1998 Dodge RAM 1500

MY SON WAS DRIVING ON HWY 78 WHEN THE PICKUP LUNGED A COUPLE OF TIMES. HE WAS GOING TO PULL OFF THE ROAD TO CHECK FOR A PROBLEM. HE HAD THE CRUISE SET SO HE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. HE LOOKED IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR FOR TRAFFIC BEHIND HIM AND SAW FLAMES AND SMOKE COMING FROM BETWEEN THE CAB AND THE BED. HE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF AND TOLD HIS FINANCE TO GET HER BABY OUT BECAUSE THEY WERE ON FIRE. WHEN HE OPENED HIS DOOR THE FLAMES ERRUPTED INTO THE CAB AND HE HAD DIVE OUT THROUGH THE FLAMES. THE PICKUP EXPLODED ABOUT ONE MINUTE AFTER THEY GOT OUT. THEY LOST EVERYTHING IN THE TRUCK. *AK

FROM THE DAY I SAW THAT 96 DODGE TRUCK ROLLING DOWN THE STREET I FELL IN LOVE. I SAVED EVERY WAY POSSIBLE TO PURCHASE THE BIG BAD 1500 4X4 5.9(98)WITH EVERY OPTION AVAIL. HAD EVERYTHING AND FROM WEEK 1 HAD PROBLEMS. FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE DRIVING "DUE TO FRAME STRESS" IT ABOUT 2 WEEKS INTO IT. BRAKE FAILURE CAUSE SERIOUS ASSAULT ON GUARD RAIL, AND DODGE SAID I MUST HAVE BEEN DRIVING TO FAST (@ 30 MPH). THEY REFUSED ANY WARRANTY BECAUSE "NOTHING CAN TOUCH THE WHEEL" AND SINCE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER 93 DAYS LEMON LAWS DID NOT APPLY SO AFTER (2) $900 BRAKE JOBS TWO WEEKS APART EVERYTHING WAS FINE. NOT TO MENTION DAMAGE TO BODY I PAID FOR OUT OF POCKET. NOW I JUST GO THROUGH AN ENTIRE SET OF BRAKES EVERY 6 MONTHS. BUT I STOP UNTIL THEN.. I REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AT 38 K MILES, NOTE THE WARRANTY ON THAT IS 36 K MILES. I HAVE HAD STEERING LINKAGE BECOME SO LOOSE INSTANTANEOUSLY (OR 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS) THAT IT FELT LIKE I WAS RUNNING OVER MY OWN AXLE, WHICH IS ANOTHER $1000 EACH TIME. FOR THE PAST THREE EMISSIONS INSPECTIONS THE ON BOARD COMPUTER FAILS SO I HAVE TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER WHILE THEY CHARGE $200 TO FIX IT, BUT WILL NOT GIVE STRAIGHT ANSWER TO WHAT IS PROBLEM. AND TO NIGHT AS I TYPE, I SPREAD THE GRIME OF ENGINE CRUD ACROSS MY KEYBOARD AS I TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHY THE FUEL FILTER SUDDENLY STOPPED. AMAZINGLY I HAVE HAD THIS TRUCK FOR 5 YEARS BECAUSE IT HAS KEPT ME TOO BROKE TO BUY SOMETHING ELSE. ANY "LEGAL" SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT CAN BE DONE WOULD BE APPRECIATED. I RECOGNIZE I HAVE SPENT MORE THAN $15,000 TRYING TO KEEP THIS THING RUNNING RIGHT, AND THAT IS TOO MUCH FOR A "LATE MODEL" TRUCK. I WOULD LOVE TO BLAME A DEALER BUT I HAVE BEEN TO JUST ABOUT ALL OF THEM AROUND HERE AND WITH THE SMILES ON THERE FACES I HEAR "THAT WILL BE ANOTHER $950 SIR".. GOOD GRIEF. *NLM

WHEN DRIVING, THE TRUCK MAKES CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE, BUT BEFORE A LOSS OF POWER IS FELT. WHEN WE FIRST TOOK IN THE TRUCK, THE MECHANICS AT CAL WORTHINGTON SAID THEY COULD NOT HEAR ANYTHING OR FEEL ANY LOSS OF POWER. AFTER THEY CLAIMED THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM, THE PROBLEM KEPT COMING BACK. AFTER SEVERAL TIMES THEY STILL CLAIMED THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, UNTIL WE GOT FURIOUS AND UPSET. THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, AND THEY ALSO CLAIMED THAT MOST OF THEIR TRUCKS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE TAKEN IN OUR TRUCK SEVERAL TIMES, THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO STOP THE NOISES AND LOSS OF POWER. TO THIS DAY THE PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURING SPECIALLY WHEN WHEN GOING UP A SMALL ASCENT. THE PROBLEM ALSO OCCURS QUITE FREQUENTLY AT THE 60-70 MPH RANGE. WE HAVE NOT FIGURED OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, BUT THEY DO. FROM WHAT WE HAVE NOTICED OVER THE PAST YEARS THAT WE HAVE TAKEN IN THE TRUCK FOR REPAIRS THEY HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO STOP IT.*AK

THE HORN IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO WORK IN AN EMERGENCY. YOU HAVE TO HIT IT IN EXACLY THE RIGHT SPOT FOR IT TO WORK WITH A SIZABLE AMOUNT OF FORCE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THINKING IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE ALONE. THEY SAID THEY TESTED IT AND IT WAS THE SAME AS ALL OTHER HORNS. I HAVE ALMOST BEEN INVOLVED IN SEVERAL ACCIDENTS BECAUSE I HAVE NOT BE ABLE TO WARN A PERSON MOVING INTO MY LANE BECAUSE I COULD NOT GET MY HORN TO WORK. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AS I FEEL IT POSES A THREAT OF DANGER TO ANYONE WHO OPPERATES THIS VEHICLE. *AK