Chrysler Corporation: Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Cooling Unit and Lines
Chrysler Corporation reported this defect to federal regulators on May 5, 1997 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 960,000. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
UNDER CERTAIN HIGH LOAD OPERATING CONDITIONS, THE TRANSMISSION FLUID TEMPERATURE CAN EXCEED THE MELTING POINT OF THE MATERIAL USED IN THE CONNECTOR TO RETAIN THE FLUID LINE TO THE TRANSMISSION.
The risk
WHEN THESE TEMPERATURES OCCUR, THE FLUID LINE WILL NOT STAY CONNECTED WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND FLUID CAN SPRAY ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD, RESULTING IN SMOKE OR FIRE.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HIGH TEMPERATURE SIDE OF THE TRANSMISSION FLUID COOLER LINE CONNECTOR FITTINGS WITH CONNECTORS THAT INCORPORATE A STAINLESS STEEL RETAINER.
4 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 Dodge Ram | 398 | 11 | 18 | 42 |
| 1996 Dodge Ram | 625 | 14 | 23 | 72 |
| 1995 Dodge Ram | 611 | 16 | 33 | 67 |
| 1994 Dodge Ram | 469 | 22 | 27 | 47 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 97V084000.
Full record for the 1997 Dodge Ram → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →