14 of the 168 complaints about the 2001 Dodge RAM 3500 are about the transmission — 8% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 79,785 miles.
14
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
POWER TRAIN
MY TRUCK WAS IN PARK BUT STILL RUNNING. I GOT OUT TO SHUT THE GATE AND THE TRUCK STARTED TO ACCELERATE BACKWARDS, ROLLING THROUGH MY GATE, KNOCKING DOWN PART OF A NEIGHBOR'S FENCE, OVER TWO CEMENT PARKING STOPS AND INTO A TREE. WHEN I GOT TO THE TRUCK, IT WAS STILL RUNNING AND STILL IN PARK.
NHTSA complaint #11109759 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE TAIL PIPE AS THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT GEARS. THE CONTACT HAD TO WAIT FOR THE SMOKE TO CEASE BEFORE THE VEHICLE WOULD OPERATE NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR THE DIAGNOSIS WHO STATED THAT THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE FUEL FILTER. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000.
NHTSA complaint #10472083 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
NV5600 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION HAS SEVERE GEAR CLASH IN THIRD AND FOURTH GEARS. WILL NOT DOWN SHIFT INTO THIRD GEAR WITH GEAR GRINDING. TROUBLE STARTED ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO, AT 92, 000 MILES. DEALER TELLS ME THAT PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO REPAIR AND THEY ARE NOT SURE IF DODGE IS HAVING A PROBLEM. TSB 21-009-01 INDICATES DODGE KNEW OF PROBLEMS IN 01, BUT HAVE NOT DONE MUCH SINCE THEN.
NHTSA complaint #10173231 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
MY DAUGHTER LOST HER LEFT ARM WHEN IT WENT THROUGH THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW DURING A VEHICLE CRASH. SHE WAS DRIVING A 2001 DODGE RAM 3500 DUALLY. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE FRONT AXLE CAME OFF. I SUSPECT A VEHICLE DEFECT IN THE AXLE AND AIRBAGS. I WANT TO KNOW WHY VEHICLES DON'T HAVE SAFETY GLASS IN THE SIDE WINDOWS; HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE LOST LIMBS IN THIS MANNER; AND, HOW MANY 3500 DODGE RAM VEHICLES HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN ROLLOVERS SIMILAR TO THIS.
NHTSA complaint #10139448 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILED TO GO INTO PARK, EVEN THOUGH THE COLUMN SHIFTER SELECTOR WAS INDICATING THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN PARK. TRANSMISSION WAS IN REVERSE, WHILE THE COLUMN INDICATED PARK.
NHTSA complaint #10100348 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT
CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE AND SHIFT THE GEAR WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKES. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT WAS THE NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THAT VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #10090191 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CONSUMER COMPLAINED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP IN THE THIRD GEAR, TOOK VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT OVERDRIVE BEARING WAS PUT IN BACKWARD.
NHTSA complaint #10087201 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
WHILE MERGING ONTO THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLU GO INTO FIRST GEAR. FOLLOWING THIS, THE CONSUMER IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE MEDIAN. THE CONSUMER PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK, AND LET IT IDLE FOR A FEW SECONDS BEFORE MERGING BACK ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE HESITATED BEFORE IT ACCELERATED TO THE SECOND GEAR. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE, BUT THEY WILL NEED TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE TO CONFIRM THIS. *AK THE TRANSMISSION TOTALLY FAILED. THE VEHICLE REFUSED TO GO INTO REVERSE ON THE SECOND OCCASION.
NHTSA complaint #10073694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
2001 W3500 DODGE 4-WHEEL DRIVE FRONT DRIVER AXLE LOCKUP. HAD INPUT SHAFT FAILURE OCCUR DURING SNOW STORM WHICH CAUSED THE PINION AND RING GEAR TO LOCK TOGETHER. WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE FRONT END WOULD NOT TURN. LUCKILY HAPPENED AT LOW SPEED WITHOUT LOSS OF CONTROL OR COLLISION. TRUCK HAS ~17500 MILES ON IT AND CHRYSLER WOULD NOT COVER IT UNDER WARRANTEE. I HAVE DIGITAL PHOTOS OF THE FAILED PARTS IF YOU CAN PROVIDE EMAIL ADDRESS I CAN SUBMIT THEM.
NHTSA complaint #10052748 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION IN MY VEHICLE HAD TO BE REBUILT. THE MECHANIC STATED 2ND GEAR WAS BURNT OUT AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHOT. HAD TO CHANGE TORQUE CONVERTER AND BANDS. THE MECHANIC STATED THE HOLES IN THE TRNASMISSION WERE TO SAMLL AND WOULD NOT LET FLUID FLOW FREELY AND KEEP THE TRANSMISSION COOL. THEREFORE THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE FUEL PUMP HAS ALSO BEEN REPLACED TWICE ON THIS VEHICLE AND IT IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD.
NHTSA complaint #10052448 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
THERE IS A GRINDING NOISE IN THE STANDARD 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION THAT GETS WORSE WHEN IT IS IN THE REVERSE GEAR. THIS COULD RESULT IN TRANSMISSION GOING OUT AT ANYTIME. THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE WAS UNDETERMINED. *AK *SCC
NHTSA complaint #10038179 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT PROPERLY. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT SWITCHES IN THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *NLM
NHTSA complaint #10029588 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED UP HILL AND NO WARNING TRANSMISSION WILL DECELERATE EVEN WHEN FOOT IS ON THE ACCELERATOR, AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED.
NHTSA complaint #10022099 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHEN PULLING A TRAILER AND GOING UPHILL TRANSMISSION SHIFTS DOWN. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION UNDER WARRANTY, DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #8014533 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.