2002 Dodge RAM 1500

LOST ENGINE OIL PRESSURE . USED BERRYMANSB12 IN ENGINE OIL . OIL PRESSURE CAME BACK . DRAINED OIL AND INSTALLED NEW OIL AND FILTER . STARTED ENGINE NO OIL PRESSURE . REMOVED OIL PAN , SUCTION SCREEN PLUGGED WITH SLUDGE AND HARD OIL DEPOSITS . CLEANED EVERYTHING . INSTALLED OIL PAN . NEW OIL AND FILTER . STARTED ENGINE , SO FAR OK . HAVE 110,000 MILES ON ENGINE. *NM

DRIVING ON RT. 10 IN NJ, OIL PRESSURE GAUGE DROPPED AND ENGINE MADE A LOUD NOISE AND STOPPED. BARELY MADE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AFTER ALMOST GETTING REAR ENDED. HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER WHERE DODGE'S INDEPENDENT INSPECTOR SAID IT WAS THE THERMOSTAT. HAD ENGINE REPLACED BY MY MECHANIC AND WAS DETERMINED TO BE SLUDGE BUILD UP WITH THE PUMP COMPLETELY CLOGGED AND THE OIL SCREEN ALSO CLOGGED WITH METAL FRAGMENTS. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS LEAKING FLUID FROM THE RACK AND PINION. THE FIRST LEAK OCCURRED AT 68,000 MILES WHICH WAS A MINOR LEAK ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE RACK AND PINION SHOULD BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RACK AND PINION SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED AT A MILEAGE OF 70,000. THEN THERE WAS A MAJOR LEAK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AFTER THE REPAIR SHOP DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT IS AWARE THAT THERE IS NO RECALL ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE FOR HIS VEHICLE. *JB

MY ENGINE LIGHT COME ON ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO. HOOKED IT UP TO A CAR READER AND THE CODE IS A 1491. WHICH MEANS RADIATOR FAN CONTROL RELAY CIRCUIT. I CALLED THE DODGE DEALER HERE IN ENUMCLAW WASHINGTON AND THEY TOLD ME $500 TO FIX. SO I CALLED MY MECHANIC AT CASCADE AUTOMOTIVE IN ENUMCLAW AND HE EXPLAINED TO ME THE SITUATION. IF I REPLACE ONLY THE RELAY IF MAY BE ENOUGH BUT THE $500 COST THE DEALER IS CHARGING IS BECAUSE OF THE WIRING HARNESS BURNING UP AND CAUSE A FATAL SITUATION. MY MECHANIC HAS SEEN A NUMBER OF THESE THROUGH HIS SHOP. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY DODGE CORP. AND PAID FOR BY THEM. *JB

CRACKED DASHBOARD IN 2002 DODGE RAM 1500 IT'S CRACKED IN SEVERAL AREAS RIGHT NOW. THE DEALER WAS UNSURE HOW TO HANDLE THIS SITUATION, AS THEY ARE A USED CAR LOT. I NEVER WITNESSED ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE AND SEEING AS HOW I JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE, I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A 4 YR OLD TRUCKS DASHBOARD BREAKING UP LIKE A JIGSAW PUZZLE. I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE AIRBAGS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY, OR WORSE YET, BEING DEPLOYED WITH THE SLIGHTEST OF BUMPS FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE. FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM OTHER OWNERS, THEY'VE BEEN TOLD THAT DODGE IS BASICALLY BRUSHING THEM OFF, SAYING THAT THEIR VEHICLES ARE PASS THEIR MILEAGE AND WARRANTY AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO FOR THEM. WELL, HERE'S A 2002 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB WITH BARELY 60,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS NOT YOUR USUAL WEAR AND TEAR ITEM, LIKE A PAIR OF TIRES OR A FAN BELT. IT'S A DASHBOARD. THEY REALLY DO NEED TO REPLACE IT WITH A BETTER ITEM AND ANY OTHERS THAT ARE POSSIBLY OUT THERE RIGHT NOW. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 60 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE BEGAN TO MISFIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT CYLINDERS 1, 3, AND 5 WERE MISFIRING, AND THAT THE SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. A RADIATOR, COOLANT, AC BLOWER FAN, AND SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED, WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. A WEEK AFTER THE REPAIRS, THE AC BLOWER FAN STOPPED FUNCTIONING, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS NOTICED THAT COOLANT WAS DRIED ON THE TOP OF THE RADIATOR AND CAP. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT COOLANT OVERFLOWED. THE MISFIRING PROBLEM RECURRED 2 & 1/2 WEEKS AFTER THE FIRST REPAIR, AND WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. IT WAS NOTICED THAT COOLANT WAS FOUND INSIDE THE PORTS, AND THE HEADS ON THE ENGINE WERE WARPED. ALSO, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT NEW HEADS WOULD HAVE TO BE INSTALLED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE PAPERWORK STATED EXHAUST FUMES WERE FOUND INSIDE THE COOLING SYSTEM. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER AFTER FILING A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA.

PARKING LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS DO NOT FUNCTION. LAMP OUT INDICATOR LIGHT ON DASH IS NOT ON. PROBLEM DIAGNOSED TO BE IN THE FUSE BOX CIRCUIT BOARDS ALSO KNOWN AS THE PDC (POWER DISTRIBUTION CENTER). APPARENTLY CORROSION OCCURS INSIDE THE BOX AND THE GROUND IS LOST. ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT PART NUMBER IS 56045433AE. THAT PART NUMBER IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE AND HAS BEEN REPLACED BY PART NUMBER 56045433AF. NEITHER PART IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE FROM DODGE DEALERS. THERE DEPOTS ALSO SHOW NO STOCK AND THEY DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE PART WILL BE AVAILABLE. AS THE CORROSION CONTINUES OTHER ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS OF THE VEHICLE COULD BE LOST RESULTING IN A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *JB