1997 Dodge RAM 2500

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 DODGE RAM 2500. THE BRAKE LINES HAVE RUSTED IN THREE PLACES. THE FAILURES OCCURRED NEAR THE MASTER CYLINDER AND THE FRAME RAIL. WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED. THE BRAKES ALSO FAILED IN HIS DRIVEWAY AND AT A DRIVE THROUGH WINDOW. THE BRAKE LINES WERE REPLACED IN PARTS SINCE THE DEALER NO LONGER SELLS THE ALL OF THE ORIGINAL PARTS. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT IT OCCURS AS THOUGH IT WERE NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THE VEHICLE IS CONSIDERED AN 8800 DUE TO THE WEIGHT CLASS. THE VEHICLE IS UP-TO-DATE ON ITS ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 94,000. UPDATED 03-04-08 *BF THE REAR BRAKES STARTED TO LOCK UP EVER SINCE THE BRAKES LINES STARTING TO DETERIORATE. UPDATED

I PURCHASED A 1997 DODGE 2500 RAM PICKUP TRUCK IN NOVEMBER OF 1996. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS I EXPERIENCED A BRAKE FAILURE WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES HARD. I MANAGED TO CHANGE LANES TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT AND TRIED MANY TIMES AFTER THAT TO GET THE BRAKES TO FAIL. BUT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN UNTIL ALMOST A YEAR LATER. SAME RESULT, NO ACCIDENT AND COULDN'T REPEAT THE PROBLEM. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR SOME WARRANTY WORK AND REPORTED THE BRAKE FAILURE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER. THEY TESTED THE VEHICLE MANY TIMES AND STILL COULD NOT PRODUCE BRAKE FAILURE. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED ELEVEN TIMES MORE SINCE THE LAST FAILURE AND THIS TIME I HAD AN ACCIDENT. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO MISS THE STALLED VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME BY CHANGING LANES AND HITTING A CAR ALONG SIDE GOING THE SAME SPEED. THIS RESULTED IN PROPERTY DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES BUT NO BODILY INJURY. IF I HAD CONTINUED STRAIGHT INTO THE STALLED VEHICLE, GOING ABOUT 30-35 MPH, I WOULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS BODILY INJURY TO THE PASSENGERS OF THE STALLED CAR. MY TRUCK HAS THE DIESEL OPTION AND WEIGHS OVER 9000 POUNDS. IT WOULD HAVE CRUSHED THE STALLED HONDA AND INJURED ALL THE OCCUPANTS. TO DATE, ONLY NORMAL PARTS REPLACEMENTS HAVE BEEN DONE ON THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND THE BRAKE COMPUTER HAS NEVER BEEN REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WILL BE GOING IN TO THE LOCAL DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE BRAKE COMPUTER AT MY COST AND MY REQUEST FOR REPLACEMENT. *NM

VEHICLE LOST BRAKING WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES AT 25 MPH. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY INCIDENTS. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS AN ERUPTED METAL BRAKE LINE DUE TO CORROSION. DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED.*AK BROKEN BRAKE LINE WAS REPLACED. THE REST OF BRAKE LINES HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF SEVERE CORROSION AND DANGER OF BURSTING. *BF *NM

WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED THEY GO TO THE FLOOR AND DO NOT HOLD. THE MASTER CYLINDER HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES. THIS IS A REOCCURING PROBLEM, AND THE CONSUMER IS AFRAID FOR HER FAMILY. CONSUMER STATES THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURS ABOUT EVERY 10K TO 12K MILES. CONSUMER FEELS UNSURE/UNSECURE ABOUT THIS VEHICLE AND FEELS THAT CHRYSLER NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS MATTER BEFORE SOMEONE IS POSSIBLY KILLED. *SCC

WHILE DRIVING 45MPH THE ATNI-LOCK REAR BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. A FEW MINUTES LATER, WHILE PULLING OUT AT A STOP SIGN THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL MADE A LOUD NOISE. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAD "CAME OUT" FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM. I HAVE ALL THE PARTS AND PIECES FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL. THE PINION GEAR WAS IN PIECES IN THE BOTTOM OF THE HOUSING. THE RING GEAR HAD SEVERAL TEETH MISSING AND/OR DAMAGED. THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SENSOR/EQUIPMENT WAS ALSO DAMAGED.THE ONLY PARTS THAT WERE NOT REPLACED WERE THE AXLES AND THE HOUSING. CAUSE OF THE DEFECT IS STILL YET UNDETERMINED.*AK

BRAKES PULLED HARD RIGHT, REPLACED BRAKES AND HAD THEM SERVICED, NOW THEY PULL HARD LEFT. REQUIRES MAJOR STEERING CORRECTION TO MAINTAIN INTENDED VEHICLE COURSE. OCCURRS EVERY TIME BRAKES ARE APPLIED, AND I FEAR A COLLISION EVERY TIME I USE THE BRAKES. SERVICING HAS NOT HELPED, PROBLEM LIES WITHIN THE DESIGN OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. *AK