1998 Dodge RAM 3500

ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS THE RETAINING NUT FOR FIFTH-GEAR HAS FAILED. DEALER OFFERED REPAIR KIT... CONTAINED NEW MAIN SHAFT FOR TRANNY. COST WAS $3600.00, CHRYSLER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING OF THREAD TAPERING. THERE IS ALSO NO POWER BRAKES. ABS SEEMS TO NOT BE WORKING, RELIES ON PRESSURE FROM OIL TO BRAKE. IF PRESSED CONTINUOUSLY, WILL GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. WIRING HARNESS BURNED UP AFTER DEALER WORK, FRANK SHOUPE OF GEORGETOWN KENTUCKY REFUSED TO REPAIR THEIR MISTAKE. SAID IT WAS MY FAULT, THEN REFUSED TO KEEP SPEAKING WITH ME. STATED REPLACEMENT WAS $2015.00, AND WOULD TAKE A WEEK;RECEIVED ONE FROM JUNKYARD IN MONTANA, TOOK THREE DAYS, AND $300.00. *TR

DIESEL ENGINE, MANUAL TRANSMISSION, 3500. THE NUT THAT HOLDS THE 5TH GEAR ON IN THE TRANSMISSION COMES OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. RESULTING IN NO 5TH GEAR. IT IS KNOWN THAT THE NUT SOMETIMES JAMS THE REST OF THE TRANSMISSION, RESULTING IN NO TRANSMISSION AT ALL WHEN MOVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE AND IT IS ABOUT $600+ TO FIX EACH TIME. I LIVE IN CALIFORNIA, MY BUSINESS FRIEND IN SOUTH CAROLINE HAS HAD IT HAPPENED TWICE ALSO, AND HE KNOWS OF ANOTHER PERSON IN TEXAS THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I DO NOT KNOW OF TOO MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE SAME VEHICLE, SO IT SEEMS STRANGE THAT THE ONE PERSON I DO BUSINESS WITH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COUNTRY HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT HE KNOWS OF SOMEONE ELSE IN ANOTHER PART OF THE COUNTRY WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE PICK UP SPENDS 1 OR 2 DAYS IN THE SHOP, THEY REPLACE THE NUT, AND THAT'S IT. THE SECOND TIME THEY REPLACED THE NUT, I THINK THEY PUT LOCKTITE ON IT. THE OLD PART IS NOT AVAILABLE, BUT MY WORK ORDERS FROM THE DODGE SERVICE DEPARTMENTS ARE. I AM NOT SURE OF THE EXACT DATES OF BOTH OCCURRENCES, IT IS ALL FILED AWAY, BUT IF YOU WANT, I CAN DIG THEM UP FOR YOU. *NM

DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH, 5TH GEAR DISENGAGED--(AS IF SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL). TAKEN TO TRANSMISSION SHOP, TOLD BOLT HOLDING 5TH GEAR BACKED OFF. TOLD THERE IS A RETROFIT KIT AVAILABLE TO HOPEFULLY FIX THE PROBLEM AND PREVENT RE-OCCURANCE. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH DODGE DIESEL/5 SPEED COMBOS. THIS BOLT (KNOWN DEFECT) COST ME $1400 AND 2 WEEKS WITH NO VEHICLE.

5TH GEAR SUDDENLY CEASED TO WORK ON MY VERY WELL MAINTAINED 36,000 MILE 98 DODGE 3500 MANUAL DRIVE TRUCK. MY FATHER AND I WERE NEARLY IN A MULTIPLE 18 WHEELER CRASH ON A BRIDGE BEFORE WE WERE ABLE TO FINALLY LIMP ALONG. I NOW COME TO REALIZE THAT THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS VERY PROBLEM ( 21-10-98A ) WHICH WAS IGNORED BY THE MANUFACTURER. IT NEARLY COST MY FAMILY DEARLY. *PH

LOSS OF FIFTH GEAR (MANUAL TRANSMISSION) WHILE GOING UP A MOUNTAIN ON INTERSTATE 25 IN WYOMING RESULTING IN RAPID DECELERATION OF VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM WAS RECOGNIZED BY CHRYSLER IN 1994 AND SERVICE BULLITENS WHERE ISSUED TO DEALERS. I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS WITH NUMEROUS OWNERS OF THIS SAME MODEL AND HAVE FOUND IT TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM ENCOUNTERED AT VARIOUS MILEAGES. CHRYSLER REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT DUE TO "OUT OF WARRANTY" STATUS, THE REPAIR WOULD BE PERFORMED NO QUESTIONS ASKED IF WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD.

NUT FELL OFF BACK OF FIFTH GEAR, DAMAGING THE MAIN SHAFT AND CAUSING TRUCK TO JUMP ALL OVER THE HIGHWAY. DODGE ADMITS THIS IS A KNOWN DESIGN DEFECT, YET THEY WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL. A HORSE IN THE TRAILER BEING TOWED WAS INJURED IN THIS INCIDENT DUE TO THE VIOLENT JERKS AND SWERVES INVOLVED. *TS **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS*762504