2002 Dodge RAM 1500

UNEXPECTED ENGINE STALL, PARTICULARLY WHILE DRIVING. WOULD DRIVE AT NORMAL SPEEDS WITH NO UNUSUAL ACCELERATION OR LOADS (50 MPH MAX WHERE I LIVE), AS FOOT IS REMOVED FROM ACCELERATOR, RPM'S DROP OFF TO ZERO (STALL) WHILE IN MOTION, SOMETIMES AT SPEEDS UP TO 50 MPH CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES, WITH LAST INCIDENT OCCURRING ON A LONG TURN ON HIGHWAY CAUSING A SURPRISING AND SUDDEN LOSS OF REASONABLE CONTROL OF VEHICLE, FURTHER CAUSING ME TO CROSS CENTER LINE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. FURTHERMORE, HAD DIFFICULT TIME PULLING OVER AND NEARLY OVERRAN SAFE STOPPING AREA DUE TO POWER BRAKE LOSS, CAUSING ME TO REACH A DITCH NEAR SHOULDER, THUS NEARLY CAUSING ROLLOVER THAT WAS AVOIDED BY ATTEMPTING TO RIDE OUT OF DITCH PRIOR TO REACHING UTILITY POLE WHICH BY DOING SO, CAUSED VEHICLE TO SWERVE BACK INTO TRAFFIC (NOT ONCOMING), ALL WHILE HAVING TO WRESTLE STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES TO GET VEHICLE TO RESPOND ENOUGH TO FINALLY BE ABLE TO PULL SAFELY OFF THE ROAD. ENGINE STALL DOES NOT OCCUR EACH TIME AND IS INTERMITTENT WITH NO REAL INDICATION AS TO WHY. AFTER DODGE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE PROBLEM, I RESEARCHED MYSELF AND FOUND MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEM RELATED TO SLUDGE. ASKED MECHANIC TO VERIFY, AND LATER CONFIRMED WAS THE CASE, BUT, SAYS WAS MY FAULT!?! (I CHANGE OIL EVERY 2.5K - 3K WITHOUT FAIL AS PER MFG REQUIREMENTS). ULTIMATELY HAVE LEARNED OF POSSIBLE DESIGN FLAW BY DODGE REGARDING POOR OIL FLOW THROUGH ENGINE PORTS, ETC, OF WHICH CORPORATE READILY DENIES. I SEE ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHATSOEVER HOW THIS CAN NOT BE A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW THAT NEARLY KILLED ME, MY DAUGHTER AND THE POOR GUY IN THE ONCOMING LANE. ONLY CORRECTION AVAILABLE IS NEW ENGINE WHICH HAS NOT BEEN DONE DUE TO EXCESSIVE COSTS, THEREFORE TRUCK NOW SITS. I AM A WELL ROUNDED DRIVER WITH LOTS OF EXPERIENCE IN MOST VEHICLES, LARGE TRUCKS AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND CAN HANDLE SITUATIONS BETTER THAN MOST PEOPLE. IT TAKES A LOT TO PUT FEAR IN MY HEART AND THIS REALLY SCARED ME. *TR

2002 DODGE 4X4 1500 4.7L V8. TONS OF OWNERS OF THIS MAKE, MODEL, AND ENGINE SIZE HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH THE 4.7L V8. AN ISSUE THAT HAPPENS ALL OF THE SUDDEN AND LEAVES US STRANDED. OIL SLUDGE, IS THE CAUSE OF OVERHEATING, RODS AND LIFTERS TICKING AND KNOCKING IN THE PASSENGERS SIDE OF THE ENGINE. WHAT CAUSES THIS PROBLEM IS POOR DESIGN OF THE BLOCK, AND POOR COOLING FOR THE ENGINE. THERE ARE LITERALLY TONS OF COMPLAINTS ON LINE AND IN DEALERSHIPS ON THIS MAKE, MODEL, AND ENGINE SIZE. AND DODGE WILL NOT OWN UP TO THIS ISSUE. IT IS EXTREMELY UN SAFE FOR THIS ENGINE TO BE DRIVING AROUND. THERE ARE LITTLE CHILDREN AND ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO COULD BE LEFT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IF THIS PROBLEM IS NOT ADDRESSED. *TR

2002 DODGE RAM 1500 RACK AND PINION GOING OUT ONLY 60,000 MILES....ALSO, THEY REPLACED A/C FAN MOTOR ONCE...I PAID SEVERAL TIMES...ABOUT TO GO OUT AGAIN (LOW HUMMING NOISE IS INDICATOR - AS NOISE INCREASES, MOTOR FAILS). I AM SO DISAPPOINTED; AS A SPECIAL NEEDS TEACHER I DEPEND ON THIS VEHICLE TO TRANSPORT ME SAFELY TO AND FROM MY WORK....CANNOT DEPEND ON IT. I HATE IT...IT'S BEEN A PAIN SINCE FIRST PROBLEM WITH 18 MILES ON IT!!! PLEASE, HOLD DODGE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR MISTAKES.... *TR

ORIGINALLY WITH NO WARNING THE TRUCK WOULD JUST DIE AT INTERSECTIONS. NOW IT IS STARTING TO DIE WHEN DRIVING, EVEN WHILE TURNING. MY TEENAGE SON USUALLY DRIVES THIS TRUCK AND I AM TRULY AFRAID HE IS GOING TO GET IN AN ACCIDENT. WITH THE VEHICLE ONLY HAVING ONLY 73,000 MILES ON IT, I WOULD NOT EXPECT SUCH A DANGEROUS THING TO HAPPEN. I HAVE SEEN MANY POSTS FROM OTHERS INDICATING THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO THEM. I THINK CHRYSLER SHOULD BE FIXING THESE BEFORE SOMEONE DIES. ALSO HAVE THE CRACKED DASH. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 55 MILES AN HOUR WHEN THE ENGINE BLEW CAUSING ME TO ALMOST GET HIT IN TRAFFIC. THE ENGINE BLEW, HOWEVER THERE IS A TSB IN REGARDS TO THE OIL PRESSURE STATING THAT IS NOT AN ISSUE. THE ONLY WAY TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM IS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THERE IS NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB STATING THE SAME RESULTS AS MINE. DODGE STATES THAT I CAUSED THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE SUDDENLY REDUCED TO ZERO ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE OIL PRESSURE READING RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY RECOMMENDED THAT THE OIL PUMP, PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE, AND OIL SCREEN BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 63,000.

1) INTERIOR BLOWER FAN: (24,000 MILES) FAN WOULD SHUT OFF AT TIMES. FIRST TOLD BY DEALER THE AIR INTAKE WAS BLOCKED WITH LEAVES AND THEY CLEANED IT OUT. TWO WEEKS LATER, I GOT THE RECALL THAT THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE BLOWER WAS OVERHEATING. I HAD THE DEALER DO REPAIR FOR RECALL. THEY CLIPPED THE TWO LIGHTER WIRES AND REPLACED THEM WITH TWO 10 GAUGE WIRES. FAN STILL SHUTS OFF DUE TO TILTING STEERING WHEEL WITH HEAVIER WIRING NOT BEING FLEXIBLE ENOUGH. WIRES STILL GET VERY HOT. 2) RADIATOR FAN CONTROL RELAY: (90,000 MILES) CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND CODE WAS FOR RADIATOR FAN CONTROL RELAY CIRCUIT. RELAY WAS REPLACED. 3) ENGINE: (129,000 MILES) OIL SLUDGE CAUSED OIL NOT TO CIRCULATE PROPERLY CAUSING OIL PRESSURE GAUGE TO DROP TO ZERO AND BACK UP TO NORMAL ABOUT 4 TIMES. ENGINE OVER HEATED, WARPING HEADS AND DOING INTERIOR DAMAGE TO RODS AND BEARINGS. ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH USED ENGINE. 4) PASSENGER WINDOW SWITCH: (FOR THE PAST 20,000 MILES) PASSENGER SIDE SWITCH WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. 5) PARKING LIGHTS: (149,000 MILES) WAS INFORMED BY ANOTHER DRIVER THAT I HAD NO TAIL LIGHTS. CHECKED FUSES AND RELAY AND EVERYTHING WAS OK. TOOK TRUCK TO GARAGE, THEY CHECKED AND COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. GARAGE CALLED DODGE DEALERSHIP, THEY TOLD THEM IT WOULD PROBABLY NEED THE FRONT CONTROL MODULE REPLACED. THE GARAGE DID NOT CHARGE ME AND TOLD ME THEY DID NOT WANT TO JUST START REPLACING PARTS COSTING OVER $200 TRYING TO PIN POINT A PROBLEM AND I NEEDED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED IT AND TOLD ME I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULE AND THE FRONT CONTROL MODULE DUE TO BOTH HAVING AN INTERNAL SHORT. WHY BOTHER HAVING FUSES IF YOU CAN JUST HAVE CIRCUIT BOARDS COSTING OVER $200 EACH BLOW OUT? 6) IGNITION PARK LOCK: (149,000 MILES) GOT A RECALL NOTICE ABOUT IGNITION PARK LOCK NEEDING REPLACED. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED. THIS TRUCK DEFINITELY HAS ITS SHARE OFF DEFECTS, WITH THE ENGINE AND WIRING. MORE SHOULD BE DONE AS FAR AS RECALLS. *TR

MY 2002 RAM 1500 HAS PROBLEMS HOLDING THE IDLE IT FLUCTUATES UP AND DOWN. WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT IT THE IDLE WAS SO LOW IT CUT OFF ONCE. THEY MADE A COMPUTER ADJUSTMENT THEN THAT WORKED FOR A LITTLE WHILE. I HAVE HAD TO HOLD THE BRAKE DOWN HARDER THAN NORMAL AT A STOP. THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. I HAVE CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED AIR FILTER. SEEMS LIKE ANOTHER COMPUTER PROBLEM TO ME. *TR