2001 Dodge RAM 1500

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR NORMAL MAINTENANCE, THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THE FRONT BALL JOINTS NEEDED REPLACED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTIONS, THE SEAL AROUND THE BALL JOINTS WERE WORN AND THE LUBRICANT LEAKED OUT; HOWEVER NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WERE NO GREASE FITTINGS ON THE JOINTS. UPDATED 03/17/06. *JB

WHILE VISITING MY COUSIN IN FREDERICKSBURG VA, HE NOTICE NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR, WE SPOT THE BROKEN COIL SPRING AND ALSO NOTICE THE BRAND NEW TIRE (FRONT, DRIVER SIDE HAS SCRATCH ON THE SIDE WALL WE ASSUME THE BROKEN COIL SPRING CAUSE THAT. I TOOK THE TRUCK IN AT STAFFORD DODGE IN VA TO HAVE THE COIL SPRING REPLACE. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE CONTROL AND UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE WEARING OUT NEED TO BE REPLACE IT WILL COST ABOUT $2500. I CALL IN TO CHRYSLER MOTOR TO LET THEM KNOW THAT FOR 5 YEARS OLD TRUCK, I HAVE TO REPLACE COIL SPRING $527.44 AND CONTROL ARM WHEN I HAVE MONEY TO REPLACE $2500.00. THAT JUST NOT RIGHT. *NM

THE FRONT WHEEL ASSEMBLY, CONTROL ARMS, AND WHEEL HUBS HAD TO BE REPLACED BY LOCAL DEALER. I WAS TOLD BY A TRAINED TECHNICIAN THAT THE WHEEL'S COULD HAVE BROKEN AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. THE ENGINE HEATER CORE AND AIR CONDITIONING MAIN ELEMENT STOPPED FUNCTIONING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED BY LOCAL DEALER. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL, PINION BEARINGS AND CUPS STOPPED WORKING AT 77,400 MILES AND HAD TO BE REPLACED BY LOCAL DEALER. THIS WAS JUST 2,000 MILES AFTER THE PREVIOUS STATED PARTS HAD MALFUNCTIONED. OLD PARTS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL, BUT INVOICES ARE AVAILABLE FOR ALL WORK PERFORMED. *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB. UPON DECELERATION THE CONSUMER HEARD A ROARING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN HE ACCELERATED THE ROARING SOUND WENT AWAY. WHEN THE CONSUMER LET OFF OF THE ACCELERATOR THE SECOND TIME HE HEARD AN EXPLOSION SOUND, AND THE REAR END LOCKED. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE NUT ON THE PINION GEAR HAD COME ALOOSE AND CAUSED THE REAR END TO COME APART. THE DRIVE SHAFT PUNCTURED THE QUAD CAB'S INTERIOR FLOORBOARD. THE SERVICE DEALER REFERRED HIM TO THE MANUFACTURER'S CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THIS WAS A MECHANICAL FAILURE AND NOT A DEFECT WITHIN THE VEHICLE. *AK (11/22/05) COMPONENTS AFFECTED ARE: REAR DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLY, TRANSMISSION, TRANSFER CASE AND DRIVESHAFT. *SC

THE LEFT REAR MAIN LEAF SPRING FAILED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH. AT THE TIME OF FAILURE THE TRUCK HAD APPROXIMATELY 35000 MILES ON IT AND THE REPAIR WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. WITH APPROXIMATELY 70000 MILES ON THE TRUCK THE RIGHT REAR MAIN LEAF FAILED AS WELL. THIS REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED AND I WAS INFORMED BY THE "CERTIFIED CHRYSLER REPAIR FACILITY" THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR BULLETINS CONCERNING THIS FAILURE. THIS TRUCK HAS NEVER CARRIED A LOAD AND HAS NEVER BEEN ABUSED. BOTH SPRINGS BROKE IN THE SAME PLACE (WHERE THE STEEL IS ROLLED TO ACCOMMODATE THE SHACKLE BOLT). THIS IS A CLEAN STRAIGHT BREAK AND APPEARS TO BE THE RESULT OF EXCESSIVE HEAT IN THE MANUFACTURE PROCESS. THIS IS MOST DEFINITELY A "MANUFACTURER DEFECT" AND AS SUCH SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION. *NM

VEHICLE STARTED EXHIBITING STEERING PROBLEM AT 3000 MILES. THE ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP DID A REALIGNMENT OF THE FRONT END, INSTALLED NEW SHOCKS, WE REPLACED THE TIRES EVEN THOUGH THE ORIGINAL TIRES WERE NOT WORN OUT, AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. WE HAD THE SHOCKS REPLACED UNDER THE WARRANTY TWICE WITHOUT ANY DIFFERENCE. WE HAD THE FRONT END REALIGNED AT OUR EXPENSE THREE TIMES WITHOUT ANY DIFFERENCE. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE PITMAN ARM AND TIE ROD END SLEEVE, AND REALIGNED THE FRONT END TO THE TUNE OF $345.00, AND SAID THIS WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. WHEN THE TRUCK HIT A BUMP OR UNEVEN PLACE IN THE PAVEMENT AT FREEWAY SPEEDS IT WILL START TO SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY, BUT THIS IS NOT CONSISTENT. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN WITH EVERY BUMP, AND THERE IS NO PREDICTING WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. IN ORDER TO REGAIN CONTROL, YOU HAVE TO STOP IMMEDIATELY, AND THERE IS GOING TO COME THE TIME WHEN THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE A MULTI-CAR CRASH ON THE FREEWAY! FORTUNATELY THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED YET. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, NOT WHERE WE BOUGHT THE TRUCK SINCE WE DON'T LIVE THERE ANYMORE, WANTS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FRONT END TO THE TUNE OF $2000.00, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS WRONG , AND DODGE SAYS THEY WON'T WARRANTY THIS WORK EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE 3000 MILES. ALL MILEAGE ON THE TRUCK HAS BEEN HIGHWAY OR CITY MILES. OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS A DEFECTIVE PART INSTALLED ORIGINALLY, AND HAS STEADILY GOTTEN WORSE, BUT THE DEALERSHIP CAN'T PINPOINT THIS DEFECTIVE PART. THE SITUATION HAS NOW GOTTEN VERY DANGEROUS.*AK