The events leading up to the failure are unclear at this time because one day I drove the truck and it was fine. It sat for two days and when I drove it to work it wouldn't steer. At first I thought it was the power steering pump but upon inspection that wasn't it. It was however low on fluid a bit but not enough to cause it to be steering the way it was. As I put fluid it I watched it go right through to the bottom of the truck. Further inspection revealed that the steering rack was leaking past a seal and the entire rack had to be replaced. Now this is a 2004 dodge ram 1500 4x4 and should not be having this problem. We don't go off roading with it or anything else that would cause this and for a three year old truck this shouldn't be happening.
2004 Dodge RAM 1500 steering complaints
Page 4 of 4: complaints 71 to 86 of 86, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Engine died twice in 2 1/2 years total loss of steering a 240 lbs man can not turn the wheel after engine dies brakes work fine just no steering.
Vehicle had under 100,000 miles when this started. 1. Power steering pump leaks 2. Sometimes you can't put it in gear after you put it in park.
Steering-at approximately 70,000 miles, the power steering fluid began to require attention. At present, I have to add fluid every 3-4 weeks. My son has a pick-up, same year, same model and has the same problem. Yesterday, in a parking lot, another motorist informed me that, he too, had the same problem, only worse. He pointed to a puddle on the ground-steering fluid.
2004 dodge ram 1500, 62,000 miles, leaking fluid. Took in for service and found it to be the rack and pinion seals had failed and could not be replaced. The entire unit had to be replaced.
At approximately 10,000 miles our 2004 dodge ram 1500 began pulling hard to the right. At highway speeds, the vehicle will cross 4 lanes of traffic within seconds if the driver is not pulling to the left in order to compensate for the right pull. We have had the vehicle aligned several times by different dealerships as well as at alignment shops, and the issue persists. Daimler chrysler claimed the issue was tire related, and we had the tire dealer move tires around repeatedly trying to make the problem go away. We have also replaced tires with no change in the pull. Recently, we noticed the pull is far worse when the vehicle has a full tank of gas, which leads me to suspect weight or weight distribution is a factor. We had steering rack and differential failure at approximately 25,000 miles. Both were replaced and the problem continues to exist. Also, alignment numbers go from within specification to wildly out of specification each time the truck is placed on a rack. This vehicle control issue is 100% repeatable.
Rack and pinion steering.
Rack and pinion steering failure.
This started out with a tire almost being flat. Pumped up the tire at home and took vehicle to a tire shop to be repaired. When the shop took the tire off the truck, they told me the tire is no good, it is leaking through the sidewall. They put my spare on and I went to the goodyear dealer in my town. The goodyear dealer looked at the leak through the sidewall and removed the tire from the rim. There was 2 , 2 inch cuts on the inside of the tire sidewall (1 at the leak) of this tire that he could not explain. He told me a new tire was $180.00 and I asked him to contact goodyear corporate because there is hardly any wear/miles on these tires. He contacted goodyear and 3 days later they said they would replace the tire for $94.00. This tire had 4/32 worn off from it!!! While waiting for goodyear corporate to reply to the local goodyear dealer I took the truck to my local dodge dealer to have them raise the truck on the hoist to check the rest of the tires for a slight bulge on the inner sidewall because of fear of these tires blowing out the sidewall at highway speeds and causing a fatality! They did not see any but before I left they told me to schedule an appointment to get both outer tie rod ends and the left (driver) side lower ball joint replaced! This vehicle was purchased new on 12-31-2003, has 26,600 miles on it and has always been serviced at this dealer.parts and labor were covered by warranty but what is going to fail next?
I was driving down interstate 65 in mobile, al doing a speed of around 65 MPH. Suddenly and without warning, my steering wheel locked-up and I was not able to turn the steering wheel left or right. Thankfully, there were not many cars on the highway and I was able to coast across 3 lanes of the highway, finally stopping in a ditch on an off ramp. The problem that occurred was the power steering pump popped off, wrapped around my serpentine belt, and cracked my head gasket. They replaced all parts that were damaged. One month later, the windshield wiper modulator malfunctioned during a rain storm and I had no wind shield wipers.
Dt: the consumer's 16 year old son was driving the 2004 dodge ram pickup on 5-24-05, and the driver pulled out into traffic to make a left turn. When the steering was turned it kept on going around and around both ways. The steering wheel was connected to nothing at that point. Driver waited till traffic cleared, and driver had to push the vehicle out of the road and wait for the police to come and call a tow truck. The vehicle is now being towed back to the dealership. The owner has been in contact with chrysler, and they would look at the vehicle. Chrysler is looking at the vehicle to see if they can fix it.
This happen to me three times the first time december 2003 two months after I got the vehicle. The second time it happened june 2004, and the third time it happened september 2004. The first time it happened. I was driving down the highway in 4 wheel drive high about 30 to 35 MPH when the truck stalled. I had no indication that it stalled except for loss of power steering. The second time this happened I was driving down a gravel road about 35 to 40mph. I was coming up on a curve in the road, and the vehicle stalled again. Again I lost power steering, and came close to going into the ditch with my 1 year old boy. The third time this happened I was stopped at a stop light when the vehicle stalled. I have taken the vehicle in twice for this, and the dealership said the computer in the engine probrably just reset itself, and there is nothing they can do about it. I have written a letter to dodge, and sent it in with their survey after the last incident, and haven't heard back.
The steering wheel locked up 5 times in 15,000 miles. The steering was repaired and it happened three more times since the repair. Speed has no impact on the steering locking up. It generally happened when the car was warming up just from being started.
My 2004 dodge ram 1500 srt-10 (1/2 ton p/u w viper engine & 22 inch wheels) is subject to very serious over-steering.*ak tku
Driving northbound on the 101 freeway in the far right lane changed to the center lane on dry asphalt pass a slower moving car and heard a loud noise. Face impacted the steering wheel .don,t recall anymore than that do have an accident report. Think the right rear axle broke or something in the right front suspension. Tie rod or ball joint the inside of the right front wheel is estroyed and was off. The truck complete with large bracket broken tie rod and ball joints and rotor . Outside of wheel is not damaged. Right rear wheel has the brake drum/disc and part of the broken off axle still bolted to it.. Allpar has a report on dodge ram axles braking 2002 and up.states a new design is in place for 2006. Is aware of this problem..*ak truck hit a concrete wall and skidded to a stop in the third lane of traffic on fire under the front end a following wittness stated sparks were flying through the air.. They also put out the fire. Major front end damage and no air bags deployed. Dodge denied any responcibillity a claim was filed have the letters and email. The dealers added further injury by charging as much as possible and high interest for a new magnum sxt.made it impossible to buy the rt model.. I do have the two wheels in question at the shop I work at tri city tansmission service. And photos of the aftermath.. At the body shop.they couln't believe I walked away. Thankyou for your time sincerely michael a young
2004 dodge 1500 ram quad cab truck purchased the truck has a vibration during speeds 60-70 MPH - team dodge stone mountain, where we purchased, has tried to service twice before and now the service manager, tom hudson, and the chrysler factory representative say this truck cannot be repaired. We have requested a buy back since dodge did not offer a temp vehicle while this was trying to be repaired or not even now as they have had this vehicle since 7-1. We have purchased another vehicle, different make and model, and are now out a great deal of money. This was done because they said they would purchase this automobile back. Here we sit 7-13 and nothing has been accomplished. The federal safety agency needs to know this problem because dodge is not saying what the problem is just that it is unrepairable. We are concerned that if this problem continues whithout notification to other dodge truck owners, there may be an accident. There may be a situation where this vibration causes the driver uncontrolable steering. Please advise someone. *la consumer seeking full repurchase funds for the vehicle.
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