1999 Dodge RAM Van

WHILE DRIVING THE VAN THE STEERING BECAME UNCERTAIN, THE VAN WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE WHEEL. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE FRAME IN FRONT OF THE FRONT WHEELS HAD RUSTED AWAY LEAVING NOTHING FOR THE STEERING BOX TO ATTACH TO AND ALLOWING IT TO TURN WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE REMAINED FIXED. THIS PREVENTED THE WHEELS FROM STEERING. I ALSO HAD A BRACKET WHICH WAS PART OF THE STEERING GEAR RUST SO THAT IT BROKE OFF THE FRAME EARLIER. THE CORRESPONDING LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WAS VERY DISTURBING AND I AM THANKFUL THAT NO INJURY OR ACCIDENT RESULTED. I HAVE OWNED MANY VEHICLES WITH RUST PROBLEMS WHICH AFFECTED THE APPEARANCE OF THE VEHICLE, BUT NOT THE SAFETY IN A CATASTROPHIC MANNER. THIS VAN IS NO LONGER ABLE TO BE DRIVEN EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH EVERY OTHER PART OF THE CAR. LOOKING ONLINE I HAVE FOUND MANY OTHERS WITH COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME SITUATION. OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE WARNED BEFORE A TRAGEDY OCCURS. *TR

I AM THE OWNER OF A 1999 DODGE RAM 1500. WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY WARNING. BEING UNABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE THE VEHICLE HEADED INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A DITCH. THE DRIVER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES TO HER HAND. THE POLICE WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TOWED AND HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEERING LINKAGE FRACTURED DUE TO THE FRAME BEING RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 136,000. MY WIFE AND OTHER DRIVERS COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. RESEARCH OF THIS VEHICLE ONLINE SHOWS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND SHOULD FORCE A RECALL FOR REPAIR. MY VAN IS A RAM 1500 AND I HAVE FOUND THIS COMPLAINT FILED UNDER RAM 1500 TRUCKS AND RAM VANS. *TR

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO I BOUGHT A 1999 DODGE RAM 1500 VAN WITH APPROXIMATELY 88,000. AFTER DRIVING ON SEVERAL TRIPS WE TOOK IT TO THE SHOP BECAUSE THE STEERING WAS LOOSE AND WOULD OCCASIONALLY MAKE NOISE. THE FIRST MECHANIC WE TALKED TO SAID THE FRONT OF THE FRAME IS ALMOST 80% RUSTED THROUGH ON ONE SIDE AND WHERE THE STEERING BOX WAS ATTACHED TO THE FRAME WAS RUSTED TO THE POINT THAT HE THOUGHT IT WAS UNREPAIRABLE AND HE WAS CONCERNED WITH US EVEN DRIVING IT HOME. WE CONTACTED A SECOND BUSINESS THAT DEALS WITH FRAME ISSUES AMONG OTHER THINGS. THEY WERE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE VEHICLE BEING DRIVEN MORE THAN A FEW MILES. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH METAL TO WELD TO MAKE IT SAFE AND THE ONLY WAY HE SAW TO FIX IT WAS TO GET ANOTHER FRAME AND BASICALLY REMOVE THE FRAME FROM MY VEHICLE AND ATTACH THE NEW FRAME BUT HE THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD HAVE PROBLEMS FINDING A FRAME THAT WASN'T RUSTED AND IT WOULD BE VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR EVEN IF THEY DID. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT I AM NOT ALONE IN THIS PROBLEM IT APPEARS THAT THE FRAME RUSTING IS COMMON. WE PURCHASE THE VEHICLE FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER THAT HAS ALWAYS LIVED IN MISSOURI AND HE RECEIVED FREE OIL CHANGES FOR AS LONG AS HE OWNED THE VEHICLE FROM ROYAL GATE DODGE. I RECENTLY CALLED THE PAST OWNER ABOUT THE VEHICLE WHEN WE FOUND OUT IT WAS UNSAFE AND HE SAID THEY NEVER EVEN MENTIONED IT. I BELIEVE THAT DODGE KNEW OF THE PROBLEM AND THE DANGEROUS FRAME BUT HAVE YET TO DO ANYTHING. PLEASE HELP ME WITH BOTH MY VEHICLE ISSUE AND MAKE SURE THEY ISSUE A RECALL TO FIX, COMPENSATE OR WHATEVER TO GET THESE DANGEROUS VEHICLES OFF THE STREET. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE B-VAN STATION WAGON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENTIRE FRONT FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED AND HAD BEEN EATEN AWAY BY CORROSION. IN ADDITION THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL A FULL 360 DEGREES. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE STEERING COLUMN COLLAPSED AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ENTIRE FRONT FRAME WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 71,000.

APRIL 2004 A LOSS OF OIL PRECLUDED PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE AT 46,000 MILES IN MY 1999 DODGE RAM 2500 VAN. MAY 1, 2010 THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE WITH 36,000 MILES EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF OIL THAT REGISTERED ON MY OIL PRESSURE GAUGE. THREE QUARTS OF OIL WERE REQUIRED TO BRING THE OIL TO NORMAL VOLUME. I HAVE CONTINUED REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND ENGINE MAINTENANCE. THE REBUILT ENGINE I WAS SOLD REPLACED THE FAILED ENGINE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE FAILED ENGINE I WAS TOLD THAT I FOLLOWED ALL MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES AND THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. I FEAR THIS IS A RE-OCCURRENCE OF THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM THAT WILL LEAD AND MAY BE INHERENT IN THE ENGINES USED IN THIS VEHICLE. IMPROPER LUBRICATION IN AN ENGINE CAN LEAD TO PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE. NHTSA ITEM 610005 AND 606035 SHOWS THAT CHRYSLER/DODGE KNOWS OF A DEFECT IN THE ENGINE THAT LEADS TO OIL LOSS. *TR

THIS VEHICLE BELONGS TO VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS. THE VAN HAD AN UNDER HOOD FIRE THAT ORIGINATED IN THE ABS MODULE AREA WHILE PARKED. THE VAN IS DECLARED A "TOTAL LOSS". DAIMLERCHRYSLER ISSUED SAFETY RECALL D20 IN 2004 TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM BUT THE RECALL REPAIR HAS NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. VERIZON HAS HAD 30 UNDER HOOD FIRE INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED AFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED. THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION THAT WARRANTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND ACTION. *TR

THIS VEHICLE BELONGS TO VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS. THE VAN HAD AN UNDER HOOD FIRE THAT ORIGINATED IN THE ABS MODULE AREA WHILE IT WAS PARKED AT A JOBSITE. DAIMLERCHRYSLER ISSUED SAFETY RECALL D20 IN 2004 TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM BUT THE RECALL REPAIR HAS NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. VERIZON HAS HAD 29 INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED AFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED. THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION THAT WARRANTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND ACTION. *TR