1997 Dodge RAM 2500

MY DODGE 1997 RAM 2500 TRUCK WITH 8.0L V-10 ENGINE SUFFERED SUDDEN AND COMPLETE LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE SEIZURE ON 13 AUGUST 2005. THE TRUCK HAD 74254 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AT THE TIME OF THE ENGINE FAILURE. THE OIL LEVEL IN THE ENGINE WAS NORMAL (FULL) AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. AFTER THE ENGINE FAILURE, THE TRUCK WAS TOWED TO THE DODGE TRUCK DEALER IN BOZEMAN, MONTANA. I WAS ADVISED BY THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER THAT HE HAD SEEN SEVERAL DODGE TRUCK V-10??S WITH SEIZED ENGINES DUE TO OIL PUMP FAILURES BUT HE KNEW OF NO FACTORY PROGRAM TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. WITHIN A FEW DAYS THE DEALER PROVIDED AN ESTIMATE OF $9461 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH A MOPAR REBUILT ENGINE AND PROVIDE A 3-YEAR WARRANTY ON THE WORK. GIVEN THE RELATIVELY HIGH REPAIR COST QUOTED BY THE DEALER, AND AN APPARENT LACK OF ANY FACTORY PROGRAM TO COVER EVEN A PORTION OF THE REPAIR COST, I ELECTED TO HAVE THE ENGINE REBUILT BY A LOCAL INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. DURING DISASSEMBLY OF THE ENGINE, IT WAS FOUND THAT ONE OF THE GEARS IN THE OIL PUMP HAD FRACTURED (BROKEN) IN SEVERAL PLACES. THESE FRACTURES CAUSED A SUDDEN AND COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED FAILURE OF THE OIL PUMP, A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE OIL PRESSURE, AND SUBSEQUENT SEIZURE OF THE ENGINE A FEW SECONDS OF OPERATION LATER. THE OIL PUMP GEARS WERE PHOTOGRAPHED AND THESE IMAGES CAN BE PROVIDED. THE INNER GEAR IS BROKEN IN SEVERAL PIECES. ALL OF THE OIL PUMP PARTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. SINCE OIL PUMP GEARS ARE INTERNAL ENGINE PARTS NOT SUBJECT TO ROUTINE PERIODIC MAINTENANCE AND NOT SUBJECT TO ABUSE BY THE VEHICLE OPERATOR, THE FAILURE IS CLEARLY DUE TO MATERIAL DEFECT OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT. A SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED ENGINE SEIZURE IN A HIGHWAY VEHICLE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. SINCE THE REPORTED 8.0L V10 ENGINE SEIZURE IS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER AN IMMEDIATE PRODUCT RECALL OF DODGE TRUCKS WITH THE 8.0L V10 ENGINE, OR OTHER CORRECTIVE ACTION, TO REDUCE FUTURE OCCURRENCES OF THE SAME PROBLEM. *NM

WITHOUT WARNING, THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS, HOWEVER THEY WERE UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE VEHICLE HAD A FAULTY CRACK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR, THE COOLANT LEVEL WAS TOO HIGH IN THE PRESSURE RESERVE TANK AND THE CYLINDER HEADS WERE REPLACED. *JB *NM

INTERMITTENTLY, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD STICK WHEN PLACED INTO GEAR AND THE CONSUMER HAD TO APPLY PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR TO RELEASE IT. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT RELEASES SUDDENLY IN A WAY WHICH CAUSED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *AK THE DEALER COMPLETED THE RECALL WORK ON THE VEHICLE IN FALL 2002 AFTER WHICH THE PROBLEM SURFACED. THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE STALLED WHEN THE A/C WAS ON. (STALLED CONTINUALLY) *SCC *JB

1997 DODGE RAM 2500 EXPERIENCING ENGINE PROBLEMS.*MR CONSUMER BACKED OUT THE DRIVEWAY AND AS THE VEHICLE REACHED THE STREET, THE ENGINE DIED. CONSUMER STARTED THE VEHICLE, AT FIRST IT SEEMED TO HAVE CHOKED THEN WENT ON FINE. THE CONSUMER DECIDED TO GET ANOTHER VEHICLE BECAUSE IT WAS ACTING SLUGGISH. WHEN THE CONSUMER ARRIVED TO THE DIP SHE SMELLED FUMES. IT WASN'T GAS BUT AN OILY SMELL, IT LASTED A FEW SECONDS. CONSUMER WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS HER VEHICLE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HERS HAD A SMOKING TAILPIPE. THE CONSUMER DECIDED TO PULLED OVER AND PHONED A WRECKER. BEFORE SHE COULD PULL OVER OTHER DRIVERS AND BY-STANDERS WERE INFORMING HER OF SMOKE. SHE DIDN'T SMELL OR SEE ANY SMOKE. WITHIN SECONDS THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONSUMER TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND OPENED THE DOOR. FLAMES WERE COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE AS WELL. SHE JUMPED AND LANDED ON THE GRASS AND THAT'S WHEN SHE HEARD A LOUD BANG, LOOKED BACK AND THE ENTIRE FRONT AND INSIDE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. UPON RETURNING HOME SHE CHECKED THE DRIVEWAY FOR ANY FUEL LEAKAGE BUT THERE WASN'T ANY. *PH *JB

1997 DODGE 2500 4X4 PICKUP WITH CUMMINS TURBO DIESEL. PURCHASED NEW NOV 1996. OWNED 6 YEARS WITH 92K MILES ON TRUCK AT TIME OF INCIDENT. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE UPPER TIMING CASE HOUSING ALIGNMENT DOWEL PIN FELL INTO THE ROTATING TIMING GEARS. THE PIN JAMMED BETWEEN THE UPPER GEAR AND THE CASE CAUSING A 1" BY 3" HOLE IN THE CASE. OIL SPLASHED OUT OF THIS HOLE (APPROX TWO QUARTS) UNTIL I COMPLETED MY RETURN FROM WORK. I NOTICED A BIG PUDDLE OF OIL UNDER THE TRUCK LATER THAT NIGHT AND UPON INSPECTION FOUND THE HOLE IN THE TIMING CASE. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THIS TURNS OUT TO BE A WELL KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE MOTORS (MODEL YEAR 1997 UNTIL MID 1998 WHEN THE DESIGN WAS CHANGED). IN FACT, THE INCIDENCE OF THIS FAILURE IS SO WIDESPREAD THAT OWNERS OF THESE MODEL TRUCKS HAVE DEVELOPED A KIT TO LOCATE AND DRILL A "BLOCKER BOLT" TO KEEP THE DOWEL PIN FROM FALLING OUT! DAMILER/CHRYSLER CLAIMS NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS ISSUE (I OPENED TICKET #10864363 WITH THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER). CUMMINS IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT SAYS IT'S STATISTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT AND HAS NOT INITIATED ANY RECALL.

ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS TOO LOOSE OR SOFT, AND ON A ROUGH TERRAIN PULLING A TRAILER, IT MAKES THE TRUCK START TO HOP. WHEN IT MAKES THE TRUCK HOP, IT CAUSES THE REAR AXLE DRIVELINE SEAL TO LEAK OIL. THE FACTORY INSTALLED THERMOSTAT IS FAULTY AND MAKES THE TEMPERATURE GO UP AND DOWN BY ABOUT 40 DEGREES. HAD IT REPLACED AND IT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. *AK