1999 Dodge RAM 1500

ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. NUMEROUS ISSUES. BRAKE LININGS ON THE REAR DRUMS HAVE A VERY SHORT SERVICE LIFE. REPLACED DRUMS AND LININGS IN JULY OF 2002. DRUMS AND LININGS REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AGAIN IN MAY OF 2003 (APPROX. 20,000 MILES) FRONT PADS WERE REPLACED IN JULY OF 2002 AND STILL HAVE 1/2 OF LININGS LEFT. ON BUMPY ROADS, BRAKE SYSTEM FADES IN AND OUT. ON WET ROADS, BRAKES MAY OR MAY NOT WORK RELIABLY. FROM RESEARCHING YOUR SITE, THESE ARE NOT UNCOMMON OCCURRENCES. WHEN WILL THIS BE ADDRESSED?*AK

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES IN EMERGENCY STOP, BRAKES INTERMITTENTLY FAIL TO ENGAGE PROPERLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HAVE GREATLY INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES. THIS DEFECT HAS NEARLY CAUSED NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS. DEALER STATED THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM. REPLACEMENT OF REAR BRAKES BY CONSUMER REVEALED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC ADJUSTER WAS INSTALLED BACKWARD. CONSUMER CORRECTED THE ORIENTATION OF THE AUTOMATIC ADJUSTER AND THE BRAKE FAILURE PROBLEM HAS NOT OCCURRED SINCE THE REAR BRAKES WERE REPAIRED. *NLM

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