Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Dodge Ram 3500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE RAM 3500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH AND MAKING A TURN, THE STEERING AND BRAKES SEIZED. AS A RESULT, THE GEAR BOX SPLIT IN HALF. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000. UPDATED 6/18/15*CN UPDATED 9/25/2017*CN
I WAS HEADING SOUTH ON I-87 IN NEW YORK STATE AT 65 MPH WHEN A LOUD EXPLOSION SOUNDING LIKE A GRENADE GOING OFF OCCURRED UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS. MY PASSENGER AND I THOUGHT THE PARTS UNDER THE TRUCK WERE GOING TO EXPLODE THROUGH THE FLOORBOARDS UNDER US. THERE WAS A LOT OF NOISE OF EXPLODING PARTS. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO COST TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF OIL ON THE PAVEMENT, WIRES WERE HANGING UNDER THE TRUCK, FUEL LINES AND BRAKE LINES WERE RIPPED, DRIVESHAFT DAMAGED. I NOTICED THEN THAT THE DASHBOARD 4 WHEEL DRIVE LIGHT HAD COME ON, THE FRONT HAZARD LIGHTS WORKED BUT NOT THE REAR. I BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS THE RESULT OF ONE OF TWO THINGS...A FACTORY DEFECT IN THE TRANSFER CASE CLUTCH OR A COMPUTER SYSTEM GLITCH THAT CAUSED THE TRUCK TO SWITCH INTO 4 WD AT HIGH SPEED. THIS WAS A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION AND I WAS LUCKY NOT TO BE INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND THAT THE PARTS DID NOT BURST THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUCK ALTHOUGH THEY DENTED IT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2004 DODGE RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED VIBRATING VIOLENTLY AND EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT FAILED TO ENGAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. BOTH THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 137,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE FOUND BRAKE FLUID ON HIS SHOE WHILE IN THE CABIN. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS AN APPARENT BRAKE FLUID LEAK OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE FAILURE WAS LOCATED AT THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND THE HYDRO ASSIST SYSTEMS, WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE RAM 3500. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND THE DRIVER REAR SIDE BRAKES ALSO OVERHEATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED THREE TIMES AFTER THE INITIAL FAILURE IN THREE WEEKS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP TO BE INSPECTED AS THE ABS CONTROL MODULE HAD BURNED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT BECAUSE THE PARTS NEEDED WERE NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL JULY 29, 2010. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 120,000. UPDATED 6/17/10 *CN UPDATED 06/18/10
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE MODULATOR VALVE OF THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM KEEPS RUNNING EVEN AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS THE IGNITION OFF WHICH TAKES BATTERY TO FULL DISCHARGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AN INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT ONLY THE DEALERSHIP IS ABLE TO REPAIR IT. UPDATED 7/18/2006 - IN ORDER TO KEEP THE BATTERY FROM TOTALLY DISCHARGING THE CONSUMER HAD TO UNPLUG THE WIRING TO THE ABS MODULATOR WHICH CAUSE THE CRUISE CONTROL, SPEEDOMETER, TRIP COMPUTER AND ABS TO STOP WORKING.*NM
THE BRAKES LOCKED AT 35 MPH, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO GO THROUGH AN INTERSECTION INTO A DITCH. *AK THERE WERE SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE IN WHICH THE MECHANICS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE. THE CONSUMER HIT A FENCE AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE WOULD JUST STALL. *JB
(1) I WAS DESCENDING DOWN A SNOW COVERED HILL. (2) ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ENGAGED AND APPEARED TO LOCK UP THE WHEELS. THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES DID NOT SLOW THE VEHICLE, NOR DID THEY ALLOW ME TO TURN. THE ABS SYSTEM DID NOT DISENGAGE UNTIL ABOUT 1 FULL SECOND AFTER I RELEASED THE BRAKE COMPLETELY. I CAME VERY CLOSE TO ROLLING THE TRUCK INTO A GULLY. (3) I PULLED THE ABS BREAKER, AND HAVE HAD NO FURTHER PROBLEMS EVEN ON THE SAME HILL. *JB
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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