2003 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB Complaints

I WAS REQUIRED TO PAY $198.03 TO THE DEALERSHIP TO RESURFACE THE FRONT ROTORS OF MY 2003 DODGE 1500 LONESTAR PICKUP. THE SERVICE TECH VERIFIED THAT I STILL HAVE 8MM OF ORIGINAL BRAKE ON THE FRONT AND 10MM OF ORIGINAL BRAKE ON THE BACK. SINCE I AM PAST THE 12000 MILES REQUIRED BY CHRYSLER THEY FEEL THAT THIS IS A NORMAL WEAR PROBLEM. BECAUSE OF THE BRAKES PULSATING EACH TIME I APPLIED THEM I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CORRECTED AS IT WAS BECOMING WORSE. I FAIL TO SEE THIS AS NORMAL WEAR IF MY BRAKES ARE IN SUCH GOOD CONDITION. I FEEL THAT IT IS A POOR DESIGN OR MATERIAL PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED BY CHRYSLER AND NOT THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE VIEWED WEB SITES THAT SHOW MANY OWNERS OF 2003/2004 DODGE 1500 WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM AND THE SERVICE TECH STATED THE SAME THING. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AT 60 MPH THE VEHICLE TURNED LEFT AND RIGHT WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THE STEERING GEAR WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 05/063/06. *JB

ON 7-16-03 I WAS A RESTRAINED PASSENGER IN A DODGE RAM 1500 4X4 QUAD CAB. WE WERE RETURNING FROM A SHORT TRIP TO THE STORE. WHILE DRIVING ON A PERFECTLY STRAIGHT DRY ROAD, WITH COMPLETELY CLEAR VISIBILITY AT APPROX 3 PM AFTERNOON WITH VERY LIGHT TRAFFIC WE UNEXPECTEDLY FELT A HARD BUMP, AS IF WE HAD HIT A POT HOLE. IT WAS SO HARD I WAS THROWN FORWARD IN MY SEAT. THE DRIVER IMMEDIATELY YELLED THAT THE STEERING HAD LOCKED. HE WAS ALSO TRYING DESPERATELY TO HIT THE BRAKES, BUT THEY TOO WERE NOT WORKING. THE DRIVER STRUGGLED WITH ALL HIS MIGHT TO TRY AND GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, BUT WASN'T ABLE TOO. WE DROVE DIRECTLY INTO THE LANE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. WE THEN LEFT THE LANE AND PROCEEDED INTO A PARKING AREA OF A CONVENIENCE STORE, WHERE WE STRUCK A PARKED VEHICLE. AFTER STRIKING THE PARKED VEHICLE WE WERE REDIRECTED BACK INTO THE LANE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. IT WAS AT THAT TIME WE WERE STRUCK HEAD ON BY A SEMI TRUCK. THE SEMI DROVE COMPLETELY OVER THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE DODGE TRUCK CRUSHING ME INSIDE AND ROLLING THE SEMI. THE POLICE REPORT STATES THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL WAS FOUND SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS AWAY FROM THE SCENE OF THE WRECK. IN THE AREA WE NOTED THE INITIAL BUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS INVESTIGATED AND IT WAS FOUND THE FRONT PASSENGER BALL JOINT HAD BEEN BROKEN COMPLETELY IN HALF; HOWEVER, THE INVESTIGATED STATED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS TOO SEVERE TO MAKE A DETERMINATION AS TO WHETHER THE BALL JOINT FAILED BEFORE, OR WAS BROKEN DURING THE COLLISION. THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 5 SECONDS BETWEEN THE FAILURE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND THE COLLISION. SOMETHING FAILED ON THAT VEHICLE RENDERING IT UNCONTROLLABLE. I DO HAVE THE VEHICLE IN MY POSSESSION, AND IT IS AVAILABLE FOR ANY FURTHER INVESTIGATION. DODGE HAS SHOWN NO INTEREST WHAT SO EVER IN INVESTIGATING THIS POSSIBLE MECHANICAL FAILURE. I WILL SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE TRYING TO RECOVER FROM THE INJURIES I INCURRED FROM THIS ACCIDENT. *JB

SEPT. 2004 BOUGHT 2003 DODGE QUAD CAB W/HEMI. HAD APPROXIMATELY 34,000 MILES ON IT. TRUCK WAS IN GREAT SHAPE,RAN GOOD,DROVE GOOD. THEN IN OCT,2005,HAD A VALVE SPRING BREAK ON LEFT SIDE OF MOTOR,CAUSING MOTOR TO LOCK-UP. AT THIS TIME THE TRUCK HAD 84,400 MILES ON IT. WE LIVE 30 MILES FROM OUR JOBS,SO WE PUT A LOT OF MILES ON OUR VEHICLES. I CALLED DAIMLER-CHRYSLER TO SEE IF THEY WOULD EITHER FIX THE TRUCK,OR AT LEAST HELP WITH THE REPAIRS(AFTER ALL,YOU WOULD THINK THAT A HEMI MOTOR SHOULD BE GOOD FOR A LOT LONGER THAN 80,000 MILES).DAIMLER-CHRYSLER SAID THAT THEY WOULD NEED "A CERTIFIED DODGE DEALERSHIP"TO CHECK OUT THE TRUCK TO SEE WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED AND WHY IT HAPPENED. I HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP(SAVANNAH DODGE,SAVANNAH,GA).THEY CONFIRMED THE BROKEN VALVE SPRING AND BROKEN VALVE. THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT HE HAS SEEN A FEW OF THESE SAME PROBLEMS,AND THE FIX IS TO REPLACE THE HEAD(IT WAS DAMAGED)USE NEW VALVES AND VALVE SPRINGS(WITH NEW"HEAVY-DUTY" VALVE SPRINGS).HE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT I REPLACE THE VALVE SPRINGS ON THE OTHER HEAD WITH THESE NEW"HEAVY-DUTY"VALVE SPRINGS. I CALLED DAIMLER-CHRYSLER AGAIN AND TOLD THEM WHAT THEIR FIVE-STAR DEALERSHIP SAID. AFTER CALLING DAIMLER-CHRYSLER SEVERAL MORE TIMES,THEY SAID THAT THEY(DAIMLER-CHRYSLER)WOULD CALL THE DEALERSHIP AND THEN DECIDE IF THEY WOULD OR COULD HELP WITH THE REPAIRS. NEEDLESS TO SAY,I HAD TO CALL DAIMLER-CHRYSLER BACK(THEY DO NOT RETURN PHONE CALLS)THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT HELP WITH THE REPAIRS BECAUSE(1)I DID NOT BUY THIS TRUCK NEW(2)IT WAS OUT OF THE 70,000 MILE WARRANTY(3)BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE RECEIPTS OF MY OIL CHANGES(I AM A MECHANIC OF 25+ YEARS,I DO MY OWN OIL CHANGES,BUY MY OIL(CASTROL 5W30)BY THE CASE AT WAL-MART EVERY 3000 MILES. *NM

WE HAVE HAD THE REAR END OF OUR 2003 DODGE RAM 1500 REPLACED IN OUR VEHICLE THREE TIMES IN THE 2 YEARS. THE RING AND PINION WAS SHATTERED THE FIRST TIME WE TOOK IT IN. THE REPLACEMENT PARTS DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN IN MAY 05. WE HAD TO PAY 219.00 AND AGAIN THE REAR END WENT OUT IN AUG 05. *NM

I HAVE A TERRIBLE LAUNCH SHUDDER IN THE DRIVE LINE OF MY TRUCK, WHICH THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO REPAIR. I BOUGHT THE TRUCK SEPT 03 AND RETURNED IT TO THE DEALER MAY 04 WITH 2027 MILES ON IT. THE TRUCK WOULD SHAKE AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH ON A HARD ACCELERATION THE DEALER SAID HE WENT BACK TO THE DEALER SEVERAL MORE TIMES FOR THE SAME COMPLAINT BUT THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM SO THERE WAS NO FIX. FINALLY, ON JULY 25, 2005, AT 9028 MILES A SERVICE TECH WENT FOR A RIDE WITH ME AND FELT THE SHUDDER. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE DRIVESHAFT AND SAID THE VEHICLE WAS FIXED. I DROVE OFF THE DEALER PARKING LOT AND THE SHUDDER STARTED AS SOON AS I HIT THE PUBLIC STREET. I DROVE RIGHT BACK INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM HASN'T BEEN CORRECTED. THE DEALER HAS SINCE REMOVED AND REINSTALLED THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, REMOVED AND REPLACED 2 BEARING IN THE REAR END, AN ENTIRE REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY AND THE ENGINE MOTOR MOUNTS. NONE OF THESE HAVE WORKED. JEFF KOSIBA, FROM CHRYSLER ENGINEERING, COMPANY PHN# 313-493-3359, CALLED THE DEALER AND TOLD HIM THAT THE REAR BRAKES WERE HANGING UP AT WILL AND THAT THE FOLLOWING SHOULD BE REMOVED AND REPLACED: THE REAR BRAKE HUBS, BRAKE PADS, CALIPERS AND ROTORS. THIS REPAIR HASN'T BEEN COMPLETED AS OF THIS DATE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE ASAP, THIS IS A DANGEROUS VEHICLE. *NM

STALLING WHEN GOING FROM IDLE SUCH AS ACCELLERATING OUT OF A TURN, TURNING FROM A STOP SIGN, PULLING INTO OR OUT OF A PARKING STALL.

TRUCK DEVELOPED WARPED ROTORS @ 13K MILES. ROTORS WERE TURNED AND FRON T CALIPERS REPLACED DUE TO TSB. LATER SHUDDER REAPPEARD @ ABOUT 22K MILES. DEALER TURNED REAR ROTORS. SHUDDER REAPPEARED ~6K MILES LATER. REPLACED REAR DISCS SINCE OLDER ONES WERE BEYOND TURNING. SHUDDER REAPPEARED @ 34K. AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION WITH DEALER AND DODGE CUST NO-SERVICE, FRONT HUBS WERE REPLACED AND FRONT ROTORS TURNED DUE TO TSB. NOW AT 38K MILES SHUDDER IS BACK.

THIS ISSUE OCCURS INTERMITTENLY, WHILE PULLING FORWARD INTO MY PARKING PLACE, I SHIFTED THE TRUCK INTO REVERSE AND IT STALLED. I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND SHIFTED TO REVERSE THEN AGAIN AHIFTING INTO DRIVE AND THE ENGINE STALLED AGAIN. THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES IN ONE WEEK. EACH TIME WAS AFTER DRIVING AT LEAST 15 MILES SO THE VEHICLE WAS HEATED UP. THIS COULD BE A MAJOR ISSUE ESPECIALLY WHILE BACKING DOWN MY JET SKIS INTO THE WATER. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE INTO DODGE FOR WARRANTY REPAIR AND AFTER 2 DAYS, THEY SAID THEY HAVE YET TO REPRODUCE OR DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE.

FRONT OEM ROTORS ARE TOO WEAK FOR THE FACTORY INSTALLED 20" WHEELS. I HAD TO HAVE MY ROTORS TURNED AT 13K MILES BECAUSE OF UNEVEN WEAR.