NHTSA Complaint #747250 — 1997 DODGE RAM

TRANSMISSION FAILED DUE TO TRANSMISSION FLUID NOT REACHING OVERDRIVE MECHANISM. IT STARTED SLIPPING AS I WAS DRIVING HOME LATE ONE NIGHT AND IT COMPLETELY WENT OUT TWO DAYS LATER. MECHANIC SAYS IT STARTED IN THE OVERDRIVE MECHANISM AND WENT FROM THERE. HE STATED DODGE KNOWS ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSIONS AND WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AS FAR AS THE CUSTOMERS EXPENSES. MY HUSBANDS DODGE TRUCK IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. IT SEEMS TO BE COMMON IN THESE TRUCKS FROM 80,000 - 100,000 MILES, AND DODGE REFUSES TO PAY FOR ANY OF IT, ALTHOUGH THEY APPARENTLY MADE AN UPGRADE KIT FOR IT. MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. TRANSMISSIONS ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE TO FIX, AND DODGE SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEFECTIVE PARTS. I HAVE CONTACTED DODGE/CHRYSLER, AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST ME IN MY TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS BECAUSE MY WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED. THE TRUCK IS ONLY FOUR YEARS OLD, AND WE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT TO BE MORE RELIABLE. I HAVE NOTICED ON THE COMPLAINT SCREEN ON NHTSA THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL OF THESE COMPLAINTS REGARDING TRANSMISSIONS. I HAVE DOCUMENTATION OF DODGE'S DECLINATION, AS WELL AS MY EFFORTS TO HAVE THEM HELP ME. AT THIS TIME BOTH OUR DODGE TRUCKS ARE UNRELIABLE, AND BECOMING INCREASINGLY EXPENSIVE TO CONTINUE TO FIX. I HAVE REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND THE U-JOINTS ALSO. ANY AMOUNT OF HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED. IT'S EXPENSIVE ENOUGH TO PURCHASE THE VEHICLES WITHOUT CONTINUALLY PUTTING MONEY INTO THEM TO KEEP THEM RUNNING, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE TRUCKS ARE ONLY 4 YEARS OLD. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP AND YOUR INTERNET SITE. I WAS QUITE RELIEVED TO FIND IT. *AK