1996 DODGE PICKUP

DT:THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELTS ARE NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER . THE SEAT BELTS ARE TOO CONFINING, AND FIT TOO TIGHTLY AROUND THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE. WHILE WEARING THE SEAT BELTS THEY DO NOT ALLOW PROPER MOVEMENT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE SAFELY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A DEALER TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE SEAT BELTS OR IF IT WAS THE DESIGN OF THE SEAT BELTS. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND THEY SUGGESTED INSTALLING A SEAT BELT EXTENDER. SHE DID NOT HAVE THE SEAT BELT EXTENDER INSTALLED DUE TO THE COST OF THE EQUIPMENT. THE MANUFACTURER CONFIRMED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO COVER THE COST OF THE ADDED EQUIPMENT. SHE NOTICED THE PROBLEM WITH THE SEAT BELTS DIRECTLY AFTER SHE ACQUIRED THE VEHICLE. *AK

Mileage: 24,410

WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY WEATHER, INTERMITTENTLY THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER WOULD FAIL. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *NM

Mileage: 72,000

SMOKE CAME FROM UP UNDER THE DASHBOARD NEAR THE LIGHT SWITCH. REMOVED DASH PANEL TO INSPECT THE SWITCH AND FOUND THAT THE SWITCH TO THE BOTTOM LEFT FIRE WALL WAS BURNED. CONTACTED DODGE DEALER. *MR *NLM *DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS*739168

Mileage: 97,679

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AND BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE ABS WARNING LIGHTS START FLASHING AND THE BRAKES DON'T HOLD. THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT FIX PROBLEM, CAUSE IT CANNOT BE DUPLICATED. MODEL B2200. TS CONSUMER FOUND TSB REGARDING LEAKING VACUUM HOSE AT SPEED CONTROL SERVO LOCATED UNDER BATTERY AND THIS SEEMED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *TT

Mileage: 100,000

THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING. *YH

WHILE DRIVING THE SEAT HINGES ON THE DRIVERS SIDE BROKE CAUSING THE SEATBACK TO COLLAPSE ON DRIVER'S SIDE, DRIVER TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS VERY UNSAFE.*AK THE SEAT HINGE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE BROKE, DEALER REPLACED BROKEN HINGE AT OWNERS EXPENSE. *TT

COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION. OCCURRED PREVIOUSLY WITH GOODYEAR WRANGER A/T.*AK (DOT NUMBER: PJ11CBLV20 TIRESIZE: 245/75R16)

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL ON THROTTLE CABLE AND LINKAGES. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DEALERS SHOP FOR RECALL FIXING, THE FUEL PUMP BROKE, THE DEALER SAID THE CONSUMER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUEL PUMP BREAKING THAT IT WAS BROUGHT INTO THE DEALERSHIP THAT WAY. *YH

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL ON THROTTLE CABLE AND LINKAGES. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DEALERS SHOP FOR RECALL FIXING, THE FUEL PUMP BROKE, THE DEALER SAID THE CONSUMER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUEL PUMP BREAKING THAT IT WAS BROUGHT INTO THE DEALERSHIP THAT WAY. *YH

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL ON THROTTLE CABLE AND LINKAGES. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DEALERS SHOP FOR RECALL FIXING, THE FUEL PUMP BROKE, THE DEALER SAID THE CONSUMER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUEL PUMP BREAKING THAT IT WAS BROUGHT INTO THE DEALERSHIP THAT WAY. *YH

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL ON THROTTLE CABLE AND LINKAGES. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DEALERS SHOP FOR RECALL FIXING, THE FUEL PUMP BROKE, THE DEALER SAID THE CONSUMER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUEL PUMP BREAKING THAT IT WAS BROUGHT INTO THE DEALERSHIP THAT WAY. *YH

THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING. *YH

TRAVELING AT 75 MPH, HIT A BUMP. THIS CAUSED A VIOLENT SHIMMY IN THE FRONT END. THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP CONTROL WAS TO BRAKE ABURTLY. A BULLETIN WAS SENT TO DEALERSHIPS BUT NO ONE CONTACTED THE BUYERS.

LOCK OPENS EVEN AFTER LOCKING THE DOOR. THESE ARE NOT POWER LOCKS, AFTER LOCKING THE DOOR FROM INSIDE, IF YOU PULL THE HANDLE, THE DOOR UNLOCKS BY ITSELF BY PULLING THE HANDLE AND OPENS THE DOOR. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS MY JEANS GOT STUCK IN THE HANDLE OPENED THE DOOR ACCIDENTALLY (PASSENGER) BUT WE WERE GOING SLOW, SO NO INJURIES.

LOCK OPENS EVEN AFTER LOCKING THE DOOR. THESE ARE NOT POWER LOCKS, AFTER LOCKING THE DOOR FROM INSIDE, IF YOU PULL THE HANDLE, THE DOOR UNLOCKS BY ITSELF BY PULLING THE HANDLE AND OPENS THE DOOR. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS MY JEANS GOT STUCK IN THE HANDLE OPENED THE DOOR ACCIDENTALLY (PASSENGER) BUT WE WERE GOING SLOW, SO NO INJURIES.

THE FAILURE AND NEAR FATALITIES INVOLVED THE INSTALLATION OF NAPA BRAKE PADS BY A LOCAL DODGE DEALER. I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE HAD DODGE BRAKE PADS INSTALLED BUT NAPA PADS WERE SUBSTITUTED WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE. THE FAILURE INVOLVED THE INSIDE BRAKE PAD. SOMEHOW, THE INSIDE BRAKE PAD SEPARATED FROM THE METAL PAD PLATE. THEN AT THE MOST INOPPORTUNE TIME, WHEN I NEEDED TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE PAD SLIPPED OUT OF THE CALIPER HOUSING. I WAS ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, TRAVELING ABOUT 60 MPH IN A 4-WHEEL DRIVE PICKUP IN FAIRLY HEAVY TRAFFIC WHEN BRAKE LIGHTS STARTED TO GO OFF. WHEN I SUDDENLY HIT MY BRAKES, THEY WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I WAS HORRIFIED. I HAD NO BRAKING POWER. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I WAS FORCED TO BEGIN DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS TO AVOID CRASHING INTO OTHER VEHICLES, NEARLY ROLLED OVER SEVERAL TIMES AND FINALLY MADE IT TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY. THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS, I WAS DESPERATELY PUMPING MY BRAKES. AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE AN ETERNITY, BUT MOST LIKELY

CONSUMER HAS A 1996 DODGE HEAVY DUTY PICKUP. CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 70MPH, AND REAR PASSENGER'S TIRE SEPARATED. TRUCK STARTED TO SHIMMY BEFORE TIRE BLEWOUT. THERE WAS NO LOSS OF CONTROL. CONSUMER JUST PULLED OVER TO CHANGE TIRE. TIRE SIZE LT245/75R16 AND ORIGINAL TIRES WITH 38,000 MILES. GOODYEAR CUSTOMER SERVICE REFERRED CONSUMER TO BELL TIRE WHICH DID NOT MAKE THE TIRE ANYMORE. SERVICE MEN OFFERED TO REPLACE GOODYEAR TIRES WITH WRANGLER /AT BLACKWALL WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT GOODYEAR WOULD PAY FOR THEM.THEN VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP CONSUMER WHO RECEIVED A BILL OF $320. CONSUMER HAD NO ARGUMENT BECAUSE OF A GOOD DEAL FOR THE SET. CONSUMERS ARE CONCERNED THAT TIRES HAD CAUSED 9-15 DEATHS BASED ON MEDIA INFORMATION. *AK THE TIRE DID NOT BLOW. THE PLY SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE AND STARTED BOUNCING SO THE CUSTOMER COULD NOT CONTROL THE VEHICLE. *YH

I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY AS WELL AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE. THE FAILED COMPONENTS ARE FIRMLY ATTACHED TO THE CHASIS OF THE VEHICLE. AS THERE IS NO ASSOCIATED ACCIDENT THE PART FAILURE IS PREMATURE AND A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. PLEASE ADVISE IF YOU WISH ME TO RETAIN THE PARTS FOR INVESTIGATION. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN THE SUMMARY. *AK

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. WHEN TURNING OFF VEHICLE AND REMOVING KEY FROM IGNITION, CAR WAS STILL RUNNING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED THE FUEL SHUT OFF RELAY & WIRE. ONE WEEK LATER, FIRE OCCURRED AGAIN. CONSUMER FELT THIS HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IGNITION.*AK

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. WHEN TURNING OFF VEHICLE AND REMOVING KEY FROM IGNITION, CAR WAS STILL RUNNING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED THE FUEL SHUT OFF RELAY & WIRE. ONE WEEK LATER, FIRE OCCURRED AGAIN. CONSUMER FELT THIS HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IGNITION.*AK