2001 Dodge RAM 2500

I BOUGHT SOME NEW TOYO M-55 TIRES LESS THAN A MONTH AGO. THESE TIRES ARE OUT OF ROUND AND BOUNCE AND VIBRATE HORRIBLY EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE BEEN BALANCED TWICE. ALSO THEY HANDLE TERRIBLE TO THE POINT WHERE ONE COULD LOSE CONTROL OR FLIP A VEHICLE. THE TIRES FEEL LIKE RADIAL TIRES ON ONE END AND BIAS PLY ON THE OTHER. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I CAN NOT MAINTAIN THE SPEED LIMIT BECAUSE OF THE SERIOUS UP AND DOWN BOUNCE MOTION OF THESE TIRES. IF SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A RIDE IN MY TRUCK, I WOULD BE MORE THAN GLAD TO EVEN LET THEM DRIVE THE THING. THESE THINGS MAKE A THE FORD EXPLORER THING LOOK LIKE A PICNIC. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 2500 DIESEL ENGINE. THE VEHICLE ACTED AS IF IT WAS RUNNING OUT OF FUEL, BUT NOT ALL THE TIME. IF THE TEMPERATURE RANGE WAS OVER 100 DEGREES THEN THIS WAS WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 190-195 DEGREES THAT DID NOT GO UP. THE VEHICLE STALLED BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. CONSUMER HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR THREE YEARS, AND CURRENTLY THE VEHICLE HA 93,000 MILES ON IT. ALSO, HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH RAN OUT THE JULY 19, 2005. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR SERVICE FOUR TO FIVE TIMES FOUR OF THOSE TIMES IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM, AND EACH TIME THEY THOUGHT THEY CORRECTED THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO SO. ON AUGUST 4, 2005 CONSUMER WENT TO A DEALERSHIP, NOT A DODGE DEALERSHIP, TWO VEHICLES THERE HAD SAME PROBLEM AS CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT PROBLEM. MECHANIC CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION SENSOR, AND THE FUEL PUMP, AND THAT STILL HAD NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM. *AK *JB

MY 2001 DODGE RAM 2500 QUAD CAB TRUCK HAS DEVELOPED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE DASHBOARD. THERE ARE SEVERAL CRACKS REACHING FROM THE WINDSHIELD TO THE FRONT OF THE DASH. THERE ARE ALSO PIECES OF THE DASH THAT HAVE BROKEN LOOSE FROM THE DASHBOARD ITSELF. THESE RANGE IN SIZE FROM 1-6 INCH PIECES. I HAVE CONTACTED DAIMLER CHRYSLER AS TO THE PROBLEM AND HAVE BEEN TOLD "THEY ARE SORRY, BUT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO." THE TRUCK HAS BEEN OUT OF THE MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY FOR 5 YEARS NOW AND THE DASHBOARD LOOKS LIKE IT HAS BEEN TAKEN TO WITH A HAMMER. *JB

DT: THE FUEL PUMP FAILED , AND THE CALLER WAS TOLD THAT PART WAS ON A NATIONWIDE BACK ORDER. HE WAS WAITING FOR 2 WEEKS TO GET THE FUEL PUMP. HE WAS TOLD BY THE MANUFACTURER TO FILE A COMPLAINT ON HOW LONG HE HAD TO WAIT FOR THE PART. CURRENTLY, HE HAS HIS FUEL PUMP. THE CALLER SAID THAT THE BACKORDER WAS ABOUT 300 AT A TIME, HE WAS CONCERNED THAT THE PART WAS FAILING PREMATURELY. *AK

THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM HAS BEEN A MAJOR PROBLEM AFTER THE FIRST YEAR I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. IT DID NOT COOL. IT WAS REPAIRED WITH A NEW EVAPORATOR ON 8/16/02. IT WAS AGAIN REPAIRED ON 4/3/03 WITH ANOTHER NEW EVAPORATOR. THE NEXT YEAR IT DID NOT WORK AND IT WAS AGAIN REPAIRED WITH A NEW EVAPORATOR ON 6/2/04. ON ALL THESE JOBS THE WATER SEPARATOR WAS NEVER REPLACED. AGAIN ON 5/24/05 I TOOK THE TRUCK IN AND THEY SAID THE CONDENSER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR $507.23. ASSISTANCE AT THIS TIME WAS DENIED. I FINALLY HAD MY LOCAL CERTFIED MECHANICS AT COUNTRYSIDE TRUCK SERVICE IN MONTVILLE, OH LOOK AT IT. THEY SAID THE CONDENSER WAS OKAY AND THERE WERE NO LEAKS IN THE SYSTEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE FREON WAS LOW. THEY PUMPED THE SYSTEM DOWN AND FILLED IT TO REQUIRED LEVELS. THE AIR CONDITIONING IS NOW WORKING FINE. AT THIS TIME THE TECH TOLD ME THAT THE WATER SEPARATOR WAS NEVER REPLACED AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN EACH TIME A MAJOR COMPONENT IS REPLACED.*AK

I HAVE A 2001 DODGE 2500 CUMMINS DIESEL 4X4 THAT I TAKE IMMACULATE CARE OF, AND HAVE THE SERVICE RECORDS TO PROVE IT. I BACKED OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE THIS WEEK WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I REALIZE I HAVE NO STEERING. I LOOKED UNDER MY TRUCK AT THE STEERING LINKAGE TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON AND THE STEERING GEAR BOX HAD BROKEN OFF THE FRAME. THE BOLTS THAT HOLD IT ON HAD BOTH SHEERED OFF AND CRACKED THE MOUNTING BRACKET ON THE GEAR BOX AS WELL. MY FAMILY AND I ARE LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. I CONTACTED LITHIA MOTORS AND TOLD THEM MY SITUATION AND SHE INSISTED THAT I HAVE IT TOWED TO THEM BEFORE ANY WARRANTY WOULD BE CONSIDERED. I TOWED IT OUT THERE. I SHOWED THE SERVICE MANAGER BECKY BRINKA ONE OF THE BOLTS THAT SHEERED OFF (THE OTHER IS STILL STUCK IN THE FRAME). WHEN I SHOWED HER THE BOLT, SHE SAID SHE WOULD NEED THE BOLT FOR HER DIAGNOSIS. I TOLD HER THAT SHE COULD LOOK AT IT BUT I WAS GOING TO KEEP THE BOLT IN MY POSSESSION. SHE IMMEDIATELY BECAME RUDE AND UNHELPFUL. THE MECHANIC WENT OUT TO LOOK AT MY TRUCK AND CAME BACK IN WITH THE DIAGNOSIS THAT THE BOLTS HAD SHEERED OFF. THE SERVICE MANAGER THEN CONTACTED THE DISTRICT MANAGER ABOUT THE SITUATION. SHE CALLED ME BACK TO INFORM ME THAT IT WAS MY FAULT. I MUST NOT SERVICE THE VEHICLE VERY WELL. AT THIS TIME I POINTED OUT THAT SHE HAS MY SERVICE RECORDS ON FILE FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS AND TO SHOW ME WHERE I HAD MISSED ANYTHING. SHE THEN TELLS ME THAT THE DISTRICT MANAGER SAID THAT I WOULD HAVE HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE FOR A LONG TIME BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. SO, I'M TOWING OUT OF THEIR FACILITY. I'LL HAVE SOMEONE ELSE FIX IT. MEANWHILE DODGE GETS AWAY WITH MURDER AND ISN'T HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR SAFETY ISSUES. HOW CAN SOMEONE LIKE ME FIGHT DODGE? I CAN'T GET ANYWHERE AT THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE PHONE#, AND THEY ARE NOT GOING TO GIVE ME THE PHONE# OF THE DISTRICT MANAGER. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO? TAKE THEM TO COURT? I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT AND THEY KNOW THIS. THEY FIGURE I'LL JUST GO AWAY. *NM

DT: CONSUMER WAS DRIVING EARLY IN THE MORNING WITH A FULLY LOADED TRAILER WHEN HE LOST STEERING CONTROL AND WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE LEFT THE ROAD AND WENT RIGHT THROUGH A FENCE CAUSING LOTS OF DAMAGE TOTHE VEHICLE AND DESTROYING THE FENCE. VEHICLE WAS STILL RUNNING WHEN CONSUMER LOST STEERING. CONSUMER FOUND THAT STEERING COLUMN HAD FALLEN APART. THE SHAFT GOING FROM THE GEAR BOX TO THE STEERING COLUMN SHAFT CAME APART. THE BOLT LOOSENED AND ALLOWED FOR SHAFT TO SEPARATE. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PUT THE SHAFT BACK TOGETHER AND DROVE THE VEHICLE TO A GARAGE. THE CONSUMER PUT LOCK TIGHT ON BOLT AND MARKED SHAFT TO SEE IF IT WOULD MOVE AGAIN. CONSUMER HAS AN ACCIDENT REPORT.*AK

WITH APROX. 89,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK I EXPERIENCED LOSS OF POWER DURING NORMAL OPERATIONS. REPLACEMENT OF THE FUEL FILTER FIXED THE PROBLEM FOR A SHORT PERIODS OF TIME. THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS BAD FUEL. AS IT TURNED OUT IT WAS MY TRANSFER PUMP GETTING WEAK. THIS INTURN, DUE TO LOW JUEL PRESSURE, CAUSED MY FUEL INJECTION PUMP TO EVENTULY FAIL. I HAD TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED IN MAY OF 2005. FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE REPAIR SHOP THIS IS AN INHERIT PROBLEM WITH THE CUMMINGS. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER CUMMINGS DIESEL OWNERS AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME OF THE SAME PROBLEMS. DODGE MOST BE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR, $2100 BETWEEN THE TWO PUMPS AND THAT IS WITH ME REPLACING THE TRANSFER PUMP MYSELF. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A LOW FUEL PRESSURE INTICATOR INSTALL IN THESE TRUCKS AT THE FACTORY. THEY ARE AVALIBLE IN THE AFTERMARKET. I HAVE ALSO HAD FRONT BALL JOINT PROBLEMS WITH THIS TRUCK. THESE JOINTS ARE MAINTANCE FREE JIONTS THAT FAIL, I BELIEVE DUE TO THE ADDED WEIGHT OF THE CUMMINGS MOTOR. THIS IS ALSO AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR BECAUSE YOU MOST REPLACE THE ENTIRE CONTROL ARM ASSEMBLE, NOT JUST TE BALL JOINT.

JUST AFTER THE POWER TRAIN WARRENTY WAS UP THE TRANS STARTED TO SLIP. I CHECK FLUID. IT WAS OKAY. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REBUILT THE TRANS AT MY COST OF 2500. IT STILL DIDN'T SHIFT RIGHT. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WAS FINE. LAST YEAR I HAD TO HAVE THE TRANS REBUILT AGAIN AT 2500. IT RAN FINE FOR EXACTLY 12 MONTHS. THE TRUCK IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP AGAIN TO HAVE THE TRANS REBUILT FOR THE THIRD TIME BY A LICENCED FACILITY. I HAD IT FIXED ONE TIME BY A FRIEND ALSO. THE TRANS SHOP WILL WARRENTY THE LABOR THIS TIME BUT, THEY WANT OVER 1600 FOR PARTS. THIS TRUCK WAS $40,000 AND 2,500 PER TRANS PER YEAR AND THE FRONT END REDONE 3 TIMES ALSO. THE ENGINE IS TOO HEAVY AND POWERFUL FOR THE TRUCK AND TRANS. A FAULT BY ENGINEERS AT CHRYSLER SHOULD NOT BE A CONSTANT HEAD ACHE FOR MYSELF AND MY WALLET. I HAVE REPLACED NEARLY EVERY PART ON THIS TRUCK X 3. THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT THIS TRUCK IS THE MOTOR AND IT'S BECAUSE IT'S A CUMMINS.