NHTSA Complaint #10250333 — 2002 DODGE RAM 2500

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED ISSUES WITH THE 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION IN HIS VEHICLE. THE CLUTCH WOULD FAIL WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. IN ADDITION, THE GEARS WOULD SLIP AS IF THE CLUTCH WERE DEPRESSED AND THE CONTACT SMELLED A BURNING ODOR WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MULTIPLE DEALERS MORE THAN TEN TIMES. ONE OF THE DEALERS INSTALLED A NEW CLUTCH, BUT IT FAILED 10,000 MILES LATER. AT APPROXIMATELY 34,000 MILES, THE DEALER REPAIRED THE CLUTCH AGAIN; HOWEVER, THE ISSUE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 37,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 500. UPDATED 1/5/09 *CN THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED WHEN BACKING UP HIS TRAILER THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM THE CLUTCH AREA. A TRANSMISSION SHOP EXAMINED THE CLUTCH AND PRESSURE PLATED AND DISCOVERED THE CLUTCH WAS WORN AND THE PRESSURE PLATE HAD HEAT MARKS FROM CLUTCH SLIPPAGE. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED THE PRESSURE PLATE APPEARED MUCH OLDER THAN THE CLUTCH ITSELF BECAUSE OF THE LARGE STRANDS OF FIBER STUCK IN THE COVER THAT APPEARED TO BE FROM THE PREVIOUS CLUTCH THAT CAME APART. THE ENGINE LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL INJECTION PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 1/09/09. *JB