1999 Dodge RAM 1500

THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING SITUATION SINCE ABOUT 35000 MILES. UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY THE DEALER REPLACED ALL MOST ALL OF THE FRONT END PARTS ON MY 99 RAM 1500 4WD. MOST RECENTLY THIS TRUCK FAILED THE NEW YOUR STATE INSPECTION FOR WOBBLE IN THE STEERING BOX OUTPUT SHAFT. THIS STEERING BOX WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER ABOUT 9600 MILES BEFORE. THE TRUCK HAD A LOT OF PLAY IN THE STEERING AND THE WHEEL WAS AT ABOUT 1:30 INSTEAD OF 12:00. THREE MECHANICS AND MYSELF SAW THE PLAY. THIS GARAGE TOLD ME TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER AS IT WOULD BE UNDER WARRANTY. I DID THIS AND HAD TO LEAVE THE TRUCK FOR THEM TO CHECK.I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THERE WAS NO PLAY AND NO REPAIRS WERE NEEDED.THE TRUCK WHEEL WAS NOW AT12: 00 AND IT WAS HARD TO STEER WITH NO RETURN TO CENTER. I TALKED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND HE SAID THAT THERE WERE NO ADJUSTMENTS TO THE STEERING BOX AND THAT THE ONLY ADJUSTMENT TO THE ALLIGNMENT WAS TOE IN SO HE SAID THAT MY TRUCK HAD DERVELOPED MEMORY STEERING AND THAT THE STEERING WAS REALLY TIGHT AND THAT I SHOULD NOT COMPLAIN. NOT SATISFIED AS I HAD SEEN THE PLAY MYSELF I REPLACED THE STEERING BOX AND LO AND BEHOLD THE STEERING WAS LIKE NEW. EASY RETURNS TO CENTER AND THE STEERING WHEEL IS CENTERED. WHAT I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE DEFFECTIVE STEERING BOX WAS THAT THE OVER CENTER ADJUSTMENT WAS 1 TURN TOO TIGHT AND THAT THE WORM SHAFT PRELOAD WAS TOO TIGHT AND THE PITMAN ARM SEALS WERE REPLACED WITH NEW SEALS AND THEY USED CHASSIS LUBE WHICH WAS NEW AND CLEAN.ALL THIS WHILE SAYING THAT THERE WERE NO REPAIRS NEEDED OR DONE. THE PITMAN SHAFT BEARING WAS WORN BETWEEN .045 AND.057 THE NEW SEALS TOOK UP THE PLAY. MY QUESTION WOULD BE IF NEMER DODGE SERVICE DOES THIS KIND OF REPAIR AND SAYS THAT THEY DID NOTHING TO KEEP FROM HAVING TO PAY FOR WARRANTY WORK WHAT ELSE ARE THEY DOING. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT MY SON ,AN INEXPERIENCED DRIVER AS HE IS JUST NOW GETTING HIS LISCENCE, COULD NOT KEEP THIS TRUCK ON THE ROAD. HE NEEDED TO USE TWO LANES TO DRIVE. *AK

THE LEFT FRONT TIRE CAME LOOSE ON THE DODGE RAM 1500. THE TRUCK TOOK A HARD LEFT TURN INTO THE CONCRETE DIVIDER ON THE INTERSTATE APPROXIMATE SPEED 65 MPH. THE IMPACT BROKE THE REAR LEFT WHEEL, AND CRUSHED THE FRONT LEFT FENDER, AS WELL AS THE ENTIRE FRONT OF TRUCK. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HOWEVER, I HEAR OF A POTENTIAL LINING RECALL THAT MIGHT HAVE AFFECTED THIS. MY BROTHER THANKFULLY ONLY HAD MINOR INJURIES THAT WE ARE AWARE OFF. *AK

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, I BROUGHT THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER FOR A SQUEAL AND THE STEERING FELT ODD. AT LEAST 5 U-JOINTS, THE TRACK BAR, AND OTHER FRONT END PARTS WERE REPLACED. FORTUNATELY MY DEALER KEPT LOOKING AND I HAD THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. WHY IS THERE NO RECALL ON THE U JOINTS AND OTHER PARTS?? I KNOW MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS.*AK

I RECENTLY TOOK MY 1999 DODGE RAM 1500 PICK UP TO MY ALIGNMENT SHOP AND HAD TO PUT A NEW TRACKER BAR ON IT. WHICH I REPLACED ABOUT 8 MONTHS AGO AT ABOUT 40 THOUSAND MILES.. AND NOW I HAVE TO REPLACE MY STEERING BOX AND MY TRUCK HAS JUST OVER 54,100 MILES ON IT AND I THINK THAT IS A LITTLE RIDICULOUS. EVER SINCE I BOUGHT MY TRUCK NEW IN 1999 I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE FRONT END ALIGNED IN THE FIRST YEAR, THE SECOND YEAR, IN THE YEAR 2002 AND NOW ON MARCH 3 RD 2003 I HAD TO HAVE IT AGAIN FOR THE REASONS I STATED IN THE BEGINNING. I HAD SOME ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS UNDER THE DASH AND IN THE STEERING COLUMN. MY ALIGNMENT SHOP SAYS THEY HAVE REPLACED A LOT OF STEERING BOXES AND THE TRACKER BAR EVEN AT 18,000 MILES. I HAVE CALLED CHRYSLER THEMSELVES AND THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND I THINK THEY SHOULD BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT IT IS A RESULT FROM A BAD PART FROM THE FACTORY. I HAVE DOCUMENTED EVERYTHING I HAVE DONE TO MY TRUCK. I HAVE LOOKED INTO THE PRICE OF A NEW STEERING BOX AND I HAVE FOUND THAT DODGE WANTS OVER $600 AND A PARTS HOUSE IN MY TOWN CAN GET THE SAME DODGE STEERING BOX FOR $205. I BELIEVE THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THE BOX WHAT EVER THE PRICE, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT IS NEW ENOUGH THAT THEY SHOULD BE WILLING TO HAVE IT FIXED, TO AT LEAST MAKE A CUSTOMER SOME WHAT HAPPY. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A STEERING BOX GOING OUT AT LESS THEN 100,000 MILES. MY FATHER HAD A 1999 RAM 1500 PICK UP AND WITH LESS THAN 25,000 MILES THE MOTOR LOST 4 QUARTS OF OIL ON OUR WAY TO A OLD CAR SHOW IN MONTANA BUT IT NEVER HAPPENED AGAIN SO HE DID NOT WORRY ABOUT IT AND SOLD IT AND GOT A NEW 2002 RAM PICK UP AND HE LIKES IT SO FAR, BUT A FRIEND OF MINE HAS A 2002 RAM AND HE IS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH HIS FRONT END ALIGNMENT. SO I AM WONDERING IF THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR FRONT ENDS ON DODGE VEHICLES. *JB

STEERING SEEMED LOOSE. DEALER REPLACED TRAC BAR, INNER AND LOWER TIE ROD ENDS, AND AN ADDITIONAL BAR. JUST AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED, MILEAGE 35,982 ON NOVEMBER 21, 2002. AS OF MARCH 5, 2003 FRONT END AND STEERING IS WORSE THAN WHEN IT WENT IN. VERY LOOSE FEELING, FREQUENT STEERING WHEEL CORRECTION NEEDED. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION ESPECIALLY ON SNOW COVERED ROADS. VERY UNSAFE FEELING. DEALER WAS ASKED TO CHECK WORK THAT WAS PERFORMED ON NOVEMBER 0F 2002, ON JANUARY 30, 2003. THEY DID NOT LOOK INTO THE SITUATION. ALSO WOULD LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE RADIATOR NEEDING TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH CRANK SHAFT SEAL, LOWER PAN GASKET, AND FRONT SEAL. THIS WAS WITH MILEAGE OF 38,105. THESE ITEMS SHOULD NOT FAIL WITH THIS LOW MILEAGE AND AGE!!!! OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING, AND CHRYSLER WILL NOT ADMIT TO ANY FAULT OF THEIR PRODUCT. I HAVE RECORDS AND PROOF OF DAMAGED ITEMS IF NEEDED. I AKSED CHRYSLER TO PAY FOR PARTS ONLY, BUT THEY REFUSED TO DO SO. THEY ALSO REFUSED TO INVESTIGATE THE SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS FRONT END ISSUE.*JB