1998 Dodge RAM 3500

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SURGE BETWEEN 4,000 AND 5,000 RPMS WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 50 MPH. THE DEALER ADJUSTED THE COMPUTER MODULE. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE RAPIDLY SURGED AND BEHAVED AS IF IT WERE GOING TO STALL. THE CONTACT FOUND A RECALL LETTER AND THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO OPEN RECALLS FOR HIS VIN. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 98V209000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL) WAS REFERENCED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

MY VEHICLE COMPLETELY STALLED AND LOST POWER AT 70 MPH LEAVING ME WITH NO POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO FORCE THE VEHICLE INTO THE BREAKDOWN LANE. I BROUGHT IT TO A DODGE DEALER WHERE IT COST ME $3,700. FOR AN ECM COMPUTER AND INJECTOR PUMP FOR THIS DIESEL ENGINE. EIGHT MONTHS PREVIOUS I HAD REPLACED THE LIFT PUMP AT A COST OF OVER $800. I NOW UNDERSTAND THAT THE NHTSA HAS EARLIER INVESTIGATED THIS DIESEL ENGINE AND FOUND NO 'SAFETY' PROBLEM RELATING TO THIS FAILURE. I FURTHER UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS A 'LIMITED' RECALL PERFORMED BY CUMMINS, THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER, WHICH ONLY INCLUDED SCHOOL BUSSES AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES AS WELL AS FOR THEIR BIG CUSTOMERS, UPS AND FEDEX. IS THERE NO CONSIDERATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL OWNER'S SAFETY? BY MY RESEARCH THERE ARE 350,000 OF THESE VEHICLES STILL ON THE ROAD (122,000 WERE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY IN A DODGE 'FIX-IF-FAIL' PROGRAM) WITH POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC SAFETY DEFECTS. THIS IS A TRULY DANGEROUS CONDITION. FORTUNATELY FOR ME, I AM AN ABOVE AVERAGE SIZE MALE. I'D SERIOUSLY DOUBT IF A YOUNG DRIVER OR SMALL INDIVIDUAL WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAFELY NAVIGATE THIS VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DODGE DEALERSHIP AND WITH THE DODGE CONSUMER HOTLINE RESULTED IN THEIR DENIAL OF BEING AWARE THAT THERE IS OR HAS BEEN ANY PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. A BLATANT LIE ON AT LEAST THE HOTLINE SUPERVISOR'S PART. *NM *NM