Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. 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. 13 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
STEERING BECAME LOOSE AND HAD 1-2INCHES OF SLACK BEFORE GUIDING THE VEHICLE PROPERLY. REPLACED WITH NEW STEERING UNIT. TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO LOW GEAR AT BUSY INTERSECTION ENTERING FREEWAY. *TR STARTED IN SECOND OR THIRD REQUIRED COSTLY REBUILD. FUEL GAUGE READS EMPTY REQUIRED NEW UNIT IN FUEL TANK.
TRUCK CURRENTLY HAS 76,000 MILES. REPLACED ALL 4 BALL JOINTS AT THE SAME TIME, FEWER THAN 40K. HAD TO REPLACE AN INJECTOR AROUND THE SAME TIME. FILTERS DODGE CAME OUT WITH WERE TOO LARGE, LETTING "JUNK" INTO THE INJECTORS. NOT ONG AFTER THAT, WE WERE DRIVING AND LOST POWER. PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD, SAW BELTS HANGING DOWN. POPPED THE HOOD AND THE PULLEY(?) THE BELTS ATTACH TO HAD SNAPPED OFF! FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ON A COUNTY ROAD, DRIVING SLOWLY. THEN, AT 76K, THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL LOCKED UP, CAUSING US TO HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FRONT AXLE SYSTEM. WE WERE STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN, THEN PROCEEDED TO PULL FORWARD. ABOUT HALFWAY ACROSS THE INTERSECTION, LEFT WHEEL LOCKED UP. WE COULD GO IN REVERSE, BUT NOT FORWARD. INJECTORS ARE CLOGGING UP AS WELL AND WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE TO BE REPLACED. WE BOUGHT THIS NEW IN 2005 FOR $42,000. IT HAS HAD AN 'EASY' LIFE WITH VERY LITTLE TOWING.
I"M HAVING PROBLEMS,WITH THE DODGE RAM 3500 TRUCK , FRONT SUSPENSION HAD TO BE REPAIRED, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM. STILL HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, INSIDE LIGHT STAYS ON WHILE VECHICLE IS IN MOTION. LOOSES POWER AT TIME GOING UP HILLS.
DRIVING MY DIESEL, 1 TON, 2004, 4X4 TRUCK WITH 66,000 MILES, TURNING LEFT ACROSS TRAFFIC INTO A BUSINESS. ENGINE STOPS, NO BRAKES, NO STEERING, NO WARNING, NOTHING. NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS TRUCK BEFORE THIS EVENT. TRAFFIC IS COMING AT US AND I AM HEADED INTO A DITCH AS I CANNOT TURN VEHICLE. FRANTICALLY TRYING TO GET VEHICLE STARTED, WILL NOT START, BUT ABLE TO ROLL FORWARD AND MAKE IT INTO BUSINESS BARELY MISSING DITCH. PEOPLE COME OUT TO HELP PUSH VEHICLE INTO SAFE SPOT. CALLED TOW TRUCK, THEY GET THERE ABOUT 1.5 HOURS LATER. HE GOT TRUCK STARTED, SAID TO DRIVE IT DOWN THE STREET THAT PROBABLY SOMETHING CLOGGED THE DIESEL TANK INLET, BUT OK NOW. TRUCK SEEMED OK, SO WE HOOKED UP OUR BOAT THAT WAS IN THIS BUSINESS, PROCEEDED HOME. GOT ABOUT 1 MILE AWAY ON TWISTY MOUNTAIN ROAD, TRUCK AGAIN DIES, NO BRAKES AGAIN, CANNOT HARDLY STEER AND CANNOT STOP BOAT AND TRUCK AND PROCEED DOWN HILL HOLDING ON TRYING TO STAY ON ROAD. I MANAGED TO GET IT STOPPED. HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER THIS TIME. DODGE DEALER EXPLAINS THAT THE "LIFT PUMP" THAT PULLS DIESEL FUEL FROM TANK TO ENGINE HAD GONE OUT, THEY STATE "THIS IS COMMON PROBLEM THAT DODGE KNOWS ABOUT." THEY REFUSE TO REPLACE THE "LIFT PUMP" THAT IS FAIRLY INEXPENSIVE SAYING THAT DODGE KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM AND THE CONSUMER HAS TO PAY TO HAVE A "FUEL PUMP" PUT INTO THE FUEL TANK AS THE FIX. THIS COST IS OVER $1400. UPON HEARING THAT I CANNOT HAVE THE "LIFT PUMP" JUST REPLACED, I WENT TO THE INTERNET FORUMS ON CUMMINGS DIESEL "LIFT PUMPS" TURNS OUT THERE ARE LOTS OF PAGES SHOWING THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CUMMINGS DIESEL AND MOST ALL WILL EXPERIENCE IT. IF DODGE KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM AND PEOPLE CAN BE KILLED DUE TO HOW THE TRUCK SUDDENLY DIES, THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM! *TR
WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE 35 I NOTICED SMOKING COMING FROM MY VEHICLE, AS I PULLED OVER THE SMOKE BECOME THICK AND ROLLED OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF MY TRUCK. I IMMEDIATELY OPEN THE HOOD TO FIND DIESEL FUEL COVERING THE COMPLETE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND NOTICED FUEL SPRAYING FROM THE NUMBER FOUR FUEL INJECTION LINE. I AM A MECHANIC SO CALLED DODGE DEALER TO GET NEW LINE (PART #5086874-AC) FOR MY CUMMINS 5.9 ENGINE. AFTER TALKING TO THE PARTS MAN HE SAID THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE REDESIGNED THE CLAMPING SYSTEM ON THE LINE. I FEEL THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, WHEN THIS LINE LEAKS IT IS UNDER HIGH PRESSURE AND SPRAYS FUEL ALL OVER THE ENGINE. I FEEL I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT THE FUEL DID NOT IGNITE AND BURN UP MY TRUCK. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND OWNERS ARE NOTIFIED ABOUT THE NEW LINE SO THEY CAN REPLACE IT BEFORE IT LEAKS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 DODGE RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND THE "WATER IN FUEL" WARNING MESSAGE DISPLAYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE INJECTION PUMP, INJECTORS AND THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000.
2004 DODGE 3500 CUMMINS DIESEL INJECTORS WENT OUT ON IT, DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET, AFTER STARTING HARD FOR A FEW WEEKS. MECHANIC REPLACED INJECTORS, LESS THAN 2000 MILES ON NEW ONES AND THEY WENT OUT AGAIN. CUMMINS MECHANIC SAYS WHOLE ENGINE IS BAD, THERE WERE 4 OTHER TRUCKS AT MECHANIC WITH SAME PROBLEM. *TR
I HAVE A 2004 DODGE RAM 3500. I HAVE HAD 4 #2 INJECTION LINES BREAK ON IT SINCE 10 NOV 2009. I HAVE CALLED BOTH DODGE AND CUMMINS ON THE ISSUE. CUMMINS SAID TO CALL DODGE, AND DODGE SAID IT WAS "NOTED" AND THEY WOULD LOOK INTO IT. THE PROBLEM THAT I HAVE WITH IT IS THAT WHEN IT BREAKS IT SPRAYS DESIEL FUEL ONTO THE TURBO CHARGER. THAT RECHES TEMPERATURES THAT EXCEED THE LOWER FLAMABILITY RATE OF DESIEL FUEL. BUT LUCKLILY IT HAS NOT CAUGHT FIRE YET. BUT 4 LINES IN SIX MONTHS SEEMS TO BE EXCESSIVE. I HAVE SEEN A TREND WHILE TRYING TO LOCATE THE PART. ALMOST ALL OF THE PARTS DEALERS KNOWS WHICH INJECTION LINE IS BROKEN BEFORE I TELL THEM. SO IT HAS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. AND THIS PARTICULAR INJECTION IS USUALLY ON BACK ORDER. I THINK IT IS A SEVERE SAFTEY ISSUE. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT GGET FIXED OR ADDRESED BEFORE ANYONE GETS BURNED UP IN A VEHICLE DUE TO THE FUEL IGNITION.
I PURCHASED MY TRUCK IN MAY 2006, SINCE I BOUGHT THE TRUCK IT HAS HAD A VIBRATION ON START IE FROM STOP WHEN I START MOVING THE TRUCK HAS A VIBRATION. I AM NOW ON THE THIRD REAR DRIVE SHAFT ASSEMBLY IN MY TRUCK AT 65K MILES. ALSO HAVE HAD TO REPLACE A BLOWN FRONT HUB THAT SEPARATED AT 60K MILES WITH NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS OR WARNING. HAVE HAD OVER 3K WORTH OF ELECTRICAL WORK DONE AT DEALERSHIP INCLUDING PCM, WIRING HARNESS, FCA, INJECTION PUMP AND SO FORTH AND SO ON. STILL HAVE TONS OF ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH TRUCK. AND NOW AT 66K MILES THE FUEL SENDING UNIT HAS GONE OUT FOR THE SECOND TIME. *TR
WE HAVE HAD A FUEL PROBLEM ISSUE WITH THIS TRUCK SINCE APRIL OF 2005 IT BUCKS SO HARD IT BRUISES YOU. WE HAVE REPLACE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE AND IT STILL HAPPENS. THEY SAY IT IS WATER IN FUEL BUT IT IS NOT THAT. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL HIGH PRESSURE INJECTOR LINES BREAK. ONE CAUSED A FIRE, DIESEL WAS GOING EVERYWHERE. WE HAD SEVERAL BREAK AFTER THAT. THEY HAVE NO CLUE WHY THESE INJECTORS ARE BREAKING BUT WE OWE TO MUCH TO TRADE IN. IT IS JUST ASHAMED THAT YOU CAN NOT GO ANYWHERE SAFE IN A 42,000 TRUCK. WE HAVE STRESSED OUR CONCERNS WITH DODGE THEY SAID NOT THERE PROBLEM . *NM
DT:THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE WOULD NOT START ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THE FUEL INJECTORS WERE REPAIRED. THE SECOND TIME THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START WAS DUE TO THE VALVE SEAT. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. A REBUILT ENGINE WAS INSTALLED INTO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED ABOUT WHY A REBUILT ENGINE WAS INSTALLED INSTEAD OF A NEW ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY.*AK
DT: VEHICLE STALLED ON HIGHWAY DUE TO BAD FUEL PUMP. 2004 DODGE PICKED UP AND STALLED ON HIGHWAY MORE THAN ONCE. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT REPLACE THE ORIGINAL FUEL PUMP BECAUSE DAIMLER/CHRYSLER SAID THE ORIGINAL FUEL PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE, AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO IT IN THE FUEL TANK AND REWIRE IT. FEELS THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *AK
VEHICLE STALLED INADVERTENTLY. VEHICLE COULD BE DRIVEN AT ANY SPEED AND THIS DEFECT COULD OCCUR. *AK
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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