2002 Dodge RAM Quad Cab

MY 2002 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB PICKUP HAS 49,000 MILES ON IT. I RECENTLY BROUGHT IT IN TO GET AN ALIGNMENT AND BRAKES CHECKED, WHEN THE SERVICE WRITER INFORMED MY THAT MY RACK AND PINION STEERING WAS LEAKING. 49,000 MILES! IF THE STEERING IS LOST, THE CONSEQUENCES COULD BE SERIOUS, AND EVEN FATAL. I CALLED DODGE CORPORATE FOR OUT OF WARRANTY ASSISTANCE, AND AFTER SITTING ON HOLD FOR 30 MINUTES, THEY CAME BACK TO TELL ME BECAUSE OF PROCEDURE, THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HELP ME. THE COST TO FIX THIS IS $675 PARTS AND LABOR. I FEEL THAT A FOUR WHEEL DRIVE TRUCK SHOULD HAVE IT'S RACK AND PINION LAST LONGER THAN 49,000 MILES, AND THAT DODGE SHOULD STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND HELP OUT. DODGE OBVIOUSLY DOES NOT FEEL THAT WAY. *NM

ELECTRICAL - CANNOT CHARGE A CELL PHONE IN ANY OF THE RECEPTACLES. WORKS IN OTHER VEHICLES. TRANSMISSION - CHANGES GEARS VERY ROUGH, SOMTIMES ON ACCELERATION, ALL THE TIME WHEN DECELERATING. STEERING - AT TIMES THE STEERING DOES NOT WANT TO WORK. WILL NOT TURN, VERY HARD AS IF NO RACK AND PINION. TRUCK SLIDES OUT AT TIMES DURING TURNS, STEERING GETS PULLED.*AK

CURRENTLY OWN A 2002 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH MY TRUCK. I MYSELF HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION JERKING AS WELL AS THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTTING OFF WHEN IDLING (AND NOT EVEN AT LONG PERIODS OF TIME). AT TIMES WHEN PUTTING INTO REVERSE, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE AT ALL AND I HAVE TO COMPLETELY SHUT OFF THE TRUCK AND RESTART IT TO GET IT TO MOVE. I HAVEN'T HAD IT REPORTED AT THE DEALER YET BECAUSE THEY WILL BE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE. JUST NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH MY REAR TAILLIGHTS. AT DIFFERENT TIMES, DIFFERENT BULBS WOULD SEEM TO GO OUT CAUSING THE "LAMP OUT" INDICATOR LAMP TO ILLUMINATE. WHEN I WENT TO CHANGE THE BULB MYSELF (CAUSE BULBS ARE NOT WARRANTY), I FOUND THAT THE SOCKETS WERE CAUSING THE BULB HOUSING TO MELT INSIDE THE SOCKETS AS WELL AS ON THE BULBS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY ONLY REPLACED ONE SIDE BECAUSE THE OTHER THEY DID NOT HAVE IN STOCK, YET THEY DID NOT EVEN BOTHER ORDERING THE OTHER SIDE. I HAVE ALREADY HAD MY RACK & PINION REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS LEAKING AND ALSO HAVE HAD TO HAVE MY TCM AND PCM REPROGRAMED BECAUSE THEY WERE CAUSING MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON AS WELL AS MAKING MY AIR CONDITIONING INOPERATIVE. *AK

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN A TRUCK RAN HIS STOP SIGN AND STOPPED IN THE INTERSECTION (IT IS NOT A 4 STOP). IT WAS LIGHTLY RAINING. WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKES THE ABS DIDN'T WORK AND I THEN LOST CONTROL SLAMMING INTO THE DITCH EMBANKMENT. MISSING THE TRUCK. I WAS GOING ABOUT 35-40 MPH WHEN I HIT. I HIT HEAD ON INTO THE EMBANKMENT. WHEN I HIT MY AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY AND THE STEERING COLUMN BROKE. *LA

TRUCK BOUNCES OUT OF CONTROL WHEN HITTING SMALL AND LARGE BUMPS IN THE ROAD. LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND VERY DANGEROUS. ALSO, TRUCK PULLS TO THE RIGHT CONSTANTLY. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER IN WATERVILLE MAINE, THAT THIS IS NORMAL FOR A 4X4. EVERY TIME I BRING IT IN FOR SERVICE, I COMPLAIN, BUT I'M MADE TO FEEL LIKE IT'S ALL IN MY HEAD. ONCE THEY REPLACED THE RACK, AND TRIED NEW TIRES, BUT IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN I RELEASE THE STEERING WHEEL, AND I'M HYPERVIGLENT OF EVERY APPROACHING BUMP. OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE DRIVEN MY TRUCK, WITH ME WITH THEM EXPERIENCE THE SAME "NORMAL PROBLEMS". I'VE HAD THE TRUCK FOR JUST OVER A YEAR NOW, AND THE PROBLEMS HAVEN'T GOTTEN WORSE, BUT REMAIN CONSTANT. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER DODGE PRODUCT, AND I AM VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE TREATMENT FROM THE DEALER. IF I WASN'T TO LOSE SO MUCH MONEY, I WOULD HAVE TRADED IT IN 3 MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT IT. AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, THIS TRUCK IS A LEMON. FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK, I POLLED EVERY OWNER OF THE SAME TRUCK, WHEN IT WAS CONVIENENT, AND I RECEIVED MORE SIMALAR PROBLEMS THAN NOT.*AK

DURING HEAVY RAIN, OR IN A CAR-WASH, OR RUNNING THROUGH TOO LARGE OF A PUDDLE OF WATER, THE SERPENTINE BELT BEGINS SLIPPING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT. IT WILL SLIP ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE GAUGE THAT IS SHOWING THE CHARGE LEVEL TO DROP NOTICEABLY, AND IT WILL SOMETIMES DROP TO THE POINT OF NO LONGER SHOWING CHARGING AT ALL. AT THIS POINT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ALSO DISPLAYED, AND IT IS NOW NECESSARY TO TURN THE IGNITION OFF AND RESTART THE TRUCK TO RESET THE GAUGE AND LIGHT AND HAVE IT BEGIN DISPLAYING PROPERLY AGAIN. DURING A HEAVY DOWNPOUR OF RAIN, THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN AS I WAS GOING AROUND A CURVE AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP IS DRIVEN BY THIS BELT. HAD THERE BEEN ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE ONCOMING LANE OF TRAFFIC, I WOULD HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT THAT I COULD NOT HAVE PREVENTED DUE TO THIS FAILURE. I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH THE ANSWER THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A TRUCK, AND IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE SOME WATER. IF THIS PROBLEM TRULY EXISTS IN ALL TRUCKS LIKE MINE, THEN IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE HAS A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND FILES A LAWSUIT AGAINST DODGE, OR EVEN A CLASS-ACTION SUIT IF ENOUGH PEOPLE ARE REALLY AFFECTED BY THE SAME PROBLEM. HAD I BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED ON MY TRUCK, IM CERTAIN THAT DODGE WOULD HAVE BEEN HELD LIABLE FOR BOTH MY DAMAGES AND WHOMEVER I HAD HIT. THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE RESOLVED BY REPLACING ALL THE PULLEYS WITH WIDER ONES AND THEN A WIDER SERPENTINE BELT, OR IT MIGHT BE RESOLVED BY ADDING SOME TYPE OF SPLASH GUARD, BUT THAT WOULD PROBABLY NOT RESOLVE THE WATER COMING THROUGH THE GRILL. ONE OF MY EMPLOYEES HAS THE NEW HEMI DODGE TRUCK, AND HIS BELT IS SLIGHTLY WIDER, AND HE DOES NOT HAVE THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. *AK