2003 Dodge RAM Van

IN JULY OF 2015, THE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THE STEERING ARM TO THE FRAME, ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED AS I WAS MAKING A TURN. THIS I HAD REPAIRED (WELDED) SHORTLY AFTERWARD. THE FRAME WAS DISINTEGRATING FROM UNDERNEATH ME. ON 09/02/2016 THE FRAME TOTALLY SEPARATED WHERE THE STEERING CONNECTS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. I FIND THE METAL THAT WAS USED FOR THE FRAME THIN, CHEAP, UNTREATED, AND UNSAFE! 12 YEARS IS MUCH TO SHORT OF TIME FOR A VEHICLE TO BE RETIRED BY A RUSTED FRAME! CHRYSLER HAS A DOCUMENTED COMPLAINT FROM ME ABOUT THIS AND OF COURSE THEY'RE DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT.

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 65 MPH AND LOST TOTAL CONTROL OF VEHICLE STEERING FOUND OUT IT WAS DUE TO A RUSTED FRAMED. TOTALLY UNSAFE VAN. I WAS GLAD IT WAS NOT VERY BUSY ON THE INTERSTATE OR I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED A MANUFACTURE CAN HAVE SO MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. IT IS TOTAL FRAME LOST TO RUST.

FOR 2 DAYS PRIOR TO INCIDENT , NOTICED STEERING WHEEL KEPT CHANGING ORIENTATION WHILE DRIVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE. A LOT OF GROANING AND CREAKING NOISE FROM RIGHT FRONT SUSPENSION IN RIGHT TURNS AS WELL AS VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEED. PARKED VEHICLE AND INSPECTED UNDERSIDE TO FIND THAT IDLER ARM BRACKET WAS TEARING AWAY FROM FRAME RAIL DUE TO ROT. AFTER PARKING VEHICLE , I MOVED IT AROUND IN THE DRIVEWAY NO MORE THAN 3 TIMES BEFORE IDLER ARM BRACKET COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME RAIL WITH A VERY LOUD POP.. VAN NOW HAS NO STEERING AND IS JUNK SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY. INSPECTION OF FRONT FRAME RAIL AREA REVEALS HEAVY ROT ON BOTH FRONT FRAME RAILS AND STEERING GEAR MOUNT AS WELL. THE REST OF THE BODY IS TYPICAL FOR 10 YRS OLD IN UPSTATE NY. I HAVE PREVIOUSLY OWNED VEHICLES 20+ YRS OLD WITH BODY ROT , BUT HAVE NEVER HAD ANY FRAME ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH ROT. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH , THIS APPEARS TO BE QUITE COMMON ON FULL SIZE DODGE VANS. WILL BE FILING A COMPLAINT WITH CHRYSLER CORP. , BUT DON'T EXPECT MUCH TO COME OF IT. ABSOLUTELY AMAZED THAT PEOPLE HAVE NOT DIED AS A RESULT OF THIS DEFECT. CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF THESE VANS STILL ON THE ROAD , I WOULD CONSIDER THIS A GROWING CONCERN FOR THOSE THAT OWN AND DRIVE THEM AS WELL AS OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ROAD WITH THEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 DODGE RAM VAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE CONTACT WAS SITTING IN THE VEHICLE WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, SMOKE WAS EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DASHBOARD THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXIT VEHICLE WITHOUT INJURY. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS PRESENT AND A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THE FIRE BEGAN IN THE AIR CONDITIONING SWITCH. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPORTED TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,000. UPDATED 8/19/13 *CN

AFTER PURCHASING A PRE-OWNED DODGE RAM CONVERSION VAN, I DISCOVERED THAT THE LATCH SYSTEM IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CHILD CAR SEATS THAT I PURCHASED FOR MY CHILD. THE SIDE ATTACHMENTS WORK FINE, BUT THE SEAT BACK EXTENDS TOO FAR UP TO ALLOW THE TIP LATCH HANESS TO REACH THE ATTACHMENT POINT LOCATED UNDER THE SEAT ITSELF.

COLD WEATHER OUTSIDE. WINDOWS FOG UP AND GET ICE ON THEM. SIDE WINDOWS CAN NOT SEE OUT OF AND FRONT WINDOW GETS OVAL ON IT. MUST USE ICE SCRAPER TO SCRAPE ICE AWAY TO SEE. TOOK TO DEALER, FIRST TIME FIXED FOR ABOUT A YEAR WITH REPLACING A PART IN THE DEFROSTING SYSTEM, NEXT TIME DEALER COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. THIS COULD BECOME A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS YOU CANNOT SEE OUT THE WINDOWS AT TIMES AND I HAVE HAD TO PULL OVER. GETS WORSE AT HIGHER SPEEDS. *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 29 UNDER HOOD FIRE INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED AFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED. THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION THAT WARRANTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND ACTION. *TR

WINDOWS IN 2003 DODGE RAM VAN FOG UP AND FROST IN COLD TEMPERATURES. THE FASTER I GO, THE MORE IT FROSTS UP. WE HAVE TO USE AN ICE SCRAPER ON THE INSIDE, WHICH IS A SAFETY CONCERN. WHEN I PARK THE VAN FOR A FEW MINUTES, IT DEFROSTS. CHRYSLER SAYS THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO FOR IT. AIR IS LEAKING FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE VAN. *JB