1994 Dodge Ram problems

What is wrong

Vehicle description: pickup trucks equipped with diesel engines. The throttle cable could unravel (fray) or break resulting in loss of throttle control.

Risk

A throttle that does not return to idle could result in unexpected acceleration, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the throttle cable and upper bell crank lever. Owner notification began august 3, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.

Recall number 01V037000 · Recall details

What is wrong

On certain pickup trucks originally sold in or currently registered in the following "salt belt" states: maine, new hampshire, vermont, massachusetts, rhode island, connecticut, new york, new jersey, pennsylvania, delaware, maryland, the district of columbia, west virginia, ohio, indiana, michigan, illinois, wisconsin, minnesota, iowa, and missouri. Corrosion of the return spring on the hood secondary latch could cause the mechanism to bind in the "release position."

Risk

If the primary latch is not engaged, the hood could open unexpectedly.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the secondary hood latch. Owner notification began september 17, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.

Recall number 01V040000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks. The affected vehicles were built with an ignition switch and wiring that could overheat. High electrical current loads pass through the switch when the blower motor is operated on high for an extended periods of time.

Risk

This could cause the ignition switch and wiring to overheat.

Remedy

Dealers will install a relay and overlay harness.

Recall number 00V135000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks. (2500 and 3500 series 4x4 regular cab pickup produced before march 21, 1995; 2500 and 3500 series 4x4 club cab pickup produced before june 8, 1995; and 3500 series 4x2/4x4 chassis cab trucks produced before june 21, 1995). The front suspension spring/shock towers can crack and eventually separate from the vehicle frame. The shock tower could damage the rear wheel brake lines resulting in loss of rear brake system pressure.

Risk

This would create the potential for increased stopping distances.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect the spring/shock tower and any vehicles exhibiting cracking will have the tower replaced. Vehicles that are do not show any cracking will have a weld-on reinforcement added.

Recall number 99V214000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: pickup trucks equipped with manual transmission, v10 engines and four-wheel-drive transfer cases. Under sustained maximum rated vehicle load, while driving up a steep grade in four-wheel-drive low range in hot ambient conditions, the local exhaust temperature proximate to the hydraulic clutch line can generate line temperatures that exceed the temperature limit of the clutch line material. If this condition occurs and the clutch is depressed, the line could rupture.

Risk

The fluid could ignite on the hot exhaust possibly resulting in a vehicle fire.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the hydraulic clutch assembly.

Recall number 99V115000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks equipped with gasoline engines. The fuel tank mounted rollover valve can allow liquid fuel to leak onto the ground under certain vehicle operating conditions.

Risk

Fuel leakage could result in a fire if an ignition source was present.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the fuel tank rollover valve with a float type rollover valve.

Recall number 97V199000 · Recall details

What is wrong

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.

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.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the high temperature side of the transmission fluid cooler line connector fittings with connectors that incorporate a stainless steel retainer.

Recall number 97V084000 · Recall details

What is wrong

If the plastic pins and metal clip that retain the lower steering shaft in the upper shaft break, the lower steering shaft can separate from the upper shaft.

Risk

If the lower steering shaft separates from the upper shaft, loss of vehicle control can occur increasing the risk of a vehicle accident.

Remedy

Dealers will add a restraining sleeve to the intermediate steering shaft to limit the amount of axial steering column shaft moving in the event the plastic pins and metal clip are broken.

Recall number 96V230000 · Recall details

What is wrong

While making a turn, the extra keys on a vehicle operator's key ring can become temporarily lodged in the screw access holes in the back cover of the steering wheel.

Risk

This condition can hamper the steering wheel return orcause the ignition to be turned off, resulting in loss of vehicle control and an accident.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the steering wheel back cover with a redesigned cover.

Recall number 95V088000 · Recall details

What is wrong

The secondary hood latch rod can bind on the guide bracket and prevent engagement of the secondary latch.

Risk

This condition can cause the hood to fly up obstructing the driver's vision increasing the potential for a vehicle accident.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the secondary hood latch bracket.

Recall number 95V056000 · Recall details

What is wrong

The right outside rearview mirror contains convex glass rather than flat. Therefore, these vehicles fail to comply with fmvss no. 111, "rearview mirrors."

Risk

Consequence of non-compliance: the images presented in the mirror are closer than they appear which may cause the driver to misjudge the distance from the object to the rear of the vehicle, and could result in an accident.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the right outside rearview mirror with a mirror having a flat surface.

Recall number 94V025002 · Recall details

What is wrong

The cinch bar component within the passenger side safety belt buckle assembly shatters causing the belt to release.

Risk

The passenger would not be properly restrained and could be injured in the event of a sudden stop or accident.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the cinch bar with a newly designed part.

Recall number 95V005000 · Recall details

What is wrong

The front suspension track bar bracket attachment has inadequate fatigue strength and can fail, causing front axle vibration.

Risk

This can result in loss of steering control and an accident.

Remedy

A front suspension track bar bracket reinforcement strut will be installed.

Recall number 94V202000 · Recall details

What is wrong

The transformer used to power the neon center lightbeam can overheat and catch on fire.

Risk

The overheating and fires caused by the neon transformer can result in damage to the lightbeam assembly, the roof of the vehicle, and could result in a vehicle fire.

Remedy

Mark iii dealers will modify the assemblies to eliminate the neon lighting fixture in the vehicle and replace it with incandescent lights operating directly from the vehicle 12-volt battery.

Recall number 94V128000 · Recall details

What is wrong

These vehicles do not meet the rear impact test requirements of fmvss 301, "fuel system integrity."

Risk

Consequence of non-compliance: the vehicle s have an increased risk of a fuel spill in the event of a rear end collision.

Remedy

Dealers will strengthen the left frame rail by installing a frame rail reinforcement bracket.

Recall number 94V113000 · Recall details

What is wrong

The front suspension track bar has inadequate fatigue strength.

Risk

Failure of the track bar can result in front axle vibration and loss of steering control.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the front suspension track bar.

Recall number 94V097000 · Recall details

What is wrong

The seat back latch lever pivot rivets are susceptible to distortion. The distorted assemblies allow the seat back release latch lever to remain in the released position which is in non-compliance with fmvss no. 207, "seating systems."

Risk

In the event of a sudden stop or accident the forces onthe seat back may subject seat occupants to an increased risk of injury.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the suspect seat back latch assembly with a revised assembly.

Recall number 93V213000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Front suspension track bar attachment to the axle may not be adequately tightened.

Risk

Loss of the track bar attachment can cause axlevibration and directional control difficulty which could result in loss ofvehicle control and an accident.

Remedy

Tighten front suspension track bar axle attachment to the specified torque.

Recall number 93V173000 · Recall details

Odi has identified 30 incidents where it is alleged the seat back collapsed in a rear impact crash.these incidents are alleged to have contributed to 23 injuries and two deaths.the data presented to odi show that the seat back strength of the front seats comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 207. Seating system.according to daimlerchrylser the front seats were designed to collapse rearward in rear impact crashes as part of the energy absorptioncapabilities of the seating system to reduce the chance of serious injury to the occupant.rates of occurance were compared to peer vehicles, and it was shown that the performace of the subject vehicle was comparable to those vehicles.in view of the forgoing, it is unlikely that the federal safety agency would issue an order for the notification remedy of a safety defect in the subject vehicles as defined by the petitioner at the conclusion of the investigation requested in the petition.therfore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize the federal safety agency's limited resources to best accomplish the agency's mission, the petition is denied.for further details, refer to odi's response to the petition published in the federal register vol.69, no. 60 , dated march 29, 2004.

DP03006

Mr. Larry a. Sackey submitted a petition to the federal safety agency by letter dated april 18, 2003, requesting that agencyfurther investigate the defective collapsible steering shaft system on 1987-1995 vehicles manufactured by the daimlerchrysler corporation.in part because of 49 cfr ? 30120(g), the federal safety agency has decided to limit the scope of the petition vehicles to 1993-1995 models, excluding the 1993 jeep grand cherokee and 1994-1995 dodge ram series trucks that were recalled (93v210 & 96v230) for steering column failure.if the analysis of these vehicles had identified a potential problem, the scope could have been expanded in an investigation.a review of odi's data base shows no recent complaints and a lack of a complaint trend concerning the subject issue on the subject vehicles as a whole or by individual models.therefore, the petition is denied.for details, see federal register notice volume 68, no. 130, july 8, 2003.

DP03002

Onmarch 20, 1995, daimlerchrysler filed a defect report for 181,008 1994 and 1995 dodge ram trucks manufacturedc from january 21, 1994 - october 25, 1994 at the dodge city assembly plant and from march 26, 1994 - december 8, 1994 at the lago alberto assembly plant.the secondary hood latch rod could bind on the guide bracket and prevent engagement of the secondary latch.if this occurs when the primary latch is not engaged, the hood could fly up when the vehicle is being driven and obstruct the drier's vision increasing the potential for a crash.the recall remedy was to replace the sedcondary hood latch.owners were notified in august of 1995.this recall rate as of 2/97 was 68%

RQ00012

Alleges that the poor design of the ignition switch assembly and//or the key cylinder assembly in the model year 1991-2000 vehicles may cause the steering column to catch fire

DP00002

ODI has received 33 complaints alleging excessive heat in the ignition switch and related circuitry in 1994-1996 Dodge Ram trucks.The root cause is an excessive current draw through the ignition switch result in fire, smoke, melting of surrounding plastics, stalling and the illumination of air bag and anti-lock brake system (ABS) warnig lights. DaimlerChrsler has been aware of the potential for this failure and implemented a design change to reduce the current draw through the switch.This design change involved the installation of a relay in the blower motor circuitry for all Ram trucks built after March 15,1996.DaimlerChrysler also made available an ignition switch repair package (PN 4874996) which includes the necessary components to upgrade vehicles built prior to the implementation date.DaimleChrysler also issued a correspondence to its zones instructing technicians to replace failed ignition switches in the subject population with the sevice kit only.An Engineering Analysis is necessary to determine if a safety defect trend exists.ODI will focus its investigation on fires in the steering column area as well as the effects of switch failure on the ABS and air bag system.

EA99027

Complainants allege fires, melting, smoke or excessive heat in the vicinity of the ignition switch

PE99031

On april 17, 1997, the chrysler corporation filed a defect information report concerning approximately 800,000 1994 through 1997 dodge ram pickups equipped with v6 or v8 engines and automatic transmissions, 1995 through 1997dodge ram pickups equipped with the v10 engine and automatic transmission, and the 1995 and 1996 dodge ram van/wagon equipped with automatic transmission.odi has received eleven reports concerning transmission leakages from the quick connector joints resulting in eight fires.the reported vehicles included are the 1994 and 1995 jeep wrangler, 1995 and 1996 cherokee, 1993 through 1996 grand cherokee, and 1994 and 1995 dodge dakota.the purpose of this investigation is to examine the scope of recall 97v‑084.closing summary: further investigation of consumer reports revealed that some of the transmission leakage was due to other connections along the cooling lines.in the fire incidents, there were indications that some of these vehicles were either used beyond the vehicle's towing capability or had improper transmission repair.in addition, the recalled ram pickup trucks, 98v‑084, have an exhaust manifold near the plastic quick connector joints which effectively presents a heat source to ignite the hot transmission fluid in the event of a leakage.the subject vehicles' quick connector joints are either too far, or positioned completely away, from a heat source or exhaust components.consequently, the fire reports of the subject vehicles are significantly less than those of the dodge ram pickup trucks.based on the available information, a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by future circumstances.

RQ98002

There is no summary currently available

RQ97012

TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKAGE AT COOLER TUBE DISCONNECTS IS ALLEGED TO HAVE RESULTED IN VEHICLE FIRES.(this resume was revises on 12/3/96 to include the 1996 model year truck equipped with the subject equipment)

PE96070

Fuel may leak from the evaporative canister after tank fill.

EA96018

There is no summary currently available

PE96020

There is no summary currently available

EA94019

Chrysler is continuing its investigation of the subject buckle engagment. Upgraded to ea94-019.

PE94008