1998 Dodge RAM 1500

WHIE DRIVING 45 MILES PER HOUR I HAD STEP ON MY BRAKE TO STOP THE TRUCK. I HAD TO SVERVE TO THE RIGHT SO I WOULDN'T HIT THE CAR. ALSO I HAD THE BRAKES WORKED AND NOW MY ROTORS HAVE HEAT CRACKS AFTER BEING REPLACED. NOW I HAVE TO REPLACE AGAIN THIS THE FOUTH TIME. DEALER SAY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES JUST THAT THEY ARE WEARING OUT FRONT ROTORS. *AK

FROM THE DAY I SAW THAT 96 DODGE TRUCK ROLLING DOWN THE STREET I FELL IN LOVE. I SAVED EVERY WAY POSSIBLE TO PURCHASE THE BIG BAD 1500 4X4 5.9(98)WITH EVERY OPTION AVAIL. HAD EVERYTHING AND FROM WEEK 1 HAD PROBLEMS. FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE DRIVING "DUE TO FRAME STRESS" IT ABOUT 2 WEEKS INTO IT. BRAKE FAILURE CAUSE SERIOUS ASSAULT ON GUARD RAIL, AND DODGE SAID I MUST HAVE BEEN DRIVING TO FAST (@ 30 MPH). THEY REFUSED ANY WARRANTY BECAUSE "NOTHING CAN TOUCH THE WHEEL" AND SINCE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER 93 DAYS LEMON LAWS DID NOT APPLY SO AFTER (2) $900 BRAKE JOBS TWO WEEKS APART EVERYTHING WAS FINE. NOT TO MENTION DAMAGE TO BODY I PAID FOR OUT OF POCKET. NOW I JUST GO THROUGH AN ENTIRE SET OF BRAKES EVERY 6 MONTHS. BUT I STOP UNTIL THEN.. I REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AT 38 K MILES, NOTE THE WARRANTY ON THAT IS 36 K MILES. I HAVE HAD STEERING LINKAGE BECOME SO LOOSE INSTANTANEOUSLY (OR 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS) THAT IT FELT LIKE I WAS RUNNING OVER MY OWN AXLE, WHICH IS ANOTHER $1000 EACH TIME. FOR THE PAST THREE EMISSIONS INSPECTIONS THE ON BOARD COMPUTER FAILS SO I HAVE TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER WHILE THEY CHARGE $200 TO FIX IT, BUT WILL NOT GIVE STRAIGHT ANSWER TO WHAT IS PROBLEM. AND TO NIGHT AS I TYPE, I SPREAD THE GRIME OF ENGINE CRUD ACROSS MY KEYBOARD AS I TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHY THE FUEL FILTER SUDDENLY STOPPED. AMAZINGLY I HAVE HAD THIS TRUCK FOR 5 YEARS BECAUSE IT HAS KEPT ME TOO BROKE TO BUY SOMETHING ELSE. ANY "LEGAL" SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT CAN BE DONE WOULD BE APPRECIATED. I RECOGNIZE I HAVE SPENT MORE THAN $15,000 TRYING TO KEEP THIS THING RUNNING RIGHT, AND THAT IS TOO MUCH FOR A "LATE MODEL" TRUCK. I WOULD LOVE TO BLAME A DEALER BUT I HAVE BEEN TO JUST ABOUT ALL OF THEM AROUND HERE AND WITH THE SMILES ON THERE FACES I HEAR "THAT WILL BE ANOTHER $950 SIR".. GOOD GRIEF. *NLM

THE FRONT BRAKE PADS REQUIRED REPLACING AT 16,000 MILES, 8,500 MILES BEFORE SUGGESTED MAINTENANCE. AT 35,975 MILES THE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS REQUIRED REPLACING. DODGE INFORMED ME THIS WAS NORMAL WEAR, NOT WITHIN WARRANTY AND NOT CONSIDERED A PROBLEM. THEY DID NOT INFORM ME OF THE TSB ALREADY RELEASED STATING THE KNOWN PROBLEM OF EARLY WEAR ON FRONT BRAKE PADS.

FRONT BRAKES \ ROTORS REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AFTER ONLY 20,000 MILES. I HAVE NOTICED OTHER RECALLS ON RAM 1500 FRONT DISC BRAKES (ROTOR PROBLEMS: FATIGUE BUT NOT ON MY PARTICULAR VIN). I ALSO NEED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE IN YET AGAIN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ONLY 5 DAYS AFTER INITIAL "REPAIR"! I LOVE MY DODGE RAM, BUT I FEEL THERE IS SOMETHING DEFINITELY WRONG WHEN MYSELF AND OTHERS HAVE TO REPLACE BRAKES SO EARLY ON A RELATIVELY NEW VEHICLE. PERHAPS CHRYSLERS RECALL # 788 SHOULD BE REOPENED FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION?*AK

I HAVE JUST OVER 36,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK. I AM ON MY THIRD SET OF PADS FOR THE FRONT AND HAVE REPLACED THE SHOES ONCE. IN ADDITION, I'VE HAD THE DRUMS AND ROTORS TURNED. THE DEALER RESPONDS BY CHARGING ME TO ADJUST THE REAR BRAKES. I HAVE HAD THIS DONE BUT CONTINUE TO EAT UP THE FRONT BRAKES. THE MANUFACTURER CHANGED TO BIGGER PADS AND ROTORS SHORTLY AFTER MY TRUCK WAS MADE BUT DEALER & MANUFACTURER ARE NOT RESPONSIVE. ALSO, THE REAR ANTILOCK DOESN'T WORK RIGHT. *AK