1998 Dodge RAM 1500

OIL PRESSURE GAUGE DROPPED TO ZERO AND LIFTERS ON ENGINE WERE TAPPING, SO I HAD TO PARK MY VEHICLE BEFORE I LOST MY ENGINE. VEHICLE IS A 98 DODGE RAM 1500 V6 WITH 70K MILES. WAS CAUSED BY A CLOGGED OIL PUMP INTAKE SCREEN. ALMOST LOST ENGINE BECAUSE SCREEN IS OF DEFECTIVE DESIGN. SCREEN IS COVERED BY A CAP THAT PREVENTS ALL OF THE SOLIDS FROM DROPPING BACK INTO THE PAN. THE OIL PAN ITSELF HAS A HALF INCH RISE INSIDE TO RECEIVE THE OIL DRAIN PLUG. THIS HALF INCH RISE PREVENTS HEAVY SOLIDS FROM BEING DRAINED DURING ROUTINE OIL CHANGES. THE OIL PUMP INTAKE IS LOCATED DIRECTLY ABOVE THESE SOLIDS, TRAPPED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN, AND SUCKS THEM DIRECTLY INTO THE SCREEN. THEREFORE, OVER TIME THE CONDITION WILL REOCCUR. POST RESEARCH I FOUND NUMEROUS PERSONS WITH IDENTICAL DESCRIPTIONS TO MINE WHO HAD LOST THEIR ENGINES ON VARIES YEARS AND MODELS OF DODGE TRUCKS. ALTHOUGH HEARSAY, THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE TOLD BY DEALERSHIPS THAT THEY HAD SLUDGE IN THE BOTTOM OF THEIR PANS, STATING THE REASON FOR FAILURE WAS DO TO NOT ROUTINELY CHANGING OIL. I CAN DOCUMENT MY ROUTINE OIL CHANGES, AND I STILL HAD SOLIDS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN ON MY VEHICLE THAT CANNOT BE REMOVED BY ROUTINE OIL CHANGES. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A BREACH OF THE IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. I HAVE DOCUMENTED THE PROBLEM ON VIDEO AS WELL. *JB

98 DODGE HI TOP CONVERSION VAN; THE ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS' RELEASE MECHANISM HAS BROKEN FOR THE FOURTH TIME. THIS TIME THE MIDDLE SIDE PASSENGER DOOR LOCK BROKE. WHEN THE DOOR LOCKS' BRAKE, THEY ARE JAMMED LOCKED, AND WE CAN NOT OPEN THE DOOR AT ALL. WE CONTACTED THE DODGE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT IF THEY UNJAM THE DOOR, THE DOOR WOULD THEN STAY OPEN! WE HAVE TO WAIT TILL NEXT WEEK TO GET IT FIXED BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO ORDER THE PART. THIS WILL END UP COSTING US OVER $200/00 - AGAIN. I AM AMAZED AT YOUR QUESTION "NUMBER OF FATALITIES" . BUT IT DOES BRING A CHILLING THOUGHT - IF I WAS TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT WITH MY FIVE CHILDREN IN THE BACK - THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT, AND IF A FIRE WAS TO IGNITE, I WOULD NOT EVEN LIKE TO THINK OF THE RESULTS!!!!!! YOUR QUESTIONS SHOULD BE "NUMBER OF POSSIBLE FATALITIES" - THEN YOU WOULD GET A MORE ACCURATE NUMBER OF THE SEVERITY OF THE DEFECT. MY (FIVE) CHILDREN NOW HAVE TO ENTER AND EXIT THROUGH THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR. MY SIX YEAR OLD DAUGHTER HAD TO GET OUT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE THIS MORNING TO GO TO SCHOOL. SHE FELL OUT AND HURT HER WRIST! AS MENTIONED BEFORE, THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME ONE OF THE LOCKS BROKE ON THE DOORS. TWICE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR, AND ONCE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR. IT IS OBVIOUS TO US THAT THE LOCKS ARE DEFINITELY DEFECTIVE - AND LIFE THREATENING! I SEE FIRST HAND WHAT HAPPENS IN WRECKS, BEING A CAPTAIN OF THE LOCAL VOL. FIRE DEPT AND A MEMBER OF THE RESCUE SQUAD. *PH

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

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