2002 Dodge RAM 1500

MY ENGINE LIGHT COME ON ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO. HOOKED IT UP TO A CAR READER AND THE CODE IS A 1491. WHICH MEANS RADIATOR FAN CONTROL RELAY CIRCUIT. I CALLED THE DODGE DEALER HERE IN ENUMCLAW WASHINGTON AND THEY TOLD ME $500 TO FIX. SO I CALLED MY MECHANIC AT CASCADE AUTOMOTIVE IN ENUMCLAW AND HE EXPLAINED TO ME THE SITUATION. IF I REPLACE ONLY THE RELAY IF MAY BE ENOUGH BUT THE $500 COST THE DEALER IS CHARGING IS BECAUSE OF THE WIRING HARNESS BURNING UP AND CAUSE A FATAL SITUATION. MY MECHANIC HAS SEEN A NUMBER OF THESE THROUGH HIS SHOP. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY DODGE CORP. AND PAID FOR BY THEM. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 60 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE BEGAN TO MISFIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT CYLINDERS 1, 3, AND 5 WERE MISFIRING, AND THAT THE SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. A RADIATOR, COOLANT, AC BLOWER FAN, AND SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED, WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. A WEEK AFTER THE REPAIRS, THE AC BLOWER FAN STOPPED FUNCTIONING, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS NOTICED THAT COOLANT WAS DRIED ON THE TOP OF THE RADIATOR AND CAP. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT COOLANT OVERFLOWED. THE MISFIRING PROBLEM RECURRED 2 & 1/2 WEEKS AFTER THE FIRST REPAIR, AND WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. IT WAS NOTICED THAT COOLANT WAS FOUND INSIDE THE PORTS, AND THE HEADS ON THE ENGINE WERE WARPED. ALSO, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT NEW HEADS WOULD HAVE TO BE INSTALLED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE PAPERWORK STATED EXHAUST FUMES WERE FOUND INSIDE THE COOLING SYSTEM. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER AFTER FILING A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA.

FIRST LET ME STATE THAT PRIOR TO THIS EXPERIENCE, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED MY DODGE TRUCK. ON 20 APR 2006, MY 2002 DODGE RAM 1500 PICK-UP WITH 50,529 MILES STARTED STALLING AFTER THE ENGINE WARMED UP. THERE WAS A DISTINCT "PINGING" SOUND COMING FROM THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER BEFORE THE ENGINE WOULD STALL. MY 17 YEAR OLD SON WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND WAS RETURNING FROM SOCCER PRACTICE WHEN THIS FIRST STARTED. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE TRUCK--THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG, BUT BASED ON MY DESCRIPTION FELT THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER MIGHT BE BAD, SO THEY REPLACED IT. THIS SEEMED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM UNTIL A MONTH AND 1,100 MILES LATER THE VERY SAME SYMPTOMS AROSE (ENGINE STALLING WHEN WARMED UP, AND A "PINGING" SOUND COMING FROM THE VICINITY OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THIS TIME THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS BEING SCORED PISTONS, REQUIRING ME TO REPLACE MY ENGINE BLOCK...AT 51,679 MILES! A QUALITY ENGINE WOULD NOT FAIL AT THIS LOW MILEAGE. I CALLED DODGE, THEY AGREED THAT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED'AND WERE VERY APOLOGETIC THAT MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED, BUT THEY REFUSED TO SHARE THE BURDEN OF THE NEARLY $7,000 COST WITH ME, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE WAS ONLY 51,679 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. WOULD YOU BUY A TRUCK WHOSE ENGINE FAILED AT 50,000 MILES? I CERTAINLY WILL NEVER AGAIN. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 65MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED. ONCE THE VEHICLE STARTED, IT TOOK 5 MINUTES FOR THE POWER TO BE COMPLETELY FUNCTIONAL. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED PREVIOUSLY WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER; HOWEVER THE PROBLEM CAN NOT BE DUPLICATED.

DT: WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION IT WOULD STALL AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND THEY ASKED THE CONSUMER WHAT DID SHE WANT THEM TO DO ABOUT IT AND THAT THEY COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER WAS INSTRUCTED TO THE VEHICLE HOME. THE CONSUMER REPORTED TO THE DEALER AT LEAST 4 TIMES AND RECEIVED THE SAME ANSWER EACH TIME. *AK *SC

HEATER STOPPED WORKING. REPLACED THERMOSTAT. ONE WEEK LATER TO LEAVE TRUCK WOULD NOT START. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWDED. RECEIVED A CALL FROM MECHANIC SAID IT WAS HYDROLOCKED. RECEIVED CALL FRM MECHANIC TODAY 1-27 SAID THE HEAD WAS SPLIT. HAS TO BE REPLACED. THIS TRUCK IS A 2002 WITH APPROX. 45000 MILES. THIS HAS BEEN THE WORST VEHICLE WE HAVE EVER OWNED....I WILL TELL EVERYONE DO NOT BUY A DODGE OF ANY TYPE....*AK