Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| 191097 | 08/15/1997 | 6088962 | Customer may complain of steering wander. *nlm | 01/11/2000 | |
| 190399 | 05/07/1999 | 190194 | 606349 | Conditions with steering slow to return to center. *tt | 08/17/1999 |
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||||
| 191397 | 11/28/1997 | 6088972 | This bulletin involves lower steering column noise and/or mino lower steering column movement. *nlm | 01/11/2000 | |
| 190897 | 05/30/1997 | 6088951 | Concern with clunk/rattle felt in steering column/wheel. *nlm | 01/11/2000 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 04/15/2002 | 50000 | ||
| Bad plenum gasket. fuel and oil mix. and steering output shaft leaks a the gear box. and truck wont idle in the cold | |||
| 08/18/1998 | 3 | 06/20/1997 | |
| Intermediate shaft was defective, causing steering column to break. after contacting dealer.*ak consumer had the intermediate shaft replaced twice within 20,000 miles. the driver side mirror was loose. because of the noise in the steering while turning, the clock spring was removed and the steering wheel reinstalled. the problem still existed. rear speaker was inoperative and replaced. *jg | |||
| 01/01/2001 | |||
| There is too much play in steering, vehicle taken to dealer 3 times. dealer said this was a characteristic of vehicle.*ak | |||
| 03/25/2001 | |||
| While driving 65-70 mph steering locked, vehicle skidded into tree. after inspecting vehicle mechanic stated steering knuckle had broken and could have caused steering to lock, and in turn accident. | |||
| 10/26/1999 | |||
| No summary | |||
| 10/28/1998 | 7 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 1 | 01/01/1997 | ||
| Steering-loud clicking noise from steering column at all speeds. noticeably load on turns (left or right). battery-first battery died. only 8-9 monty old. green 'idiot' dot on so called 'maintenance-free' battery no longer green. replaced battery at dealership. current battery is also weak! green 'idot' dot is fading away. notice that power door locks churn away trying to lock or unlock doors. won't be long before dealer will replace this second battery!. brakes-vehicle vibrates bad upon applying moderate brake pressure. occurs every time, vehicle doesn't swerve. dearler says, brake rotors may be warped?. of course, this isn't under warranty, i beleive this to be a defect. i have noticed several complaints about the brakes and steering column defects on this site. it's not just me. these are defects!! | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | |||
| 01/05/2000 | |||
| 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. | |||
| 08/24/2000 | 1 | 07/01/1998 | |
| While on vacation in new mexico our steering did not work properly and we had to drive home to pa | |||
| 08/30/2000 | 04/01/1997 | ||
| No summary | |||
| 01/01/1999 | 0 | ||
| Gear box and pitman arm were replaced. currently, vehicle is experiencing premature wear of the tires. *ak | |||
| 10/01/1999 | 1 | 08/01/1999 | |
| Steering gearbox seal failure w/shaft damage, several other truck owners known w/similar damage | |||
| 10/05/1999 | 1 | 04/01/1999 | |
| I have heard of at least three other people who have 1997 dodge's that have had the same failure after the 35,000 to 40,000 mile range | |||
| 04/01/1999 | 1 | 04/01/1997 | |
| Dealer stated i need a new steering box. is this common for my vehicle. dealer stated the part is on backorder. i feel he is not on the level with me. for a 30,000. vehicle, it is a shame that the part went to begin with. i have been waiting 4 weeks and the dealer states it could take up to 2-3 mo. or anytime. how can customers be expected to be without a vehicle this long? i have an extended warranty and the dealer stated that unless they keep the vehicle, i'm not entitled to a rental. i am unable to use my vehicle because it is all over the road. how can a dealer send me home with a vehicle that operates this way? | |||
| 1 | |||
| Steering box failed. | |||
| 01/06/1999 | 2 | ||
| The vehicle would wander. when correcting it, would over correct. the steering wheel is loose. was hooking to fifth wheel, vehicle would drift all over the road. took to dealer & mechanic noticed cracks in steering box. had it repaired. the problem still exists. *ak | |||
| 06/15/1998 | |||
| Consumer complained of steering failure occurring within a 4000 mile of wear. believed this is not considered to be normal. dealer notified and could find nothing. *ak | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX - SHAFT SECTOR | |||
| 04/03/2001 | 21 | 06/02/1997 | |
| Heard loud pop, truck jolted, lost all power steering and all brakes, due to power steering pump shaft shearred, although pump was full of fluid. while turning corner, sector gear box locked up. *ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - PUMP | |||
| 04/03/2001 | 21 | 06/02/1997 | |
| Heard loud pop, truck jolted, lost all power steering and all brakes, due to power steering pump shaft shearred, although pump was full of fluid. while turning corner, sector gear box locked up. *ak | |||
| 02/18/2001 | 1 | ||
| Pulling a horse trailer down an incline while traveling at approximately 5 mph when lost control. dealer repaired defect, and stated that reason for loss of control was shaft in power steering unit sheared. pulley no longer working.. *ak the shaft in power steering shearing was a catastrophic failure. *yh | |||
| 12/16/1997 | |||
| The brakes would make squeaking/grinding noises & not grabbing to stop vehicle. also, structure seams cause leak of water inside of vehicle/steering pump pin had sheared off & the power steering had seized up, and water pump failed. *ak | |||
| 03/16/1997 | |||
| While driving power steering pump went out, causing the vehicle to lose its power steering. cause unknown. | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 12/22/2000 | 1 | ||
| Power steering and brakes went out at the same time while driving, no accident. tried to use emergency brake , did not work either. consumer used gears to stop vehicle. repaired, dodge will not reimburse because repair not done at dodge dealer. *ak dealer replaced steering pump and het assembly for emergency brake. *slc | |||
| 03/15/1997 | 2 | 12/01/1996 | |
| I am very unhappy with this truck,it has been nothing but problems for repair work and out of warranty coast even though it was all ongoing from the day i bought it and paid cash of >36,000 tax and all. no safety defect(s) mentioned in the summary. *ak | |||
| Driver lost control of the steering and went over a cliff. *ak | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES | |||
| 01/01/1999 | 0 | ||
| Gear box and pitman arm were replaced. currently, vehicle is experiencing premature wear of the tires. *ak | |||
| 03/22/1999 | 1 | 03/01/1997 | |
| My wife was turning vehicle around in driveway when steering broke loose resulting in a complete loss of steering control. fortunately this did not happen on the highway at high speeds. mechanic informed me that cause might have been, a bad batch of locktite. service manager later told me the bolt was tight and that this sort of thing should not happen. | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - KNUCKLE - SPINDLE - ARM | |||
| 03/25/2001 | |||
| While driving 65-70 mph steering locked, vehicle skidded into tree. after inspecting vehicle mechanic stated steering knuckle had broken and could have caused steering to lock, and in turn accident. | |||
| 03/25/2001 | 1 | 11/01/1997 | |
| Frontal crash at 65-70 mph, hit a tree, airbag did not deploy. vehicle was totalled.*ak vehicle rolled over and driver was injured, airbag had previously been recalled and replaced. consumer feels the steering knuckle broke, locking tires making it impossible to steer. *slc | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - ROD - RELAY - CONNECTING | |||
| 08/18/1997 | 0 | ||
| Going 60mph when steering connecting rod fell off & rod connecting front wheel fell. was able to steer to side of road; vehicle stopped suddenly; one wheel went one way & the other one opposite. *ak | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 07/01/2000 | |||
| Reoccurring problem with steering column failure, first incident occurred on 16-jun, 1997. reoccurred again. also, needs steering shaft, couping and damper replacement. both vehicles would be repaired at an independent shop. please feel free to provide any further details. *ak | |||
| 07/12/2000 | |||
| Steering column failure, steering would vibrate when turning steering wheel; steering shaft, couping and damper had to be replaced. believed this problem is premature/defected at 47,000 mile of wear. please feel free to provide any further details. *ak | |||
| 07/03/2000 | |||
| While driving steering wheel and column locked up, causing loss of brakes and steering.*ak | |||
| 06/29/1998 | 2 | ||
| Faulty steering column; dealer had to replace two steering columns due to unnecessary noise, and steering wheel became hard to turn. *ak | |||
| 06/01/1999 | 3 | 01/01/1999 | |
| 1. transmission would not shift into overdrive. after keeping the truck for 34 days, dealership finally put in a rebuilt tranny. 2. driver's side mirror vibrates at highway speeds, rendering it useless. dealer blamed it on the bug shield. 3. battery completely died right after warranty expired. 4. front wheels make constant clicking noise...suspect failed bearings. 5. steering wheel made cracking sound when turning to left or right...took several attempts to fix it. truck is total piece of junk! | |||
| 07/09/1998 | |||
| The consumer has been experiencing problems with steering column. the consumer replaced the steering column twice. in addition, when the steering wheel steers, it makes a clunking noise. the manufacturer has been contacted. *ak | |||
| 08/27/1997 | |||
| When driving there was a noise and a popping. vehicle remains under warranty, dealer was notified and stated that the steering column was defective and repaired on two occasions, 8/27/97 and 5/4/98. problem occurs when steering wheel is being turned to make stops and turns, speed limit ranges between 55-65 mph. problem happens continuously. *ak | |||
| 09/23/1996 | 1 | 09/23/1996 | |
| When driving along the vehicle wanders on the road ; also, there seems to be too much play in the steering. *ak | |||