1998 Dodge RAM 1500 fuel system problems

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

DROVE MY 1998 DODGE RAM 1500 TO EMPTY MY TRASH, STARTED BACK HOME AND HAD DRIVEN LESS THAN 1/4 MILE WHEN THE TRUCK HESITATED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL OUT AND THERE WAS SOME SMOKE BEGINNING TO COME UP THROUGH DASH AREA ON DRIVERS SIDE. THINKING I MIGHT HAVE A BUSTED RADIATOR HOSE I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER IN THE YARD OF PERSON DOING REPAIR WORK ON AN OLD BUILDING. WHEN I OPENED MY TRUCK DOOR ON DRIVERS SIDE FLAMES SHOT BETWEEN THE INSIDE OF THE DOOR AND SEAT. I JUMPED OUT OF THE TRUCK BUT WAS NOT INJURED. THE MAN SAW FLAMES SHOOTING FROM THE TRUCK AND I WAS VERY FORTUNATE HE HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. HE KEPT SPRAYING THE TRUCK UNDER THE HOOD AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE FIRE UNDER CONTROL JUST AS THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT TRUCK SHOWED UP. THERE WERE A LOT HOT SPOTS AND THE FIREMAN KEPT SPRAYING IT WITH WATER UNTIL IT FINALLY QUIT SMOKING. THE MAIN PART OF THE FIRE WAS RIGHT AT THE FRONT OF THE CAB OF THE TRUCK BELOW THE MOTOR. YOU COULD SEE THE FIRE BURNING FROM THE SIDE LOOKING THROUGH THE WHEEL WELLS. THEY SAID IT HAD TO BE CAUSED BY A FAULTY GAS LINE BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION. ALL THE ELECTRICAL WIRING INCLUDING THE WIRING HARNESS WAS MELTED. THANK GOODNESS THE MAN HAD THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER OR THE WHOLE TRUCK WOULD HAVE BURNED. VERY SCARY INCIDENT ESPECIALLY FOR A WOMAN.

NHTSA complaint #10747239 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

THE FUEL RAIL CONNECTOR HOSE {OR CROSSOVER HOSE} FAILED AND GAS LEAKED OUT ON TOP OF THE ENGINE CATCHING FIRE. *T

NHTSA complaint #10649945 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE, BURNING AND MELTING THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

NHTSA complaint #10575912 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

1998 DODGE 1500 FUEL LINE BREAK ITS THE CROSSOVER LINE BETWEEN THE FUEL RAILS ON THE 5.2 LTR ENGINE A SMALL RUBBER LINE. BECAUSE I DROVE MY TRUCK 3 MILES TO A CAR WASH TO WASH LAWNMOWER ON TRAILER DIDN'T WASH TRUCK DIDN'T SMELL GAS STARTED TRUCK TO GET GAS AT STATION DROVE IT 1 BLOCK TO STATION TURNED TRUCK OFF AND AT THAT MOMENT I HERD A WHOOMPING NOISE AND THEN WHITE SMOKE AND FLAMES CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BETWEEN THE WINDSHIELD AND THE HOOD BIG FLAMES THEN BLACK SMOKE I HAD BARLEY HAD ENOUGH TIME TO UNHOOK TRAILER RAN TO DRIVERS SIDE BLACK SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE CAB PUT TRUCK IN NEUTRAL AND PUSHED IT AWAY FROM GAS PUMPS THEN CALLED 911. FROM THE TIME I GOT TO THE GAS PUMPS AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT THE FIRE OUT WAS 15 MIN AND IT COMPLETELY GUTTED THE CAB AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FUEL RAIL CROSSOVER LINE IS THE ONLY WAY THAT I FIGURED THE FIRE STARTED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BECAUSE THE FUEL AND RETURN FUEL LINE IS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. I'M AFRAID IF THIS WOULD OF HAPPENED DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH PASSENGERS SOMEBODY COULD IF GOTTEN SERIOUSLY HURT .

NHTSA complaint #10277545 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 DODGE RAM. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD BANG THAT SOUNDED LIKE AN EXPLOSION. HE LOOKED IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AND NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS IN FLAMES. THE FLAMES QUICKLY ENGULFED THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. HE MANAGED TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ATTEMPTED TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL SERVICE STATION AND A LARGE HOLE WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANK. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE ESTIMATED COST OF $3,500. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 160,000.

NHTSA complaint #10242851 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

MY SON, WILLIAM, WAS DRIVING OUR 1998 DODGE PICKUP ON HIGHWAY 78 WHEN IT BEGAN TO LUNGE. SINCE WE HAD TO PUT 2 TRANSMISSIONS IN HIS PREVIOUS DODGE PICKUP, HE THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THIS TRANSMISSION. HE STARTED TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AND LOOKED IN HIS REARVIEW MIRROR FOR TRAFFIC WHEN HE SAW FLAMES AND SMOKE COMING FROM BETWEEN THE CAB AND BED. HE HURRIEDLY PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND WHEN HE OPENED THE DRIVERS DOOR FLAMES ENGLUFED THE CAB. HE HAD TO GO OUT THROUGH THE FIRE. ABOUT 1 MINUTE AFTER HE AND HIS PASSENGERS EMERGED FROM THE PICKUP, IT EXPLODED. THE ONLY THING LEFT OF THE TRUCK WAS WHAT WAS METAL. WILL HAD SECOND DEGREE BURNS TO HIS FACE,EARS,NECK, HANDS AND ARMS. HE SPENT ONE NIGHT IN THE HOSPITAL. I CONTACTED DODGE AND WAS TOLD THERE WOULD BE AN INVESTAGATOR LOOK AT THE TRUCK. I WAS THEN TOLD BY DODGE SINCE THE PICKUP BURNED TOTALLY THERE WAS NO WAY TO DETERMINE THEY WERE AT FAULT. AFTER LOOKING ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE QUITE A NUMBER OF FIRES IN DODGE VEHICLES.

NHTSA complaint #10033131 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

FROM THE DAY I SAW THAT 96 DODGE TRUCK ROLLING DOWN THE STREET I FELL IN LOVE. I SAVED EVERY WAY POSSIBLE TO PURCHASE THE BIG BAD 1500 4X4 5.9(98)WITH EVERY OPTION AVAIL. HAD EVERYTHING AND FROM WEEK 1 HAD PROBLEMS. FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE DRIVING "DUE TO FRAME STRESS" IT ABOUT 2 WEEKS INTO IT. BRAKE FAILURE CAUSE SERIOUS ASSAULT ON GUARD RAIL, AND DODGE SAID I MUST HAVE BEEN DRIVING TO FAST (@ 30 MPH). THEY REFUSED ANY WARRANTY BECAUSE "NOTHING CAN TOUCH THE WHEEL" AND SINCE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER 93 DAYS LEMON LAWS DID NOT APPLY SO AFTER (2) $900 BRAKE JOBS TWO WEEKS APART EVERYTHING WAS FINE. NOT TO MENTION DAMAGE TO BODY I PAID FOR OUT OF POCKET. NOW I JUST GO THROUGH AN ENTIRE SET OF BRAKES EVERY 6 MONTHS. BUT I STOP UNTIL THEN.. I REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AT 38 K MILES, NOTE THE WARRANTY ON THAT IS 36 K MILES. I HAVE HAD STEERING LINKAGE BECOME SO LOOSE INSTANTANEOUSLY (OR 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS) THAT IT FELT LIKE I WAS RUNNING OVER MY OWN AXLE, WHICH IS ANOTHER $1000 EACH TIME. FOR THE PAST THREE EMISSIONS INSPECTIONS THE ON BOARD COMPUTER FAILS SO I HAVE TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER WHILE THEY CHARGE $200 TO FIX IT, BUT WILL NOT GIVE STRAIGHT ANSWER TO WHAT IS PROBLEM. AND TO NIGHT AS I TYPE, I SPREAD THE GRIME OF ENGINE CRUD ACROSS MY KEYBOARD AS I TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHY THE FUEL FILTER SUDDENLY STOPPED. AMAZINGLY I HAVE HAD THIS TRUCK FOR 5 YEARS BECAUSE IT HAS KEPT ME TOO BROKE TO BUY SOMETHING ELSE. ANY "LEGAL" SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT CAN BE DONE WOULD BE APPRECIATED. I RECOGNIZE I HAVE SPENT MORE THAN $15,000 TRYING TO KEEP THIS THING RUNNING RIGHT, AND THAT IS TOO MUCH FOR A "LATE MODEL" TRUCK. I WOULD LOVE TO BLAME A DEALER BUT I HAVE BEEN TO JUST ABOUT ALL OF THEM AROUND HERE AND WITH THE SMILES ON THERE FACES I HEAR "THAT WILL BE ANOTHER $950 SIR".. GOOD GRIEF. *NLM

NHTSA complaint #10010863 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SMOKE SUDDENLY WAS NOTICED COMING FROM THE GAS TANK BY OTHER DRIVERS. CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND NOTICED FLAMES AROUND THE GAS TANK. FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT THE FIRE OUT, CAUSE UNKNOWN, AND THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.

NHTSA complaint #847617 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

CONSUMER WAS PUMPING GAS AND THE TRUSH BURST INTO FLAMES, BURNING HALF OF HIS BODY, AND THERE WAS A FUEL LEAKAGE.

NHTSA complaint #836813 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.