2001 Dodge RAM 1500

2001 DODGE RAM, THE DASH IS CRACKED AND ROTTEN ALL THE WAY ACROSS. THIS NEW OF A VEHICLE SHOULD NOT LOOK LIKE TRASH ON THE INSIDE, AND THERE IS A REAL SAFETY CONCERN WITH ALL THE DASH COMPONENTS WORKING CORRECTLY. THERE IS A SERIOUS ISSUE GOING ON HERE, IF EVERY DODGE DASH IS CRACKING. DODGE TRANSMISSION- NORMAL HIGHWAY USE AND THE TRANSMISSION IS ALREADY JUNK, ALL OTHER BRANDS ARE STILL GOING FINE ON THEIR FIRST TRANSMISSION AND THEIRS ARE A LOT OLDER THAN MINE. TRANSMISSION JUST QUIT AND NEARLY CAUSED ME TO CRASH, THIS NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH IN A SERIOUS MANNER. *JB

DEAR SIR/MAM, I PURCHASED A 2001 DODGE RAM NEW. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES I HEARD ABNORMAL SQUEALING AS I TURNED ONTO OTHER STREETS AT A LOW SPEED. I ALSO NOTICED UNEVEN TIRE WEAR. I WAS ADVISED BY THE DODGE DEALERSHIP THAT THE VEHICLE HAD NO DEFECTS AND TO SEEK OUT THE TIRE MANUFACTURER. IN FEBRUARY 2007 WITH APPROXIMATELY 58,400 MILES ON THE TRUCK I WAS TRAVELING THROUGH TOWN AND HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM MY REAR END. I LOCATED A MECHANIC THAT OPENED UP MY DIFFERENTIAL PAN AND FOUND METAL PIECES LAYING IN THE PAN. MY TRUCK HAS A LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL WITH 4:10 GEARS. THIS LAYOUT OF GEARS IS PART OF THE HEAVY DUTY OFF ROAD PACKAGE DODGE OFFERED WITH THEIR TRUCKS AT THE TIME OF MY PURCHASE. MY MECHANICS DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE POSI- TRACTION SPACERS HAD EXPLODED AS THEY HAD APPEARED TO HAVE STUCK TOGETHER. THE PIECES OF METAL THEN EVENTUALLY TRIED TO TRAVEL THROUGH THE RING AND GEAR CAUSING CHIPPING. THE END RESULT IS TO HAVING THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL COMPLETELY REPAIRED AT A COST WITH PARTS AND LABOR EXCEEDING $1300.00. I RECALLED BACK TO MY ORIGINAL COMPLAINT WITH DODGE OF THE EXCESSIVE TIRE SQUEALING AND UNEVEN TIRE WEAR AT 10,000 MILES AND BASED UPON MY KNOWLEDGE BELIEVE THAT THE TIRES WERE SQUEALING WHILE TURNING ONTO OTHER STREETS AS THE REAR END WAS LOCKED UP IN THE POSI TRACTION MODE. I CONTACTED DODGE SEVERAL TIMES AND SPOKE WITH THEIR CHIEF CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVE BY THE NAME OF PAT. DODGE STATED AT THE END OF EACH CONVERSATION THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST ME IN THIS ISSUE EVEN AFTER I ADVISED THEM OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE IN THEIR DODGE TRUCKS. I HAVE SPOKE AND LOCATED FOUR OTHER DODGE OWNERS IN MY TOWN THAT HAVE HAD TO REPAIR THEIR DODGE TRUCK REAR ENDS. AFTER OBSERVING THE METAL PIECES IN THE DIFFERENTIAL AND FROM SOME PERSONNEL EXPERIENCE FROM A PREVIOUS INCIDENT IN A FRIENDS TRUCK YEARS AGO I MADE THE FOLLOWING DETERMINATION, THE PIECES THAT EXPLODE IN THE DIFFERENTIAL WILL MAKE A CLUNKING NOICE IN THE DIFFERENTIAL. *JB

WITH NO WARNING, THE TRANSMISSION ON OUR 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB PICK UP FAILED. IT WAS DURING A TURN IN AN INTERSECTION AND POWER WAS LOST AND THEN SURGED. FORTUNATELY, ON-COMING TRAFFIC WAS ABLE TO AVOID A COLLISION. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE WE WERE INFORMED THAT NO RECALLS WERE ISSUED AND THAT IT WAS ONLY COVERED UNDER A 36,000 MILE WARRANTY (OUR VEHICLE HAD 56,000 MILES). THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REBUILT AND THE MECHANIC INFORMED US THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY A PUMP FAILURE. THE COST WAS $3200. WE CONTACTED DAIMLER CHRYSLER AND WERE TOLD THAT THEY DIDN'T SEE A TRANSMISSION FAILURE AS A SAFETY CONCERN. *JB

MY DODGE RAM 1500 SPORT 4X4 WENT FROM PARK TO DRIVE WITHOUT PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE THE IGNITION WAS OFF. MY 3 YEAR OLD PULLED THE SHIFTER WHILE STANDING IN THE FRONT SEAT. THE TRUCK WAS PARKED ON AN INCLINE AND ROLLED DOWN THE HILL AND CRASHED INTO TREES. CAUSING APPROX. $5000.00 WORTH OF DAMAGE. HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT SHOULD NOT DO THIS BY THE DODGE DEALERSHIP. HAVE HEARD SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER DODGE OWNERS ABOUT THIS SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM. FORTUNATELY, THERE WERE NO INJURIES THIS TIME. BUT,THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM COULD HAVE VERY EASILY CAUSED MAJOR INJURY OR DEATH TO MY CHILD. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPPED, SHUTTERED AND MADE WHINNING NOISES. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER FIVE TIMES FOR THE TRANSMISSION, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE ENGINE HAS ALSO BEEN MAKING A KNOCKING SOUND. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER FOR THE ENGINE PROBLEM. UPDATED 12/26/2006 - *NM

I HAVE A 2001 DODGE RAM WITH 61000 MILES. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND DEALER SAYS I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH MY TRANSMISSION. I LATE FIND OUT THAT DAIMLERCHRYSLER ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN IN 10/02/2000 THAT THIS MODEL HAS A DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION PRESSURE BOOST VALVE...BULLETIN 21-11-00. SINCE MY FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER MY WARRANTY EXPIRED THEY ARE TELLING ME I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. I THINK THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL SINCE THE MANUFACTURER KNEW THEY HAD A DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION IN 2000 AND STILL ALLOWED CARS TO BE SOLD WITH THE DEFECT. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH AFTER THE GEARS CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION FAILED IN THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO WARNING OR WARNING LIGHTS TO ALERT THE CONTACT OF THIS FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP, UPON INSPECTION THE PROBLEM WAS THE INPUT SHAFT IN THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED, NO REPAIRS MADE.

I AM ABOUT TO PUT 4TH TRANSMISSION IN 2001-1500-DODGE RAM-4X4 I HAVE NEVER PULLED A THING AND HAVE HAD IT IN 4X4 LESS THAN 10 TIMES. MY DASHBOARD HAS CRACKED IN SEVERAL PLACES AND I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH A DODGE. THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM IS COMMON IN THESE TRUCKS. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION I HAD REPLACED WAS DONE BY A DEALER. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE PART THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM WAS A PART THAT DODGE HAD "REDESIGNED". SO BASICALLY DODGE KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND DID NOT OFFER TO PAY FOR WHAT THEY KNEW WAS A FAILURE. *AK

THE FRONT WHEEL ASSEMBLY, CONTROL ARMS, AND WHEEL HUBS HAD TO BE REPLACED BY LOCAL DEALER. I WAS TOLD BY A TRAINED TECHNICIAN THAT THE WHEEL'S COULD HAVE BROKEN AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. THE ENGINE HEATER CORE AND AIR CONDITIONING MAIN ELEMENT STOPPED FUNCTIONING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED BY LOCAL DEALER. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL, PINION BEARINGS AND CUPS STOPPED WORKING AT 77,400 MILES AND HAD TO BE REPLACED BY LOCAL DEALER. THIS WAS JUST 2,000 MILES AFTER THE PREVIOUS STATED PARTS HAD MALFUNCTIONED. OLD PARTS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL, BUT INVOICES ARE AVAILABLE FOR ALL WORK PERFORMED. *NM