1999 Dodge RAM 1500

WHILE DRIVING IN LOWES PARKING LOT GOING ABOUT 10 MILES I WENT TO STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR I MANAGED TO STOP WITHOUT HITTING ANYTHING AFTER INVESTAGATION FOUND THE BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED ALL THE WAY THROUGHT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY IF THIS HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY AFTER TALKING TO CO WORKERS I FOUND 4 MORE DODGES WITH RUSTED OUT BRAKE LINE ALL RUSTED BRAKE LINE WAS REPLACE BY ME AS I DO NOT TRUST DEALERSHIPS REPAIR SHOPS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS WHEN THE "ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM" (ABS) ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO BATTERY ACID LEAKAGE ONTO THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) MODULE. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V185000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE). HOWEVER, THE SAFETY RECALL EXCLUDED THE DODGE RAM 1500 SERIES. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THE IDENTICAL FAILURES AS MENTIONED IN THE RECALL DEFECT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION AT THIS TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

VEHICLE'S BRAKING SYSTEM SEEMED NOT TO BE WORKING PROPERLY, TAKING LONGER DISTANCES TO STOP. A CHECK OF EQUIPMENT SHOWED ALL MECHANICAL PARTS TO BE FIT, AND ADJUSTED CORRECTLY. CONTINUED TO DRIVE VEHICLE BUT THEN HAD SMALL ACCIDENT INVOLVING BRAKING WHILE GOING DOWNHILL. AT THIS TIME IT WAS DETERMINED I HAD NO BRAKE LIGHTS. DIAGNOSTICS OF THE BRAKE LIGHT PROBLEM DETERMINED THE COMBINATION SWITCH IN THE STEERING COLUMN WAS THE CULPRIT AND HAD FAILED, CAUSING LOSS OF BRAKE LIGHTS AND FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION TO GO INTO COAST MODE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED. THIS ALSO RESULTS IN THE CRUISE FUNCTION TO NOT CANCEL WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THERE IS NO INDICATION OF FAILURE THROUGH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FOR THIS FAULT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A REGULAR PROBLEM, AS THIS PART IS BACK ORDERED AT THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. BECAUSE OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS FAULT I FEEL IT SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL, ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE IS NO FACTORY PART AVAILABLE TO REPAIR THE CONDITION. MY VEHICLE IS STILL NOT REPAIRED. *TR

NOTICED BRAKES VERY SPONGY ON 1999 DODGE RAM WHILE COMING TO A STOP LIGHT. WAS ABLE TO STOP WITHOUT ACCIDENT, ALTHOUGH STOPPING DISTANCE WAS ABOUT 15 FEET PAST THE LINE. WAS NEAR HOME, SO DROVE VERY SLOWLY TO MY RESIDENCE WITH VERY LITTLE BRAKING ABILITY. FOUND BRAKE FLUID DRIPPING FROM DRIVERSIDE VEHICLE FRAME. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOUND SEVERELY CORRODED BRAKE LINE HAD RUPTURED. I REPLACED THE BRAKE LINE AND HAVE SINCE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE ON THESE VEHICLES, AS INDICATED ON MANY INTERNET FORMS FOR THESE TRUCKS. I STILL HAVE THE CORRODED BRAKE LINE. *TR

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 DODGE RAM 1500 TRUCK. WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH THE BRAKES FAILED. THE MECHANIC ADVISED HIM THAT THE HYDRAULIC LINES RUSTED, AND THE ENTIRE BRAKING SYSTEM MUST BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATOR LIGHTS BEFORE OR AFTER THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. 50 MILES PRIOR TO INCIDENT THE VEHICLE PASSED SAFETY INSPECTION. A YEAR AGO WHILE LEAVING HIS DRIVEWAY A BOLT FOR THE STEERING IDLE ARM FELL OFF THE VEHICLE. THE RUSTED BRAKE AREA WAS NOT EXPOSED AND RUSTED NEAR THE GAS TANK. *AK

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND APPLIED MY BRAKES. THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. LUCKILY, I HAD ENOUGH TIME TO PUT THE TRUCK IN LOW GEAR AND COME TO A SAFE STOP. I CHECKED THE BRAKE FLUID AND THE RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY. IT APPEARS THAT BRAKE FLUID IS LEAKING FROM A BRAKE LINE UNDER THE BED OF THE PICKUP NEAR THE GAS TANK. THE BREAK IS NOT VISIBLE BECAUSE THE GAS TANK IS IN THE WAY. I HAVE NOT HAD IT REPAIRED YET. THE TRUCK IS A 1999 DODGE PICKUP WITH ONLY 29000 MILES. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN SHE GOT INTO HER 1999 DODGE RAM 1500 (FAILURE MILEAGE: 100000) THE SEAT BELTS WERE RETRACTED AND LOCKED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOP AND THEY NOTIFIED HER OF THE RECALL ON THE RETRACTOR. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THE RECALL AND ASKED HER TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. *JB UPDATED 2/22/2007 - BOTH FRONT SEAT BELT WERE LOCKED IN THE RETRACTED POSITION AND COULD NOT BE USED. THE SEAT BELT LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. THE WATER PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED. THE AIR CONDITIONING HAS BEEN REPLACED. THE BRAKE LINES HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE REAR END HAS BEEN REPLACED. THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW WOULD NOT ROLL DOWN. *NM

DODGE RAM 1500 YEAR 1999 [XXX] MILEAGE: 66,164 [XXX] CUSTOMER SERVICE: I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE RESENT REPAIRS INCURRED IN REFERENCE TO INVOICE #[XXX] AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY EARLY THURSDAY MORNING OF THE 9TH OF FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, I HEARD A VERY LOUD BANGING OF METAL ON METAL AT THE SAME TIME THE REAR WHEELS OF MY TRUCK LOCKED UP. THE TRUCK THEN SKIDDED OFF THE ROAD BARELY MISSING THE GUARDRAIL AND OTHER CARS IN THE ADJACENT LANES. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO MARIETTA DODGE. UPON INSPECTION BY THE DEALERSHIP I WAS SHOWN BY THE TECH THAT THE CLIPS THAT HOLD THE PIN THAT SUPPORTS THE FICTION CLUTCH AND GEAR ASSEMBLY OF THE DIFFERENTIAL HAD FALLEN OUT INTO THE HOUSING LETTING THE PIN AND THE CLIPS FALL DOWN INTO THE GEARS CAUSING REAR-END TO LOCKUP AND SEVERE DAMAGE TO IT. THIS IN-TURN DAMAGED THE RING AND PINION GEARS AS WELL AS THE CASE, THE BEARINGS AND SO ON. A LIST OF THE PARTS AND LABOR ARE ON THE ACCOMPANYING. INVOICE # [XXX] TOTAL: $3730.86 I TOOK THE DAMAGED PARTS TO THE MACHINE SHOP AT THE BASE AND HAD THEM MAG-NI-FLUX TESTED. WE FOUND THAT THE SEVERAL OF THE PARTS HAD STRESS CRACKS INCLUDING THE RIGHT REAR AXIAL JUST BEHIND THE HUB THAT COULD OF LED TO ANOTHER ACCIDENT SHORTLY DOWN THE ROAD. THE MACHINIST CONCLUDED THAT THE CLIPS COULD HAVE FAILED DO TO POOR CASTING AND OR METAL FATIGUE. I WOULD TRULY APPRECIATE SOMEONE GETTING BACK TO ME ABOUT THIS REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION ON THIS MATTER. SINCERELY [XXX] *JB UPDATED 07/17/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

MY 1999 DODGE RAM 1500 SPORT QUAD CABS ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON. MY ABS NO LONGER WORKS. OCCASIONALLY WHILE DRIVE THE LIGHTS WILL GO OUT BUT COME RIGHT BACK ON. THE TRUCK IS ALSO EQUIPPED WITH STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS FOR THE RADIO. WHILE USING THE VOLUME BUTTONS SOMETIMES IT WILL CHANGE RADIO STATION OR WILL TURN UP WHEN YOU WANT IT TO GO DOWN. I SAW THE RAM VAN OF THE SAME YEAR HAS A RECALL FOR THE CLOCK SPRING. IT STATES THAT THE SYMPTOMS ARE THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS STAY ON. DOES THIS RECALL APPLY TO THE RAM TRUCKS ALSO? *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THAT HE IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH HIS BRAKING SYSTEM, IT WILL NOT STOP. NO PRIOR WARNING TO FAILURE. THE BRAKING IS VERY INSUFFICIENT. THE CONTACT SAYS THAT WITH NORMAL BRAKING IT IS FINE, BUT IT IS WHEN HAVING TO BRAKE IN A PANIC BRAKE TAKE TOO LONG TO ACTUALLY STOP THE VEHICLE. ALMOST, CAUSED ACCIDENTS SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP HAD THE TRUCK OUT FOR A TEST DRIVE ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION ,AND THE MECHANIC EVEN TOLD HIM THAT THE BRAKES WERE BAD. BUT SINCE THE CONTACT IS ON AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE TO THE TRUCK.*AK THE CONSUMER'S BRAKING SYSTEM DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ENOUGH PRESSURE TO STOP THE VEHICLE IN A PANIC STOP SITUATION. THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR BUT THE WHEELS DO NOT STOP AND THE ABS NEVER ENGAGES.*SB *NM