NHTSA Complaint #759165 — 1997 DODGE RAM 1500

ENGINE HAS ALWAYS PINGED ON REGULAR GAS - 5+ TRIPS TO DODGE FOR SERVICE AND THEY NEVER FIXED THE PROBLEM. AT ONE POINT, THEY POURED FUEL INJECTOR CLEANER IN THE ENGINE WHICH IS SOMETHING THEY TELL YOU NOT TO DO WHEN YOU PURCHASE THE VEHICLE. AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM COMPLETELY SHOT AT 50,000 MILES IN OCTOBER, 2001. A MONTH LATER, MY REAR-END WENT UP AT A COST OF $1345. TWO WEEKS LATER, MY TRANSMISSION WENT UP AT A COST OF $1700. IN JUNE OF 2001, MY FUEL PUMP WENT UP AT A COST OF $216. I DID NOT HAVE ANY OF THESE REPAIRS DONE AT DODGE ALTHOUGH I PURCHASED DODGE PARTS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NEVER FIXED ANYTHING WITHOUT EITHER SCREWING UP SOMETHING ELSE OR JUST NOT PROPERLY REPAIRING THE PROBLEMS. I CALLED THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR REPAIR PRICES AND THEY WERE MUCH HIGHER THAN INDEPENDENT SERVICE SHOPS. I WROTE THEM FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THESE REPAIR COSTS BUT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST ME BECAUSE REPAIRS WERE NOT DONE AT DODGE. THEY SAID I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THEM FOR HELP FIRST BUT I COULD NOT WAIT FOR A RESPONSE FROM THEM BECAUSE I NEEDED MY VEHICLE RIGHT AWAY. I ALSO DID NOT TRUST THEM TO PROPERLY REPAIR MY VEHICLE. OF COURSE, MY TRUCK WAS OUT OF WARRANTY FOR ALL OF THE PROBLEMS. I EVEN TOOK THEM TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT FOR THE ENGINE PING THEY COULD NOT CORRECT AND THEY BROUGHT IN 4 HIGH DOLLAR LAWYERS, SO, OF COURSE, IOST THE CASE. I HAVE NOT YET HAD MY AIR CONDITIONER REPAIRED. I AM GOING TO CONTACT THEM TO SEE IF THEY WILL REPAIR IT WITH SOME FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ALTHOUGH I AM NOT SURE IF I SHOULD TRUST THEM AT THIS POINT. I HAVE SPENT A TOTAL OF $3,331 IN REPAIRS OVER THE PAST 3 MONTHS AND AM NOT FINISHED YET. WHAT A LEMON! THEY ALSO COULD NOT PERFORM A SIMPLE OIL CHANGE PROPERLY-THEY DID NOT REPLACE THE OIL PLUG AND THE OIL WAS LEAKING.*AK