NHTSA Complaint #10078635 — 2003 DODGE RAM 1500

I OWN A 2003 DODGE RAM TRUCK WITH THE 5.7L HEMI ENGINE THAT IS ONE YEAR OLD AND HAS 9100 MILES ON IT. SEVEN MONTHS AGO, AT ABOUT 4,000 MILES, THE ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE A LOUD TAPPING NOISE. IT SOUNDS LIKE A VALVE TAPPING AND IS VERY NOTICEABLE.*AK IF YOU LISTEN TO THE ENGINE FROM BELOW BY THE OIL PAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE A DIESEL ENGINE. I HAVE BROUGHT IT TO MY DODGE DEALER THREE TIMES; THEY SAY IT IS NORMAL FOR THE HEMI ENGINE. THE OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED EVERY 2500 MILES OR LESS ON THIS ENGINE. THIS IS NOT NORMAL FOR ANY GASOLINE ENGINE, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE VALVE TRAIN IS OIL STARVED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE. I AM A MEMBER OF THE LARGEST DODGE FORUM ON THE INTERNET. ABOUT 15% TO 20% OF OUR HEMI TRUCK OWNERS HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM AND THEIR DEALERS SAY THAT IT IS NORMAL. IF IT WERE NORMAL, ALL THE HEMI ENGINES WOULD DO THIS. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS ENGINE WILL FAIL PREMATURELY BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM THAT DC DOES NOT WANT TO ADMIT THAT THERE PRICED HEMI ENGINE HAS ISSUES.