1999 Dodge RAM 1500

WE PURCHASED A 1999 DODGE RAM 1500 IN OCTOBER 1999. SHORTLY AFTER THE WARRANTY RAN OUT, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN 'CHATTERING' AND JERKING PERIODICALLY LIKE WE WERE DRIVING OVER A 'RUMBLE STRIP' ON THE HIGHWAY. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER MANY TIMES AND SMALL ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE. EVENTUALLY WHEN THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE CORRECTED AND THE 'JERKING' BECAME NEARLY CONTINUOUS, WE WERE TOLD TO TAKE THE PICKUP TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP. THERE THE REPAIRMAN TOLD US THAT DODGE PICKUPS KEPT HIM IN BUSINESS. THAT 8 OUT OF 10 OF HIS TRANSMISSION REPAIR JOBS WERE DODGE PICKUPS. THE TRANSMISSION WAS COMPLETELY OVERHAULED AND WE WERE GIVEN A ONE YEAR WARRANTY. SHORTLY BEFORE THE WARRANTY WAS TO AGAIN RUN OUT, THE OLD TROUBLE SURFACED. ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE WHICH HELPED FOR A FEW MONTHS. THE PROBLEM SURFACED AGAIN AND NOW WE WERE TOLD TO TAKE THE PICKUP BACK TO THE DEALER, THAT THE PROBLEM MUST CERTAINLY BE IN THE 'COMPUTER'. THE DEALER SAID WE CAN PUT A NEW COMPUTER IN THE PICKUP BUT WE CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT WILL FIX THE PROBLEM AND, OF COURSE, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO REFUND YOUR $400.00 PURCHASE OF A NEW COMPUTER IF IT DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. OUR CHOICE IS, THEREFORE, TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE A MALFUNCTIONING DODGE RAM PICKUP WHOSE TRANSMISSION WILL SOONER RATHER THAN LATER EVENTUALLY FAIL, GAMBLE $400.00 TO SEE IF THE COMPUTER 'MIGHT' FIX THE PROBLEM OR TRADE FOR ANOTHER PICKUP (CAN'T AFFORD THIS OPTION). WE ARE FED UP WITH DODGE PICKUPS AND WILL LIKELY NEVER PURCHASE FROM DODGE AGAIN. WE WERE A FAITHFUL DODGE OWNER HAVING HAD SIX PRIOR DODGE PICKUPS. THIS PICKUP HAS HAD LIGHT DUTY, HAS BEEN SERVICED ON A REGULAR BASIS AND HAS NOT BEEN ABUSED IN ANY MANNER. IT SHOULD BE RUNNING AS GOOD AS NEW. WE PURCHASED A CHEVROLET LUMINA NEW IN 1993. IT HAS 204,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER NOW AND HAS HAD UNDER $1,000 LIFETIME REPAIR, NEEDS NO OIL BETWEEN CHANGES AND STILL RUNS GREAT. WE TAKE CARE OF OUR VEHICLES. *JB

DT: CONTACT STATED ON 8-5-05 THE HOOD FLEW UP AND DESTROYED THE WINDSHIELD, DAMAGED THE HOOD AND THE HOOD HINGES. HE CITED A RECALL 01V040000 REGARDING HOOD LATCH. HE SAID THE RECALL SEEMED TO APPLY TO SALT BELT STATES, BUT HE S THE CAR WAS BOUGHT AND REGISTERED IN TEXAS, AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF SALT JUST IN THE AIR. HE SAID NONE OF THE GULF STATES WERE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. HE IS CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN AND SEES ALL KINDS OF RUST ON VEHICLES DUE TO SALT. HE HAS NOT YET CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER BUT PLANS TO TODAY.*AK

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: 1999 DODGE RAM 1500 TON 4 WHEEL DRIVE PICK UP, 25000 MILES ON THE TRUCK. WHILE DRIVING TRUCK STALLED AND ALL LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON. PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE, SAT A COUPLE MINUTES, AND THE TRUCK STARTED BACK UP. THIS PROBLEM RECURRED. THIS TIME IT TOOK ABOUT 5 MINUTES TO RESTART. NEXT DAY TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, THEY KEPT IT FOR 2 DAYS, COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE TRUCK. SAID COULD HAVE RESULTED FROM BAD GAS OR VAPOR LOCK. TOOK VEHICLE HOME, AND THIS HAPPEN AGAIN. TOOK BACK TO DEALER, STILL COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THIRD TIME THIS HAPPENED CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE TRUCK JUST QUIET RUNNING. WOULD NOT START BACK UP. DID GET THE TRUCK OFF THE ROAD AND COASTED OFF AN EXIT. TOOK OVER HALF HOUR BEFORE IT STARTED BACK UP. TOOK BACK TOO DEALER, THEY KEPT THE TRUCK FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THE DEALER FOUND IT WAS THE COMPUTER. THE MECHANIC DID A WIGGLE TEST AND FOUND PROBLEM AND FIXED IT. *AK *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

THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE TOP OF THE DASHBOARD, ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WAS CRACKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE DASHBOARD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE MECHANIC ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN IN BIND SINCE ASSEMBLY, POPPED IN SEVERAL PLACES AND HE WAS UNABLE TO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AT THE TIME. THE DASH HAD DEVELOPED SEVERAL LENGTHY CRACKS AND ONE OF THE CRACKS HAD INFRINGED THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY A REPRESENTATIVE OF CHRYSLER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT CHRYSLER WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM. *SC