NHTSA Complaint #10765223 — 2005 DODGE RAM 1500

PURCHASED THE TRUCK NEW IN 2005. WIFE WAS DRIVING TO STORE WHEN ENGINE SHUT OFF. SHE TURN AROUND AND DROVE 1.5 MILE BACK TO HOUSE AND PARKED TRUCK. TRUCK HAD PLENTY OIL, BUT WAS LEAKING OIL FROM PASSENGER SIDE VALVE COVER HAD A SMALL HOLE. PULLED COVERS, BOTH HEADS AND FOUND HEAD CAST HAD BROKE OFF ON PASSENGER SIDE. THIS CAUSED HOLE IN VALVE COVER. BOTTOM OF BOTH HEAD CASTING HAD DAMAGE TO VALVE SEAL WHICH SHOULD BE PRESSED INTO PLACE. THREE OF THE SEAL POP OUT ABOUT 1/4 INCH. AND ONE OF THE SEAL ON DRIVER SIDE HEAD CASTING CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. I NEVER SEEN THIS TYPE OF DAMAGE TO HEADERS. I THINK THE CASTING IF FLAWED. BEFORE TAKING THE VALVE COVERS OF, I THOUGHT IF I GET ANOTHER VALVE COVER MIGHT BE OK. SO I SEARCHED FOR A VALVE COVER. I CALLED TWO DODGE DEALER PART DEPARTMENT. WITHNELL DODGE IN SALEM AND MARK THOMAS MOTORS IN ALBANY OREGON. BOTH DEALER PARTS DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THEY HAD OVER 60 BACK ORDERS FOR THIS VALVE COVER. THAT'S OVER 120 BACK ORDER FOR VALVE COVERS. I SUSPECT OTHER TRUCK OWNERS THOUGHT ALL THEY NEEDED WAS TO REPLACE THE VALVE COVER AND THAT SHOULD FIX THEIR PROBLEM. I ALSO SUSPECT THE FLAW IN THE HEADER CAST IS THE PROBLEM AND IS CAUSING A CHAIN REACTION TO OCCUR WHEN PARTS OF THE CASTING BREAK OFF, HIT THE VALVE COVER, WHICH CAN CAUSE THE TRUCK TO OVERHEAT, AND RESULT IN DAMAGE TO CYLINDER HEAD, RINGS, AND HEADER, ALL BECAUSE THE HEAD CASTING WAS MOLDED WITH AN INHERITED FLAW. NOTHING MAKE SENSE AS TO WHY TRUCK HAD PROBLEM WITH HEADER, EXCEPT BAD CAST FOR HEADER. I HOPE YOUR ORGANIZATION CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS MATTER. I PUT LESS THAN 15,000 MILES PER YEAR ON THIS TRUCK, AND I SHOULD BE ENJOYING THIS TRUCK FOR TROUBLE FREE. WITH DODGE HISTORY OF FAILURE TO NOTIFY VEHICLE OWNER ABOUT INHERITED PROBLEMS WITH PAST, I DO NOT EXPECT DODGE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED.