1999 Dodge RAM 2500

THE TRUCK PULLS LEFT WHEN BRAKING. WHEN LOADED OR TOWING A TRAILER YOU HAVE TO HAVE BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL OR YOU WILL BE IN THE DITCH OR WORSE YET PULLED INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I HAVE HAD THE TRUCK TO 3 DIFFERENT DEALERS AT CHRYSLERS REQUEST FOR A TOTAL OF 6 REPAIR ATTEMPTS AND 28 DAYS IN THE SHOP. THE LAST VISIT WAS FOR 8 DAYS AND INCLUDED LEAVING MY TRUCK AND TRAILER YET THE TRUCK STILL ISN'T REPAIRED. THE CHRYSLER REP HAS PLACED THE BLAME ON MY TRAILER AND CALLED MY PROBLEM A QUESTIONABLE REPAIR BECAUSE I'M TOWING A TRAILER WITH MY TRUCK. WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I'VE EVER ENCOUNTERED!!

WHEN PULLING LOAD BACK BRAKES WILL NOT OPERATE, AND ALL WORK IS DONE BY FRONT BRAKES. THIS CAUSES FRONT BRAKES TO GET REAL HOT. AFTER TAKING TRAILER OFF AND GOING DOWN ON A DIRT ROAD, BACK BRAKES WILL LOCK UP AND VEHICLE WILL SLIDE. TSB 05-04098 WAS ISSUED, STATING PROPORTIONAL VALVE HAD TO BE REPLACED.*AK ALSO, THE FRONT BRAKES AND CALIPER REPEATDLY FAILS ALMOST EVERY 3000 MILES. *YH

ENGINE #1(3884 MILES) WE HAD ONLY HAD THE TRUCK FOR TWO MONTHS, HAD NOT EVEN MADE THE SECOND PAYMENT. WE WERE 75 MILES FROM HOME PULLING OUR 21 FOOT BOAT WHEN THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED. IT WAS ONLY THE SECOND TIME WE HAD USED THE TRUCK TO PULL--WHICH IS WHY WE BOUGHT THE V10 . A PIECE OF THE BLOCK CAME OFF AND LOCKED UP THE OIL PUMP. WE WERE WITHOUT OUR TRUCK FOR THREE WEEKS WHILE THE DEALERSHIP TORE DOWN THE ENGINE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM AND WAIT FOR CHRYSLER TO DECIDE THE BEST REMEDY WHICH WAS A BRAND NEW 1999 ENGINE. CHRYSLER WANTED TO SHIP A 2000 ENGINE BUT IT WOULD NOT BOLT UP. OUR SUMMER WAS RUINED & WE DID NOT PULL ANYTHING AGAIN UNTIL THIS YEAR. ENGINE #2(16,397 MILES ON TRUCK BUT ONLY 12,513 MILES ON THIS ENGINE). ON JUNE 11, 2000, THE SECOND TIME TO PULL THIS YEAR, WE LEFT ON VACATION PULLING OUR 23 FOOT ULTRA LITE PULL BEHIND CAMPER. ON MONDAY, JUNE 12, 2000, 250 MILES FROM HOME, THE ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING. THIS TIME, IT HAD THROWN A ROD. OUR VACATION WAS RUINED. THE TRUCK WAS DOWN FOR TWO WEEKS AND WE WERE STRANDED, UNABLE TO TAKE OUR RENTAL CAR OUT OF STATE. CHRYSLER SENT A REBUILT ENGINE THIS TIME. ENGINE #3(16,462 MILES ON THE TRUCK BUT ONLY 65 MILES ON THIS ENGINE). WE PICKED UP THE TRUCK JUNE 23, 2000 AFTER THE SERVICE PEOPLE PUT IT THROUGH A 24 MILE TEST DRIVE. WE DROVE 41 MILES PULLING OUR CAMPER AND AS WE STARTED UP A LONG 5% INCLINE, IT BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. ABOUT 1/4 MILE UP THE HILL, WITH THE GAS PEDAL ON THE FLOOR, IT HAD DROPPED TO 30 MPH--NO POWER--SO WE PULLED OFF OF THE ROAD & STOPPED. STRANDED ONCE AGAIN, WE CALLED CHRYSLER. AFTER THREE HOURS, WE WERE FINALLY RESCUED. IT WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND DETERMINED AT THE PRESENT TIME TO HAVE "INTERNAL PROBLEMS". WE ARE ONCE AGAIN WITHOUT OUR TRUCK. IT IS NOT EVEN ONE YEAR OLD. *AK

SEVERAL COMPONENTS,TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY SOUNDS LIKE DRIVING ON SMALL RUMBLE STRIPS AT 45, TRUCK WONDERS AIMLESSLY SO MUCH IT IS DIFFICULT TO KEEP FROM GOING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC ESPECIALLY IF ROAD IS A LITTLE ROUGH, ENGINE HAS A CONSTANT SPARK KNOCK, NEARLY IMPOSIBLE TO TOW OR PLOW,POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT WHILE TRYING TO PLOW FOR NO APPARENT REASON AT ALL. I HAVE TALKED TO MECHANICS ABOUT THE SPARKKNOCK AND RECOMMENDED BURNING HIGH OCTANE BUT THE MANUAL SUGGESTS IT WILL ACTUALLY RUN WORSE AND THEY ARE NOT RESPONABLE FOR ENGINE DAMAGE FROM SPARK KNOCK, WONDERING WAS ADMITTED BY THE SERVICE MANAGER AND SAID IT IS ACCEPTABLE BY DODGE AND THAT'S JUST HOW THEY DRIVE, I ASKED ONE OF THE MECHANICS TO LOOK AT IT BEFORE I BOUGHT IT BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW IF MAYBE I WAS JUST USED TO DRIVING MY OLD ONE, HE SAID IT NEEDED A LITTLE TIME TO BREAK-IN BECAUSE IT WAS A 2500 WITH A HEAVY DUTY SUSPENSION, IT IS STILL THE SAME AFTER ALMOST 11,000 MILES. *AK