1997 DODGE RAM Power Trainautomatic Transmission Problems

PARK POSITION WITH IGNITION KEY IN THE LOCK POSITION, VEHICLE SHIFTER MOVED OUT OF PARK , KNOCKED OWNER DOWN AND RAN OVER ME, CONTINUED TO ROLL BACK HIT SECOND CAR, CONTINUED TO KEEP GOING UNTIL IT HIT A CURB. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS AND COULD HAVE CAUSED OTHER ACCIDENTS. CONSUMER SENT IN A FAX COPY OF THE INTERNET VOQ. *KB *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT 35-45 MPH VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE FELT AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. TRANSMISSION BURNED FLUID, CAUSING IT TO FAIL. A MECHANIC ANT THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP INDICATED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO THE COOLANT NOT CIRCULATING THROUGH THE TRANSMISSION WHEN VEHICLE WAS IDLING IN THE PARK GEAR. TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILT.*AK CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS THAT REAR WHEEL DRIVE CHRYSLER VEHICLES IF IN PARK WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, COOLANT DOESN'T CIRCULATE TO THE TRANSMISSION. CONSUMER PHONED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY ADVISED HER TO CONTACT NHTSA FOR A POSSIBLE RECALL. CONSUMER LEARNED OF THE TRANS COOLANT CONNECT RECALL. THEN SHE RECALLED THAT PART BEING REPLACED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE FLUID WAS CHECKED BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED, AND IT WAS THICK AND BROWN AS A RESULT OF BEING BURNT. THE CONSUMER FEELS A FAIR RESOLUTION WOULD BE FOR CHRYSLER...

CONTINUOUS TRANSMISSION TROUBLE:MINOR SLIPPING,SEARCHING FOR A GEAR,SURGING,NOT GOING INTO PASSING GEAR,WHEN IT DOES IT DOES NOT STAY THERE,CLUNKS HARD WHEN PUT IN REV. VIBRATION AT START UP(MOVING) HEAT SHIELD OR REAR-END,@TIME OF ORIGINAL TRADE,WHEN THEY CHANGED THE OIL THEY EITER DIDNT PUT ANY IN OR VERY LITTLE I HAD TO ADD 5QTS NOW THERE IS A TICKING NOISE ON THE PASS, SIDE OF ENGINE,THE SALESMAN LIED TO ME ABOUT THE TRUCK I ASKED HIM "HAS THIS EVER PLOWED OR TOWED ANYTHING BEFORE?" HE SAID "NO" AFTER TALKING TO PREV.OWNER THEY WERE TOWING A BIG BOAT WITH IT .AT THIS TIME I HAVE A COMPLAINT WITH THE ME. ATTY GEN,DODGE,FILE#9921927 ON 4-18-02,MAY I PLEASE HAVE A COPY OF THIS WITH YOUR LETTERHEAD AS WELL AS A REPLY SO I CAN FOWARD THIS TO THE ATTY GEN. THANK YOU!!!!*AK

WHILE DRIVING 55-60 MPH IN 5 TH GEAR ENGINE REVVED, BUT VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN. CONSUMER SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR INTO NEUTRAL, AND THEN TRIED TO SHIFT BACK, WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIFT BACK INTO GEAR. PLEASE ADD FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

MADE THREE TRIPS TO DEALER FOR ENGINE LIGHT OVER A PERIOD OF 45 DAYS. FIRST TRIP WAS ON 10/3/01WITH A CHARGE OF $132.25 TECH FOUND TORQUE CONVERTER NOT WORKING. CLEANED TORQUE CONVERTER SOLENOID. SECOND TRIP TO DEALER WAS MADE ON 10/30/01 WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AGAIN. TECH FOUND SAME PROBLEM AGAIN AND REPLACED TORQUE CONVERTER SOLINOID FOR CHARGE OF $246.58. THIRD TRIP WAS MADE ON 11/13/01 WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AGAIN ON. THIS TIME TECH SAID PROBABLY AN INTERNAL LEAK "SOMEWHERE" BUT DON'T KNOW WHERE. SAID OK TO DRIVE UNTIL TRANSMISSION STARTS SLIPPING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN ON THE WAY HOME AND TRANS BEGAN SLIPPING NEXT DAY. RETURNING TO DEALER ON 11/15/01 THE TRANSMISSION GAVE OUT COMPLETELY AND HAD TO BE TOWED. DEALER CALLED ON 11/16/01 STATING THAT THE FRONT PLATE IN TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED AND PROBABLY COULD NEVER GET ALL THE METAL OUT OF TRANSMISSION. NOW...

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...

INTERMITTENTLY TRANSMISSION HESITATES AND THEN WILL KICK IN. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

AT 60,000 TRANSMISSION REPLACED; 68,000 BOTH U-JOINS REPLACED; 75,000 DIFFERENTIAL REBUILT; 80,000 UNIVERSAL JOINT REPLACED; NOW DIFFERENTIAL SLIPS AFTER STOPPING

TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING, TRIED TO TAKE TO THE SHOP NEXT DAY. TRANS WOULD NOT SHIFT AND IT GROUND WHEN PUT INTO REVERSE. TOOK TRUCK TO AAMCO AND THEY SAID IT WAS CAUSED BY A CHECK VAULVE THAT WAS IN THE TRANSMISSION LINE THAT WAS REPLACED DUE TO A RECALL. THE REPAIR COSTED OVER $2,000.00. THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. I HAVE A COPPY OF THE REPAIR BILL WITH A LISTING OF PARTS REPLACED. THANK YOU. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILURE. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION ONCE ALREADY, BUT PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. *AK *JB

MECHANIC EXPLAINED THAT OVERDRIVE FAILED, CAUSING COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF TRANSMISSION, TORQUE CONVERTER AND RELATED ELECTRONICS. MECHANIC ALSO MENTIONED MANY SIMILAR FAILURES IN NEWER PICKUP TRUCKS.*AK

TRANSMISSION WILL FAIL TO FUNCTION DURING COLD WEATHER. HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP FOR PROBLEM, AND HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK DEALER REPLACED VALVE BODY, HOWEVER THIS DID NOT FIX PROBLEM. *SLC

TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE LATE OR NO SHIFT INTO THIRD GEAR CAUSING ENGINE TO REV TO HIGH RPMS NOT ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO GO OVER 45 MPH. UPON TAKING THE VEHICLE FOR REPAIRS THE MECHANIC INFORMED US THAT THE MANFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, WHICH WAS CAUSED BY AN INNER SEAL GROOVE. HAS THERE EVER BEEN A RECALL OR HAS THE MANUFACTER OFFERED ANY COMPENSATION FOR THIS DEFECT?

WE HAVE CHANGED TIRE BRANDS. TRANSMISSION OR DRIVESHAFT IS STILL NOISY, BUT DOES NOT SEEM TO EFFECT ANYTHING. IT SHOULD BE ON RECALL BUT THE CAR PLACE SAID THAT THIS PROBLEM COULD EASILY BE MISTAKEN FOR LOSING THE REAR END. THE ONE BRAKE HAS CONTINUALLY NOT CLOSED PROPERLY AND THEREFOR DOES NOT WEAR LIKE THE OTHER 3. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )

TRANSMISSION CEASED TO WORK WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH. NO FORWARD MOVEMENT. HAD TRUCK TOWED HOME. DROVE THE NEXT DAY, BUT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO 2ND. GEAR. SCRANTON DODGE PERFORMED DIAGNOSTIC TEST (REVEALED CODE 37: OVERDRIVE LOCKUP SOLENOID MALFUNCTION) , SAID TRANS. WAS BAD AND WANTED $2,456.00 FOR REPLACEMENT. NO WARRANTY HELP BECAUSE TRUCK WAS OVER WARRANTY COVERAGE BY 2,950 MILES. MECHANIC SAID FLUID WAS BURNT AND THERE WAS "METAL IN THE PAN AND IT RUINED THE SOLENOIDS." (INSPECTION LATER REVEALED NO METAL IN PAN OR BURNT FLUID). CALLED CHRYSLER (1-800-992-1997) SPOKE TO DON GRIESBAUM, EXT. 7088 GAVE AUTHORIZATION NO. 7934794. HE SAID THAT CHRYSLER WOULD "HELP" WITH THE COST, BUT WOULD NOT GIVE A HINT AS TO WHAT "HELP" MIGHT BE. SCRANTON DODGE WOULD HAVE TO DISASSEMBLE THE TRANS. TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM, AND THEN CHRYSLER WOULD DEEM IF IT WAS "DRIVER NEGLECT" WHICH WOULD GET NO "HELP" FROM...

TRANSMISSION SLIPS INTO NEUTRAL WHEN GOING UP AN INCLINE. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE, AND HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPAIR IT. *AK

TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *SLC

MANUFACTURER REPLACED PART FREE OF CHARGE, HOWEVER, I HAD TO PAY FOR 12 HOURS OF LABOR. HAVING AN OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE PART IN A THREE YEAR OLD VEHICLE, SHOULD NOT WARRANT A PENALTY OF PAYMENT BY ME.

WHILE TRAVELING NOTICED GEAR SLIPPING, AND SENSOR INDICATOR LIGHT COMING ON. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED, AND STATED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

WHEN DRIVING CONSUMER NOTICED VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING/MELTING PARTS WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS REPLACED PARTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHEN DRIVING AT 55-60 MPH CONSUMER NOTICED LOSS OF ACCELERATION. VEHICLE STARTED TO JERK. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER LINKED THE PROBLEM TO THE TRANSMISSION. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WITHOUT ANY KIND OF WARNING. TRUCK WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED ON FEB 4, 2000, IT FAILED ON THE NEXT DAY, FEB 5, 200O, WITH 46 MILES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

TRANSMISSION HAD GRINDING NOISE ON REVERSE,THE AIR CONDITIONER BLEW WARM AIR AND MADE A WEIRD NOISE BEHIND DASH. HORRENDOUS NOISE IN REAR ,TURNED OUT TO BE THE REAREND (MECHANIC STATED IT HAD FROZE AND EXPLODED) NO EXTENDED WARRANTY, AM HAVING IT WORKED ON NOW. *AK

TRANSMISSION WILL NOT DOWNSHIFT/ UPSHIFT, CAUSING STALLING OR HESITATION USUALLY AT AN INTERSECTION. 4 REPAIR ATTEMPTS THIS YEAR. *AK

1. TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE. AFTER KEEPING THE TRUCK FOR 34 DAYS, DEALERSHIP FINALLY PUT IN A REBUILT TRANNY. 2. DRIVER'S SIDE MIRROR VIBRATES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, RENDERING IT USELESS. DEALER BLAMED IT ON THE BUG SHIELD. 3. BATTERY COMPLETELY DIED RIGHT AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED. 4. FRONT WHEELS MAKE CONSTANT CLICKING NOISE...SUSPECT FAILED BEARINGS. 5. STEERING WHEEL MADE CRACKING SOUND WHEN TURNING TO LEFT OR RIGHT...TOOK SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO FIX IT. TRUCK IS TOTAL PIECE OF JUNK!

SLIGHT JERKINESS BETWEEN 45 - 50 MPH, LESS NOTICABLE JERKINESS AT HIGHER SPEEDS. DEALER STATED THAT DODGE DOES NOT HAVE AN ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM. THE COMPONENT HAS NOT FAILED, BUT IT IS VERY IRRITATING TO SAY THE LEAST. THERE WAS ONE OCCASION WHERE I HAD 2 SUDDEN JERKS WHILE TRAVELING AT 50 MPH. THE DEALER WHERE I HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICED DIDN'T HAVE AN ANSWER. I AM SURPRISED THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED BEFORE. I KNOW OF A 1998 RAM 1500 THAT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM.

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN ACCELERATING TRANSMISSION WILL SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

TRANSMISSION LIGHT & THE ANTI-BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT KEEP COMING ON. *AK *YC

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AN D WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE IS STALLING/GRINDING AND JERKING. ALSO, WHEN THERE IS ALOT OF PRESSURE WITHIN THE VEHICLE, THERE IS A VERY LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE . *AK

CONSUMER EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION FAILING TO OPERATE PROPERLY. VEHICLE HAS HAD TWO TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENTS, AND PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE UNRESOLVED AT THIS TIME. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

SINCE JULY OF 1997, I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR INTO NEUTRAL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. ALSO, A THUMP IN THE FRONT END INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING DOWN ALL TYPES OF ROAD, A SPARK KNOCKED SO LOUD I SOMETIMES WONDER IF THE MOTOR IS GOING TO LAST. THERE IS OFTEN THE SMELL OF BURNING WIRES AND BURNING FLUID AND SOMETIMES THE CAB FILLS WITH SMOKE. IN ADDITION, CRUISE CONTROL GAINS SPEED (SOMETIMES 5 TO 8 MPH OVER WHAT IT IS SET AT). THE ODOMETER GAINS MILES. *AK

AT SPEED ABOVE 50MPH, TRANSMISSION/ENGINE SURGES UP APPROXIMATELY 150 RPM. THIS GENERALLY OCCURS WHEN LOAD IS PLACED ON ENGINE, AS IN GOING UP A LONG SHALLOW GRADE. DEALER SAYS IT IS JUST THE WAY THE TRUCK DRIVES, BUT IT IS BEYOND THAT. THE TRANNY IS A FOUR SPEED AUTOMATIC, AND LIMITING IT TO 3RD GEAR DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. HELP.

WHEN MY TRUCK GOES INTO OVERDRIVE, THERE IS A GRINDING, VIBERATING NOISE THAT SEEMS TO COME FROM THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER THE TRANNY FLUID WARMS UP THERES A SLIGHT NOISE ACCOMPANIED WITH A REAL BAD LOSS OF FOWARD SPEED. I HAVE TO MAKE IT DOWNSHIFT TO GO JUST A LITTLE FASTER WHILE IN OVERDRIVE

TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED SEVERAL TIMES.

TRUCK WAS IN PARK POSITION AND THE TRUCK SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR AND WENT FORWARD AND WENT INTO SOMEONES YARD. THEN THE TRUCK FINALLY HIT A TREE WHICH CAUSED THE TRUCK TO COME TO A STOP. *AK

WHILE SHIFTING FROM PARK INTO REVERSE VEHICLE WILL STALL. DEALERS DID CHECK VEHICLE AND REPLACED VARIOUS SENSORS, BUT PROBLEM REMAINS. OWNER IS VERY CONCERNED FOR HIS SAFETY. *AK

TRANSMISSION OVERDRIVE DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY IN COLD TEMPERATURES.