2001 Dodge RAM 1500

DASHBOARD HAS 4 CRACKS IN THE TOP OF DASHBOARD FROM WINDSHIELD TOWARD CAB,MATERIAL USED FOR DASHBOARD IS VERY BRITTLE AND COULD PROVE TO BE DANGEROUS IN AN ACCIDENT AS IT IS SHATTERING ON A REGULAR BASIS. THIS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AS THERE SEEMS TO BE A LARGE NUMBER OF OWNERS WITH SAME PROBLEM. THE PLASTIC USED WOULD ACT LIKE A SHRAP NAIL IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED.*JB

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

APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS AGO MY 2001 DODGE RAM, 1500 SPORT STARTED TO DEVELOP CRACKS IN THE DASH BOARD. IT DETERIORATED RAPIDLY AND IT NOW HAS HUGE HOLES AND CRACKS ACROSS THE ENTIRE SURFACE. DODGE HAS REFUSED TO ASSIST IN THE UNUSUALLY HIGH COST OF REPLACEMENT. THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED FOR LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER THE CRACKS BEGAN. THE DATE GIVEN BELOW IS AN ESTIMATE. *NM

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