NHTSA Complaint #10189111 — 2003 DODGE RAM 1500

MY 2003 DODGE RAM 1500 4.7 LITER ENGINE WITH 64000 MILE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSE WAS DETERMINED BY DODGE DEALERSHIP TO BE "SLUDGE" IN ENGINE, VOIDING MY 70000 MILE WARRANTY, DAIMLER CHRYSLER ASSUMING I DID NOT MAINTAIN MY ENGINE PROPERLY, ALTHOUGH I CHANGE OIL MYSELF USUALLY EVERY 4500 MILES (BOOK SAYS 6000) AND USE BEST HEAVY DUTY FILTER. PROVIDED SOME "OFFICIAL" OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS FROM POPULAR QUICK OIL CHANGE FACILITY BUT THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO ENFORCE WARRANTY. FOUND THOUSANDS OF SAME STORIES FOR MY 4.7, DODGE'S 2.7 AND OTHER ENGINES OVER THE INTERNET. DODGE IS ONE OF THE LAST HOLD OUTS AS FAR AS TOYOTA, AND OTHER AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS TO PONY UP ON POOR ENGINE DESIGN AND NEW, LIGHTER ENGINES HAVING MORE HEAT AND MORE CHANGE OF OIL BURN OR "OIL GET" RESULTING IN SLUDGE EVEN WITH 100% PROVABLE MAINTENANCE. UNDER OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES, ENGINES "BLOW" OR "BURN UP" SUDDENLY AND THAT IS NOT ONLY AS EXPENSIVE AS MINE TO FIX ($4000 TO $6000 REPAIR) BUT DANGEROUS TO THE OCCUPANTS AND PUBLIC AS WELL. MORE FREQUENT OIL CHANGES AND SYSTEM FLUSHES, OR CHANGE TO SYNTHETIC OIL MAY HELP PREVENT OR DELAY SITUATION, BUT DODGE HAS NOT RELEASED ANY SUCH INFORMATION TO HELP OR WARN CONSUMERS. PROBLEM WILL ONLY GET WORSE AS MORE DODGE AND CHRSYLER 1999 TO 2005 ENGINES REACH MILEAGE CONDITION OCCURS (57000 TO 77000, SOME AS EARLY AS 20000). *JB