Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 05/05/2005 | |||
| I had to replace the upper and control arms ( both sides) because the tires where wearing uneven. i do not drive this pick-up off road! if you look at the lack of size to the ball joints, it is amazing they lasted 3 years. | |||
| 03/09/2009 | 37000 | 1 | |
| Started in 2005 with a blown lifter at 37000 miles. in 2008 the lifters,valves on one side blew as did the head. dodge claimed i wasn't changing oil properly as it was full of sludge. the oil pump and sump clogged resulting in all the damage. $3800.00 to repair. in march 2009 lifters blew again. cost $600.00 to repair. shortly after that the oil pressure dropped. i changed the oil and it was full of sludge. i have been changing the oil every 1500 miles since march 2009 using rinsoline to try and clean motor. it still takes s 6-10 seconds after start to get oil pressure to motor. lifters are tapping again and i am sure they are ready to go. i have changed the oil using castrol syntec 5-30 every 3000-4000 miles since i bought truck new in 10/2001. i believe the sludge issue is due to a faulty engine design on the 4.7 l v8 dodge used. i know find there are many people having the same issue. i feel the nhtsa should look into this issue. thank you *tr | |||
| 10/30/2009 | 98638 | 1 | |
| I have a 2002 dodge ram 1500 4.7l 2wd quad cab. on october 30th, my vehicle decided it was ganna let go of three sensors all at once. an ignition, timing, and ??hyac?? , cost me almost 750$ in parts and labor at my local dealership. one (1) week later my truck began to overheat. upon inspection, i found a hairline fracture in the radiator fill reservoir stem. i came to the conclusion that the overheating was due to a pressurization problem. after that was fixed and the truck was running my radiator exploded under normal operating temperatures. after the radiator and the water pump and thermostat were replaced and i had the truck running again i drove down the road to provide sufficient circulation of the fluids and out of the sudden string of events it started to emit white smoke and i was running out of radiator fluid all due to a ruptured head gasket. after replacing all of the top end engine gaskets and the cylinder head bolts, i started up my truck again and it ran great for about two (2) minutes and grinded, choked, tinged, panged, banged and finally sputtered to a stop. i started from the top of the engine,...again....and found that my cam shaft gear had spun on the camshaft and sheared the cam lobe that is suppose to lock it into place. i havent touched it since and all together my family has payed 1700$ just to have a broken vehicle in our driveway. *cn | |||
| 03/28/2007 | 93000 | 4 | |
| Purchased 2002 dodge ram used. at first service interval, rack and pinion boots were leaking, main seal was shot. also had manifold leak, along with a steering problem that causes shaking at 40 mph. steering problem still remains, and there is a loud rattle that the dealership cannot find. this vehicle has been a nightmare, most recently, my fuel pump decided to quit working. also, the interior trim, namely the hand grips on the driver and passenger door have been replaced numerous times, due to the cheap plastic that is used as a holding ring. do not purchase this type of vehicle. have had nothing but headaches with the truck, from the simple things, to the expensive things...was just told that my head gaskets are shot as well, have spent thousands on this truck, with no returns, do not get this year/model of ram 1500. *jb | |||
| 06/02/2006 | 29000 | 1 | 11/20/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked, there was a strong odor of gasoline present. upon initial inspection, no leaks were detected. the contact alerted the dealer who instructed the contact to start the engine and upon doing so, flames erupted from the engine compartment. the fire quickly spread consuming the vehicle. no injuries were sustained, but the vehicle was a total loss. the fire department was alerted, and extinguished the flames. the police were on the scene and a report was taken. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where a factory representative inspected the vehicle. the findings of the inspection were not divulged. the manufacturer was notified. | |||
| 10/01/2005 | 1 | 09/09/2003 | |
| Dt: contact states the check engine light keeps coming on due to the transfer pump and diesel injector pump malfunctioning. he contacted the local dealership, and they told him to wait until the light comes on again, and then bring the vehicle to dealer to be checked. the contact never knows when the light will come on, and does not want to be stranded in a dangerous situation. he has not contacted the manufacturer. *ak | |||
| 05/27/2005 | 52000 | 2 | 05/20/2002 |
| At 42000 miles the oil pressure gauge started dropping at the top of a hill. in less then a minutes the truck shut itself down. i drifted down the hill and tried to start it. there was no response. i called the dealer and had it towed. they requested all receipts for oil changes and ordered a new engine. they had said that thier mechanic put a breaker bar on it and couldn't move the engine. it had seized. when the new engine arrived a week later the mechanic went out to pull it in to swap engines. he forgot and tried to start it and it started right up. they called me and told me to pick it up that there was nothing wrong with it. at 52000 miles my engine began knocking. i took it to the dealership garage. before even touching the vehicle the garage requisted all oil change receipts. which i supplied to them. after removing the oil pan the service manager informed me that there were pieces of bearings in the oil pan and that the engine had to be replaced for around $5200. he then stated that my extended warranty would not cover it due to sludge in the bottom of the oil pan. he believed the oil to be changed incorrectly. | |||
| 08/27/2004 | 61000 | 10 | 04/23/2002 |
| Purchased 2002 quad cab with 23 miles form turlock auto plaza in april 2002, started noticing problems right away, door locks not unlocking, windows not operating, engine stalling, transmission slipping, radio intermittantly working, etc... visited 3 local dealerships. final diagnosis gremlins ??? cannot duplicate problem . even though they themselves noted the transmission slipping. on august 27, 2004 engine blew up, on a major mountainous highway in the slow lane, vehicle was towed to turlock dodge. service advisor stated the vehicle would be covered under warranty as long as there were no modifications to the vehicle. on several occasions it was stated the vehicle would be covered and parts were ordered. however when the regional rep for daimler chrysler went to see the vehicle. he denied on grounds that oil sludge was present and stated an engine can't do that according to turlock dodge mechanic?, eventhough the truck was sitting in a puddle of normal looking oil. and the sludge was only in the pan. rep refuses to contact us, to tell us why hes refusing on grounds of sludge. considering this can happen when crank bearings go out. we have been refused by daimler chrysler,and the dealership to cover under warranty even though we have not reached our warranty limit. also be aware as of 2002 daimler chrsyler is no longer participating in the lemon law program.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 08/01/2008 | 85000 | ||
| 2002 dodge ram 1500 quad cab has a surging problem at highway speed. the check engine light will come on and it is read as transmission fluid pressure sensor. this was replaced with a factory sensor and within 2 weeks it did it again. after 200 miles the light went out and the surging stopped only to start and stop repeatedly up to this date, 8/23/2010. how can a sensor repair itself? impossible! mileage at first check engine light was less than 100,000. also dash is cracked to a completely unacceptable level for the age of the vehicle and mileage on dash at 138,000 with care taken to keep it clean and conditioned.cracks began at 85,000 miles. wipers when operating on high will lower speed and will continue to change from high to low intermittently unless they are turned off and turned back on several times. do not consider this safe in any way. intermittent wiper use with delay feature seems to be completely okay. air conditioner will only blow cold air on driver's side and blows warm air on passenger side. after 45 minutes of a/c use, roaring sound issues from the vents and a gradual decrease in all air begins until only wisps of air escapes from driver side vents. | |||
| 02/14/2010 | 81086 | 1 | |
| 2002 dodge ram 1500 4.7 engine defect defective cylinder heads, loss of oil pressure engine lock up with loss of power steering and power brakes i have found hundreds of reports of engine failure they most often start with a cylinder misfire and go from their. *tr | |||
| 01/27/2009 | 62000 | 1 | |
| Check engine light came on code says its related to a condenser fan and wiring harness problem there is a technical service bulletin out on it and dealer says it is not covered. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | |||
| 02/08/2008 | 146000 | 4 | 01/12/2002 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram quad cab. the contact stated that the radiator was leaking on the side or underneath the vehicle. the failure occurs everytime the vehicle is driven. the contact has not taken the vehicle to the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 146,000. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 07/21/2008 | 83893 | 1 | |
| We had a tune-up and plug change 6/27/08, a month later 7/21/08 the engine started making a tapping noise. pulled over, lifted hood and found an oil fill cone stuck in the oil fill and the oil cap stuck up under the side wall. the dealership found that the rocker arm had come off, reinstalled the rocker arm and did an oil change at no charge to us. 4/23/09 the check engine light came on, code p0300 and we paid to replace the #6 rocker arm. 7/13/09 the check engine light came on again p0300. dealership added treatment and decarboned the engine. on 8/2/09 the check engine light came on again p0300. tried to drive the vehicle to the dealership 8/3/09 and the oil pressure dropped off to zero. we called dealership & advised of problem, that we did not want to drive it in and would have the vehicle towed. vehicle towed to dealership on 8/5/09. dealership didn't even look at the truck until 8/10/09. they replaced the head gasket, did a valve job, replaced the oil switch, thermostat and water pump. the truck was picked up from the dealership on 8/18/09. on 8/22/09 when started the truck made the tapping noise again. on 8/24/09, i notified the dealership of the noise and was told to it should resolve itself and bring it in only if it makes the noise again. on 8/31/09 the truck made the tapping noise again on start up. vehicle taken back to dealership on 9/1, told 9/3 that another rocker arm was going bad. the dealership said they would fix but when asked what was causing the rocker arms to keep coming off was due to engine sludge. since i could not document every single oil change (at least half done by owner) the dealership could attest to the maintenance of the vehicle. *tr | |||
| 07/15/2009 | 1 | ||
| 2002 dodge ram 1500 4.7 engine. i have 3 complaints. the first is the engine oil pressure dropping to 0. i understand from looking at complaint sites a lot of people are having this problem. many have had to replace the engines. my other problem is cosmetic. the dash in my truck is cracked in about 8 places. i have talked to others and they are having the same issues. the third complaint is the radiator failed and had to be replaced. it had plastic tanks which cracked. i think chrysler should make these problems right. *tr | |||
| 02/17/2007 | 91000 | 1 | 07/03/2004 |
| I'm a mechanic i change the oil regularly with valvoline and the engine sludges up . this weekend went out of town and the engine lost oil pressure causing it to blow up resulting in my family getting stranded 400 miles from home. it took four days and a 1000.00 to get it back home and now it sits in my driveway because i don't have the money for a new engine . 2002 dodge ram 4.7l . *nm | |||
| 09/17/2003 | 78500 | 1 | 01/18/2002 |
| My oil pump went out on my 2002 dodge ram 1500 quad cab and dodge dealership and daimler chrysler state they are not responsible. it is still under warranty. they say it is due to sludge in the engine from lack of oil changes. i had the oil changed from service centers. the damage is over $1000.00 *jb | |||
| 09/04/2003 | 14440 | 15 | 05/24/2002 |
| I have had my dodge ram quad cab in for service over 15 times for rust, wiring, two recalls, engine lights, bad gas cap, bad steering wheel, and list continues....*ak | |||
| 11/10/2002 | 1010 | 2 | 09/24/2002 |
| Check engine light keeps coming on. *nlm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - DIESEL | |||
| 03/10/2004 | 23300 | 02/13/2002 | |
| I have 2002 ram 2 wheel drive with a high output turbo diesel. the check engine light came on at 23300 mile, it used 14 gallons of diels to go 56 miles. when i took it to the dealer they sayed the fuel injector pump was bad and it will be fixed free under warranty. the only other complaint is that the doors whisle and it is being looked at by consumer affairs to be fixed.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 10/21/2004 | 51000 | 1 | 08/19/2002 |
| Engine failure. *jb | |||
| 11/18/2004 | 11000 | 3 | 05/04/2002 |
| 2002 dodge ram 4wd 4 door currently on third engine after 2 drive train failures. today the engine began making thudding noises, the vehicle bucked and the engine light was blinking. further, when the front tire hits a small pot hole or other road deformity, the vehicle abruptly veers requiring drastic counter steering to correct, often nearly out of control. repeated attempts to inform daimler-chrysler corp. have met with indifference and failure to acknowledge problem exists. i am concerned for my safety as well as my family's safety whenever i drive this vehicle. keith bills.*ak | |||
| 09/12/2003 | 33 | 1 | 08/10/2002 |
| Have owned 02 ram 1500 quad cab short bed for over a year now. after purchasing in aug 02 had immediate problems with front end vibration/skip. dealership replaced 3 sets of rims and 4 sets of tires, skip seams to be gone. however, continue to have vibration/shake at 40 mph and above, seems as if it is a drive train or engine problem but milton dodge in milton florida states there is no problem. if a water bottle is sitting in the cup holder you can really tell had bad the truck vibrates/shakes. have over 12 dealer service invoices where they have tried to correct with no success. *ph | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 07/02/2003 | 12000 | 12 | 05/06/2002 |
| During heavy rain, or in a car-wash, or running through too large of a puddle of water, the serpentine belt begins slipping an excessive amount. it will slip enough to cause the gauge that is showing the charge level to drop noticeably, and it will sometimes drop to the point of no longer showing charging at all. at this point the check engine light is also displayed, and it is now necessary to turn the ignition off and restart the truck to reset the gauge and light and have it begin displaying properly again. during a heavy downpour of rain, this problem occurred again as i was going around a curve and the power steering failed. this is obviously due to the fact that the power steering pump is driven by this belt. had there been another vehicle in the oncoming lane of traffic, i would have had an accident that i could not have prevented due to this failure. i am not satisfied with the answer that there is nothing that can be done to correct this problem. this is a truck, and it should be able to handle some water. if this problem truly exists in all trucks like mine, then it is only a matter of time before someone has a serious accident and files a lawsuit against dodge, or even a class-action suit if enough people are really affected by the same problem. had i been in an accident when the power steering failed on my truck, im certain that dodge would have been held liable for both my damages and whomever i had hit. the problem might be resolved by replacing all the pulleys with wider ones and then a wider serpentine belt , or it might be resolved by adding some type of splash guard, but that would probably not resolve the water coming through the grill. one of my employees has the new hemi dodge truck, and his belt is slightly wider, and he does not have this particular problem. *ak | |||