1998 Dodge RAM 1500

1998 DODGE 1500 FUEL LINE BREAK ITS THE CROSSOVER LINE BETWEEN THE FUEL RAILS ON THE 5.2 LTR ENGINE A SMALL RUBBER LINE. BECAUSE I DROVE MY TRUCK 3 MILES TO A CAR WASH TO WASH LAWNMOWER ON TRAILER DIDN'T WASH TRUCK DIDN'T SMELL GAS STARTED TRUCK TO GET GAS AT STATION DROVE IT 1 BLOCK TO STATION TURNED TRUCK OFF AND AT THAT MOMENT I HERD A WHOOMPING NOISE AND THEN WHITE SMOKE AND FLAMES CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BETWEEN THE WINDSHIELD AND THE HOOD BIG FLAMES THEN BLACK SMOKE I HAD BARLEY HAD ENOUGH TIME TO UNHOOK TRAILER RAN TO DRIVERS SIDE BLACK SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE CAB PUT TRUCK IN NEUTRAL AND PUSHED IT AWAY FROM GAS PUMPS THEN CALLED 911. FROM THE TIME I GOT TO THE GAS PUMPS AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT THE FIRE OUT WAS 15 MIN AND IT COMPLETELY GUTTED THE CAB AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FUEL RAIL CROSSOVER LINE IS THE ONLY WAY THAT I FIGURED THE FIRE STARTED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BECAUSE THE FUEL AND RETURN FUEL LINE IS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. I'M AFRAID IF THIS WOULD OF HAPPENED DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH PASSENGERS SOMEBODY COULD IF GOTTEN SERIOUSLY HURT . *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD BANG THAT SOUNDED LIKE AN EXPLOSION. HE LOOKED IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AND NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS IN FLAMES. THE FLAMES QUICKLY ENGULFED THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. HE MANAGED TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ATTEMPTED TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL SERVICE STATION AND A LARGE HOLE WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANK. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE ESTIMATED COST OF $3,500. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 160,000.

MY SON, WILLIAM, WAS DRIVING OUR 1998 DODGE PICKUP ON HIGHWAY 78 WHEN IT BEGAN TO LUNGE. SINCE WE HAD TO PUT 2 TRANSMISSIONS IN HIS PREVIOUS DODGE PICKUP, HE THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THIS TRANSMISSION. HE STARTED TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AND LOOKED IN HIS REARVIEW MIRROR FOR TRAFFIC WHEN HE SAW FLAMES AND SMOKE COMING FROM BETWEEN THE CAB AND BED. HE HURRIEDLY PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND WHEN HE OPENED THE DRIVERS DOOR FLAMES ENGLUFED THE CAB. HE HAD TO GO OUT THROUGH THE FIRE. ABOUT 1 MINUTE AFTER HE AND HIS PASSENGERS EMERGED FROM THE PICKUP, IT EXPLODED. THE ONLY THING LEFT OF THE TRUCK WAS WHAT WAS METAL. WILL HAD SECOND DEGREE BURNS TO HIS FACE,EARS,NECK, HANDS AND ARMS. HE SPENT ONE NIGHT IN THE HOSPITAL. I CONTACTED DODGE AND WAS TOLD THERE WOULD BE AN INVESTAGATOR LOOK AT THE TRUCK. I WAS THEN TOLD BY DODGE SINCE THE PICKUP BURNED TOTALLY THERE WAS NO WAY TO DETERMINE THEY WERE AT FAULT. AFTER LOOKING ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE QUITE A NUMBER OF FIRES IN DODGE VEHICLES. *AK

REAR AXLES SEALS LEAKED LUBRICANT ON THE BRAKE SHOES CAUSING LOSS OF BRAKING. THIS PROBLEM A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN WHEN TOWING A TRAILER DUE TO LOSS OF BRAKING AND COULD CAUSE A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. THE SECOND ISSUE IS THE FUEL SENDER IN THE FUEK TANK FAILING.THE FUEL GAUGE READING WILLINDICATE ZERO TO FULL RANDOMLY, THUS YOU NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH FUEL RESERVE YOU HAVE. THIS HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE BEFORE UNDER WARRANTY. UPON INSPECTION THE THE SENDING UNIT THE WIPER MECHANISM APPEARS TO WEAR OUT PREMATURELY AND SENDING ERRONEOUS SIGNAL TO THE FUEL GAUGE IN THE DASH.*AK

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER SHIFTED INDICATOR AND IT FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY. COULD NOT LOCATE WHAT GEAR TRANSMISSION WAS IN. POPS OUT OF GEAR INTERMITTENTLY WHEN GAS PEDAL PRESSED. ALSO, WHENEVER APPLYING BRAKES, VEHICLE WOULD CONSTANTLY INCREASE IN SPEED. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP & EACH TIME TEST DRIVEN, BUT NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED 3 TIMES FOR FAULTY GEAR SHIFTING. IN ADDITION, FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED DUE TO PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION. ONGOING PROBLEMS. *AK *ML