2002 Dodge RAM 1500

SUDDEN AND COMPLETE FAILURE OF RACK AND PINION STEERING UNIT ON 2002 DODGE RAM 1500 PICKUP TRUCK. SEAL FAILURE CAUSED IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER STEERING FLUILD. CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL ON HIGHWAY. UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND SLOW TO A STOP ALONG THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, BUT ONLY AFTER VENTURING INTO THE ONCOMING LANE OF TRAFFIC. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET HAS BROUGHT TO LIGHT MANY RELATED COMPLAINTS, INCLUDING STEERING FAILURES THAT HAVE RESULTED IN INJURY AND DEATH.

TRUCK WAS TAKEN INTO THE AUTOWEST DODGE DEALERSHIP TO FIX TAILLIGHTS THAT DIDN'T WORK. AT THE TIME THE TRUCK WAS IN THEIR POSSESSION THERE WERE 2 OPEN RECALLS AND THEY DID NOT NOTIFY ME OF EITHER. NINE MONTHS LATER THE BRAKES, CLUTCH, AND POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT. ONCE I GOT IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THE ENGINE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. TRUCK IS A TOTAL LOSS. TRUCK HAD 31,000 MILES ON IT. DAIMLERCHRYSLER HAS DENIED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. *NM

DT: CONTACT STATES: WHEN WATER IS SPLASHED UNDER THE UNDER CARRIAGE OF HIS TRUCK, THE STEERING GOES OUT. HE CANNOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AT ALL. HE SAYS HE IS GOING APPROX. 25-30 MPH WHEN IT HAPPENS. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE WHEN IT HAS BEEN RAINING. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY WOULD LOOK AT BUT AT THE CONSUMER'S COST. THE MANUFACTURER TOLD HIM THE SAME THING. THE CONSUMER SAYS THE WARRANTY HAS RUN OUT. THE CONSUMER SAYS HE DOES NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE WATER IS SPLASHING, JUST THE UNDER CARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE. *NM

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

ON JUNE 4TH,2005 MY WIFE HAD AN ACCIDENT IN A 2002 DODGE PICKUP. ON HER WAY TO WORK SHE WAS DRIVEING AROUND 45 MILES AN HOUR. UNTIL A CAT RAN IN FRONT OF HER BY REFLAX SHE TRIED TO AVIOD THE CAT SO SHE SWERVED TO THE RIGHT AND STRUCK A MAILBOX THEN SHE SWERVED TO THE LEFT TRYING TO GIAN CONTROL OF THE TRUCK. THEN WHILE TRYING TO GIAN CONTROL SWERVED BACK TO THE RIGHT GOING OVER A DITCH AND ENTERING PRIVATE PROPERTY. THEN SHE STRUCK A PINE TREE WHICH ALSO STRUCK SOME POWER LINES. WHEN SHE CRASHED INTO THE PINE TREE THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY ALSO THE SEAT BELT DIDN'T LOCK ETHIER. MY WIFE HIT THE STEERING WHEEL WITH THE CHEST AND HER ELBOWS. AGTER SHE HIT THE STEERING WHEEL SHE BOUNCED BACK TOTHE SET WHICH CAUSED HER NECK PIAN AND LEFT SOULDER AND HER LEFT SIDE OF HER LOWER BACK. WHICH LEAD TO HER DAMAGEING HER LOWER BACK SHE WAS ALSO TAKEN TO THE EMERGNCY ROOM BY AN AMBULANCE. THEN I CALLED CHRYSLER ON JUNE 6TH 2005 THEY ASKED ME FOR MY VIN NUMBER OF MY TRUCK. THEN THEY LIED TO ME ABOUT CALLING, SENDING A LETTER,SEND A FAX TO THE BODYSHOP WHERE MY TRUCK AT, AND EACH TIME I CALLED THEY ALWAYS CHANGE INFOMATION AND THEY HAVEN'T TOLD ANYTHING REGARDING TO MY TRUCK. OLD PARTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE. THIS THE REFERENCE NUMBER 137455235 THE REPORT NUMBER FROM THE STATE TROOPER IS FHPA05FF024427.

EVERYTHING BAD ON MY 2002 RAM 4WD. I HAVE HAD NEW BEARINGS IN MY TRUCK,RADIATOR 2X,FRON AXLES 3X,REAR AXLES 2X, NEW ENGINE, POWER STEERING HOSES 2X, I HATE THS TRUCK I WILL NEVER OEN A DODGE AGAIN... I HAVE ALREADY TOLD ALOT OF PEOPLE NOT TO BUY A DODGE. DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 55 MPH AND THE REAR END LOCKS UP... THEY PUT THE WRONG FLUID IN IT FROM THE FACTORY AND BURNT IT UP! ITS ONY 3 YEARS OLD AND I GOT IT IN NOV OF 2002.... I HAVE PUT 4 SETS OF FRONT AND REAR BRAKES ON IT SINCE I HAVE HAD IT! I TOOK IT IN TO BE FIXED EVERYTIME AND IT HAPPINS AGAIN WITH IN 6 MONTHS! LAST DODGE I WILL OWN!!!!

VEHICLE HAS HAD TO HAVE UNIVERSAL JOINTS REPLACED THREE TIMES. EACH TIME, DEALER INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME DEFECTIVE PARTS OUT THERE. THEY INDICATED THAT IF THEY ARE NOT REPLACED IN A TIMELY FASHION, THEN DAMAGE COULD OCCUR TO THE DRIVE SHAFT. PROBLEM IS NOTICED WHEN VEHICLE IS MOVED FROM A STOPPED POSITION. THERE IS A METAL-ON-METAL KNOCKING SOUND HEARD FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE (AND FELT). IT HAPPENS ONE TIME DURING INITIAL ACCELERATION. SOMETIMES FELT WHILE SHIFTING GEARS AS WELL. VEHICLE PURCHASED APRIL 2002. FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS 06/24/03 AT 33,716 MILES SECOND REPLACEMENT WAS 04/01/04 AT 54,257 MILES THIRD REPLACEMENT WAS 07/14/04 AT 62,636 MILES. I NOW HAVE 84,000 MILES AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN. THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I AM SURE I AM GOING TO GET SOAKED BY DODGE FOR THIS ONE. I HAVE HAD MANY PROBLEMS LIKE THIS WITH THE VEHICLE AND POOR DODGE SERVICE HAS CAUSED THE PROBLEMS. IN THE PAST I KEPT TELLING THEM SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE SUSPENSION. WHEN THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SUSPENSION, THEY COULD HAVE LOOKED A BIT FURTHER BUT THEY DID NOT... IT ENDED UP COSTING ME 2 NEW TIRES (THE OLD TIRES ONLY HAD 20K ON THEM AND WERE WORN BEYOND BELIEF). IT WAS AN ALIGNMENT ISSUE. THE DEALERSHIP IN QUESTION IS STETLER DODGE IN YORK, PA. I HAD A BLOWER MOTOR PROBLEM IN THE PAST THEY IGNORED (TURNED OUT TO BE A RECALL ITEM), BAD AMPLIFIER, BRAKE PROBLEMS AND THE VEHICLE FLOATS ALL OVER THE PLACE WHEN HITTING LITTLE BUMPS. HARD TO CONTROL.