2001 DODGE RAM Suspension Problems

DASHBOARD HAS BROKEN UP LIKE A JIG SAW PUZZLE. *TR

ON MY WAY TO WORK, AS USUAL, ON A "SLIGHTLY" BUMPY PART OF THE HIGHWAY MY STEERING WHEEL AND FRONT END STARTED VIBRATING SO VIOLENTLY THAT I ALMOST LOST CONTROL. I COULD BARELY HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL; AND COULD NOT STEER AT ALL; ALL I COULD DO WAS START BRAKING AND COME TO A STOP. I GOT OUT AND CHECKED MY TIRES AND FRONT END AND EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. I CONTINUED TO WORK AT ABOUT 40 MPH (I HAD GONE TO WORK EARLY SO NO TRAFFIC) . AT 8:00 I CALLED MY LOCAL MECHANIC AND TOOK IT TO HIM TO CHECK OUT WHAT HAPPENED. HE CHECK EVERYTHING AND NOTHING SHOWED. THE NEXT DAY IT HAPPENED AGAIN; THEN AGAIN 2 DAYS LATER. ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER I TOOK PICKUP IN FOR REGULAR OIL/FUEL/AIR FILTER CHANGE SERVICE. HE TEST DROVE WITH ME ALONG AND I EXPLAINED FURTHER WHAT HAPPENED. HE SAID HE...

THE BALL JOINTS OF MY 2001 DODGE RAM PICKUP HAD 5 TIMES THE ALLOWABLE LIMIT OF PLAY, WHICH IS 60,000TH OF AN INCH (1/16). ALL FOUR BALL JOINTS HAD 5/16 OF PLAY AT ONLY 21,000 MILES. THE SHOP I WENT TO FOR MY INPECTION DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM, AND SAID I WAS FORTUNATE THAT IT DIDN'T GET ANY FURTHER. ONE GOOD POT HOLE WITH THAT MUCH PLAY AND A WHEEL COULD HAVE COME OFF. THE SHOP OWNER TOLD ME THAT THE BALL JOINTS WERE PROBABLY OUT OF SPEC AT 6,000 MILES, CONSIDERING THEIR CONDITION AT 21,000 MILES. HE ALSO SAID THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL DODGE VEHICLES. HE SAID THAT HE HAS HAD DODGE DURANGO'S IN HIS SHOP WITH ONLY 6,000 MILES THAT HAD THE PLAY HE FOUND IN MINE AT 21,000 MILES!

MY BOYFRIEND BOUGHT A 2001 DODGE RAM IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR. AFTER HAVING THE TRUCK ONLY FOUR MONTHS THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE COMPLETLY REPLACED. TWO DAYS AGO WE NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH THE SHOCKS. HE BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD HIM ALL OF THE SHOCKS NEED REPLACING, AS WELL AS OTHER THINGS SUCH AS THE AXEL AND WHAT NOT. THIS IS ONLY SEVEN MONTHS AFTER BUYING THE THING. THE PEOPLE AT THE DEALERSHIP ARE RUDE AND VERY UNHELPFUL. THEY HONESTLY COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THE INCONVENIENCE THEY HAVE CAUSED US.

THERE WAS A NOISE WHEN A TURN WAS MADE. DEALER STATED FRONT WHEELS WERE WOBBLING. *AK *TT

CONSUMER STATES THE VEHICLE BEGAN PULLING TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AND WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS RELEASED FOR A MOMENT, THE VEHICLE WOULD AUTOMATICALLY TRY TO VEER OFF THE ROAD, THE TIRES WERE INSPECTED AND CHECKED FOR BALANCE AND ALIGNMENT AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BALANCE WAS SLIGHTLY OUT WHICH WAS CORRECTED, CONSUMER STATED THE PULLING SEEMED TO STOP, BUT REOCCURRED IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.*JB

VEHICLE WANDERS ALL OVER THE ROAD WHEN DRIVING. CONSUMER FINDS IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL VEHICLE. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE 2-3 TIMES, AND STATED HE COULD NOT FIND CAUSE OF PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH WHOLE FRONT END WILL SHAKE VIOLENTLY, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED AND HAVE NO SOLUTION. *AK *YH

VEHICLE IS DIFFICULT TO STEER, WANDERS ALL OVER THE ROAD. DEALER REPLACED STEERING BOX 3 TIMES, DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM.*AK

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WILL NOT STAY IN A NEUTRAL POSITION IT WILL VEER TO THE RIGHT AND OR LEFT, THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED 4 TIMES YET THE SAME MALFUNCTION REOCCURS. NLM

IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE STRAIGHT IN THIS VEHICLE, IT GOES ALL OVER THE ROAD, DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM (RAM 2500). NLM

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY VEHICLE SWAYS BACK AND FORTH AND HARD TO STEER. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK THE DEALER REPLACED STEERING BOX AND DID AN ALIGNMENT THREE TIMES, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CORRECTED. *YH

WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY VEHICLE WANDERS LEFT AND RIGHT WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

VAN IS UNSTABLE IN CROSS WINDS, PREVIOUS 1999 VERSION WAS NOT.*AK

PULLED OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AT WORK AND WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETE A "NORMAL" TURN RADIUS. THOUGHT IT WAS JUST THE TURN RADIUS OF THE VEHICLE THAT I WAS'NT FAMILIAR WITH. LATER THAT SAME DAY, PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY THE SAME WAY I HAVE MAY TIMES WITH THIS VEHICLE AND NOTED THE SAME TURN RESTRICTION. STEERING WHEEL WAS BOUND UP INTERNALLY. I APPLIED MORE STEERING PRESSURE AT THIS POINT AND FELT A SNAP INSIDE THE STEERING WHEEL FOLLOWED BY THE ILLUMINATION OF THE AIRBAG LIGHT. VEHICLE SCHEDULED FOR WARRANTY REPAIR AT THE CHERRY HILL DODGE DEALERSHIP, CHERRY HILL NJ, ON 06 JULY 2001.*AK

CONSUMER'S SON WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 TO 60 MPH AND VEHICLE DRIFTED OFF ON SIDE OF ROAD, 6 TO 8 INCH DROP, WHICH CAUSED RIGHT REAR RIM TO BEND, RESULTING IN RIGHT REAR AXLE BREAKING. A PRIVATE MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT AXLE DID NOT FUSE TOGETHER PROPERLY.*AK *JB

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED SIDE MIRRORS SHAKE, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. *AK CONSUMER STATES DEALER HAS REPLACED MIRRORS THREEE TIMES AND DEALER REFUSE TO FIX OR INVESTIGATE ANY FURTHER, THERE IS A FRONT END NOISE IN SUSPENSION WHILE DRIVING OVER SPEED BUMPS, SPRINGS,SJOCKS AND SWAY BAR WAS REPLACED AND THE NOISE STOPPED FOR TWO WEEKS AND REOCCURED, ENGINE IDLING ROUGH, POOR GAS MILEAGE, FOUND THAT SPARK PLUG MISFIRED, ENGINE STALLS WHEN IN GEAR CONSUMER ALSO STATES SEAL AROUND WINDSHIELD IS LOOSE WINDSHIELD HAD TO BE REPLACED..*JB