1997 Dodge Ram Suspension Problems

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE AXLE BROKE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO VEER OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A CHAIN LINK FENCE, THEN GO TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD AND JUMP A DITCH. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO TOW THE VEHICLE TO HIS HOUSE HIMSELF. THE AXLE SNAPPED OFF AT THE BEARING WHERE IT BOLTS TO THE HUB. THE WHEEL WAS NOT DAMAGED WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE DEALERSHIP STATED IF HE HAD HIT SOMETHING THE WHEEL WOULD BE DAMAGED. THE CONTACT HAS NOT YET BEEN TO A PHYSICIAN, BUT WAS EXPERIENCING BACK PAIN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10142360

Incident

Nov 1, 2005

No narrative was included with this report.

NHTSA ID

10069483

Incident

Mar 15, 2003

Mileage

59,000 mi

DRIVING 45-55MPH, VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE, BUT CAN BE CONTROLLED. TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP TWICE FOR VIBRATION. HAD DRIVERSHAFT REPLACED TO CORRECT PROBLEM. ALSO BEEN TO TIRE RETAILER DUE TO POSSIBILITY OF TIRES CAUSING PROBLEM. TIRES WERE THE PROBLEM. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER , INFORMED CONSUMER NOTHING COULD BE DONE. IT WAS CHARACTERISTIC OF TRUCK, AND COULD NOT BE REPAIRED.*AK CONSUMER STATES VIBRATION HAS EXISTED IN VEHICLE SINCE PURCHASED, CONSUMER ALSO STATES THE VIBRATION CAUSES HIM TO HAVE TO DRIVE UNDER 40 MPH OR OVER 50 MPH TO AVOID THE VIBRATION. *JB

NHTSA ID

887762

WHILE BRAKING, VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP, DEALER STATES BRAKES ARE WITHING SPECIFICATION. FRONT TIRES KEEP WEARING, DEALER CAN NOT FIND REASON FOR WEAR. *SLC

NHTSA ID

878123

Incident

Aug 1, 1997

CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS WITH FRONT END/STEERING. VEHICLE HAD A 60,000 MILE WARRANTY. DEALER DROVE VEHICLE & SAID IT WAS FINE. ON APRIL 5, 2000, DEALER SAID FRONT END NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. STEERING GEAR BOX, AND 4 TIRES HAD TO BE REPAIRED TO PASS INSPECTION. CONSUMER HAS PUT OUT $839 THE FIRST TIME & NOW STEERING BOX IS LEAKING WHICH COST $900. DEALER DIDN'T SEEM TO KNOW WHAT REAL CAUSE WAS.

NHTSA ID

875758

Incident

Jan 5, 2000

I HAD MY COMPLETE REAR END OVERHALLED UNDER MY 90-DAY WARRANTY, NOW 6 MTHS. LATER I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND REAR END LOCKED -UP BREAKING MY PINION SHAFT GEAR.THEY OFFERED ME A TOW & A RENTAL, THEN COME BACK & SAY I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT!! NOTE-THE PINION SHAFT LOCK BOLT SHOWS DAMAGE OF FALLING OUT,THEY TOLD ME THEY DON'T USE LOCK-TITE.FORD&CHEVY MANUAL SAY'S DISCARD OLD BOLT, I THINK DODGE SHOULD TOO!!PLEASE HELP.

NHTSA ID

735211

Incident

Oct 11, 2000

THIS VEHICLE LEANS SEVERELY TO THE LEFT - WE HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO THE DODGE DEALER WHO STATED IT WAS BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THE FUEL TANK IS LOCATED. THEY SUGGESTED WE TAKE THE TRUCK TO LES SCHWAB TO HAVE THE TIRES LOOKED AT ALSO. WE DID THIS AND LES SCWAB STATED THAT IT WAS A MAJOR DEFECT WITH THE TRUCK AND THE DEALERSHIP JUST WANTED US OUT BECAUSE THEY ARE AWARE OF THE DEFECT AND THEREFORE SENT US TO LES SCHWAB.*AK

NHTSA ID

724802

GEAR BOX AND PITMAN ARM WERE REPLACED. CURRENTLY, VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING PREMATURE WEAR OF THE TIRES. *AK

NHTSA ID

864244

Incident

Jan 1, 1999

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 60 MPH VEHICLE WAS REARENDED/DROPPED, AND LOST CONTROL. TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE PRELOAD ADJUSTER WAS SET AND CROSS THREADED. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND HAD NOTHING TO SAY! PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.

NHTSA ID

862396

Incident

May 13, 2000

WHILE TRAVELING VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO LEFT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED 2 TIMES, CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATON. *AK

NHTSA ID

853103

REAR CONTROL ARM WAS DEFECTIVE, CAUSING FRONT END TO BE OUT OF ALIGNMENT WHICH RESULTED IN REAR END LOCKING UP. THE REAR END WOULD LIFT UP & DOWN 6 INCHES FROM THE GROUND. OWNER REPLACED CONTROL ARM. BEEN TO DEALER & MECHANIC WANTED TO CHARGE TO CHECK IF REPLACED CONTROL ARM WAS DEFECTIVE. *AK

NHTSA ID

852337

Incident

Apr 4, 1999

I CONTACTED YOU BY PHONE BUT WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE OPERATOR AND I AM SUBMITTING YOU THIS E-MAIL ONTOP OF THE INFO I GAVE THE OPERATOR. WHILE DRIVING N. BOUND ON I69 MY TRUCK HAD A SHAKE IN THE FRONT END FOR A SPLIT SECOND AND THE RIM AND TIRE FLEW OFF. AFTER GETTING THE TRUCK OFF THE HIGHWAY I OBSERVED THAT ALL THE STUDS THAT HOLD THE RIM ON HAD SNAPPED OFF AT THE BASE OF THE THREADS. THE HOLES IN THE RIM FOR THE LUGS SHOWED NO SIGN OF WEAR THAT WOULD HAVE INDICATED THAT THE LUGNUTS WERE LOOSE. THESE TIRES WERE LAST REMOVED BY DANVILLE DODGE DEALER ON 3/26/99 TO REPLACE THE U-JOINTS THAT WENT BAD ON THE FRONT AXEL. THE TOW TRUCK OPERATOR INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD PICKED UP SEVERAL DODGE TRUCKS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I ALSO HAVE A COUSIN THAT HAD A DODGE ON WHICH ONE RIM HAD ALL THE LUGNUTS BREAK OFF. THE TRUCK IS CURRENTLY AT MIKE ANDERSON DODGE, 3527 S WESTERN AVE., MARION IN, 46953, PHONE# 765-674-3394, MY CONTACT IS ED IN THE SERVICE DEPT. I HAVE CONTACTED DAIMLER CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CENTER WHO HAS OPENED A FILE #6331098 AND IS SENDING A INVESTIGATOR TO LOOK AT THE DAMAGE AND DETERMINE THE CAUSE. THANKS RICK

NHTSA ID

713179

Incident

Oct 8, 1999

VEH. SHAKES AT 55 TO 65 MPH. DEALER HAS 3 DIFFERENT TIME TOTAL 6 DAYS. HAS RULED OUT TIRES AND FRONT END ALIGNMENT. THEY DON'T HAVE A CLUE AS TO WHAT IS WRONG.

NHTSA ID

710924

WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT. SOMETIMES WILL ALSO PULL TO THE LEFT. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER AT LEAST 6 TIMES & PROBLEM STILL NOT SOLVED. WAS TOLD DESIGN FLAW. IN ADDITION, FRON T BRAKES ROTORS/PADS & TORSION BAR WERE REPLACED DUE TO SEVERE BRAKE PULLING. WAS TSB ON BRAKE PULLING. *AK

NHTSA ID

843450

Incident

Jul 24, 1997

RADIO DESTROYS CASSETTE TAPES, REPAIRED TWICE FOR THIS PROBLEM THEN FINALLY REPLACED.

NHTSA ID

544431

Incident

May 6, 1997

SINCE JULY OF 1997, I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR INTO NEUTRAL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. ALSO, A THUMP IN THE FRONT END INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING DOWN ALL TYPES OF ROAD, A SPARK KNOCKED SO LOUD I SOMETIMES WONDER IF THE MOTOR IS GOING TO LAST. THERE IS OFTEN THE SMELL OF BURNING WIRES AND BURNING FLUID AND SOMETIMES THE CAB FILLS WITH SMOKE. IN ADDITION, CRUISE CONTROL GAINS SPEED (SOMETIMES 5 TO 8 MPH OVER WHAT IT IS SET AT). THE ODOMETER GAINS MILES. *AK

NHTSA ID

703327

Incident

Mar 3, 1998

BRACKET HANGS DOWN UNDER TRUCK. WHEN TRYING TO GO OVER CURB IT HOOKS THE CURB CAUSING FAILURE. POOR DESIGN OF THE BRACKET. *YC

NHTSA ID

607446

Incident

Mar 10, 1998

WHEN DRIVING AT 60MPH THE VEHICLE VIBRATED SEVERELY ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE, AND ALSO PULLED TO THE RIGHT. DEALER SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

831460

THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH STEERING/SUSPENSION. WHEN DRIVING, COSUMER HAS PROBLEMS CONTROLLING THE VEHICLE. THEY HAVE HAD THE ALIGNMENT FIXED 6 TIMES, AND THE STEERING WHEEL REPAIRED 7 TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

829685

Incident

Oct 28, 1998

REAR BRAKES FAILED.

NHTSA ID

532993

VEHICLE EXPERIENCES EXCESSIVE VIBRATION. TRUCK HAS SLID OFF GROVED HIGHWAY IN THE RAIN DUE TO TIRE FAILURE, HAD LARGE LUMPS ON THE SIDEWALLS.

NHTSA ID

526508

VEHICLE VIBRATES CONTINUOUSLY.

NHTSA ID

522270

THE VEHICLE SWAYS AND TILTS.

NHTSA ID

516202

WHEN DRIVING ALONG THE VEHICLE WANDERS ON THE ROAD ; ALSO, THERE SEEMS TO BE TOO MUCH PLAY IN THE STEERING. *AK

NHTSA ID

805050

Incident

Sep 23, 1996