1999 Dodge RAM 3500

AT 86,000 MILES, DIESEL FUEL INJECTION PUMP FAILED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING CAUSING ENGINE TO QUIT RUNNING LEADING TO A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND ASSISTED BRAKE CONTROL. I WAS ABLE TO COAST THE TRUCK TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OUT OF THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. TRUCK HAD TO BE TOWED FROM THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, AND FAILED INJECTION PUMP WAS REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. FAILED BOSCH VP44 DIESEL FUEL INJECTION PUMP WAS RETURNED AS A CORE. *JB

WAS SHIFTING GEARS ON I-44 ON RAMP TO GET UP TO SPEED SO I COULD MERGE WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. WHEN I PUT THE TRUCK INTO FIFTH GEAR IT FELT AS IF I HAD SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. WAS ABLE TO GO TO NEXT EXIT DRIVING IN FOURTH GEAR SO I COULD GET THE TRUCK BACK HOME. COULDN'T GO OVER 55 MPH IN FOURTH GEAR PLUS DIDN'T KNOW IF DRIVING THE TRUCK LIKE THIS WAS GOING TO CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS. CALLED A FEW PEOPLE I KNEW THAT HAD HEARD OTHERS SAY THAT THE NUT THAT GOES ONTO THE FIFTH GEAR SHIFT ROD WOULD OFTEN BACK OFF. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO A MECHANIC AND HAD THEM TAKE THE TRANSMISSION APART TO SEE IF THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED. SURE ENOUGH WHEN HE SPLIT THE TAIL SHAFT OFF THE NUT WAS JUST HANGING ON THE SHIFT ROD. I WENT TO A LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP AND PURCHASED THE NEW AND IMPROVED LOCK NUT THAT DODGE CAME OUT WITH TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS COST ME ABOUT 65 DOLLARS AND ANOTHER 530 DOLLARS TO PAY FOR THE LABOR INVOLVED. THE OLD NUT WAS LEFT IN THE SCRAP METAL PILE AT THE MECHANIC'S SHOP. *JB

WAS DRIVING WEST ON I-44 AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO STALL AND LOSE POWER. I WAS AT A HALF TANK OF FUEL AND DECIDED TO HIT THE NEXT EXIT AND GET SOME DIESEL FUEL AND SOME ADDITIVE. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE FUEL GELLING UP BECAUSE IT WAS PRETTY COLD OUT. I SHUT THE TRUCK DOWN TO FILL WITH FUEL AND WHEN I WENT TO START THE TRUCK IT WOULDN'T START. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DODGE DEALERSHIP TO BE FIXED AND FOUND OUT THAT THE VP 44 FUEL INJECTOR PUMP WAS BAD. THE DEALERSHIP WANTED1500 DOLLARS FOR A NEW ONE AND ANOTHER 160 DOLLARS TO DO THE LABOR. I WENT ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND A NEW ONE FOR 1046 DOLLARS AND ORDERED IT. IT WILL BE SENT TO THE DODGE DEALER SO THEY CAN INSTALL IT. THE OLD PUMP WILL HAVE TO BE SENT IN TO GET THE 500 DOLLARS REFUNDED FOR THE CORE CHARGE. *NM

TWO PRIMARY SAFETY RELATED ISSUES AND MANY LESS IMPORTANT QUALITY ISSUES HAVE PLAGUED THIS VEHICLE. THE PROBLEMS BEGAN TO MOUNT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE WARRANTY LAPSED. THE MOST CRITICAL ISSUE HAS BEEN THE CORROSION AND SUBSEQUENT FAILURE OF THE BRAKE LINE THAT SUPPLIES THE PRESSURE NEEDED FOR THE REAR BRAKES TO OPERATE. THIS ISSUE RENDERED THE REAR BRAKES ON THE VEHICLE USELESS. DODGE CORPORATE AND TWO LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIPS REFUSED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE, EXCEPT BY OFFERING TO SELL A REPLACEMENT BRAKE LINE. THE FAILURE OF THE METAL AFTER ONLY 5 YEARS IS UNACCEPTABLE. THE SECOND MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT THE NIPPLES ON THE ORIGINAL FUEL SENDING UNIT WERE MADE OF METAL AND CORRODED THROUGH AND BEGAN TO SPRAY FUEL ONTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND THE ENTIRE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS RESULTS IS VERY POOR MILEAGE AND A POTENTIALLY FATAL FUEL LEAK. BETWEEN THESE TWO SAFETY ISSUES AND THE BLATANT DISMISSAL OF ANY RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DODGE CORPORATION I THINK SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. I HAVE CORRECTED THE ISSUE ON MY VEHICLE, BUT WHAT IF SOMEONE WAS TOWING A LARGE TRAILER WITH A SIMILAR VEHICLE AND THE BRAKES FAILED? PEOPLE COULD BE KILLED. ADDITIONALLY THE FUEL LEAK DOESN'T SEEM TO BE AN ISSUE THAT SHOULD EVER HAPPEN. I BELIEVE THAT IN SYSTEMS AS CRITICAL AS FUEL AND BRAKES THE MATERIAL SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO LAST LONGER THAN 4 OR 5 YEARS REGARDLESS OF THE WARRANTY. WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO PREVENT THIS, ITS A SIMPLE MATERIAL CHOICE ISSUE. THE BRAKES AND FUEL LINES COULD HAVE EASILY AND INEXPENSIVELY BEEN MADE OF STAINLESS STEEL OR BRASS OR ANY NUMBER OF OTHER NON CORROSIVE MATERIALS. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER HAS HAD TO REPLACE THE FIFTH GEAR TWICE SINCE OWNING THE VEHICLE. THE FIRST TIME IT WAS REPLACED AT AROUND 30000 MILES. THE SECOND TIME IT WAS REPLACED AROUND 60000 MILES. THE VEHICLE IS MOSTLY DRIVEN ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING TO THE GEAR FAILURE. THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH THE VEHICLE IN FIFTH GEAR WHEN IT FAILED. THE VEHICLE FELT AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL SO THE CONSUMER HAD TO DOWN SHIFT TO FOURTH GEAR. ALL OF THE OTHER GEARS WORKED EXCEPT FOR THE FIFTH GEAR. *NM

I HAVE A 99 DODGE 3500 DIESEL P/U. THE BLOCK WAS CAST WITH A DEFECT IN THE THICKNESS OF THE METAL OF THE WATER JACKET ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BLOCK. THE BLOCKS WITH THE DEFECT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE CAST IN BRAZIL AND FIRST FOUND IN EQUIPMENT USED IN TURKEY(THIS WAS CALLED THE TURKEY CRACK). THE METAL IS REPORTED TO BE 6MM THICK ON THESE BLOCKS AND ON GOOD BLOCKS IT IS 12MM THICK. I CALLED DODGE AND CUMMINS(THE MANUFACTURER) AND BOTH SAID NO TSB'S WERE OUT ON THE PROBLEM. I TOOK MY TRUCK TO SOUTHERN PLAINS CUMMINS( A SHOP IN SAN ANTONIO) AND ASKED THEM IF THEY KNEW OF THE DEFECTIVE "53" BLOCK THEY REPORTED NO TSB'S BUT WHEN THE MECHANIC WENT OUT TO LOOK AT MY ENGINE WITHOUT BEING TOLD ANY MORE ABOUT IT HE LOOKED RIGHT AT THE SPOT WHERE THE CRACK WAS LOCATED. I NEVER SAID WHERE THE CRACK WAS AND IT IS UNDER THE TURBO SO HE APPEARED TO HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT WAS GOING ON. HE TOLD ME TO COMPLAIN TO CUMMINS ALOT AND THEY MAY HELP OUT A LITTLE BUT IN THE END THEY DID NOT. I UNDERSTAND THE WARRANTY WAS PAST BY 20K AT THE TIME BUT THEY(DODGE AND CUMMINS) SAY IT SHOULD BE AT LEAST 500K BEFORE THE BLOCK IS WORN OUT. IN MY OPNION THE WARRANTY WAS UP ON NORMAL PARTS THAT WEAR AND WOULD BE UP IF A PART FAILURE CAUSED THE BLOCK TO BE DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS CUMMINS WAS PRODUCING A BLOCK WITH HALF THE THICKNESS IN PLACES IT SHOULD HAVE HAD, AND IF THEY WOULD HAVE CAST IT RIGHT I WOULD NOT BE IN THE POSITION I AM IN RIGHT NOW. I HAVE BEEN ADDING WATER TO THE OVERFLOW EVERYTIME I STOPPED FOR A LONG TIME AND NEED A LONG TERM FIX TO THE PROBLEM ASAP. I HAVE THE BLOCK IN MY TRUCK AND CAN NO LONGER TRUST IT TO DRIVE DISTANCES.