEIR IS A DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THESE TIRES. I HAVE SPENT SEVERAL DAYS AT VARIOUS TIRE DEALERS AND HAVE GONE THROUGH 2 1/2 SETS OF TIRES IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE TIRES REQUIRE AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT TO BALANCE. EVEN WITH ALL THAT WEIGHT THE VIBRATION IS STILL PRESENT. THERE MUST BE A DESIGN FLAW OR POOR QUALITY CONTROL DURING MANUFACTURE. I PUT A ABOUT 3000 MILES ON FIRST SET OF TIRES AND I NOW HAVE ABOUT 500 MILES ON THE CURRENT SET. I HOPE THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT TURN INTO A SAFETY ISSUE AND THE TIRES END UP COMING APART ON THE HIGHWAY. I SEE ONLY GOOD REVIEWS FOR THE FORTERA SILENTARMOR ON THE FORTERA WEBSITE SO I DOUBT THAT GOODYEAR IS POSTING ANY NEGATIVE PRESS...I HAVE ALSO MADE AN ATTEMPT TO POST MY COMMENTS ON THE GOODYEAR WEBSITE TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF THE ISSUE. *NM

AT 65 MPH USING CRUISE CONTROL, DAYTIME, DRY PAVEMENT, GOOD WEATHER, BRAKE WARNING LIGHT AND ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH WARNING CHIME. AT NEXT EXIT, OPERATOR TOOK VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP. TECHNICIAN FOUND RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY WORN, ALLOWING TIRE/WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO BE MOVED 1-2'' FROM VERTICAL. VEHICLE HAD BEEN CHECKED DURING STATE INSPECTION LESS THAN 400 MILES PREVIOUSLY AND PASSED. A TOTAL FAILURE IN TRAFFIC AT SPEED MIGHT HAVE RESULTED IN A LOSS OF HANDLING/BRAKING THAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED OR WORSENED AN ACCIDENT. FAILED PART IS AVAILABLE. VEHICLE HAS ALSO SUFFERED NUMEROUS PREMATURE FAILURES INCLUDING: FAILURE OF DRIVER HEATED SEAT, FAILURE OF ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP, NEARLY CAUSING ACCIDENT DUE TO ENGINE STOPPAGE AND LOSS OF POWER STEERING, FAILURE OF INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, FAILURE OF FRONT SUSPENSION COMPONENTS, AND DAMAGE TO SPARE TIRE DUE TO MIS-ROUTED TAIL PIPE. SOME OF THESE ARE MANUFACTURER DESIGN DEFECTS, OTHERS ARE TROUBLESHOOTING OR REPAIR ERRORS AT DEALER. TWO EVENTS (FUEL PUMP, WHEEL BEARING) MIGHT HAVE CAUSED ACCIDENT WITH INJURY/DEATH POSSIBLE OUTCOME. *JB

FRONT WHEEL HUB FAILED ON 2002 DODGE RAM TRUCK RESULTING COMPLETE LOSS OF HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM, BOTH FRONT AND REAR BRAKES. WHEEL REMAINED ON TRUCK AND TRUCK CONTINUED TO ROLL WITHOUT MEANS OF STOPPING. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE'S DASHBOARD DEVELOPED A CRACK WHERE THE AIRBAG IS LOCATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON 06/26/06 WHO DETERMINED THAT THE DEFECT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND DID NOT REPAIR THE CRACK. THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD HAS DEVELOPED THREE ADDITIONAL CRACKS SINCE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED.

I HAVE LEES THAN 45000 MILES ON MY TRUCK AND THE BREAK PADS ON THE FRONT HAVE BEEN CHANGED SIX TIMES. ROTORS ARE FINE, THE LAST THREE TIMES THE PADS WERE CHANGED IN LESS THEN 18 MONTHS. WHEN GETTING THE PADS FROM A NATIONAL AUTO STORE THE COMPUTER BROUGHT UP BIGGER PADS THAT WOULD BE FOR MY QUAD CAB. THEY DIDN'T FIT AND I HAD TO GO WITH THE REGULAR CAB BRAKE PADS. I CONTACTED THE DEALER THEY CHECKED THEM OUT AND SAID IT WAS THE RIGHT SIZE CALIPER ON THE TRUCK. WHEN I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE AUTO STORE ONLY BRINGING UP THE LONGER PADS THEY OFFERED TO CHANGE MY ROTORS AND BREAK FOR A GREAT DEAL OF $400. NO THANK YOU. *NM

FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILED CAUSING EXCESSIVE LEAKING OF POWER STEERING FLUID AND FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING. DODGE/CHRYSLER DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE TO THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE IS A 2002 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB, 4.7 LITER ENGINE. 72,000 HIGHWAY MILES. IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION FROM THE DEALER THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT CAN HAPPEN 2,000 MILES TO 200,000 MILES INDICATING THE CONTINUED USE OF A DEFECTIVE PART. DESPITE MY WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT THE LABOR COSTS OF THE REPAIR CHRYSLER REFUSES TO ASSIST WITH THE COST OF THE $600.00 PART. THERE IS NO AFTER MARKET PART AVAILABLE DUE TO THE TRUCK BEING "TOO NEW" ACCORDING TO THE DEALER. THIS PART FAILED DUE TO A MANUFACTURING ISSUE AND NOT ABUSE ON MY PART. THE PART CAN NOT BE REPAIRED AND MUST BE REPLACED SINCE DODGE/CHRYSLER DOES NOT SUPPLY A PARTS PACKAGE TO REPAIR THE PART. DUE TO THIS FACT THE PART MUST BE REPLACED AND NOT REPAIRED. THIS IS ALSO A GREAT SAFETY ISSUE AS THE POWER STEERING LEAKED OUT WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. AN ACCIDENT COULD HAVE RESULTED FROM THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. *JB

BRAKES START TO SQUEAK AND SHIMMY. SQUEAKING VERY LOUD WHEN COMING TO STOP. SQUEAK LASTS FOR ABOUT 3 DAYS THEN SOUNDS LIKE METAL TO METAL AND CAN FEEL IN PEDAL. TRUCK STARTS TO SHIMMY AT HIGH SPEED THEN APPLYING BRAKES TO STOP. I HAVE DOWN 3 COMPLETE BRAKE JOBS FRONT AND REAR, BEST PADS, ROTORS, EVERYTHING. NEW REPLACEMENT ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE DUE TO WARPING. THE BRAKES SHOULD LAST LONGER THE 3-4 MONTHS WHICH IN MILES TERMS IS LESS THAN 25,000 MILES. I AM NOW ON MY 4TH BRAKE JOB AND I SHOULDN'T BE. THERE IS A DEFINITE PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM. NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. THIS IS BECOMING EXTREMELY COSTLY. *NM

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT ABOUT 60 MILES PER HOUR OR SO I LOST MY OVERDRIVE AND 3 RD GEAR OF MY TRANSMISSION. DODGE DEALER REPORTS THE VALVE BODY WENT OUT ON MY TRUCK IT HAD ONLY BEEN OUT OF WARRANTY BY ABOUT 3000 MILES. DODGE WOULD NOT WORK WIT ME EVEN THOU THEY ADMITTED TO HAVING SOME COME IT. SO I HAD TO HAVE THE VALVE BODY REPLACED. WHILE SITTING IN THE SERVICE AREA WAITING FOR MY TRUCK TO BE FIXED A CUSTOMER CAME IN TO GET A HEATER CORE FOR HIS 2002. GUESS WHAT LESS THEN A MONTH AFTER SPENDING 1300.00 TO GET MY TRANSMISSION FIXED THE HEATER CORE WENT OUT ON MINE . IS THIS COMMON OR AM I JUST THE LUCKY ONE? AS THE HEATER CORE FAILED IT DID DUMP ANTI FREEZE IN THE CAB OF THE TRUCK AND ON THE CARPET. I HAVE YET TO HAVE THE HEATER CORE REPLACED. *JB

1. DRIVER'S POWER SEAT FRAME ASSEMBLY FAILED FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND WITHOUT WARNING. 2. THIS FAILURE RESULTS IN THE SEAT SUDDENLY ROCKING FORWARD OR BACKWARD, ESPECIALLY UNDER BRAKING MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND RENDERING THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PART FAILURE IS NOT UNCOMMON AND UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A FACTORY TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS PROBLEM, TSB 23.033.01 3. PART #5080615AB, LEFT SIDE POWER SEAT ADJUSTER WAS REPLACED UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY ON 12/17/04. THIS SAME PART AND PART #5080614AB, RIGHT SIDE POWER SEAT ADJUSTER WERE REPLACED ON 8/5/05 UNDER A FACTORY EXTENDED SERVICE CONTRACT. THESE PARTS FAILED AGAIN ON 1/17/06 AND ARE SCHEDULED TO REPLACED AS SOON AS THE NEW PARTS ARRIVE AT THE DEALER. OLD PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM PRIOR REPAIRS. FAILED PARTS FROM 1/17/06 FAILURE WILL LIKELY NEED TO BE RETURNED AS A WARRANTY ITEM TO THE MANUFACTURER. *JB

(1( RETURN LINES TO FUEL PUMP CRACKED AND LEAKING FUEL DOWN AND UNDER TRUCK WHICH IS A 2002 3500 DODGE RAM WITH A 5.9 LITER HIGH OUTPUT TURBO DIESEL. (2)THE METAL FUEL LINES CRACKED AND WAS LEAKING FUEL OUT ON THE BLOCK , FRAME ,AND UNDER CARRIAGE THIS IS AND WAS A FIRE HAZARD UNDER THE HOOD OF THIS TRUCK IF FUEL HEATED SUFFICIENTLY TO COMBUST INTO FLAMES . (#) THE METAL TUBES WERE REPLACED AND SHOW NOT SIGNS OF BEING STRUCK OR HIT AND SIGNS OF CORROSION. THE OLD PARTS WERE KEPT FROM THE LOCAL DODGE REPAIR . THIS SHOWS NOT SIGN EXCEPT FATIGUE AS THE PART CAME FROM THE FACTORY AND SOMEONE ELSE COULD NOT BE IN A POSITION TO SHUT THE MOTOR OFF AND NOT DRIVE IT EXCEPT TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR WITHOUT A FIRE . *NM