NHTSA Complaint #10054672 — 2001 DODGE RAM 2500

MY DODGE RAM 2500 DIESEL TRUCK LOSS POWER AND WOULD NOT RUN WELL AT ALL. I ASKED ARCHER DODGE ON JAN 20, 2004 TO FIND AND FIX THE PROBLEM. A FUEL TRANSFER PUMP, PART # 5080885AA (REPLACEMENT PUMP #) WAS INSTALLED FOR A TOTAL OF $500. THE FAILURE OF THIS PUMP IN THIS VEHICLE IS COMMON AND IS DOCUMENTED IN AN ARTICLE BY CHUCK ARNOLD "WHAT HAPPENS TO DODGES". FAILURE OF THE INJECTOR PUMP, A $2000 REPLACEMNET JOB IS COMMON WHEN THE CHARGE PUMP FAILS, I WAS LUCKY. DODGE RECALLED DEFECTIVE PUMPS INSTALLED IN ALL TRUCKS BUILT 7 DAYS PRIOR TO THE DAY MY TRUCK WAS BUILT. I FEEL I GOT ONE OF THE OLDER PUMPS FOR ONE THING AND THAT DODGE SHOULD PAY FOR THE WORK. THE OTHER THING IS THAT THERE IS NO IDIOT LIGHT OR GUAGE TELLING YOU THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CHARGE PUMP. I AM LOOKING FOR A RETROFIT SO I CAN MONITOR THIS PRESSURE AND PREVENT DAMAGE TO MY FUEL INJECTION PUMP IN THE FUTURE. THIS ENGINE SHOULD RUN FOR 1,000,000 MILES AND I DONT WANT THE POSSIBILITY OF A $3000 WORKOVER EVERY 60,000 TO 120,000 MILES ( THE ESTIMATED LENGTH OF TIME BEFORE FAILURE FOR THE CHARGE PUMP.) FAILURE OF THIS SYSTEM IS TOTAL AND IF IT HAPPENS AT THE WRONG PLACE COULD CAUSE LOSS OF LIFE, FIRE, AND SERIOUS PERSONAL AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE DODGE RECALL ALL UNITS AND RETROFIT THEM WITH A DEVICE THAT MONITORED THE DISCHARGE PRESSURE OF THE CHARGE PUMP, NOTIFYING THE DRIVER THAT A FAILURE OF THE FUEL SYSTEM IS EMINANT. THIS COULD BE DONE WITH AN ADDITIONAL GAUGE OR EVEN A ENGINE WARNING LIGHT. I HAVE CALLED DODGE AND OPENED A COMPLAINT #12000342, BUT I DID NOT GET THE SATISIFICATION OF HEARING THAT IT WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM TO THEM. IF IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS FAILURE OCCURS, WHY NOT ALERT THE CUSTOMERS OF DODGE THAT IT IS A PROBEM. EVEN THOUGH MY TRUCK WAS NOT RECALLED, IT APPEARS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BASED ON WHAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM OTHER OWNERS AND DODGE. THANK YOU FOR ANY ASSISTANCE YOU MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE.