NHTSA Complaint #712616 — 1994 DODGE RAM

PROBLEM #1 ON 31 MARCH 1999, I VISITED MY GRANDSON IN CENTERVILLE, VA. I DROVE MY TRUCK THERE AND EXPERIENCED NO PROBLEMS. WHEN I LEFT TO GO HOME, I STARTED THE TRUCK, PLACED THE SHIFTER IN REVERSE AND LET IT ROLL BACKWARDS DOWN HIS SLOPED DRIVEWAY, BRAKING WHEN I GOT ON THE STREET. I PLACED THE SHIFTER IN DRIVE AND STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND. IT CRAWLED FORWARD DOWN THE STREET. I PUMPED THE ACCELERATOR AND GOT NO RESPONSE. I STOPPED THE TRUCK, PLACED THE SHIFTER IN PARK, GOT OUT, AND THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR WITH MY HAND. IT DID NOT HAVE ANY RESISTANCE. I OPENED THE HOOD AND LOOKED AT THE INJECTOR PUMP WITH MY FLASHLIGHT AND NOTICED A LINK HANGING DOWN FROM THE PUMP AND IT . THERE ALSO APPEARED THAT THERE WAS SLACK IN HE ACCELERATOR CABLE. I LET THE TRUCK IDLE BACK TO MY GRANDSON'S DRIVEWAY AND PULLED THE TRUCK OFF THE ROAD. HE DROVE ME HOME IN HIS CAR AND MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO HAVE THE TRUCK TOWED TO MY DEALER THE NEXT DAY, A DISTANCE OF OVER 50 MILES. THE SERVICE PEOPLE EXAMINED THE PROBLEM AND REPORTED THAT THE ACCELERATOR CABLE HAD SHREDDED AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED WITH A KIT THAT CHRYSLER PROVIDES. IT WAS NOT UNDER THE WARRANTY THEY SAID. THIS REPAIR COST ME $344.92. IT WAS COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED AND I WOULD HATE TO THINK OF THE POTENTIAL HAZAR IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING 65 MPH IN THE FAST LANE OF AN INTERSTATE WHEN IT SNAPPED, REDUCING MY SPEED FROM 65 MPH TO IDLE. I ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER IF THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND SHE INDICATED THAT THEY HAD HAD THE CONDITION OCCUR PREVIOUSLY AND THAT CHRYSLER HAD A KIT TO REPAIR IT. IT WAS NEVER A RECALL SO FAR AS ANYONE KNEW. THEY ALSO SAID THAT CHRYSLER HAS MODIFIED THE INSTALLATION ON LATER MODELS TO PREVENT REOCCURANCE. I FEEL THAT (1) CHRYSLER SHOULD REPUIRE AN EXAMINATION OF ALL EARLY MODEL DODGE RAM TRUCKS WITH DIESEL ENGINES AND, (2) PROVIDE REIMBURSEMENT FOR MY COSTS IN HAVING THIS PROBLEM .