2003 DODGE RAM PICKUP

CRACKED DASH. *TR

I HAVE 2003 DODGE RAM 4X4 PICK UP THAT I BOUGHT NEW. I HAVE HAD 4 REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURES: 1ST 9/18/07 WITH 83834 MILES, 2ND 6/19/08 WITH 95894 MILES, 3RD 7/17/09 WITH 117481 MILES AND 4TH 7/22/10 WITH 144125 MILES. ALL 4 WERE CAUGHT EARLY WHEN I FIRST HEARD WHINING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. ALL REPAIRS WERE DONE AT MY LOCAL DODGE DEALER. EACH REPAIR TOOK AT LEAST TWO DAYS. I HAVE HAD MANY VEHICLES, SEVERAL I'VE DRIVEN TO OVER 200K MILES AND HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH REAL DIFFERENTIALS. SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE. A TOTAL REAR DIFFERENTIAL COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS CRASH. I ENTERED THE DATE OF THE FIRST INCIDENT BELOW IN THE ?APPROXIMATE INCIDENT DATE? FIELD. OBVIOUSLY IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE SUBSEQUENT FAILURES. *TR

I AM A BATTALION CHIEF WITH A FIRE DEPARTMENT AND RECENTLY HAD A DODGE RAM WITH SIGNIFICANT FRONT END DAMAGE AND NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST INSTANCE OF THIS HAPPENING WITH A DODGE RAM PICK-UP I WOULD LIKE TO SEND YOU SOME PICTURES OF THIS MOST RECENT ACCIDENT IF YOU WOULD LIKE. *TR

PURCHASED TRUCK IN DECEMBER AND NOTICED AT THAT TIME THE SPIDER CRACKS IN THE DASHBOARD. I WILL TRY TO APPLY ADHESIVE AND A MOLDED DASHBOARD TO HOLD IT TOGETHER. EVENTUALLY THE DASH MAY COME INTO PIECES AND PRESENT AN ELECTRICAL HAZARD, SO I WANT TO TRY TO PREVENT THIS WITH THE DASHBOARD KIT. *TR

Mileage: 89,500

2003 DODGE RAM DASHBOARD IS CRACKING. CONSUMER STATES THAT DASHBOARD HAS NOT ONLY CRACKED BUT HAS COLLAPSED LEAVING THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM EXPOSED. CONSUMER STATES THAT DEALER DENIES ANY KIND OF HELP FOR THIS PROBLEM. *KB

2003 DODGE RAM DASHBOARD IS CRACKING. CONSUMER STATES THAT DASHBOARD HAS NOT ONLY CRACKED BUT HAS COLLAPSED LEAVING THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM EXPOSED. CONSUMER STATES THAT DEALER DENIES ANY KIND OF HELP FOR THIS PROBLEM. *KB

UPON CHANGING THE SPARE TIRE, THE MECHANISM BROKE AND I AM NOT ABLE TO PUT THE SPARE TIRE BACK IN PLACE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE SPARE TIRE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE MECHANISM. *NM

MY VEHICLE VEERS TO THE RIGHT SEVERLY. IT STARTED OUT AS A MILD PULL AND NOW IT IS A CONSTANT STRUGLE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE GOING STRAIGHT. I HAVE TAKEN TO 2 DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS. WORK DONE BOTH WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED - BOTH U JOINTS REPLACED - ALL 4 BRAKES REPLACED ( AT MY EXPENSE VEHICLE UNDER 30,000 MILES ) - TIRES EXCHANGED WITH NEW - FRONT END ALLIGNMENT ( I PAID FOR AS WELL ) TRUCK STILL HAS PROBLEM AND THE DEALERSHIPS CANNOT FIX PROBLEM. TOLD TO DEAL WITH IT. *NM

Mileage: 100

NORMAL BRAKE USAGE WITH NO AGGRESSIVE DRIVING. A FEW PANIC STOPS WHERE THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WAS USED. SEVERE BRAKE SHUDDER CAUSES SUSPENSION HOP - UNSAFE TO DRIVE ESPECIALLY IN WET - OR WINTER CONDITIONS. REPLACED FRONT PADS AND ROTORS TWICE. 1ST REPLACEMENT AT 21.5K MILES UNDER TSB. 2CD REPLACEMENT AT 29.3K MILES WAS PURCHASED BY OWNER (WARRANTY WOULD NOT BE HONORED). 2003 TRUCK HAS 29K MILES.

Mileage: 21,517

NORMAL BRAKE USAGE WITH NO AGGRESSIVE DRIVING. A FEW PANIC STOPS WHERE THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WAS USED. SEVERE BRAKE SHUDDER CAUSES SUSPENSION HOP - UNSAFE TO DRIVE ESPECIALLY IN WET - OR WINTER CONDITIONS. REPLACED FRONT PADS AND ROTORS TWICE. 1ST REPLACEMENT AT 21.5K MILES UNDER TSB. 2CD REPLACEMENT AT 29.3K MILES WAS PURCHASED BY OWNER (WARRANTY WOULD NOT BE HONORED). 2003 TRUCK HAS 29K MILES.

Mileage: 21,517

NORMAL BRAKE USAGE WITH NO AGGRESSIVE DRIVING. A FEW PANIC STOPS WHERE THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WAS USED. SEVERE BRAKE SHUDDER CAUSES SUSPENSION HOP - UNSAFE TO DRIVE ESPECIALLY IN WET - OR WINTER CONDITIONS. REPLACED FRONT PADS AND ROTORS TWICE. 1ST REPLACEMENT AT 21.5K MILES UNDER TSB. 2CD REPLACEMENT AT 29.3K MILES WAS PURCHASED BY OWNER (WARRANTY WOULD NOT BE HONORED). 2003 TRUCK HAS 29K MILES.

Mileage: 21,517

NORMAL BRAKE USAGE WITH NO AGGRESSIVE DRIVING. A FEW PANIC STOPS WHERE THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WAS USED. SEVERE BRAKE SHUDDER CAUSES SUSPENSION HOP - UNSAFE TO DRIVE ESPECIALLY IN WET - OR WINTER CONDITIONS. REPLACED FRONT PADS AND ROTORS TWICE. 1ST REPLACEMENT AT 21.5K MILES UNDER TSB. 2CD REPLACEMENT AT 29.3K MILES WAS PURCHASED BY OWNER (WARRANTY WOULD NOT BE HONORED). 2003 TRUCK HAS 29K MILES.

Mileage: 21,517

VEHICLE: 2003 DODGE RAM 1500 2WD, PURCHASED WITH 6000 MILES FROM CARMAX. THE DISC BRAKE ROTORS WERE SLIGHTLY WARPED. THEY WERE PROMPTLY TURNED (CARMAX) AND NOW AT 16K MILES WITH NO EXTRAORDINARY USE HAVE WARPED AGAIN. IN MY OPINION, THIS BRINGS THE DESIGN/MATERIAL USED IN THESE COMPONENTS INTO QUESTION. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH A LOCAL DODGE DEALER AND RECEIVED NO CREDIBLE ANSWERS, MITIGATION, OR SATISFACTION, WHATSOEVER. *AK

Mileage: 16,000

LTR FM WILLIE DODDS (IL) PURCHASED A NEW DODGE RAM 1500 PICKUP 2-DOOR TRUCK MODEL YEAR 2003 BURNED DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL WIRE SHORTAGE SUGGEST NHTSA INVESTIGATE. REPLY DIRECTLY TO THE CONSTITUENT. *MR *SC *JB

VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO A HIGHER SPEED WITHOUT ACCELERATOR PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. WHEN IN SECOND OR THIRD GEAR, AND DRIVER RELEASED THE CLUTCH, VEHICLE ACCELERATED BY ITSELF. WHEN PARKED, BUT IDLING THE RMPS WERE HIGH. *AK

VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO A HIGHER SPEED WITHOUT ACCELERATOR PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. WHEN IN SECOND OR THIRD GEAR, AND DRIVER RELEASED THE CLUTCH, VEHICLE ACCELERATED BY ITSELF. WHEN PARKED, BUT IDLING THE RMPS WERE HIGH. *AK

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY WHEN IT SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR, ROLLED DOWN THE STREET, AND HIT SEVERAL MAILBOXES MADE OF BRICK AND MORTAR. STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED, AND TRANSMISSION WAS IN NEUTRAL.*AK

HEADLIGHTS ON MANY VEHICLES ARE MOUNTED AT A LEVEL EQUAL TO THE EYE LEVEL OF A PERSON DRIVING A STANDARD PASSENGER VEHICLE, THEREBY CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL GLARE, REDUCING ABILITY OF THE PASSENGER VEHICLE DRIVER TO SEE BEYOND THE ONCOMING VEHICLE WITH THE HIGH-MOUNTED HEADLIGHTS. THE GLARE IS EQUALLY DISTRACTING WHEN THE VEHICLE WITH THE HIGH-MOUNTED LIGHTS IS AT THE REAR OF A STANDARD PASSENGER VEHICLE. I IMPLORE CONGRESS TO PASS LEGISLATION RESTRICTING THE HEIGHT OF HEADLIGHTS, OR OTHER LIGHTS PROJECTING A BEAM TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, TO BE LOWER THAN EYE LEVEL OF DRIVERS IN STANDARD PASSENGER TYPE VEHICLES. SUCH A RESTRICTION WILL ALSO AID DRIVERS OF THE TRUCKS AND SUV'S THAT HAVE THE HIGH-MOUNTED LIGHTS BECAUSE IN FOG OR SNOW CONDITIONS THE HIGH-MOUNTED LIGHTS REFLECT GLARE BACK INTO THE SIGHT OF THE DRIVER. *JB

THE VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF PARK INTO REVERSE WHILE PARKED WITH THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE ENGAGED. VEHICLE WAS IDLING. *AK THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO AN IRON POST. *CB *JB

Mileage: 9,500