1996 Dodge Ram Van Problems

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER DRIVEABLE.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT IN OWNERS MANUAL VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A SHIFT INTERLOCK SYSTEM WHICH WOULD PREVENT VEHICLE FROM BEING REMOVED FROM PARK WITHOUT APPLYING BRAKES. CONSUMER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THAT VEHICLE, IN FACT, IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH THIS SAFETY FEATURE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK

MOVEABLE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS SLIP WITH SHUTTING DOORS AND WITH TRAVEL AT HIGHWAY SPEED (>45 MPH). I (OWNER) ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR INITIAL SLIPPAGE BY TIGHTENING SCREWS. MIRRORS SOON BEGAN SLIPPING AGAIN, AND VEHICLE WAS PAST 36,000 MILE WARRANTY. SCREW THREADS ARE NOW STRIPPED, MIRRORS WON'T MAINTAIN POSITION. DEALER RECOMMENDS PURCHASING TWO NEW MIRROR ASSEMBLIES (EXACT SAME STYLE) FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS. MANUFACTURER REJECTED REQUEST TO PAY FOR INSTALLATION OF REPLACEMENT MIRRORS FROM ALTERNATE SOURCE. NOTE: I PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 1987 DODGE VAN WHICH SUFFERED THE SAME PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH NOT QUITE AS SEVERELY. THE PROBLEM IS CLEARLY DUE TO A LONG-TERM FAILURE OF CHRYSLER TO ADDRESS AN OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE DESIGN. ABSENCE OF WORKING SIDE VIEW MIRRORS REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD, ALTHOUGH IN THIS CASE NO ACCIDENT HAS YET RESULTED.*AK

LAST YEAR, WHEN I HAD MADE 23 PAYMENTS ON MY VAN, IT HAD BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR 23 TIMES. I DRIVE NEARLY 100 MILES TO PUT IT IN THE SHOP, SO 23 X'S 200 MILES IS A LOT OF MILEAGE THAT WAS PUT ON MY VAN JUST FOR REPAIRS. THE FIRST WEEK WE HAD THE VAN, WE CALLED TO COMPLAIN THAT WE COULDN'T EVEN TAKE IT TO CARWASH, BECAUSE THE WINDOWS LEAKED SO BADLY....THEN THE HEATER QUIT WORKING, AND ON AND ON AND I HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP NUMEROUS TIMES FOR ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I JUST FEEL LIKE NOONE CARES THAT I AM SO DISAPPOINTED IN DODGE AND MY VAN.

EXHAUST PIPE CRACKED COMPLETELY AROUND WEAK POINT IN PIPE CAUSED BY OXYGEN SENSOR MOUNT

LAST YEAR, WHEN I HAD MADE 23 PAYMENTS ON MY VAN, IT HAD BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR 23 TIMES. I DRIVE NEARLY 100 MILES TO PUT IT IN THE SHOP, SO 23 X'S 200 MILES IS A LOT OF MILEAGE THAT WAS PUT ON MY VAN JUST FOR REPAIRS. THE FIRST WEEK WE HAD THE VAN, WE CALLED TO COMPLAIN THAT WE COULDN'T EVEN TAKE IT TO CARWASH, BECAUSE THE WINDOWS LEAKED SO BADLY....THEN THE HEATER QUIT WORKING, AND ON AND ON AND I HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP NUMEROUS TIMES FOR ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I JUST FEEL LIKE NOONE CARES THAT I AM SO DISAPPOINTED IN DODGE AND MY VAN.

VEHICLE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A THREE QUATER TONE VEHICLE, BUT AFTER FURTHER REVIEW CONSUMER FOUND OUT THAT VEHICLE WAS HALF TONE. WHEN CONTACTING DEALER, DEALER NOTED THAT THEY KNEW ABOUT IT. IT WAS MANUFACTURED THAT WAY BECAUSE OF BETTER HANDLING.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, COULD HEAR WIND NOISE COMING THROUGH THE DOOR ON DRIVER'S SIDE, CONTINUED DRIVING, LATER, CHECKED DOOR, DOOR LOCK POST WHERE NORMALLY WELDED TO FRAME/COVERED WITH SHEET METAL, CAME OFF. DEALER REWELDED DOOR POST BACK TO FRAME. *AK HAD TO BE REDONE AGAIN 6 MONTHS LATER. WATER LEAK AT REAR SEAM. WHILE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ACTIVATED AT 68 MPH, VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 78 MPH AND WAS CLIMBING. WHILE DRIVING IN EXTREME HEAT, THE CLUTCH FAN ENGAGES, THERE IS A LOSS OF POWER, AND THERE IS VERY LOW FUEL ECONOMY. *SLC

THE BRAKE PADS AND CALIPERS WEAR OUT TOO QUICKLY. HAS BEEN TO DEALER TWICE. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 50,000 MILES ON IT. *AK

MASTER CYLINDER FAILED.

MAKING ROUTINE STOP ENGINE WILL BEGIN TO SURGE FOR AT LEAST 20 SECONDS, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PRESS HARD ON BRAKES UNTIL THEY SQUEAK, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL. DEALER HAS REPROGRAMMED COMPUTER 3 TIMES AND REPLACED IDLE SPEED MOTOR. DEFECT IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, COULD HEAR WIND NOISE COMING THROUGH THE DOOR ON DRIVER'S SIDE, CONTINUED DRIVING, LATER, CHECKED DOOR, DOOR LOCK POST WHERE NORMALLY WELDED TO FRAME/COVERED WITH SHEET METAL, CAME OFF. DEALER REWELDED DOOR POST BACK TO FRAME. *AK HAD TO BE REDONE AGAIN 6 MONTHS LATER. WATER LEAK AT REAR SEAM. WHILE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ACTIVATED AT 68 MPH, VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 78 MPH AND WAS CLIMBING. WHILE DRIVING IN EXTREME HEAT, THE CLUTCH FAN ENGAGES, THERE IS A LOSS OF POWER, AND THERE IS VERY LOW FUEL ECONOMY. *SLC

DUNLOP, AT, P255/70R15, DOT DBM2GA2428, REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT WITH 1000 MILES ON A 1996 RAM 250 VAN. DRIVER REAR TIRE HAD TREAD SEPARATION AT 65 MPH. ON 6, AUGUST 2002 PASSENGER REAR TIRE HAD TREAD SEPARATION AT 65 MPH, MILEAGE WAS 6000 MILES. *AK ALL THE TIRES NOW HAVE TREAD SEPERATION AND THE DEALER SENT THEM BACK TO DUNLOP WHICH ONLY PRO-RATED THE DEFECTIVE TIRES. CONSUMER FEELS THAT DUNLOP SHOULD REPLACE THE TIRES AT EQUAL VALUE BECAUSE HE COULD HAVE LOST HIS LIFE OR BEEN INJURED DUE TO THE DEFECT. *SCC

REPLACEMENT TIRES ON A DODGE, RAM VAN, 3500 1996, TIRE SIZE LT22575R16, AND TIRE MILEAGE 15,000. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON HIGHWAY TREAD SEPARATED ON LEFT REAR TIRE. NO COLLISON OR INJURIES OCCURRED. *AK DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE RIGHT REAR QUARTER PANEL, FIRESTONE STEELTEX, DOT NUMBER VD1L1XD419. *SLC

WE SUBMITTED A LETTER TO CHRYSLER ASKING FOR A "GOODWILL REPAIR REFUND" AND HAD A PHONE CALL FROM THE CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER, AL WILLIAMS, STATING THAT THE THREE (3)YEAR WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. WE HAD EXPLAINED THAT OUR LEISURE TRAVEL VAN WITH A DODGE V8 360 ENGINE ONLY ON 31,365 ON THE TRANSMISSION. HE SAID IT DID NOT MATTER. THE CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP THAT REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION WITH A REBUILT TRANSMISSION FROM CHRYSLER STATED THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN A TRANSMISSION "CHEWED UP" LIKE OURS. WE HAVE MADE SEVERAL PHONE CALLS TO CHRYSLER ASKING FOR A LETTER STATING EXACTLY WHY THEY WERE DENYING OUR REQUEST FOR A "GOODWILL REPAIR REFUND". WE HAVE HAD NO CALLS RETURNED AND CAN NOT REACH THEIR CUSTOMER NUMBER BECAUSE IT IS ALWAYS BUSY. ON LINE "ASK" QUESTIONS NEVER RESPOND TO A QUESTION.

STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN IS EXTREMELY LOOSE WHICH HAS RESULTED IN SEVERE PROBLEMS MANEUVERING VEHICLE. PROBLEM BECOMES MORE PRONOUNCED WHEN MAKING A RIGHT OR LEFT TURN ,CAUSE HAS NOT YET TO BE DETERMINED. NO COLLISIONS OR INJURIES HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO THE PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL REGARDING THE DODGE MINIVANS STEERING PROBLEMS, HOWEVER CONSUMERS VEHICLE DID NOT FIT RECALL BECAUSE IT WAS A FULL SIZE VAN. *SLC

MAKING ROUTINE STOP ENGINE WILL BEGIN TO SURGE FOR AT LEAST 20 SECONDS, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PRESS HARD ON BRAKES UNTIL THEY SQUEAK, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL. DEALER HAS REPROGRAMMED COMPUTER 3 TIMES AND REPLACED IDLE SPEED MOTOR. DEFECT IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, COULD HEAR WIND NOISE COMING THROUGH THE DOOR ON DRIVER'S SIDE, CONTINUED DRIVING, LATER, CHECKED DOOR, DOOR LOCK POST WHERE NORMALLY WELDED TO FRAME/COVERED WITH SHEET METAL, CAME OFF. DEALER REWELDED DOOR POST BACK TO FRAME. *AK HAD TO BE REDONE AGAIN 6 MONTHS LATER. WATER LEAK AT REAR SEAM. WHILE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ACTIVATED AT 68 MPH, VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 78 MPH AND WAS CLIMBING. WHILE DRIVING IN EXTREME HEAT, THE CLUTCH FAN ENGAGES, THERE IS A LOSS OF POWER, AND THERE IS VERY LOW FUEL ECONOMY. *SLC

BRAKE LIGHT SOLENOID FAILED.