1996 Dodge Pickup problems

SEAT BELTS:FRONT

DT:THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELTS ARE NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER . THE SEAT BELTS ARE TOO CONFINING, AND FIT TOO TIGHTLY AROUND THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE. WHILE WEARING THE SEAT BELTS THEY DO NOT ALLOW PROPER MOVEMENT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE SAFELY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A DEALER TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE SEAT BELTS OR IF IT WAS THE DESIGN OF THE SEAT BELTS. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND THEY SUGGESTED INSTALLING A SEAT BELT EXTENDER. SHE DID NOT HAVE THE SEAT BELT EXTENDER INSTALLED DUE TO THE COST OF THE EQUIPMENT. THE MANUFACTURER CONFIRMED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO COVER THE COST OF THE ADDED EQUIPMENT. SHE NOTICED THE PROBLEM WITH THE SEAT BELTS DIRECTLY AFTER SHE ACQUIRED THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #10145285 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY WEATHER, INTERMITTENTLY THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER WOULD FAIL. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.

NHTSA complaint #10065518 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AND BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE ABS WARNING LIGHTS START FLASHING AND THE BRAKES DON'T HOLD. THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT FIX PROBLEM, CAUSE IT CANNOT BE DUPLICATED. MODEL B2200. TS CONSUMER FOUND TSB REGARDING LEAKING VACUUM HOSE AT SPEED CONTROL SERVO LOCATED UNDER BATTERY AND THIS SEEMED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10004482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS

THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING.

NHTSA complaint #563517 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

WHILE DRIVING THE SEAT HINGES ON THE DRIVERS SIDE BROKE CAUSING THE SEATBACK TO COLLAPSE ON DRIVER'S SIDE, DRIVER TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS VERY UNSAFE.*AK THE SEAT HINGE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE BROKE, DEALER REPLACED BROKEN HINGE AT OWNERS EXPENSE.

NHTSA complaint #8004922 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION. OCCURRED PREVIOUSLY WITH GOODYEAR WRANGER A/T.*AK (DOT NUMBER: PJ11CBLV20 TIRESIZE: 245/75R16)

NHTSA complaint #755230 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL ON THROTTLE CABLE AND LINKAGES. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DEALERS SHOP FOR RECALL FIXING, THE FUEL PUMP BROKE, THE DEALER SAID THE CONSUMER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUEL PUMP BREAKING THAT IT WAS BROUGHT INTO THE DEALERSHIP THAT WAY.

NHTSA complaint #563517 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL ON THROTTLE CABLE AND LINKAGES. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DEALERS SHOP FOR RECALL FIXING, THE FUEL PUMP BROKE, THE DEALER SAID THE CONSUMER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUEL PUMP BREAKING THAT IT WAS BROUGHT INTO THE DEALERSHIP THAT WAY.

NHTSA complaint #563517 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS

THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING.

NHTSA complaint #563517 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL ON THROTTLE CABLE AND LINKAGES. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DEALERS SHOP FOR RECALL FIXING, THE FUEL PUMP BROKE, THE DEALER SAID THE CONSUMER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUEL PUMP BREAKING THAT IT WAS BROUGHT INTO THE DEALERSHIP THAT WAY.

NHTSA complaint #563517 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL ON THROTTLE CABLE AND LINKAGES. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DEALERS SHOP FOR RECALL FIXING, THE FUEL PUMP BROKE, THE DEALER SAID THE CONSUMER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUEL PUMP BREAKING THAT IT WAS BROUGHT INTO THE DEALERSHIP THAT WAY.

NHTSA complaint #563517 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

TRAVELING AT 75 MPH, HIT A BUMP. THIS CAUSED A VIOLENT SHIMMY IN THE FRONT END. THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP CONTROL WAS TO BRAKE ABURTLY. A BULLETIN WAS SENT TO DEALERSHIPS BUT NO ONE CONTACTED THE BUYERS.

NHTSA complaint #9003444 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

LOCK OPENS EVEN AFTER LOCKING THE DOOR. THESE ARE NOT POWER LOCKS, AFTER LOCKING THE DOOR FROM INSIDE, IF YOU PULL THE HANDLE, THE DOOR UNLOCKS BY ITSELF BY PULLING THE HANDLE AND OPENS THE DOOR. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS MY JEANS GOT STUCK IN THE HANDLE OPENED THE DOOR ACCIDENTALLY (PASSENGER) BUT WE WERE GOING SLOW, SO NO INJURIES.

NHTSA complaint #750080 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

LOCK OPENS EVEN AFTER LOCKING THE DOOR. THESE ARE NOT POWER LOCKS, AFTER LOCKING THE DOOR FROM INSIDE, IF YOU PULL THE HANDLE, THE DOOR UNLOCKS BY ITSELF BY PULLING THE HANDLE AND OPENS THE DOOR. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS MY JEANS GOT STUCK IN THE HANDLE OPENED THE DOOR ACCIDENTALLY (PASSENGER) BUT WE WERE GOING SLOW, SO NO INJURIES.

NHTSA complaint #750080 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS

THE FAILURE AND NEAR FATALITIES INVOLVED THE INSTALLATION OF NAPA BRAKE PADS BY A LOCAL DODGE DEALER. I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE HAD DODGE BRAKE PADS INSTALLED BUT NAPA PADS WERE SUBSTITUTED WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE. THE FAILURE INVOLVED THE INSIDE BRAKE PAD. SOMEHOW, THE INSIDE BRAKE PAD SEPARATED FROM THE METAL PAD PLATE. THEN AT THE MOST INOPPORTUNE TIME, WHEN I NEEDED TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE PAD SLIPPED OUT OF THE CALIPER HOUSING. I WAS ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, TRAVELING ABOUT 60 MPH IN A 4-WHEEL DRIVE PICKUP IN FAIRLY HEAVY TRAFFIC WHEN BRAKE LIGHTS STARTED TO GO OFF. WHEN I SUDDENLY HIT MY BRAKES, THEY WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I WAS HORRIFIED. I HAD NO BRAKING POWER. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I WAS FORCED TO BEGIN DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS TO AVOID CRASHING INTO OTHER VEHICLES, NEARLY ROLLED OVER SEVERAL TIMES AND FINALLY MADE IT TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY. THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS, I WAS DESPERATELY PUMPING MY BRAKES. AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE AN ETERNITY, BUT MOST LIKELY 4 OR 5 PUMPS OF THE BRAKES BEFORE BRAKING POWER FINALLY REAPPEARED AND I WAS ABLE TO STOP. I GOT OUT OF THE TRUCK TO LOOK FOR BRAKE FLUID BUT COULD SEE NOTHING, SO DECIDED TO HEAD HOME. ID HAD HAD ENOUGH, AS I HAD NEARLY KILLED MY DAUGHTER, OTHERS AND MYSELF. BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAYS, THE DEALER WHO HAD EARLIER INSTALLED THESE BRAKES AND SEVERAL OTHER SHOPS THAT I HAD CALLED WERE UNABLE TO DO THE JOB RIGHT AWAY. I RELUCTANTLY DECIDED TO DO IT MYSELF. THE BRAKE PADS, WHEN REMOVED, HAD ABOUT 20,000 MILES ON THEM BUT FROM A WEAR STANDPOINT SEEMED TO SHOW VERY LITTLE WEAR. UPON DISASSEMBLY, I DISCOVERED THAT THE INSIDE BRAKE PAD ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TRUCK HAD SEPARATED FROM THE METAL PAD PLATE AND HAD SOMEHOW WORKED ITS WAY OUT OF THE CALIPER HOUSING. IM NOT AN EXPERT, BUT I THINK IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE GAP CREATED BY THE MISSING BRAKE PAD THAT CAUSED THE BRAKING SYSTEM FAILURE THAT I EXPERIENCED. AGAIN, IM NOT SURE BUT I THINK THAT THIS GAP MUST BE HYDRAULICALLY ELIMINATED FI

NHTSA complaint #741772 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

TIRES

CONSUMER HAS A 1996 DODGE HEAVY DUTY PICKUP. CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 70MPH, AND REAR PASSENGER'S TIRE SEPARATED. TRUCK STARTED TO SHIMMY BEFORE TIRE BLEWOUT. THERE WAS NO LOSS OF CONTROL. CONSUMER JUST PULLED OVER TO CHANGE TIRE. TIRE SIZE LT245/75R16 AND ORIGINAL TIRES WITH 38,000 MILES. GOODYEAR CUSTOMER SERVICE REFERRED CONSUMER TO BELL TIRE WHICH DID NOT MAKE THE TIRE ANYMORE. SERVICE MEN OFFERED TO REPLACE GOODYEAR TIRES WITH WRANGLER /AT BLACKWALL WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT GOODYEAR WOULD PAY FOR THEM.THEN VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP CONSUMER WHO RECEIVED A BILL OF $320. CONSUMER HAD NO ARGUMENT BECAUSE OF A GOOD DEAL FOR THE SET. CONSUMERS ARE CONCERNED THAT TIRES HAD CAUSED 9-15 DEATHS BASED ON MEDIA INFORMATION. *AK THE TIRE DID NOT BLOW. THE PLY SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE AND STARTED BOUNCING SO THE CUSTOMER COULD NOT CONTROL THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #876044 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY

I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY AS WELL AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE. THE FAILED COMPONENTS ARE FIRMLY ATTACHED TO THE CHASIS OF THE VEHICLE. AS THERE IS NO ASSOCIATED ACCIDENT THE PART FAILURE IS PREMATURE AND A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. PLEASE ADVISE IF YOU WISH ME TO RETAIN THE PARTS FOR INVESTIGATION. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN THE SUMMARY.

NHTSA complaint #725004 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT / RIGHT HAND TURN. THERE WAS EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS MODIFIED THE STEERING WHEEL. THERE IS STILL PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. * AK

NHTSA complaint #853912 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

THERE IS VIBRATION WITHIN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND SHAKING WITHIN THE STEERING WHEEL. ALSO, TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AND THE VEHICLE ISN'T SHIFTING PROPERLY.

NHTSA complaint #849626 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION:FRONT

THERE IS VIBRATION WITHIN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND SHAKING WITHIN THE STEERING WHEEL. ALSO, TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AND THE VEHICLE ISN'T SHIFTING PROPERLY.

NHTSA complaint #849626 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TORQUE CONVERTER / GEAR BAND FAILED.

NHTSA complaint #606149 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

FRONT BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS FAILED.

NHTSA complaint #606149 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.