2002 Dodge RAM 1500

HEATER CORE FAILS ON COOLING LINE FITTING COMING OUT OF IT. THIS CAUSES LEAKAGE AND DUE TO HVAC DESIGN AND NEWNESS OF MAKE IT IS ONLY POSSIBLE TO GET THE PART FROM THE DEALER AND THE PART ITSELF IS CHEAPLY MANUFACTURED AND APPEARS TO BE CHEAPLY DESIGNED. WHEN IT DOES FINALLY FAIL AT THE FITTING ONE WILL RUN THE DEFROSTER AND THE WINDOWS WILL MILK OVER IN COLD WEATHER CAUSING SEVERE VISIBILITY PROBLEMS. NOT TO MENTION ONE IS BREATHING IN GASEOUS HOT COOLANT THAT DODGE USES WHICH ITSELF BREAKS DOWN INTO AN ACID IN OPEN AIR AT HIGH TEMPERATURES. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 65MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED. ONCE THE VEHICLE STARTED, IT TOOK 5 MINUTES FOR THE POWER TO BE COMPLETELY FUNCTIONAL. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED PREVIOUSLY WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER; HOWEVER THE PROBLEM CAN NOT BE DUPLICATED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70MPH ANOTHER MOTORIST ALERTED THE CONTACT THE RUNNING LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE WERE OUT. UPON INSPECTION THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THE POWER DISTRIBUTION CENTER AND THE FCM (PART # 56045434AEA) FAILED. THERE WAS A POWER SURGE THROUGH THE PARTS THAT CAUSED THE FUSES TO BE BLOWN. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE POWER DISTRIBUTION CENTER AND THE FCM.

WHEN DRIVING DOWN ANY BUMPY ROAD, THE REAR OF THE TRUCK IS ALL OVER THE PLACE HAVE TO DRIVE AT 5 MPH OR LESS TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE TRUCK. WHEN IT'S RAINY IT'S EVEN WORSE. ON THE HIGHWAY ON WET WEATHER YOU CAN SEE THE REAR OF THE TRUCK SWAYING AFTER A BUMP - VERY SCARY THIS STARTED WHEN THE TRUCK REACHED 40,000 MILES - WILL THERE BE A REMEDY FOR THIS - HAVE TAKEN IT TO DIFFERENT MECHANICS THEY ALSO AGREE WITH THE WAY THE TRUCK OPERATES AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. *NM

ENTIRE GAUGE CLUSTER FAILED. HEADLIGHTS AND RUNNING LIGHTS CAME ON WITH THE SWITCH IN THE OFF POSITION. TURN SIGNALS, EMERGENCY FLASHERS AND BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT OPERATE. ELECTRIC LOCKS DID NOT OPERATE. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE. THE FIRST TIME IT CORRECTED ITSELF AFTER CHECKING ALL OF THE FUSES. THE SECOND TIME IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP HAS DIAGNOSED A INTERNAL SHORT IN THE GAUGE CLUSTER WITH AN EXPECTED REPAIR COST OF $900.00. *NM

I HAD AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER,WHICH CAUSED ALL OF MY GAUGES TO STOP WORKING. NO SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, BATTERY, OIL OR TEMPERATURE GAUGE. MY TURN SIGNALS, HORN, INTERIOR LIGHTS, WIPERS, AND POWER DOOR LOCKS ALSO FAILED. I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT I HAD NO STOP/BRAKE LIGHTS OR FOG LIGHTS, BUT HAD HEADLIGHTS AND PARKING LIGHTS EVEN THOUGH THE INTERIOR SWITCH WAS IN THE OFF POSITION. EVEN THOUGH THIS TRUCK WAS PURCHASED NEW IN JANUARY OF 2002 AT JERRYS DODGE (NOW SAFFORD DODGE, AND THE THREE YEAR WARRANTY WAS JUST UP, I ONLY HAD 7,078 MILES ON THE TRUCK AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CLUSTER BUT I HAD TO PAY. I THINK THIS CLUSTER SUDDENLY GOING OUT IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. THANK GOD MINE WENT OUT IN THE DAY TIME AND NOT AT NIGHT. I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED AS IT IS. THIS IS THE FOURTH INCIDENT OF A FAILED INSTRUMENT CLUSTER THAT I KNOW OF. I AM SURE THERE ARE MORE, AND I HAVE READ THAT CHRYSLERDAIMLER/DODGE HAS HAD CLUSTER PROBLEMS IN SOME OF THEIR OTHER VEHICLES.*JB

DT: THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET IN JANUARY WHEN HE TURNED THE TURN SIGNAL TO THE TURN RIGHT, HE LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THAT THE TURN SIGNAL WAS FLASHING TO THE LEFT. THIS PROBLEM RECURRED REPEATEDLY. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL WAS ON, THE INDICATOR WOULD SHOW THAT THE TURN SIGNAL WAS TO THE RIGHT. THE OWNER SAID THAT SOMETIMES IF HE'D ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE STEERING WHEEL, THE INDICATOR WOULD SWITCH TO THE OTHER DIRECTION. THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT FIND CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE OWNER CONTACTED DODGE, WHO SAID THAT THE CONSUMER COULD TAKE THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. THE CONSUMER THOUGHT THAT THIS DID NOT MAKE SENSE. THE PROBLEM INTERMITTENT. WHEN THE PROBLEM DID OCCUR, IT SEEMED TO REPEAT ITSELF THEN IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN FOR A WHILE. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR ANY OTHER WARNINGS WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. *AK (11/21/05) *SC