RoadVitals

1997 Dodge Ram 2500 Powertrain (other) Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Powertrain (other) reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
15
Latest Mar 23, 2006
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
7%
of 213 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Dodge Ram 2500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 15 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming powertrain

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Powertrain (other)
Filed Mar 23, 2006

MY ABS AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND I LOST MY ABS. IN SEARCHING FOR THE PROBLEM, I FOUND OIL DRIPPING FROM MY REAR DIFFERENTIAL COVER. I REMOVED THE COVER AND FOUND THAT A RING GEAR BOLT HEAD HAD SHEARED OFF AND DAMAGED THE ABS EXCITER RING. THE DIFFERENTIAL COULD HAVE LOCKED UP AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. A MECHANIC ADVISED IT APPEARED THE BOLT FAILED DUE TO A STRESS FRACTURE. THE DEALER WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIR SINCE THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY NOR WOULD A DAIMLER CHRYSLER REP. I TELEPHONICALLY SPOKE WITH. I HAVE THE FAILED PART AND PHOTOS.*JB

NHTSA ID
10153554
Incident
Mar 15, 2006
Mileage
87,300 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 29, 2004

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND PULLED OVER. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT REAR AXLE BROKE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10071854
Powertrain (other)
Filed Mar 4, 2003

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED DUE TO A LEAK. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10009779
Incident
Aug 15, 2002
Fuel systemPowertrain (other)
Filed Jun 6, 2002

ONE OF THE STRAPS THAT HOLD THE TANK UP TO VEHICLE BROKE AND CAUSED REAR OF TANK TO HANG DOWN. CONSUMER COULD HEAR METAL SHIELD OF DRIVELINE HITTING GROND. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID
8011190
Incident
May 31, 2002
BrakesPowertrain (other)
Filed May 8, 2002

WHILE DRIVING 45MPH THE ATNI-LOCK REAR BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. A FEW MINUTES LATER, WHILE PULLING OUT AT A STOP SIGN THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL MADE A LOUD NOISE. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAD "CAME OUT" FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM. I HAVE ALL THE PARTS AND PIECES FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL. THE PINION GEAR WAS IN PIECES IN THE BOTTOM OF THE HOUSING. THE RING GEAR HAD SEVERAL TEETH MISSING AND/OR DAMAGED. THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SENSOR/EQUIPMENT WAS ALSO DAMAGED.THE ONLY PARTS THAT WERE NOT REPLACED WERE THE AXLES AND THE HOUSING. CAUSE OF THE DEFECT IS STILL YET UNDETERMINED.*AK

NHTSA ID
761686
Incident
Jan 21, 2002
Powertrain (other)
Filed May 3, 2001

VEHICLE WAS MAKING A HOWLING NOISE IN REAREND. CONSUMER WAS REFERRED TO CONTACT A DODGE DEALER ONCE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC COMPLETED REPAIR. MECHANIC HAD SEEN ALOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THAT MODEL. MECAHNIC HAD TO REPLACE BOTH PINION BEARING AND AXLE BEARINGS. *AK

NHTSA ID
887384
Incident
Apr 12, 2001
BrakesPowertrain (other)
Filed Mar 3, 2001

OIL LEAKS FROM REAR AXLE AND CAUSES REAR BRAKES TO MALFUNCTION.*AK

NHTSA ID
741847
Incident
Dec 22, 2000
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 11, 2000

ON THREE OCCASIONS REAR AXLE SEAL HAD LEAKED OIL ONTO THE BRAKES, CAUSING BRAKES TO MALFUNCTION. A TECHNICIAN FOUND THIS OUT ON A ROUTINE INSPECTION.*AK

NHTSA ID
865243
Incident
Jul 6, 2000
BrakesPowertrain (other)
Filed Nov 20, 1999

THE BRAKE PROBLEM HAS BEEN ON GOING SINCE THE FIRST FEW MONTH OF SERVICE. THE FIRST BRAKE FAILURE WAS AT 9557 MILES, THE SECOND FAILURE WAS AT 23,744 MILES AND THE THIRD FAILURE OF THE BRAKES WAS AT 29, 875 MILES. THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, ROTORS GROUND,, NEW REAR AXLE SEALS, AND NEW CALIPERS, PADS,AND BRAKE SHOES HAVE BEEN INSTALLED. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS AND THE DEALER IN TURLOCK AUTO CENTER, TURLOCK, CA. IS ORDERING NEW PARTS AGAIN MAKING THE FOURTH BRAKES ON THIS PICKUP INCLUDING THE ORIGINAL ONES. *AK

NHTSA ID
715041
Incident
Mar 26, 1998
Driver assistanceEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Oct 26, 1999

ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS TOO LOOSE OR SOFT, AND ON A ROUGH TERRAIN PULLING A TRAILER, IT MAKES THE TRUCK START TO HOP. WHEN IT MAKES THE TRUCK HOP, IT CAUSES THE REAR AXLE DRIVELINE SEAL TO LEAK OIL. THE FACTORY INSTALLED THERMOSTAT IS FAULTY AND MAKES THE TEMPERATURE GO UP AND DOWN BY ABOUT 40 DEGREES. HAD IT REPLACED AND IT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
851820
Incident
Feb 5, 1998
BrakesPowertrain (other)
Filed Apr 20, 1999

FRONT AXLE AND BRAKES SYSTEM HAVE BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES. WHEN CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND APPLIED THE BRAKES THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS BOUNCING. DEALER COULDN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
836890
Incident
Oct 12, 1996
BrakesDriver assistanceElectrical+4 more
Filed Feb 1, 1999

BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE CAUSED CALIPER, PAD, DRUM AND SHOE FAILED. YH

NHTSA ID
606288
Incident
Dec 1, 1997
BrakesPowertrain (other)
Filed Jan 13, 1999

CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH AXLE AND DRIVESHAFT. ALSO, WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, THEIR VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
833458
Incident
Aug 8, 1998
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jan 12, 1998

TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SERVICED OR REPAIRED FOUR TIMES.

NHTSA ID
528269
Incident
Jun 1, 1997
Powertrain (other)Transmission
Filed Jan 9, 1998

TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION.

NHTSA ID
528247
Incident
Jun 1, 1997

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .