2003 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB Complaints

WARPED ROTORS ON FRONT BRAKES CAUSE TRUCK TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE WHEN TRYING TO STOP TRUCK. *AK

WHEN GOING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, AT TIMES ENGINE IDLES ROUGH AND RPM'S DROP TO ABOUT 350-400 RPM. APPROXIMATELY 75% OF THE TIME IT HAPPENS THE ENGINE QUITS. THE OTHER 25% OF THE TIME IT HAPPENS THE RPM'S INCREASE AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME (20SECONDS TO 1 MINUTE) AND IF STILL IN GEAR THE TRUCK WILL LURCH FORWARD WHEN RPMS INCREASE. PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR TO INCREASE RPM'S DOES NOT AFFECT RPM'S WHEN ENGINE IS STUMBLING AND TRUCK WILL NOT MOVE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED, KNOWN PROBLEM WITH ENGINE PROGRAMMING. PROBLEM HAS EXISTED SINCE TRUCK WAS NEW.*AK

VEHICLE WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED 3 TIMES BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. *AK

DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT FAILS TO WORK. I REPLACED THE BULBS (BOTH LEFT & RIGHT SIDE). ONE WEEK LATER DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT FAILED AGAIN. ON SEPT. 26, 2003 VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO TOM MANZI DODGE (LAWRENCE, MA), TECHNICIAN SAID CONNECTOR WAS NOT PUSHED ALL THE WAY IN. AFTER VEHICLE WAS SERVICED THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO OCCUR. I DISCOVERED IF THE HEADLIGHTS WERE TURNED OFF THEN BACK ON BOTH HEADLIGHTS WOULD WORK. I REPORTED MY FINDINGS TO TOM MANZI DODGE AND SCHEDULED SERVICE FOR NOV. 12, 2003. THEIR FINDINGS WERE INCONCLUSIVE. I WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN AS THE PROBLEM WAS EVIDENT. I INFORMED THE TECH THIS MAY BE A PROBLEM DUE TO THEIR HOURS OF OPERATION. ON NOV. 22, 2003 VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULED FOR AN OIL CHANGE AT GIANT DODGE (SALISBURY, MA), WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. ON THE WAS TO THE DEALERSHIP THE PROBLEM WAS EVIDENT. THE TECH WAS PROVIDED WITH THE RECEIPT FROM MANZI DODGE AND NOT TO TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF, BECAUSE THEY WOULD RESET. THE TECH WORKED ON THE VEHICLE FOR 4 HOURS THEN RESET THE HEADLIGHTS. THAT NIGHT THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TWICE. THE VEHICLE IS SCHEDULED TO BE SERVICED BY GIANT DODGE ON NOV. 28, 2003. *LA

UNSAFE CONDITION OF STEERING WHEEL SHAKE AND BRAKE PEDAL PULSATING BECAUSE BRAKES ARE PULSATING DUE TO ADVANCED AND PREMATURE ROTOR WARPAGE. THIS TRUCK HAS 18K MILES, AND WAS REPAIRED PREVIOUSLY (OBVIOUSLY INEFFECTIVELY) FOR THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH VEHICLE HIT THREE COWS THAT WERE IN THE ROAD AND THE FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR TREATMENT OF BACK PAIN. ALSO, THE DRIVER HAD AN APPOINTMENT TO CHECK FOR ANY INTERNAL HEAD INJURIES. *AK

2003 DODGE HEMI 4X4 QUADCAB LONGBOX SLT 1ST. WHEN THE PICKUP RUNS FROM DAY ONE IT HAS A SEMI-LOUD ENGINE NOISE THAT COMES FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE ENGINE THAT DODGE SERVICE TECHNICIANS HAVE TRIED TO REPAIR SEVERAL TIMES BUT CAN'T. 2ND. THE PICKUP HAS 3 TIMES SINCE NEW, SHUTTERED WHEN BACKING UP, THEN SHUTTERED GOING FORWARD WHEN FINALLY CLEARING ITS SELF RUNNING FINE. 3RD. WHEN WE PULL GRADES WITH THE PICKUP THEN NEED TO GO DOWN HILL OR ON A FLAT, THE PICKUP WILL SURGE NOTICEABLE ON THE TACH AND BY LISTENING TO THE ENGINE RUN. NO RUNAWAYS SO FAR. THE PICKUP HAS BEEN IN THE DODGE REPAIR SHOP MANY TIMES FOR REPAIRS AND I STILL DO NOT HAVE IT BACK. AS OF TODAY 10/24/03 I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT MY PICKUP THIS LAST TIME FOR 7 DAYS AND HAVE YET TO HEAR ANYTHING FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT DODGE. I THINK THIS PICK-UP NEEDS TO GO BACK TO THE FACTORY. BELIEVE IT OR NOT I STILL LIKE THE DARN THING. I NEED HELP AND ADVICE AS TO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? THANK YOU. JJ. *LA

I HAVE TAKEN MY 2003 RAM 1500 QUAD CAB SLT WITH THE HEMI (MAGNUM 5.7L SMPL V8 BACK TO ALLEN SAMUELS DODGE IN KATY,TEXAS AT LEAST 3 OR 4 TIMES FOR A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE WHEN PUTTING IT IN DRIVE OR REVERSE,PLUS AT LEAST 3 TIMES I HAVE TOLD THEM THAT FOR NO REASON AT ALL I CAN PUT MY TRUCK IN GEAR AND IT STARTS TO SHUTTER AND WONT GO OVER 15 TO 20 MILES PER HOUR.THEY PUT A CO-PILOT IN MY TRUCK ON JUNE 23,2003 MY TRUCK DID NOT DO THE SHUTTERING THING BUT ONE TIME AND I PUSHED THE BUTTON AS TOLD.THE DEALERSHIP LISTED IT AS TRANSMISSION CONCERN(INTERMITIENT) ON AUGUST 26,2003 I WAS CALLED AND ASKED TO BRING BACK THE CO-PILOT CAUSE THEY NEEDED IT FOR ANOTHER CAR.I DID AND LAST NOGHT I WENT TO THE STORE AND WHEN I CAME OUT AND STARTED MY TRUCK PUT IT IN REVERSE IT STARTED SHUTTERING,PUT IT IN DRIVE AND AROUND 2000RPMS IN TRIED TO GO,I STOPPED PUT IT IN PARK TURN THE TRUCK OFF ,WAITED 2 MINUTES AND STARTED IT UP AGAIN,GOT 2 BLOCKS DOWN THE STREET AND IT SHUTTERED AND EVERYTHING JUST DIED,I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED.PUT IN PARK AGAIN AND STARTED IT AGAIN,MADE IT TO THE RED LIGHT AND WHEN I STARTED TO TURN ON ALDINE-WESTFIELD IT DID THE SAMETHING AGAIN,GOT INTO THE PARKING LOT AND PUT IT IN PARK AND STARTED IT AGAIN,GOT 2 BLOCKS FROM MY STREET IT DID IT AGAIN.FINALLY I GOT ON MY STREET AND HAD MY HUSBAND ON THE PHONE TELLING WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND HE SAID FLOOR IT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS,I DID AND IT RAN NORMAL.WHEN I RETURNED THE CO-PILOT I WAS TOLD BY TWO SERVICE WRITERS THAT IT IS A COMPUTER SOFTWARE PROBLEM AND THERE IS NO FIX FOR IT.TO ME THIS IS SERIOUS CAUSE NOT ONLY AM I IN DANGER SO ARE THE OTHER PEOPLE AROUND ME AND OTHERS WHO ALSO OWN A TRUCK LIKE MINE.A FRIEND OF MINE WHO ALSO HAS THE SAME TRUCK SAID BETWEEN 5000 AND 6000 MILES IT WILL JUST DIE AND LEAVE ME STRANDED WHERE EVER I AM AT THAT TIME.CAN I MAKE DODGE PUT A NEW COMPUTER IN NOW AND KEEP ON GETTING AN NEW COMPUTER UNTIL THE SOFTWARE PROBLEM IS FIXED?

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, INTERMITTENTLY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP/ BRAKES FAILED, AND TURN SIGNAL WAS NOT WORKING. DEALER HAD INSPECTED VEHICLE 3 TIMES; FIRS T TIME BATTERY CABLE, SECOND TIME DEALER KEPT VEHICLE 1 DAY AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, AND THIRD TIME INSTALLED A MONITOR FOR TEN DAYS, AND STILL COULDN'T CORRECT THE PROBLEM. (DEALER STATED THIS WA SAN ELECTRIC ISSUE.

WHILE ENTERING THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE USING THE A-PILLAR GRAB HANDLE ASSEMBLY, THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY BROKE FREE FROM THE VEHICLE STRUCTURE. I FELL BACKWARDS ONTO THE PAVEMENT INJURING MY BACK AND LEFT SHOULDER. MY HEAD MISSED STRIKING A CONCRETE CURB BY MERE INCHES. THIS FAILURE CONSTITUTES A SERIOUS SAFETY CONDITION WITH A STRONG POSSIBILITY OF PERSONAL INJURY. THIS IS ALSO A LATENT DEFECT THAT IS UNABLE TO BE DETECTED BY THE CONSUMER UNTIL THE COMPONENT FAILS. MY INJURIES RESULTED IN TWO LOST-WORK DAYS, BUT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL IF MY HEAD HAD STRUCK THE CONCRETE CURBING MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY. THIS SAFETY CONDITION AFFECTS BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER A-PILLAR AND B-PILLAR GRAB HANDLE ASSEMBLIES (IF QUAD CAB) IN ALL DODGE RAM SERIES TRUCKS. AN INSPECTION OF THE COMPONENT SHOWED THAT THE ASSEMBLY IS HELD TO THE VEHICLE STRUCTURE WITH TWO 8MM BOLTS. THE BOLTS HAD PULLED-THROUGH THE PLASTIC MATERIAL OF THE ASSEMBLY. THERE IS NO METAL SUB-STRUCTURE WITHIN THE HANDLE ASSEMBLY TO PREVENT BOLT PULL-THROUGH FROM OCCURRING. IT SEEMS UNCONSCIONABLE THAT A MANUFACTURER WOULD DESIGN A COMPONENT TO BE USED AS A OCCUPANT WEIGHT BEARING DEVICE WITHOUT INSURING THAT THE COMPONENT IS DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND THE LOADS LIKELY TO BE PLACED UPON IT. BEST PRACTICES FOR GRAB HANDLES SHOULD ALWAYS INCORPORATE A METAL SUB-STRUCTURE INTO THEIR DESIGN. ON A SIDE NOTE, MY DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THE REPLACEMENT COMPONENT IS ON NATIONAL BACK-ORDER WITH EVERY PARTS DEPOT HAVING FIFTEEN OR MORE PARTS ON ORDER. THIS WOULD INDICATE THAT THE PROBLEM IS WIDE SPREAD, AND REQUIRES IMMEDIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION. *PH