I own a 1997 dodge ram 1500 w/93,000 on it the problems began the radiator $250 just for the part went bad then transmission went out dodge is infamous for the transmission problems I had to pay $1900 to get it fixed after that was done the fuel rail & o ring started to leak another well know defect on chrysler vehicles my truck was visibly losing gas & obviously dangerous there is no way to repair the defective cap you have to buy the whole fuel rail from the dealer for $300 just for the part. I think that is not only ridiculous but dangerous & an obvious problem with other chyrsler vehicles & yet nothing has been done.
1997 Dodge RAM 1500 transmission complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 56, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Transmission failure at 62000. Dealership in hammond, la would not work with me to replace. Had it replaced at an independent repair shop at the cost $2300.00 .
Consumer complained about a transmission problem. Transmission did not shift from second to third gear intermittently.
Right rear axle assembly sheared causing engine to stall/loss of steering/control of the wehicle. Truck bed was empty and traveling at approx. 60mph; upon occurence vehicle rolled 3 times on busy highway; both driver and passenger injured
Early transmission failier. 1997 dodge ram 1500 slt. Mileage: 62823. Automatic transmission dealership requested transmission replacement. Torque converter lock up and metal in fluid pan was diagnosis.
Transmission problems headlight switch problems front hub assembly oxygen sensors paint chipping and fading burns oil worst than advertised fuel mileage excessive tire wear prematurely excessive brake wear prematurely
Consumer called about having problems with the rear end that needs the rtp rebuilt. Manufacture stated that there is nothing they can do. Dealer stated that it needs to be rebuilt. *ph the rear pinion seal leaked differential fluid and the rear differential was very noisy. The dealer noticed that the carrier bearings and ring and pinion were worn. *scc
Wheels were locking up and almost caused an accident. He took it to the mechanic, had to have axle bearing s replaced.
Transmission has been rebuilt three times since buying new. Has 85000 miles on it. Dodge will not respond to emails
Auto. Transmission going out at 51,000 miles
Dodge has known about this problem when the manufacturer sent out a bulletin stating since april all transtec gasket sets and over haul kits have contained an updated seal for the direct(front) clutch. This seal has a wider base than previous seal this is to compensate for the groove that has possibly been machined incorrectly from the factory it has been proven in extensive field testing to correct delay in reverse slipping 2-3 and no 2-3 complaints transtec #28313 is made of viton to resist wear and heat deterioration all transtec kits with the date code of e99 or later contain the new part. *ts *nlm *dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12-12-02 cut over to artemis***769353
Transmission failed two weeks after routine service (fluid change, new filter, band adjustment). Had no previous driveability problems before service. Fluid level and condition checked monthly since truck was purchased (new) in march, 1997. Mr
This is the second complete transmission failure on this vehicle. The first failure was at 66174 miles. So the factory replacement lasted only 1335 miles. This truck is used primarily for transportation and driven primarily on the highway. It has rarely been used for other than very light duty use and even then the manufactures recommended limits have never been exceeded. The first incidence of transmission failure was reported due to the inability of the dealer to diagnose the problem after four repair trips and until catastrophic failure of the transmission. The replacement transmission also completely failed and had to be replaced within 1335 miles.
While pulling onto a ramp rear wheel locked up. Vehicle taken to a repair shop, and informed consumer that pinion gear sheared off in rear end. Dealer and the manufacturer were notified. *ak the vehicle made a noise when accelerating uphill, the heat shield broke and was fixed. The transmission locked up.
Consumer states that the transmission has broken down three times, two of which the transmission had to be rebuilt, consumer also states that there is grinding in the driveshaft.
No summary listed for above vehicle.
Why hasnt there been a recaal on the transmissions.
Transmission slippage. Transmission govenor replaced at a cost of $450 (included a transmission service which I didn't authorize but assumed was done as part of the repair). Called chrysler regarding what I deemed an inappropriate failure and recieved a refund for parts & labor to replace govenor only. Was not told by the dealership of the recall (#722) on the transmission coolant quick connect. Was informed of the recall by chrysler when they called me to tell my check was being mailed. Have since experience one episode of weird transmission noises when my vehicle was put into reverse (backing out of the driveway). Have since researced this problem and found it endemic to 97 dodge rams. Waiting any day now for total tramsmission failure. I agree with those of you who relate to this vehicle as a lemon -- will never again buy another american made vehcile until they begin concerning themselves with quality and reliability. Nlm
My fuel pump quit working, had to have truck towed to dealer to fix,(under warranty) while there I complained about transmission (banging going into 3rd gear,drive shaft clunk), was told we serviced tranny, everything ok. Truck was still acting the same.then at 33,000/34,000 mi.trany started shifting erratic from 2-3rd gear,had dealer check and reservice trany, scan system, they road tested vehicle, said everything is ok. Now the next day,trany slips going into 3rd gear,(engine overreaves between 2-3rd gear). Called dealer and was told they would charge me to look at it again. I talked to a couple of trany shops and was told dodge has defective transmissions, for my year vehicle.
Engine has always pinged on regular gas - 5+ trips to dodge for service and they never fixed the problem. At one point, they poured fuel injector cleaner in the engine which is something they tell you not to do when you purchase the vehicle. Air conditioning system completely shot at 50,000 miles in october, 2001. A month later, my rear-end went up at a cost of $1345. Two weeks later, my transmission went up at a cost of $1700. In june of 2001, my fuel pump went up at a cost of $216. I did not have any of these repairs done at dodge although I purchased dodge parts because they have never fixed anything without either screwing up something else or just not properly repairing the problems. I called their service department for repair prices and they were much higher than independent service shops. I wrote them for assistance with these repair costs but they would not assist me because repairs were not done at dodge. They said I should have asked them for help first but I could not wait for a response from them because I needed my vehicle right away. I also did not trust them to properly repair my vehicle. Of course, my truck was out of warranty for all of the problems. I even took them to small claims court for the engine ping they could not correct and they brought in 4 high dollar lawyers, so, of course, iost the case. I have not yet had my air conditioner repaired. I am going to contact them to see if they will repair it with some financial assistance although I am not sure if I should trust them at this point. I have spent a total of $3,331 in repairs over the past 3 months and am not finished yet. What a lemon! They also could not perform a simple oil change properly-they did not replace the oil plug and the oil was leaking.
While driving, engine check light remains illuminated, indicating a malfunction within the system. *ak the engine light came on again, the vehicle would not go over 40 MPH. The dealer found out that the transmission had failed and replaced it, but it failed again after 6000 miles and was replaced on warranty.
Transmission cooling system failed... Two transmissions later they discover the problem. The first failure at 24000 was under warranty, the second failure at 48000 they claimed was out of warranty and cost me $1500... This problem is prevelant in most 1997 (1500 dodge rams,gas). Just ask a stranger driving one. Feel free to call me 1‑530‑332‑9565. No one is doing anything about it.
Dodge replaced the first transmission at 24000 miles, at 48000 the transmission failed again. They claimed it was aout of warranty and charged me $1500. The very day it left the dealership it began to act up again. They took another look and found that the transmission cooling system was sporadically clogging up. They replace the radiator and so far so good. Transmissions like my model have been failing on many dodges. Nobody has done anything about it. If you have a problem feel free to call me at [xxx]. Ask someone who drives a 1997 dodge ram 1500 (gas) if they have had a problem.*ak parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
After replacing transmission, transmission failed again. Consumer was driving approximately 65mph and vehicle just gradually started slowing down. Consumer coasted to side of road with engine still running, but not able to go in any gears. Transmission was replaced 1-22-00. *ak vehicle experiences several transmission problems, there have been recalls amongst the repairs, driveshaft broke while driving, consumer states that chrysler corp has no records of a transmission being sent to new country dodge where the replacement took place, transfer case was retorqued, consumer had taken vehicle to dealer many times prior to complete transmission failure and dealer could not remedy problems. Clunking noise under vehicle, dealer replaced front swaybar links. O2 sensor replaced. Consumer stated at times he hadto hit the starter with a hammer to get it to work, ignition coil failed, and battery failed. Vehicle stalls when coming to a stop, check engine light illuminated. Excessive amounts of fuel used, distributor cap was replaced, vehicle also backfiring. Brakes grinding, front brake pads were metal to metal, rotor was scored badly, dealer replaced front pads and both rotors.
Transmission was slipping out of gear , and transmisson would wind in reverse. Vehicle taken to dealer, and informed consumer that transmission needed major repairs. Please feel free to provide any further details on this matter.
No mechanical problems up to this point. No safety defect.
Transmission cooling line which connects to radiator has no circulation. This causes vehicle to overheat, damaging transmission. Consumer has contacted dealer. Please rprovide any further details.
Repairs were made to the transmission of this vehicle due to whining noise from cold transmission when in reverse. Symptoms and repairs pertain to technical service bulletins 21-08-99 and 21-11-97 rev. A. Repair shop is doing quite a number of these repairs. Repair cost $500 and 4 days of down time.
Premature failures on transmission on dodge ram pickups 1995-1997. Redesigned parts by dodge because of know failure rate leads to high dollar repairs because of part compatiblity.
No summary listed for above vehicle.
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