1998 Dodge RAM 2500

FROM DAY 1 OF THE NEW TRUCK, I HAD SHIFTING PROBLEMS. BEFORE I HAD 1200 MILES ON THE TRUCK IT WAS IN THE SHOP TWICE. THE FIRST TIME THEY TOOK THE TRANSMISSION APART AND INSPECTED AND PLACED BACK INTO THE TRUCK. PROBLEM SHIFTING CONTINUED. THE 2ND TIME IN THE SHOP, THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, CLUTCH AND SLAVE CYLINDER, THIS WORKED. THEN AT 53000 MILES I TOOK THE TRUCK IN FOR RECALL WORK (828), TO REPLACE THE SLAVE CYLINDER. AT 60000 MILES I HAD SHIFTING PROBLEMS AGAIN. THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AND CLUTCH WHICH WAS 50% OUT OF MY POCKET. THE DAY I PICKED THE TRUCK UP FROM THE DEALER I WENT ON VACATION FOR 2000 MILES WHICH RESULTED IN SHIFTING PROBLEMS. I TOOK THE TRUCK BACK AT 62000 AND THEY REPLACED THE SLAVE CYLINDER, BUT THE TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING. AT 64470 MILES THE TRANS WENT DRY AND DEALER REPLACED ANOTHER TRANS. AFTER I PICKED THE TRUCK UP FROM THE DEALER, THE SLAVE CYLINDER BLOW APART 5 MILES AWAY FROM THE DEALER ON THE WAY HOME. HYDRALIC FLUID SPILLED ON TO THE HOT EXHAUST PIPES, WHICH CAUSE SMOKE. AFTER PICKING THE TRUCK UP FROM THE DEALER ON 11/28/01 THE SLAVE CYLINDER BLOW AGAIN 1 MILE FROM THE DEALERSHIP WITH FLUID AGAIN POURING ONTO THE EXHAUST PIPES WHICH CAUSE SMOKE. THE TRUCK IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER PUTTING IN A 5TH CYLINDER WITH 64477 MILES ON THE TRUCK.

WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER HEARD A SOUND AND THEN ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT BACK INTO FIFTH GEAR REALIZING IT WAS NO LONGER OPERATIONAL, AFTER INSPECTION MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE FIFTH GEAR NUT HAD BACKED OFF CAUSING FAILURE OF THE FIFTH GEAR, FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH MECHANIC REVEALED DODGE REDESIGNED THE LOCKNUT, DODGE NOW PUTS A SET SCREW IN THE NUT THAT IS TIGHTENED DOWN ON THE THREADED SHAFT TO HOLD IT IN PLACE. *SLC

HAVING TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE, BRAKES WORK ONE MINUTE THEN THE NEXT MINUTE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR AND NOT STOPPING. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO SEVERAL MECHANICS AND HAVE HAD TWO MASTER CYLINDERS PUT ON THINKING THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS THE PROBLEM, BUT STILL HAVING BRAKE FAILURE. NO ONE SEEMS TO HAVE AN IDEA AS TO WHAT IS CAUSING THIS TO HAPPEN. CALLED DEALERSHIP AND THEY WERE NO HELP AND WAS UNSUCCESFUL IN CONTACTING THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION. *AK

THIS VEHICLE HAS A DANA 70 REAR END. MANUFACTURER FAILED TO SHIM WHEN ORIGINALLY BUILT. THIS CAUSED REAR END TO SHIFT AND ELONGATE MOUNTING SECTION THUS DESTROYING ENTIRE REAR END. MANUFACTURER CLAIMS NO LIABILITY DUE TO PASSING 100,000 MILE LIMIT OF WARRANTY. MY CONCERN IS THAT ANYONE PULLING HEAVY TRAILERS COULD EXPERIENCE A TOTAL FAILURE OF THE REAR END WHILE MOVING. THIS WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY CAUSE THE TRAILER TO JACKNIFE AND COULD LEAD TO INJURY OR AT LEAST CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE. WE HAUL SHOW HORSES THAT ARE VALUED IN EXCESS OF $150,000 AND WE JUST WANTED TO ALERT THE NHTSA AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN WHAT WE SEE IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. PERHAPS OURS IS THE ONLY OCCURANCE OR PERHAPS THERE ARE OTHERS WAITING TO HAPPEN.*AK

FRONT WHEEL RIM BENT DURING NORMAL HIGHWAY OPERATIOS, CAUSING VIBRATION IN VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO DETERMINATION WHAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THIS DEFECT WITH ONLY 25,347 MILES ON RIM. NOTE: AFTER FIRST RIM WAS REPLACED, THERE WERE CURRENTLY TWO MORE RIMS ON THIS VEHICLE THAT WERE BENT, AND WERE CAUSING VIBRATION. *AK THE VEHICLE'S VIBRATION BECAME WORSE. THE DEALER TRIED TO BALANCE AND ROTATE THE TIRE. *YH

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS DIFFICULTY SHIFTING BETWEEN DRIVE AND OVERDRIVE. ALSO, VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY WITH GAS PEDAL BEING PRESSED ALL WAY TO FLOOR. ALSO, THERE WAS ERRATIC OPERATION OF OVERDRIVE KICKING IN WITHOUT PROVOCATION. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY THE DISTRICT MANAGER THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS INCREASING THE HORSE POWER AND TORQUE TO HELP SOLVE THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTING PROBLEM. *YH