2001 DODGE RAM 1500 Suspensionfront Problems

ON MY 2001 DODGE 1500, THERE IS A TON OF RUST ON THE UNDERSIDE PARTS. THE FRAME AND BODY AREN'T BAD, BUT THE THINGS THAT ATTACH ARE FAILING. THE BRAKE LINES WENT, AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ALL WENT AT THE SAME TIME, ALMOST RESULTING IN A WRECK. THE STRAPS THAT HOLD THE GAS TANK IN PLACE RUSTED OUT. THE SHEET METAL ATTACHMENT FOR THE FRONT AXLE IS THE LATEST. I'S ALMOST RUSTED OUT, AND WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE FRONT AXLE TO DETACH IF NOT REPLACED. ($$$$) YES, THE TRUCK IS 10 YEARS OLD AND I LIVE IN NW PA WHERE WE USE SALT. CRITICAL PARTS NEED TO BE PROTECTED FROM RUST OR MADE FROM STAINLESS. THIS TRUCK COULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE, PROBABLY ME! *TR

I PURCHASED A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 4X4 PICKUP IN APRIL, 2009. APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS AFTER OWNERSHIP, I WAS DRIVING NORTH ON INTERSTATE 95 NEAR RICHMOND VA, AT ABOUT 70 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. I CAME TO A STOP, AND TOOK A STATE ROUTE THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP, AFTER LOOKING UNDER THE VEHICLE FOR SOME OBVIOUS DEFECT. I COULD SEE NOTHING. A FEW DAYS LATER, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN ASE CERTIFIED REPAIR SHOP. THEY NOTICED SLIGHT PLAY IN THE LEFT FRONT U JOINT, SO I HAD BOTH REPLACED, KNOWING THAT COULD NOT HAVE POSSIBLY CAUSED WHAT I EXPERIENCED. I DROVE THE VEHICLE ABOUT ANOTHER 6 MONTHS AND HAD THE SAME INCIDENT OCCUR. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND ASKED THEM TO INSPECT THE SUSPENSION, EXPLAINING THE VIOLENT SHAKING THAT OCCURRED. THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. EVERYTHING WAS...

FROM AUG 08 TO PRESENT AT SPEEDS OF 40 MPH AND UP MY 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 4X4 WHEN HITTING A BUMP THE FRONT END DEVELOPS THE "DEATH WOBBLE" HAVE HAD TO TWO DIFFERENT DODGE DEALERS AND HAVE PAID TO HAVE ALL BALL JOINTS, TIE ROD ENDS, STEERING BOX ETC REPLACED AND PROBLEM IS STILL THERE NOW I START LOOKING ONLINE AND I SEE I AM ONE OF MANY OUT THERE WITH THIS PROBLEM. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO HAVE DODGE COME UP WITH AN ACTUAL FIX FOR THIS IT IS VERY DANGEROUS AND I HAVE PERSONALLY HAD THIS HAPPEN ON THE PA TURNPIKE AND NUMEROUS OTHER ROADS AND BEEN VERY CLOSE TO SOME DEADLY ACCIDENTS WITH IT. I HAVE ACTUALLY BOUGHT ANOTHER VEHICLE AND TRUCK IS SITTING IN MY YARD. THE ANSWER I GET FROM DODGE IS TRADE IT IN IF IT IS SUCH A PROBLEM BUT I...

INSPECTED VEHICLE, FOUND DEEP GROOVE WORN INTO CORD LEVEL OF SIDEWALLS OF BOTH LEFT-SIDE TIRES. FOUND LEFT FRONT SHOCK ABSORBER SUPPORT BRIGHT, SHINY, POLISHED. THERE IS NO, OR MISADJUSTED, STOP SO LEFT FRONT TIRE AND SHOCK SUPPORT ATTEMPT TO OCCUPY SAME SPACE DURING SHARP LEFT TURNS, GOUGING TIRE. INTERFERENCE HERE EXISTED FOR AT LEAST 10,000 MILES GIVEN TIME OF LAST TIRE ROTATION THAT PUT DAMAGED TIRE ON REAR. SEVERE POTENTIAL FOR BLOWOUT EXISTS. HAVE SEEN OTHER REPORTS OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS THROUGH DODGE RAM 1500S. THIS IS 6 CYLINDER MODEL. PROBLEM WILL IMMEDIATELY RECUR IF TIRES REPLACED AND TURN SHARP LEFT PARTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AS NOT YET REPLACED. *TR

COIL SPRING BROKE FROM DRIVER SIDE. THE MECHANIC SAID HE HAS NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPENED ON DODGE 1500. *TR

THIS PROBLEM IS ON A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 TRUCK WITH ONLY 48,435 MILES ON IT. (BALL JOINT FAILURE) ONE LOWER BALL JOINT HAD .25 INCH OF FREE PLAY THE OTHER ONE HAD .10 INCH OF FREE PLAY, ONE UPPER JOINT HAD .07 INCH OF FREE PLAY . I REPLACED ALL 4 OF THE BALL JOINTS JUST FOR SAFETY. TOTAL COST WAS $780 . IF THESE BALL JOINTS HAD GREASE NIPPLES THIS FAILURE WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I CONTACTED DODGE AND THEY WOULD ONLY COVER $110 OF THE REPLACEMENT COST. *TR

THE FRONT WHEEL ASSEMBLY, CONTROL ARMS, AND WHEEL HUBS HAD TO BE REPLACED BY LOCAL DEALER. I WAS TOLD BY A TRAINED TECHNICIAN THAT THE WHEEL'S COULD HAVE BROKEN AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. THE ENGINE HEATER CORE AND AIR CONDITIONING MAIN ELEMENT STOPPED FUNCTIONING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED BY LOCAL DEALER. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL, PINION BEARINGS AND CUPS STOPPED WORKING AT 77,400 MILES AND HAD TO BE REPLACED BY LOCAL DEALER. THIS WAS JUST 2,000 MILES AFTER THE PREVIOUS STATED PARTS HAD MALFUNCTIONED. OLD PARTS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL, BUT INVOICES ARE AVAILABLE FOR ALL WORK PERFORMED. *NM

CLUNKING NOISE UNDER FRONT END OF TRUCK REALLY NOISY WHEN COLD WEATHER IS OUT SOUNDS LIKE THE FRONT END IS FALLING OUT QUITE AFTER IT HAS BEEN RUN AWHILE OR WHEN IT WARMS UP. *AK

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER HEARD A CLUNKY NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK

TRUCK WONDERS LEFT TO RIGHT, PULLS HARD RIGHT. WAS TOLD THAT ALL FOUR BALL JOINTS AND TRAC LOCATOR BAR NEEDS REPLACING.PARTS MOST BE REPLACED BY DODGE PARTS. WHY REPLACE PARTS WITH MORE BAD PARTS. TRUCK HAS 50,000 MILES. NEVER BEEN OFF ROAD. FRONT END SHOULD NOT HAVE WENT OUT!!!! NEVER BUY A DODGE!!!*AK

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROX 60 MPH, WE HIT A MILD BUMP ON THE LEFT SIDE. THE FRONT END IMMEDIATELY STARTED VIBRATING HORRIBLY, ALTERNATING LEFT:RIGHT. IT WAS VERY CHALLENGING FOR MY HUSBAND TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE TRUCK, BUT HE MANAGED TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 3 TIMES BEFORE, POSSIBLY MORE. I BELIEVE THE FIRST INCIDENT MAY HAVE OCCURRED LATE LAST YEAR, WITH PERIODIC SIMILAR EPISODES CONTINUING THROUGH THE EARLY SPRING. WE TOOK THE TRUCK IN TO OUR LOCAL DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE "TIE ROD" AND "BAR TRACK" ON MARCH 27, 2002, AS A RESULT OF THEIR ANALYSIS OF THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, WE HAVE HAD TWO MORE OCCURRENCES SINCE THEN. IT ONLY HAPPENS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (>50MPH) AND BEGINS AFTER TAKING A BUMP, WHICH DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE A LARGE BUMP OR POTHOLE.*AK

RECEIVED NOTICE #01V153000. CLOCK SPRING BROKE WHILE MAKING A TURN. CONTACTED DEALERSHIP. URGED TO BRING VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS. AFTER ARRIVING WAS INFORMED TO LEAVE VEHICLE, AND WOULD GET TO IT WHEN TIME ALLOWED. NO APPOINTMENT WAS MADE. DEALERSHIP DID NOT ACCEPT OR MAKE APPOINTMENTS.*AK

AFTER MANY VISITS TO THE SELLING DEALER, AND A MEETING WITH THE CHRYSLER REP. MY TRUCK STILL EXHIBITS PROBLEMS SUCH AS SAT.4/28/01 WHILE DRIVING I TURNED THE TRUCK RIGHT AND NOTICED THE STEERING WAS EXTREMELY TIGHT, WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED BACK TO THE STRAIGHT POSITION, SOMETHING INSIDE CRACKED, ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE (AIR BAG) LIGHT CAME ON AND REMAINRED ON, TRUCK WAS BROUGHT TO DEALER AND WAS SET FOR AN APPOINTMENT FOR MONDAY, 4/30/01. THE OWNERSMANUAL STATES ( WARNING IGNORING THE AIR BAG LIGHT IN YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL COULD MEAN YOU WON'T HAVE THE AIR BAGS TO PROTECT YOU IN A COLLISION) THE DEALER FAILED IN ATTEMPT AFTER ATTEMPT TO INVESTIGATE MY COMPLAINTS, AND NOW CAUSED ME TO HAVE TO DRIVE THIS DEFECTIVE TRUCK. THE BRAKES AT TIMES WHILE COMMING TO A STOP SHUDDER, OR DO YOU CALL IT WHEEL HOP , 3/15/01 DEPENDABLE DODGE REPLACED THE BRAKE DRUMS...