1996 Dodge RAM 2500

WAS DRIVING 57MPH TOWING A TRAILER WHEN VEHICLE STARTED TO SHIMMY. SUDDENLY VEHICLE JUMPED UP & DOWN. HEARD A LOUD AWFUL NOISE. VEHICLE WENT OUT OF CONTROL. MANGED TO CONTROLLE VEHICLE & MOVE TO SIDE OF ROAD & STOP. CHECKED VEHICLE & TIRES. NOTICED RIGHT REAR TIRE HAD LOST ITS TREAD. IT HAD PEELED OFF & WAS FLAPPING UP AGAINST VEHICLE & THEN TRAILER AFTER BREAKING LOOSE. TIRE WAS STILL INFLATED. CONTACT ROAD SERVICE & SPARE WAS PLACED ON VEHICLE. ARRIVED HOME & CONTACTED INSURANCE CO. & REPRESENTATIVE CAME & CHECKED VEHICLE. INFORMED OWNER NOT TO DRIVE VEHICLE ON THOSE TIRES. GOODYEAR WRANGLER AT LT245/75R16 MS LOAD RANGER E WITH 26,000 MILES ON IT. WAS ON A DODGE RAM 2500.*AK ALL THE OTHER THREE TIRES ARE SHOWING SIGN OF POSSIBLE TREAD SEPARATION. *YH

PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH ON HIGHWAY, AND HEARD AIR COMING FROM TIRES. THEN, VEHICLE STARTED TO SWING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE RIGHT. RIGHT FRONT SIDEWALL WAS SLICED. A BIG HOLE WAS INSIDE SIDEWALL, THIS HAPPENED ON THURSDAY. TIRES WERE FIRESTONE WILDERNESS, P26570R16. THEN, ON THE 7/29/00 LEFT FRONT TIRE EXPLODED WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON THE CURB. TIRE WERE BRAND NEW. *AK DOT #V672 WL2, ALL TIRES HAD LESS THAN 3000 MILES ON THEM AND BOTH FAILURES EXPERIENCED SIDEWALL SEPARATION. *SLC

HAD TO REPLACE THE WHOLE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC THAT ONLY WANTED THE TRUCK FOR HALF AS MUCH TIME AND MONEY. THE EVAPORATOR COIL UNDER THE DASH FAILED AND THE EVAPORATOR DRIER ALSO FAILED( IT RUSTED OUT). I HAVE TALKED TO OTHER TRUCK OWNERS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND I DID CALL CHRYSLER AND THEY NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM, KINDA MAKES ME WONDER WHATS GOING ON. ADMITTEDLY THE TRUCK IS OFF WARRANTY, BUT I'VE NEVER HAD AN AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM THAT EVER NEEDED ANY ATTENTION AND ONE IS 12 YEARS OLD. ANY HELP WITH THIS SITUATION WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *AK

THE PROBLEM IS THE SAME AS NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 97V084000. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES SINCE THE TRUCK WAS NEW. EACH TIME THERE WAS A LOT OF SMOKE, BUT NO FIRE. TWICE THE TRUCK WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND ONCE IT STAYED TOGETHER, BUT WAS LEAKING BADLY. CHRYSLER CORP. SAYS THIS TRUCK IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AS DOES THE DEALER WHERE IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED. TWICE THE TRUCK CAME TO A STOP WHERE THERE WAS NO SHOULDER TO GET OFF THE ROADWAY. ANY INFORMATION I COULD GET WOULD HELP. *AK

CONSUMER STEPPED ON THROTTLE AND IT BECAME STUCK, CONSUMER HAD TO SHUT OFF IGNITION IN ORDER TO STOP CAR. THE STRANDS ON CABLE BECAME UNRAVELED AT CABLE HOUSING, CAUSING THROTTLE TO STICK WIDE OPEN. THROTTLE CABLE AND LINKAGE WERE REPLACED BY DODGE DEALER AT MY EXPENSE. NEW CABLE AND LINKAGE ARE OF A DIFFERENT/IMPROVED DESIGN. *AK *ML

3-YEAR OLD SON INJURIED HIMSELF ON THE CENTER CAPTAIN'S CHAIR WHICH WAS COVERED BY A PIECE OF FABRIC. WHEN THE SEAT WAS POSITIONED FORWARD OR BACKWARD, IT EXPOSED THE METAL TRACK. BUT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT, WHETHER POSITIONED FORWARD OR BACKWARD, IT WAS NOT EXPOSED. THIS WAS A DESIGN FLAW. DAYS LATER, CHILD WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF CAPTAIN'S CHAIR DIRECTLY BEHIND THE DRIVER. DRIVER'S SEAT WAS UP FORWARD, EXPOSING THE METAL TRACKING. DRIVER HAD TO APPLY BRAKES SUDDENLY TO AVOID HITTING A DOG, CAUSING THE MIDDLE CAPTAIN'S CHAIR SEAT BELT CABLE TO SNAP, AND CHILD FLEW OUT, HITTING HIS HEAD ON THE METAL TRACK. CONTACTED DEALER, AND HE WAS NOT ABLE TO HELP. CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER FOR SEAT BELT CONVERSION PACKAGE THAT WAS PUT ON BY ELK ENTERPRISES. THEY WERE NO LONGER IN BUSINESS. THE CABLE ON THE OTHER CENTER CAPTAIN CHAIR WAS WEARING OUT. CHRYSLER SAYS THEY ARE UNABLE TO HELP BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. *AK *ML