Waiting at stop light & pedestrian noticed leakage under vehicle. Pulled away from stop light & vehicle started jerking & lurching. Pulled to side of road, stopped vehicle & got out to check. Lifted hood & noticed transmission fluid was leaking out. Checked closer and saw transmission hose had pulled away from connection. It was clamped on, but had pulled away. Hose line was different than recall #97v084000. Taking vehicle to dealer for repairs.*ak
1997 Dodge Ram: jerking or lurching
5 of the 396 complaints about the 1997 Dodge Ram describe jerking or lurching.
- owner complaints
- 5
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 15 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Jerking or lurching by model year
- 20051
- 20021
- 20014
- 20001
- 19998
- 19981
- 19975
- 19963
- 19952
- 19942
What owners say
On 9/14/2000 the rear differential begain to make a moaning noise during deaccelerating. With in 10 miles driving distance at 30 MPH during deacceleration the rear end differential made a loud bang while the vehical jerked violently. After the loud noise I heard the drive shaft of the vehical draging on the pavement. I proceeded to attempt to pull to the side of the road and slow down when the vehical jerked violently agian. At this point I was traveling approximately 25 MPH and the rear wheels locked up and begain to slide. I released the brake pedal but the sliding continued due to a major failure in the differential. Luckily I did not loose complete control of the truck during wheel lockup. When the truck stopped I looked under the truck and observed the rear end of the drive shaft on the pavement. I could not move the vehical due to the jammed differential, the vehical was towed to to a local dodge dealer ship. If I had been traveling at freeway speeds it is very possible that a serious or fatal accident could have occured. The biggest issue I have with dodge is that the differential failed the first time when the vehical was almost new at 13000 miles. The first failure occured approximately on 3/98. Luckly the failing differential made very pronounced humming noises before any catastrophic faluire occured. At that time I took the vehical to allen samuel dodge in fort worth texas for repair. Allen samuel dodge technitions identified that the bearings in the differential had failed and caused the ring and pinion gear to severly wear. Due to the history demonstrated with my experinces I am concerned that dodge has a problem with the design and or method of manufacturing the rear ends of their 1/2 ton pickups.
When driving at 55-60 MPH consumer noticed loss of acceleration. Vehicle started to jerk. Consumer contacted the dealer, dealer linked the problem to the transmission. Please provide any further details.
Slight jerkiness between 45 - 50 MPH, less noticable jerkiness at higher speeds. Dealer stated that dodge does not have an answer to the problem. The component has not failed, but it is very irritating to say the least. There was one occasion where I had 2 sudden jerks while traveling at 50 MPH. The dealer where I have the vehicle serviced didn't have an answer. I am surprised that this has not been reported before. I know of a 1998 ram 1500 that has the same problem.
When driving at any speed an d without prior warning vehicle is stalling/grinding and jerking. Also, when there is alot of pressure within the vehicle, there is a very loud noise coming from the vehicle .
Service bulletins that may apply
- Automatic transmission fluid usage ATF+4
- This bulletin explains the operation and application of the leak detection pump (LDP) monitor test
- Vehicles exhibiting buzz, whining, or moaning like noise from cold transmission when reverse gear is selected
- Driveline induced vehicle surge / vibration diagnosis
- Conditions with loss of fifth gear
- Transmission opertes normally through all ranges except fifth gear
- When servicing the release fork it is necesssary to insure that the fork is installed properly
- Subject on manual transmission gear rattle at operating temperatures
Related recalls
Power train: clutch assembly
- 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
Power train: automatic transmission: cooling unit and lines
- 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
Questions about the 1997 Dodge Ram jerking
Is jerking or lurching a common problem on the 1997 Dodge Ram?
5 of 396 owner complaints about the 1997 Dodge Ram (1%) mention jerking or lurching. The model year with the most reports is 1999.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Dodge Ram?
There are 2 recalls and 15 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Dodge Ram
No deployment 18Pulling 14Grinding brakes 13Fire or smoke 13Headlights 11Tire blowout 11Brake failure 10Slipping 10ABS 8Adaptive cruise 7Transmission failure 6Fuel pump 5Won't shift 5
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