Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING - COLUMN | ||||||||||||||||
| 03V078000 | DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION | from 07/01/2001 to 07/01/2002 | V (Vehicle) | 287725 | 04/10/2003 | MFR | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 03/10/2003 | 03/17/2003 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | On certain pickup trucks, the electrical connector at the bottom of the steering column contains an under-sized terminal for the hvac blower motor circuit. localized heating from current flow with the blower speed set on high may cause the terminal contacts to relax and lose electrical contact. this can cause the hvac blower motor to become inoperative. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | This condition could cause impairment of visibility in inclement weather, increasing the risk of a crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will install a wiring harness overlay to correct this condition. owner notification began april 15, 2003. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Daimlerchrysler recall no. c11.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration | |||||||||||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 12/12/2012 | |||
| My steering is vibrating at low speeds easing into curves left or right and causes the steering wheel to shake as if i'm going to shake off the road. | |||
| 12/26/2010 | 66513 | ||
| My truck began leaking power steering fluid while parked outside my house. the vehicle was not running, nor moving. enough fluid leaked out to form a puddle under my truck. i use this truck to tow a 3200 pound travel trailer. i am thankful i was not pulling this trailer or driving the truck when the power steering began leaking. i am not the only dodge truck owner to whom this has happened. this is a design flaw, a safety hazard and these trucks need to be recalled before someone is seriously injured or possibly killed. i live in southwestern pennsylvania and the roads on which i travel are very steep and winding. it terrifies me to think what may happen if this unit was to fail while i was navigating these roads. please take action to force dodge to correct this design flaw before someone dies. thank you! | |||
| 08/15/2010 | 8300 | ||
| I purchased my 2002 dodge ram 1500 about 3 months ago in august, the first incident occured while driving down a very busy 35 mph road just passed a dangerous school zone and i have a total loss of steering. turns out my power steering rack and pinion has failed. now in 12 month i have replaced the part 4 more times and it is still broken leaving me everytime with a total loss of steering. the truck now sits in my driveway as i pay for it every month because dodge wont do anything about this problem that cant be fixed. | |||
| 08/17/2002 | |||
| While driving down a 35mph paved busy road, the rack and pinion under my 2002 dodge ram 1500 fails, leaving me with a loss of steering and almost catching the truck on fire from so much fluid getting all over a hot engine bay. now after a month and a half i have paid for 4 more rack and pinion failures and now my truck is still sitting in my driveway broken waiting for the 6th one. everytime it is a total loss of steering and there are no warnings. | |||
| 06/14/2010 | 86312 | ||
| Replaced rack and pinion four times along with the upper control arm, upper/lower ball joints, and tie rod ends. this last time the boots on the rack and pinion busted power steering fluid was lost causing steering to lock up. the severe underlying issue to the failure of the rack and pinion is the left and right steering knuckles are faulty causing the tires to turn to far which is causing the damage to the rack and pinion busting which is causing the drainage of power steering fluid and locking up the steering | |||
| 05/05/2010 | 50000 | ||
| Complete loss of power steering fluid resulting in severe difficulty in steering vehicle. this is a 2nd occurrence after having replaced the steering gear on the same vehicle approximately 20,000 miles earlier. i had the steering gear replaced new for a 2nd time. | |||
| 02/19/2010 | 60000 | 1 | |
| 2002 dodge ram 1500 rack and pinion going out only 60,000 miles....also, they replaced a/c fan motor once...i paid several times...about to go out again (low humming noise is indicator - as noise increases, motor fails). i am so disappointed; as a special needs teacher i depend on this vehicle to transport me safely to and from my work....cannot depend on it. i hate it...it's been a pain since first problem with 18 miles on it!!! please, hold dodge accountable for their mistakes.... *tr | |||
| 01/19/2009 | 41150 | 1 | |
| 2002 dodge ram 1500. the power steering quit while i was driving and i was in a curve and almost wrecked. i have heard other people talking about this same problem. i thought safety was number one. but i guess this will not be a recall until some one from your office or someone you love is killed in this type of situation. i have read that people have ran of the road when this has happened or have struck a roadside object trying to stop. come on people lets fix this issue. *tr | |||
| 01/02/2009 | 48000 | 1 | |
| Lost all steering capability while driving: almost ran into a house. there is power steering fluid all over the engine compartment. no collisions in this vehicle other than a minor rear end fender bender. previously i had the high pressure pwr steering hose replaced and the system flushed. *tr | |||
| 01/04/2009 | 159000 | 1 | |
| While driving to work early in the morning, roads were wet, temperature was 23 degrees. was driving on a two lane roadway about 40 mph. was on a straight stretch when truck started to fish tail slightly. rear of the truck slid slightly toward drivers side. i turned the wheels slightly in the direction of the slide and then started to turn the wheels back the other direction as truck started to straighten out. at that point i felt something give in the front end on the drivers side. the truck started pulling across the center line and off the other side of the road. i was heading straight for a telephone pole. i tried pushing the brakes fully, but the pedal went to the floor. i cut the wheels all the way to the right , just missing the telephone pole. my front fender struck a steel pole filled with cement next to a split rail fence. when i got out of the truck, the front drivers side tire was laying under the truck, only held on by the tie rod end. this was by no means a very bad case of sliding and over steering. the upper ball joint had just separated causing the tire to buckle under. i was lucky to have escaped this accident without injury or having my truck roll over. i have seen alot of problems with the dodge durangos with the ball joint separation and i can only imagine it is the same suspension parts used in the dodge ram 1500 4x4 trucks. this needs to be checked into before someone gets killed. *tr | |||
| 10/27/2008 | 62955 | 1 | |
| During a tire rotation the mechanic noticed a defect with the rack and pinion system which was leaking and would need to be replaced. he also noticed the tire rods were defective which is allowing unnecessary movement of the tires. lastly the front differential is leaking as well. this vehicle was purchased approximately 2 years ago used with 41,000 miles and currently has 62,955. this vehicle is operated under normal conditions. *tr | |||
| 04/15/2006 | 55713 | 1 | 01/04/2002 |
| I had a 2002 dodge ram 1500. while driving at approximately 40 mph i heard a low humming noise. suddenly the truck veered to the left. i was now in incoming traffic and narrowly missed one car. i tried to get the truck back to the right. the steering wheel had a lot of play in it. the truck fishtailed back to the right only to veer again to the left. i had no control of the vehicle. i was hit by a car, ran up a lawn, hit a tree and flipped the truck. both myself and the driver of the car suffered minimal physical injuries. both vehicles were totaled. it is my understanding that there is a class-action lawsuit against daimler chrysler involving this same problem with the dodge durangos. i believe that my vehicle had the same problem. *nm | |||
| 02/09/2005 | 31000 | 4 | 10/28/2001 |
| The driver's side seat belt retractor continued to fail. the parts were repaired/replaced three times, however the problem recurred. *ak both seat bet retractors were replaced, however problem still exist. right rear door lock inoperative. rattle sound over bumps. right front sway bar link replaced. the steering wheel has been oscillating almost takes the wheel out of this hands. dealer found ice in wheels/cleaned wheels. however vibration re-ocurred. *tt | |||
| 09/25/2003 | 1500 | 3 | |
| While driving the steering wheel locked up and made it impossible to steer the vehicle. this happened three times in one day nearly causing a collision in each instance. the dealer and the manufacturer have been notified of this problem. *nlm | |||
| 07/23/2002 | 25 | 15 | 07/21/2002 |
| Regarding the new body style dodge 1500 ram pickup. my truck is less than a year old and about 15000 miles. it has a steering problem. generally, it pulls to the right, dangerously! the second day of my ownership, went to the dealer and they aligned it. told me if i still had a problem, it was a tire problem. the alignment did not help. i had the tires rotated at the appropriate time and this did not help. the steering problem is worse now. if i travel over a bump or a seam in the road, the vehicle will vere to the right or left or both directions in an uncontrolable and violent manner. i must come to a complete stop to regain control of the vehicle. yes, it is very scary. so much so, that i again returned to the dealer, they aligned it again. the problem seems worse now. i was told, if the alignment did not help to bring it back and they would order/instal a new rack. i did so and was put off. today, 5-30-03 i returned to the dealer to ask about the fix for my steering problem. i again was put off and i asked to call chrysler. i did, the nice and efficient lady new what i was talking about with the steering problem. i asked if there were alot of complaints like mine and without saying yes, she indicated there are many complaints. while on hold with her, she called my dealer. i later called the dealer as instructed. the service advisor i have been working with for three weeks said there is a problem with the steering, chrysler is aware and has re-designed parts for the fix, however they are not yet available. i am to take my truck in on monday, 6-2-03 for a couple of hours so they can look at it again. sad to say, but i am afraid to drive my new dodge truck. you never know when it will vere violently out of control. what does a consumer do? how long before parts are available? how many people must die or their lives changed forever before the problem is addressed on a large scale?*ak | |||
| 01/09/2003 | 9000 | 0 | 03/25/2002 |
| I have an alignment problem with my new body style 2002 dodge ram 1500. it pulls right dangerously, and puts everyone on the road at risk. i have had independent alignment shops verify and check my alignment, and they have found no problem but identify the symptoms. dodge is not being very helpful in solving the problem. the local reps are waiting for the regional reps and so on, i get told to sit tight, while nothing happens. i have an appt on 5/6 for another inspection. *nlm | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - POWER STEERING FLUID | |||
| 07/22/2007 | 41367 | 2 | 07/31/2002 |
| Power steering failed twice. once in town and again on a major hwy at high speed. rack and pinion failure both times. no accident occurred in either instance, but very difficult to drive a truck home when you are still 400 miles from there with no power steering on a sunday. very dangerous situation in traffic. *tr | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 12/10/2007 | 54000 | 45 | 05/13/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact noticed a large red-colored fluid underneath the front driver side near the engine compartment. he took his vehicle to a local mechanic and was informed that the seals in the power steering rack failed and needed to be replaced. one month later, while the vehicle was in park, the contact noticed a larger puddle of power steering fluid. the dealer and manufacturer were unable to assist. the vehicle has not been repaired. the current mileage was 65,603 and failure mileage was 54,000. | |||
| 08/06/2005 | 1 | 08/09/2002 | |
| Power steering leaking, i had it in to be repared once already and is leaking again. *nm | |||
| 06/17/2003 | 1 | 06/17/2003 | |
| While trying to drive around a curve the driver tried to brake and the vehicle pulled to the right. the vehicle also bounced which made it difficult to control the vehicle. the driver was able to regain control of the vehicle. this happened the same day after purchasing the vehicle. dodge, ram, 1500 quad cab. *ak | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - KNUCKLE - SPINDLE - ARM | |||
| 09/28/2002 | 14000 | ||
| My husbands 6 month old dodge ram 1500 2002 tire came off while driving and caused a terrible accident. i was behind him in my car and had to pull him out of the truck. the aluminum spindal broke in half. whcih many mechanics have looked at it and stated that this is what caused this truck to wreck. the airbags defaulted his body impression was in the steering wheel. the front left tire came completely detached from vechile. | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||
| 12/05/2003 | 47000 | 1 | 01/01/2002 |
| The tires showed signs of excessive wear, the vehicle was taken to the shop for a front alignment and the technician indicated the passenger and driver side tie rods needed to be replaced.*ak this was after the 2nd set of tires were installed. soon after a service maintenance flier was received in the mail to inspect tie rod ends at 30,000 miles. the dealership was the only place to purchase the tie rod ends at $134.00 a piece. *cb *jb | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 01/08/2008 | 70000 | 3 | 01/02/2002 |
| Too much moving around with the steering , from side to side you have to grab wheel if possible with your feet. *tr | |||
| 02/12/2007 | 30000 | 2 | 07/28/2002 |
| I have suffered two major system failures in my 2002 dodge ram 1500, both of which resulted in a complete lock of the steering while driving. in both instances, first at 30,000 km in feb 04, and now at 72,000 km in feb 07, the power steering rack has broken, resulting in a catastrophic failure, requiring a king kong grip on the steering wheel simply to turn the wheel even one inch. the first failure was covered by chrysler under the three year warranty, but this one is not being covered under the powertrain warranty. both failures were luckily at low speed, but if this happens again in two years, i pray that it does not happen at highway speeds. i have seen numerous other complaints on carcomplaints.com for the same failure, and there is another dodge ram at the dealer right now with the same break down. *jb | |||
| 01/17/2007 | 68000 | 2 | 02/15/2004 |
| Tl* - the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact's vehicle was leaking fluid from the rack and pinion. the first leak occurred at 68,000 miles which was a minor leak on the driver side of the vehicle. the contact was advised by the mechanic that the rack and pinion should be replaced. the contact stated that the rack and pinion should not have failed at a mileage of 70,000. then there was a major leak on the passenger side after the repair shop diagnosed the vehicle. the contact is aware that there is no recall on the nhtsa website for his vehicle. *jb | |||
| 06/10/2006 | 72000 | 1 | 01/20/2005 |
| Driving down the road my truck hit a pothole not big at all and jumped in the other lane and i ended up in someone's front yard. *nm | |||
| 01/01/2006 | 72000 | 1 | |
| Rack & pinion steering leaking on left side. transmission rough. no dash lights. blower motor works seldom. dangerous and expensive repairs. seems like these have widespread transmission and electrical problems. *jb | |||
| 08/20/2005 | 41000 | 1 | 07/07/2002 |
| Sudden and complete failure of rack and pinion steering unit on 2002 dodge ram 1500 pickup truck. seal failure caused immediate loss of power steering fluild. caused loss of control on highway. under different circumstances, this might have been catastrophic. was able to regain control of the vehicle and slow to a stop along the side of the highway, but only after venturing into the oncoming lane of traffic. research on the internet has brought to light many related complaints, including steering failures that have resulted in injury and death. | |||
| 12/26/2004 | 114000 | 2 | |
| I am now in the process of having the rack and pinion replaced for the second time. the first time the rack and pinion went out and this time was during driving the vehicle in four wheel drive in the snow. the first occurance was at 40,000 miles when we had 6 inches of snow and this time was at 114,000 miles in 8 inches of snow. this vehicle is how i make a living and is not used for recreational off roading. the damage to the rack and pinion occured during regular four wheel driving on city streets. *ak | |||
| 01/23/2004 | 14275 | 1 | 09/16/2002 |
| Speedometer stopped functioning. found that sensor on top of differential was dislodged and oil was coming from differential. took truck to dealer. dealer replaced differential, pinion bearing, and sensor. *la | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 09/29/2003 | 1 | 02/01/2002 | |
| 2002 dodge ram 1500 quad cab, steering wheel is pealing apart, the leather is pealing off causing my hands to stick to the steering wheel , very distracting & uncomfortable. *la | |||
| Consumer called copalining about having problems with steering. also stated that while driving the vehicle the steering wheel lock's up.dealer was contacted and stated that will not fix the vehicle because there is no recall. mr | |||