10 of the 561 complaints about the 2001 Dodge RAM 2500 are about the equipment — 2% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 91,250 miles.
10
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
EQUIPMENT
I OWN A 2001 DODGE RAM 2500 PICKUP, THE DASH STARTED CRACKING LAST YEAR. I WAS OUT OF TOWN FOR A FEW WEEKS CAME HOME AND NOTICED A LARGE AREA ON MY DASH CAVED IN , THE PLASTIC IS REAL BRITTLE I AM AFRAID SOMEONE MIGHT CUT THEMSELVES ON IT AND IT LOOKS REALLY BAD.
NHTSA complaint #10357647 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT
WHILE DRIVING MY 2001 DODGE 2500 4WD PICKUP, THE CABLE PART OF THE SPARE TIRE LIFT ASSEMBLY FAILED AND ALLOWED THE SPARE WHEEL/TIRE TO BECOME FREE FROM IT'S HOLDING AND FELL TO THE PAYMENT. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS FOLLOWING ME FOR IF THEY WERE THEY WOULD HAVE DEFINITELY HIT THE WHEEL AND AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED POSSIBLY CAUSING INJURY (IES) TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE ONCOMING VEHICLE. THIS OCCURRED ON SEPT1 IN ROCKWELL, TEXAS. I REPORTED THIS TO ROCKWALL DODGE SERVICE DEPT AND TOLD THEM IT WAS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THIS BUT DID NOT ATTEMPT TO NOTIFY THE DODGE HEADQUARTERS TO MY KNOWLEDGE. THEY ORDERED THE REPLACEMENT PARTS AND GAVE ME A DATE YOU COME IN TO HAVE THE ASSEMBLY REPLACED. IN THE MEAN TIME I CALLED THE DODGE CORPORATION AND REPORTED THIS INCIDENT STRESSING AGAIN THE SAFETY ISSUE AND POSSIBILITY OF A DESIGN DEFECT. 9/21/10 "TRISH' CALLED AND ADVISED ME THAT BECAUSE OF THE AGE AND MILEAGE THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. FURTHER SHE ADVISED THEY WOULDN'T ISSUE ANY WARNINGS EITHER DUE TO THE INFREQUENT REPORTINGS. . I ADVISED HER THAT DODGE HAS TAKEN THIS TOO LIGHTLY AND THAT THEY SHOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM ON BOTH OLD AND NEW TRUCKS (ALL VEHICLES BY A REDESIGN (FAILSAFE). I OFFERED THE PARTS TO HER FOR EXAM AND ANALYSIS BUT SHE WAS NOT INTERESTED. I AM APPALLED AT SUCH A "NON-CARING" ATTITUDE.
NHTSA complaint #10356797 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT
MY BRAKES AND STEERING HAVE FAILED FOUR TIMES ON MY DODGE RAM. I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AT CHRYSLER AND IN BOTH CASES THE REPRESENTATIVE REFUSED TO ASSIST ME. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT I HAVE HAD MY BRAKES FAIL FOUR TIMES ON MY DODGE RAM 3/4 TON TRUCK. THEY SAID MY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AND THAT I AM 2700 MILES OVER THE WARRANTY THAT IS ALL THAT CAN BE DONE.
NHTSA complaint #10160933 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TRAILER HITCHES
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE BACKING THE VEHICLE WITH A UTILITY TRAILER IN TOW, THE TRAILER HITCH BRACKET FRACTURED WITHOUT WARNING. UPON INITIAL INSPECTION, THE HITCH BRACKET WAS FRACTURED IN SEVERAL AREAS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE TRAILER HITCH BRACKETS WERE MANUFACTURED USING A MATERIAL WITH INSUFFICIENT STRENGTH AND THE BRACKETS NEEDED TO BE REINFORCED. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 00V107000, REGARDING THE TRAILER HITCHES. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.
NHTSA complaint #10156674 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM HAS BEEN A MAJOR PROBLEM AFTER THE FIRST YEAR I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. IT DID NOT COOL. IT WAS REPAIRED WITH A NEW EVAPORATOR ON 8/16/02. IT WAS AGAIN REPAIRED ON 4/3/03 WITH ANOTHER NEW EVAPORATOR. THE NEXT YEAR IT DID NOT WORK AND IT WAS AGAIN REPAIRED WITH A NEW EVAPORATOR ON 6/2/04. ON ALL THESE JOBS THE WATER SEPARATOR WAS NEVER REPLACED. AGAIN ON 5/24/05 I TOOK THE TRUCK IN AND THEY SAID THE CONDENSER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR $507.23. ASSISTANCE AT THIS TIME WAS DENIED. I FINALLY HAD MY LOCAL CERTFIED MECHANICS AT COUNTRYSIDE TRUCK SERVICE IN MONTVILLE, OH LOOK AT IT. THEY SAID THE CONDENSER WAS OKAY AND THERE WERE NO LEAKS IN THE SYSTEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE FREON WAS LOW. THEY PUMPED THE SYSTEM DOWN AND FILLED IT TO REQUIRED LEVELS. THE AIR CONDITIONING IS NOW WORKING FINE. AT THIS TIME THE TECH TOLD ME THAT THE WATER SEPARATOR WAS NEVER REPLACED AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN EACH TIME A MAJOR COMPONENT IS REPLACED.
NHTSA complaint #10133195 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT
1. THE FIRST INCIDENT, MAY 11,2000 WAS A RECALL FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSFER PUMP DUE TO PREMATURE INTERNAL ARMATURE SHAFT BUSHING WEAR. THIS WAS A RECALL BY DODGE. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED AUGUST 24,2004. 2. THE FAILURE CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO RUN EXTREMELY ROUGH, AND MAKES THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WOULD CAUSE A SUDDEN SLOWDOWN OF THE VEHICLE. 3. IN BOTH INSTANCES, THE TRANSFER PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. CURRENTLY, THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 31,000 MILES ON IT. THE COST TO REPLACE THESE PUMPS CAN BE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE TO THE VEHICLE OWNER. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS WITH DODGE TRUCKS WHICH HAVE THE CUMMINS DIESEL ENGINE.
NHTSA complaint #10118478 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TRAILER HITCHES
I WAS HEADED HOME GOING DOWN A CITY STREET HEADED TO THE HIGHWAY, WHEN I HERD A LOUD NOISE AND FELT A JOLT FROM MY 14' TANDEM AXLE ENCLOSED TRAILER. I LOOKED BACK AND NOTICED THAT THE TRAILER WAS RIDING LOWER THAN NORMAL. I PULLED INTO A GAS STATION AND WHEN I GOT OUT TO LOOK I NOTICED THAT THE TRAILER BALL WAS ABOUT 2" OFF THE GROUND. I LOOKED UNDER MY TRUCK AND NOTICED THAT THE RECEIVER HITCH HAD BROKEN. ONLY 2 OF THE 6 BOLTS WERE HOLDING IT UP, AND THE MIDDLE BOLT ON THE LEFT SIDE HADE COMPLETELY BROKE. I REMOVED THE BALL AND PUT IT ON THE BUMPER TO TOW THE TRAILER HOME. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER THE NEXT MONDAY BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD A RECALL ON THE HITCHES. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE HITCH WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND THAT MY MODEL TRUCK DIDN'T HAVE ANY RECALLS. THEY GAVE ME THE PHONE NUMBER TO THE FACTORY FOR COMPLAINTS. I HAD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER HITCH FROM ANOTHER DEALER. WHEN I GOT HOME TO PUT IT ON, I NOTICED THAT THE NEW HITCH HAD 8 BOLTS INSTEAD OF 6.SOMEONE MUST HAVE KNOWN THAT THE OLD HITCHES WERE DEFECTIVE. I CALLED THE FACTORY THE NEXT DAY AND THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING THAT THE DEALER HAD. I ASKED FOR THE NUMBER TO THE FACTORY AREA REP. AND WAS TOLD THAT THE DEALER WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT THEM.. I CALLED THE DEALER BACK, AND TALKED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER. HE SAID THAT HE HAD ALREADY CALLED FOR THE REP. AND LEFT A MESSAGE FOR HIM TO CALL. NO RESPONSE. I TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT THEY NEEDED TO HAVE A RECALL ON THIS HITCH, BECAUSE IF I WOULD HAVE MADE IT TO THE HIGHWAY,AT 65 MPH, THE HITCH COULD HAVE BROKEN ALL THE WAY, AND WITH THE SAFTY CHAINS ATTACHED TO THE HITCH, THE TRAILER WOULD HAVE BEEN ON ITS OWN AND COULD HAVE KILLED PEOPLE. I STILL HAVE HAD NO CALL BACKS. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE OLD HITCH ON MY TRUCK BEFORE I REMOVED IT.
NHTSA complaint #10020673 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK NEW ON 6/01/01. ON 6/26/01 RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP FOR A RECALL AND AT THAT TIME I INFORMED THE DEALER OF THE MISSING "VEHICLE CERTIFICATION LABEL". DEALER STATED "HE WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT DISTRICT MANAGER TO SEE ABOUT THIS ITEM. I HAVE CONTACTED THIS DEALER 3 MORE TIME OVER THE PAST YEAR ABOUT THIS ITEM AND EACH TIME HAVE BEEN TOLD, "WE ARE WORKING ON IT". DEALER SEEMS UNABLE TO AQUIRE THIS REQUIRED LABEL FROM DODGE.
NHTSA complaint #762961 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TRAILER HITCHES
CONSUMER WAS DISCONNECTING TRAILOR FROM THE HITCH, AND NOTICED THAT HOLE ON ONE SIDE WAS WORN OUT, CAUSING THE PIN TO MUSHROOM OUT. WEIGHT OF TRAILOR COULD BREAK THE PIN, LOSING ALL CONNECTIONS TO HITCH.
NHTSA complaint #894917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE SPEAKER ARE INCORRECT FOR THE PREMIUM INFINITY STEREO SYSTEM. THE RESULTANT PROBLEM CAUSED THE STEREO DECK TO SHORT OUT COMPLETELY. THIS ALSO CAUSED CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF SMOKING. TACOMA DODGE ENDED UP HAVING TO REPLACE THE STEREO, ALL WIRING HARNESSES FOR THE STEREO SYSTEM AND SPEAKERS. *AKY
NHTSA complaint #732792 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.