Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1997 record →
ANTI-SKID BRAKE CONTROL FAILED TO WORK. DEALER INFORMS THIS IS NOT A WARRANTY REPAIRABLE ITEM, NOR IS IT COVERED UNDER CHRYSLER 100,OOO MILE MAXIMUM WRAP WARRANTY. NON WEAR SAFETY COMPONENTS SUCH AS AIR BAGS, ANTI SKID BRAKES, SHOULD BE COVERED THE LENGTH OF THE SERVICE CONTRACT PERIOD. THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT. *AK
VEHICLE HAS WEAK REAR SPRINGS THAT AFFECT DRIVEABILITY/RIDE, DEFECTIVE FROM FACTORY. DEALER, AKA CHRYSLER HAVE ATTITUDE /POLICY TAT FIX VIA TSB # 02-03-97 REV.A IS FIX IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY AT CUSTOMER EXPENSE. AS STATED AT BOTTOM OF TSB. *AK
THE BRAKE PROBLEM HAS BEEN ON GOING SINCE THE FIRST FEW MONTH OF SERVICE. THE FIRST BRAKE FAILURE WAS AT 9557 MILES, THE SECOND FAILURE WAS AT 23,744 MILES AND THE THIRD FAILURE OF THE BRAKES WAS AT 29, 875 MILES. THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, ROTORS GROUND,, NEW REAR AXLE SEALS, AND NEW CALIPERS, PADS,AND BRAKE SHOES HAVE BEEN INSTALLED. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS AND THE DEALER IN TURLOCK AUTO CENTER, TURLOCK, CA. IS ORDERING NEW PARTS AGAIN MAKING THE FOURTH BRAKES ON THIS PICKUP INCLUDING THE ORIGINAL ONES. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY PUT ON BRAKES LIGHTLY AND VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT AND JERKED TO THE OTHER LANE. *AKTHIS PROBLEM OCCURS WITH EACH BRAKING SINCE ABOUT 45000 MILES, THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO GET IT REPAIRED, SOMETIME THE PULLING WHILE BRAKING IS MILD YET SOMETIMES IT IS SEVERE, THE TIRES WERE CHANGED BUT THERE WAS NO EFFECT ON THE BRAKING. *NLM
ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS TOO LOOSE OR SOFT, AND ON A ROUGH TERRAIN PULLING A TRAILER, IT MAKES THE TRUCK START TO HOP. WHEN IT MAKES THE TRUCK HOP, IT CAUSES THE REAR AXLE DRIVELINE SEAL TO LEAK OIL. THE FACTORY INSTALLED THERMOSTAT IS FAULTY AND MAKES THE TEMPERATURE GO UP AND DOWN BY ABOUT 40 DEGREES. HAD IT REPLACED AND IT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS SET VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE PASSED SET SPEED. DEALER REPLACED CRUISE CONTROL TWICE, AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
TRANSMISSION SEAL FAILURE.
FUEL LINES. VAPOR LOCK FUEL SYSTEM.
WHEN DRIVING AT HWY SPEED THERE IS A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE DUE TO ENGINE ROD COMPLETELY MALFUNCTIONING. *AK
FUEL INJECTION PUMP WENT OUT, CAUSING FUEL A LEAKAGE. *AK
ROD THAT HOLDS THE TIE ROD AND STEERING SYSTEM IS ABOUT TO BREAK WHICH MAY CAUSE NO STEERING ABILITY WHILE DRIVING. THIS COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
DUE TO A DEFECTIVE HEATER, THE WIRING OF THE ELECTRICAL CONTROL MODULE SHORTED AND BURNED OUT THE ALTERNATOR, BATTERY, SOLENOID, TEMPERATURE RELAY AND COMPUTER MODULE, WHICH RESULTED IN SMOKE AND LOSS OF VEHICLE POWER. *AK *YC
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: LT245/75R1 )
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: LT245/75R1 )
CONSUMER WAS SITTING FURTHER THAN 12 INCHES FROM THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG WHEN IT DEPLOYED, CAUSING SEVERE BURNS, BURNING THROUGH LAYERS OF SKIN ON HIS LEFT ARM AND WRIST. *AK
EGR SYSTEM IS POORLY DESIGNED RESULTING IN MULTIPLE FAILURES, FUMES ENTERED INTO ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUSING DAMAGE. MJS
STEERING LOCKS UP AND STEERING WHEEL MUST BE JERKED HARD TO COMPLETE OR STRAIGHTEN WHEEL. *AK
FRONT AXLE AND BRAKES SYSTEM HAVE BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES. WHEN CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND APPLIED THE BRAKES THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS BOUNCING. DEALER COULDN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
CONSUMER HIT A RAILING ON AN ICY ROAD, AND THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE BRAKES / CALIPERS / PADS / ROTORS FAILED. *YC
BATTERY & IGNITION FAILED. *YC
BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE CAUSED CALIPER, PAD, DRUM AND SHOE FAILED. YH
DRIVERS SEAT BOTTOMS OUT. NLM
REAR RETAINER STRAP THAT HOLDS THE FUEL TANK BROKE, CAUSING FUEL TANK TO DROP, WHICH MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH AXLE AND DRIVESHAFT. ALSO, WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, THEIR VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
REAR VIEW MIRRORS VIBRATE WHILE DRIVING.
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES STEERING WHEEL IS PULLED OUT OF DRIVERS HANDS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY PULLS TO THE LEFT.
2500 WHILE CHANGING GEARS WITH A 5-SPEED MANUAL TRAN. YOU COULD HEAR A POPING SOUND COMMING FROM THE DANA 80 REAR AXLE. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP. AND THE PROBLEM WAS THE (2) SPIDER GEARS IN THE REAR AXLE WERE MADE TO LARGE AND WHERE LOOSE AND MAKING A POPING SOUNDS WHEN ENGAGED. ALSO I HAVE A PROPLEM WITH THE INDEPENDENT FRONT SUSPENSION. THE TRUCK WILL NOT STAY IN ALIGNMENT IN FRONT AND IT WEARS OUT THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRES DOWN TO THE STEEL BELTS. I HAVE REPLACED THE FRONT TIRES 3 TIMES AND HAD THE TRUCKS 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT DONE 2 TIMES AND IT STILL IS EATING MY TIRES UP WITHIN A FEW WEEKS AFTER I PUT NEW TIRES ON THE FRONT . THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THIS WAS A VERY BIG PROBLEM WITH THE 2500 AND 3500 4 X 4 CLUB-CAB TRUCKS WITH THE CUMMINS DIESEL MOTOR. *MJS
STEERING IS VERY LOOSE. VEHICLE WANDERS AND GRABS, CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL WHICH RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
BRAKES OVERHEAT AND PULL HARD CONTINUALLY.
WHENEVER THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THEY WOULD KEEP SHATTERING. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER. MECHANIC CHECKED & REPLACED BRAKES. THIS WAS DONE 7 DIFFERENT TIMES. ALSO, THE DRUMS WERE WARPED & WORN. *AK
TIRE BLEW WHILE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT 75 MPH. TWO MORE TIRES WERE FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE.
VEHICLE WANDERED WHILE DRIVING. WHILE WIFE WAS DRIVING ON WET ROAD 5 MPH, TRUCK BEGAN TO HYDROPLANE, IT RAN OFF A ROAD AND WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION.
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A IN HEAD ON COLLISION TRAVELING AT VERY HIGH SPEED IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, RESULTING IN INJURIES TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE OCCUPANT. ALSO VEHICLE TOTALED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
TIRE MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE TREAD TO PEEL AWAY FROM THE STEEL BELTS AT HIGHWAY SPEED SMASHING THE TRUCK FENDERS, SHREDDING THE WHEEL WELLS AND MUD FLAPS, AND TWISTING THE RUNNING BOARDS.
TRANSMISSION SLIPS. DEALER CONTACTED, PUT ON COMPUTER AND STATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. DRIVING DOWN A HILL REPRESENTS A BIG PROBLEM WHEN PULLING A TRAILER. IT WILL NOT HOLD BACK. CONSUMER HAS TO RELY ON BRAKES IN ORDER TO COME OFF OF A HILL. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK TORQUE CONVERTER UNLOCKS AT ANY SPEED WHEN DECELERATING, VEHICLE WILL NOT HOLD BACK EVEN WHEN IN FIRST GEAR, WHEN TOWING A TRAILER AND TRAVELING DOWNHILL, THE BRAKES HAVE TO BE USED, DEALER STATES THIS IS THE WAY THEY ARE BUILT. *SLC
VEHICLE SHAKES VIOLENTLY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. QCAW
ENGINE EXHAUST MANIFOLD FAILURE.
RIGHT FRONT BRAKES DO NOT RESPOND IN A SAFE MANER, CAUSING A HARD PULL TO THE RIGHT WHEN BRAKES ARE HOT. OWNER BELIEVES THAT THE CALIPERS ARE BAD.
VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO KEEP UNDER CONTROL AS TIRE BLEW OUT WITH NO WARNING.
STEERING WHEEL AND WHEELS LOCKS UP WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. CANNOT STOP. ALSO, CAN'T TURN THE WHEELS, HAS TO LET UP THE BRAKES BEFORE THE WHEELS WILL TURN. *AK
TRUCK REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALSO, THE PASSENGER'S SEAT LOCK DID NOT HOLD. *AK
WHILE BRAKING ENGINE SWERVES AND PULLS TO THE RIGHT.
CRUISE CONTROL RANDOMLY SHUTS OFF/STARTS UP AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE TWICE AND STILL NO SOLUTION. *AK
FRONT AND REAR BRAKE MALFUNCTION. VEHICLE PULLS SEVERELY TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. VEHICLE ALSO VIBRATES TO THE POINT OF EXCESSIVE EFFORT BY THE DRIVER TO CONTOL.
TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SERVICED OR REPAIRED FOUR TIMES.
TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION.
RECALL COMPONENT FAILURE PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE RESULTING IN FIRE, RECALL REPAIRS AFTER INCIDENT WERE NOT PERFORMED PROPERLY (97V-126). MJS
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1997 Dodge Ram 2500 → · Every Ram 2500 year → · How the figures are calculated →