Dodge Ram Problems

joe3891

DC has agreed to repurchase 35 state- owned Dodge pickup trucks that were taken off the road last week because of front-end problems.They are 2001 Dodge 3/4 ton,they shake after hitting a bump.DC says the road conditions in MAINE are the problem.I guess they are a new road truck.I just you Dodge people would be interested.

toadius

I have a RAM 1500 extended cab 4x4 short bed and this thing has an apetite for tires. I have probably put four sets on it by now as the tires feather severely on the front end. It also has this anomaly that others have reported as well. It has a big time vibration problem that occurs between 65 and 70 mph. I'm guessing that is what is causing the feathering. If I put on a new set of tires, the vibration disappears for a while, but it ALWAYS returns soon. Has Dodge built in a design problem in the RAM four by? I'd love to fix it once and for if I knew what to fix. I need tires AGAIN, but am afraid to put on a new set just to start over. I have the 318 and the manual trannie in it. Is it in the front transaxle? I am fed up to my nose in this issue. The tires for this truck are not cheap, replacing every 20,000 miles.

davrukr

What year is your dodge, I hope the new 2001's dont have that problem. I going to buy a 1500 quadcab 4x4 in the next few days, but I am on the road a lot. I would hate to buy something that eats tires.

toadius

My RAM is a 1997. Should have put that in the original message. I should buy stock in GOOD YEAR!

moparmad

I haven't ever had tire problems on any of my trucks but the first thing I do is put on Michelins. My 2001 has 7200 miles on it now and the Good years are wearing evenly but they wont make 20,000 miles. I expect this from Goodyears I have never had a set last and I hate them. My '96 had 55,000 miles on the Michelins XCX AT's and they would probably go at least 20,000 more.
This may not be your problem but it might be worth a try,even if you just change models of goodyears.

jcmdie

You have a front end geometry problem. My '98 1500 4X4 got 48000 miles on the original tires (Goodyear) and was only replaced because I like better rubber in the snow. Michelins are better but more costly. If the dealer can't find the problem, go to a front end shop.

smithjones2001

We purchased a Ram 1500 V6 2 weeks ago from a dealer in Fort Worth. The first weekend it rained and we ended up with water coming in through the dash, draining out behind the glove box and dripping onto the floor. We took it to the dealer to be repaired, left it a day in which they didn't investigate the problem, they just ASSumed it was a windshield seal. Well, we get the truck back and the @#$! thing still leaks like a sieve! Needless to say, I'm not happy. It goes back into the dealer today for "repairs". Has this happened to anyone else before? This is our first Dodge, and overall I can truly say that I'm not a Dodge fan. When we got the truck the front dash wasn't even snapped into place and we found a dime sized paint defect on the passenger door (which I was going to overlook, but not now!) Has Dodge quality always been this shoddy? We are in our mid-20s and have many more vehicles to buy in our future... too bad none of them will ever, EVER be a Dodge or Merc...Looks like the Japanese win hands down.... Any comments or questions would be appreciated.

julie_bug

I'm posting this review because of my dad. He has a 2001 Dodge Ram 3500 Quad Cab Long Bed 4WD. Since he has had the Truck he has had numerous problems. He has gone through 2 sets of tires and the front end has needed replaced 3 TIMES!!! and the truck doesn't even have 10,000 miles on it yet!! In talking to others, there are many complaints of problems with the transmission and breaks. My opinion? Dodge has some major design flaws here. Don't trust it!

jcmdie

Let's see a water leak that the dealer incorrectly fixed and a paint defect the size of a dime and now Dodge is down the tubes? That seems to be a little premature on your judgement. How does these two problems push you instantly to the Japanese products. I've yet to have a vehicle that only had two defects. That includes the Toyotas, nissans, mazda, and hondas that we have owned. Even if you end up hating Dodge, what about the Ford and GM?

moparmad

I have had over a dozen Mopars and haven't had a bad one yet. I did have to rebuild the front end in my '92 Ram,but that truck had come from a potato farm who is notorious for not being able to tell the difference between a truck and a tractor. Still I cannot blame these people for being upset, they just don't realize they aren't a victim of Dodge the company but of their local Dodge dealer. I cannot imagine a dealer so shoddy that they wouldn't catch a dash not being attached.
I live near a very successful Dodge dealer and consequently I know very many people who own Dodges. Almost everyone I talk to is absolutely satisfied with their vehicles.
Dodge fans are probably the most devout fans there are and we can't all be stupid,I am willing to bet that Dodge is at least on par with the quality of the rest of the companies.

warfish

I have a 2001 quad 2500 Cummins and traded in a 98 1500 quad. The 1500 had Goodyears that were still very good at 39,000 miles and it drove like a dream. Both trucks are 4x2s. The 2500 came with Michelins and drove like crap, all over the road like a twin I-beam Ford, and rode terrible. I know camparing a 1500 to a 2500 is not very scientific, but I hated the way that 2500 drove until I replaced the Michelins with Uniroyal Laredos, now it too drives like a dream. This was the second truck I've owned with Michelins and it will be the last. I will refuse to take delivery if the truck comes with them. They are terrible in the rain and impossible in the snow.

jcmdie

Which Michelins did you have? I have LTX A/T and they may be a bit stiff but they stick great on wet and snowy pavement.

moparmad

Check out tirerack.com for tons of information on all brands of tires. They have a survey done by tire buyers of each model tire,very informative.
First person I ever heard disappointed with Michelin performance.

warfish

I don't remember which michelins they were, but it was the second set I had gotten on a new vehicle, the other one was a Blazer, and I hated those too. I agree that Michelins wear like iron, but there is always a trade off for that, and that is poor traction. This is a scientific fact and it cannot be avoided. I'd much rather have the traction and buy tires a little sooner. I value my neck too much.

MercuryNJ

Josh, I own a 2001 1500 QC 5.9L 4X4 LB SLT Sport with LSD 3.92 axle ratio auto tranny, just this past weekend I began to detect a clicking/ticking noise which was faint and only sporadic, it would only happen while driving on the highways, I checked the whole truck and found nothing loose or hanging from it, anyway, I heard that same faint noise again today, also while on the highway, during acceleration and cruising at 70 mph, it lasted about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes then it disappeared, the only similarities were that the sound began when merging (smoothly) onto highway traffic and was short lived, both times I only had to drive a short distance ( 1/4 mile) from startup to highway. Are these the symptoms that you experienced at the onset of your belt tensioner experience? I would appreciate your comments.

badramman

No.
When the belt tensioner bearing goes out, as mine did, it's loud as hell. It'll sound like a machine gun under your hood. You'll lift the hood and see it chattering away like there's no tomorrow!

offroader2001

I had Goodyears on my 95 Dakota and they lasted

30,000 miles until a persistent whine drove me

to Pep Boys...needless to say they wouldn't even

mount the 30,000 mile tires as a spare...too

worn out ...nothing new in my experience with my

Goodyears..

4x4_360_01_cab

2001 Ram Pickup with 5.9, ext. cab, and 4x4 auto

I noticed a tapping noise in 'PARK' seemingly from the steering wheel - found that the linkage from the gear select lever to the tranny has one link without bushing. It will continue to get worse, I assume, as the constant rattling eventually makes this link wear and open more. The bushingless link is 2nd or 3rd link FROM tranny.
eb

pifton2000

I have a 2001 5.9 liter automatic quadcab 1500 series with the goodyears on it. I just had the clockwork spring recall done. The following has been occurring for a few months now. The truck drives straight and brakes straight. However when you turn the wheel (even slightly) either to the left or the right you can feel a vibration through the floorboards and the accelerator pedal. When you brake when turning it is even more pronounced.
It has 8500 miles. Rotated tires at about 7500 tires in front were scalloped on outside edge. Got worse since clockspring assy. was replaced. Going back next week for another appointment. Supposedly all front end parts are fine. Now they are saying it might be steering shaft/column, possibly rotors, etc. Just wondering if anyone experienced this. Jackarse of service manager tried to initially tell me it was the nature of the truck and the aggressive tread pattern. Test drove a new one, much tighter and no vibration like mine. Hopefully I won't have to go through lemon law or buy back but not driving it like this much longer.

MercuryNJ

Thanks a lot Josh, I appreciate your prompt response. I'm assuming that it's probably the serpentine belt that's being affected by the hot and humid weather, as well as, the AC being used on MAX, I had the belt tension checked by my mechanic and he agreed with my own finding that it was within proper specs, the truck has only 3800 miles on the odometer, I hope that this is not a pre-cursor to any serious problems.

MercuryNJ

Does anyone know if this recall is specific to the Rams from any given assembly plant (St. Louis or Saltillo), even though it was sent to all 2000 & 2001 Ram owners?

The reason I ask, is because the recall notice indicates that it applies to only "some '00 and '01 model year Ram pickup trucks" and according to the general info. that I have been able to acquire on the Rams prior to and after my purchase, seems to indicate that the Saltillo, Mexico trucks (such as mine) are less prone to flaws and assembly problems than those that are from Missouri. I'd rather not have the dealer screwing around with the truck if not necessary.

hillhound

I don't own a Ram anymore but I've had that truck plus two Dakotas ('90 and '93) and all three of these trucks leaked water through the front under the dash. Not sure how but one of the Dakota's was terrible in this regard! My driveway is a slight hill and if I parked facing up the hill the water came in and the front carpet was wet! The Ram didn't leak too bad-just when it rained particularly hard. Usually I tryed to park facing downhill when I expected rain! I tore into the one Dakota once to look for the leak but no luck. I was convinced it was leaking in through the vents at the rear of the hood on the Dakotas but it was never a very big problem on the Ram. Good luck.

pwrunt

interested in installing an exhaust brake for a 2001 4x4 dodge 2500 4 speed auto cummins diesel. Just wondered what others were putting on there trucks. what to expect to pay. How hard was it to install. thanks

badramman

Yes!
My gf's 2001 4x4 QC just started this a month ago. When you turn left or right you get a thumping in the floorboards and the steering column I don't believe it's in the front suspension because it drives great, except for the thump. I think it's a bad bushing in the steering column Sometimes you can feel it in the pedals but I believe it's just the vibration traveling down the column I also read in this forum somewhere about a similar problem and they replaced the entire front end and it was still there. Finally they ripped apart the column and found the shaft bouncing around.
Anyway, her truck goes in next week for the clock spring and I'm gonna tell the guy to check it out. Keep me posted @ dodge826@aol.com if you hear anything before I do. Thanks

gdw

I own a 2001 dodge ram 1500 with a 5.2L engine
and automatic transmission. At approx 10000
miles the transmission begin to slip and sung
when put under a load. The dealer replaced
the front transmission pump and said the problem
was corrected. I did not get a block from the dealership when it started slipping and surging.
The next trip they adjusted the TV cable and
pressure in valve. Same results the problem
continued as soon as I left the dealership.
The next trip they replaced the clutch plate and
separator. I thought this corrected the problem
but it did not. It now operates fine in the
morning when the engine and transmission is not hot but in the afternoon when the engine and
transmission is hot and I am going up a hill
or putting a load on the truck such as passing
gear the transmission slips when shifting into
a higher gear. This is a random thing it may
go two or three days without a problem. The
dealers service manager and I drove the truck
for an hour yesterday afternoon and of course
the transmission would not slip. The dealer
connected his diagnostic equipment to the trucks
computer system and it did not show any problems
with the transmission or torque converter.
Has anyone experienced similier problems, if
so what was the fix if any.

foxyone

I have a 1999 4x4 2500 dodge ram 2500 quad cab I have had no problems with it at all till the other day the fuel gauge stuck on full, and yesterday it ran fine on a short trip then would not restart, could the two be connected?.
Its got fuel its getting pressure at the filter (the pump runs for a short while after its cranked so I loosened the banjo on top of the filter lots of pressure/fuel)
It turns over fast but will not start, any ideas?
the thing is I am in england so there are no dealers at all so I have to fix it myself could it be a sensor somewhere, please any suggestions

foxyone

Just had the local auto electrician look at my truck and he seems to think its the immobiliser thats at fault.
Do they have one as standard? it has an alarm and key less entry.
He says its a lap top job to get it going again then said good luck and went.
If it has an immobiliser can it be disconnected and it so where is it and how.