2001 DODGE RAM 1500 Recalls, Complaints & Safety

The contact owned a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while exiting a parking lot and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the brake pedal floored, causing the contact to roll to a stop on the side of the road. The ABS and Brake Warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to drive at 2 MPH to their home. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed that the brake line had blown and replaced it where it had failed. Approximately 6 months later, the ABS and brake warning lights illuminated again. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed no leaks. When restarting the vehicle, the warning lights were no longer illuminated. While driving at an unknown speed, the ABS and brake lights illuminated again. The vehicle was taken to Meineke Car Care Center to a certified mechanic. The following morning, the lights were not illuminated. The vehicle was returned to Meineke Car Care Center, who stated that it may have been a computer glitch causing the lights to illuminate, then turn off when the vehicle was restarted. The contact had the brakes replaced as routine maintenance; however, after doing so, while driving in the rain at approximately 25 mph and attempting to apply the brakes, the brakes failed, causing the vehicle to rear-end the vehicle in front. The air bags did not deploy. The contact did not sustain injuries or require medical attention. The contact assumed the other driver had injuries, but could not confirm. A police report was filed. The contact was able to drive at a slow speed to their home. The ABS and Brake lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed back to Meineke Car Care Center, where it was diagnosed that the other brake line had blown. The front end and brake line, which had blown was repaired. After the vehicle had been repaired, when coming to a stoplight, the failure occurred again, causing the vehicle to crash a second time. There were no injuries, air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact drove the vehicle to Meineke Car Care Center, who was

Crash 1 injured

While driving and operating the heater, unbeknowst to me leaves/pine needles had come in through the fresh air cowl vent and built up on the heater blower resistor resulting in a fire. This design in dangerous as the default for the air intake is open and allows debris to enter and drop directly into the fan and blower motor resistor. I've searched online and seen multiple reports of this issue. I have a video I can provide if contacted.

Fire

While driving and operating the heater, unbeknowst to me leaves/pine needles had come in through the fresh air cowl vent and built up on the heater blower resistor resulting in a fire. This design in dangerous as the default for the air intake is open and allows debris to enter and drop directly into the fan and blower motor resistor. I've searched online and seen multiple reports of this issue. I have a video I can provide if contacted.

Fire

Passenger side airbag exploded while sitting in my yard.

Fire

The headlights no matter what bulbs I buy are extremely dim making it unsafe to drive at night. Now truck will not start for some unknown reason. It tries to turn over but will not crank. The mileage flashes NO BUS. I was literally only getting at best 8 miles per gallon.

2001 Dodge Ram Dashboard is an extreme safety hazard due to the cracking. I have owned this vehicle for 12 years and it's been garaged kept for 8 years. The dash started with a crack and then a hole was created when hitting a bump. Then I had a mechanic work on the heater, and the dash basically disintegrated when moving it. The holes on this dashboard are absurd. A review of safety information identified others who reported this problem to NHTSA and many more complaints on online message boards. This dashboard creates a safety issue for all personnel in the vehicle in case of an accident since projectiles (pieces of the dash that crumble) will fly. Also, there are other components under the dash that could create additional problems (ie-heater core spraying hot antifreeze after an accident). This is completely absurd. Keep in mind, my vehicle has less than 80K miles and the dash is getting worse.

unknown, Is all I know that I was checking the code on my truck and left truck on all night went out to start truck and battery was dead I got a jump from a friend and it started fine. I let it run for @20-30 minutes then I and my wife went to Realo drug store about 3/4 of a mile from home to get her meds. We pulled up and waiting and got the meds payed for and my wife said there is smoke coming from under the hood. The truck stopped running and I tried to start it back and it did not start. Started smoking more and more I told my wife to get out of the truck and she did the pharmacist came out and help push the truck away from the store. Started flaming up and I drove it to a safe place and finally got out of the truck wife was ok but I had smoke halation and had to go on rescue squad to ER they said along with smoke halation I had a burnt nose ,forehead and burnt throat. Please check about this. Thank you

Fire 1 injured

Where the sway bar is bolted to the chassis has completely deteriorated causing sway bar to completely detach from both sides of the frame. This has caused it very difficult to steer and nearly impossible the more MPH the vehicle goes. I own another vehicle nearly exactly the same but a 1998 dodge ram 1500 vin number [XXX]. It to has the same exact problem. I believe that the quality of steel used in manufacturing the frame of these vehicles was not up to standards. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Shavent had funds to take to a shop but was told that the wrong fuel lines are on the truck

The contact owns a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the contact was making a turn and heard a loud grinding noise coming from the vehicle. The contact pulled the vehicle to the side of the road and took the vehicle out of gear and heard the grinding sound again. The contact was able to continue to drive to the residence. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the pinion nut was loosened and grinding into the rear axle. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact the vehicle was not safe to drive. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 220,000.

The dash has been cracking for years. It has now disintegrated into very small pieces. It has clogged up the air ducts. The small pieces have blown in my eyes, creating a driving safety hazard. Ample history and reporting of this matter has been filed. It is an extreme safety hazard. The responsibility is clearly a manufacturing defect.

1 injured

2001 Dodge RAM has a severely deteriorated dashboard. It has been this way since 2004. I am concerned that pieces of the cracked and damaged dashboard could become dangerous projectiles in the event of a crash with airbag deployment. The damaged pieces on the truck’s dashboard are very sharp, so they could cause serious injury if they broke loose and became a projectile in a crash. It is simply amazing that a recall has not been issued up to this date. We've waited so long for this to be resolved. A dangerous manufacturing flaw!

There have been three times now in the last two years, six-eight months of which I never drove the vehicle due to being repaired. I was driving at about 60-70mph. At which time there were no odd or sudden noises, no warning at all when the trucks acceleration goes way up till I let of the gas pedal, go to pull over while two of the three times, my drive shaft is bouncing between the road and underneath the truck which could have bounced up into another vehicle's windshield, radiator or whatever and could have actually hurt or even killed someone. Thank God nothing like that ever happened. After inspecting the problem, in which all three cases, the transfer case has broken off part of the tailshaft of the transmission and once, even broke part of the transfer case to. After trying to look up the problem on line, the exact same problem seems to have happened to several people from several different states and even one same instance from the same small town that I'm in. All the same instances that I've seen have been from the same type of vehicle from the years of 1995-2001. It just seems like a wide spread problem to me

THE DASH IN MY 2001 DODGE RAM HAS CRACKED AND PIECES AND SOME BREAK OFF AND FLY AROUND THE CAB OF MY TRUCK WHILE IN MOTION.. I HAVE 13 GRAND CHILDREN AND SOME PIECES FLY IN THE BACK SEAT. CAN ANYONE DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS AT ALL BEFORE ANYONE GETS HURT? ITS NOT MY FAULT THAT DODGE BOUGHT CHEAP EFFECTIVE DASH BOARDS, PLEASE LOOK IN TO THIS IT WOULD HELP A LOT TO GET A REPLACMENT. THANK YOU

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED TWICE HOWEVER, THE FAILURE STILL RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 198,000.

SEVERAL TIMES WHILE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY OR BUSY ROAD AND THE ENGINE GETS TO NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE, THE ENGINE STALLS AND SHUTS OFF. THEN I HAVE TO MANEUVER IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND LET IT COOL OFF APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES AND THEN IT CRANKS BACK UP AND I CAN DRIVE 5 MINUTES AND IT DOES THE SAME THING AGAIN, VERY DANGEROUS.

I TURNED THE KEY TO START THE ENGINE AND AS IT STARTED CRANKING SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE DEFROSTER AND THEN FIRE STARTED COMING OUT THE ENGINE HOOD. LUCKILY I HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER HANDY AND OPENED THE HOOD AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. WONDERED WHERE THE FIRE STARTED SO TRIED STARTING AGAIN AND FIRE STARTED IMMEDIATELY AT THE REAR OF THE ENGINE OR ON TOP OF THE BELL HOUSING. I ALSO SMELLED FUEL. THE TRUCK WAS NEXT TO MY GARAGE AND HAD BEEN DRIVEN A FEW DAYS EARLIER. IF I HAD NOT PUT OUT THE FIRE MY WHOLE HOUSE COULD HAVE BURNED DOWN. I DONATED THE TRUCK TO WHEELS 4 VETS.

Fire

I TURNED THE KEY TO START THE ENGINE AND AS IT STARTED CRANKING SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE DEFROSTER AND THEN FIRE STARTED COMING OUT THE ENGINE HOOD. LUCKILY I HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER HANDY AND OPENED THE HOOD AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. WONDERED WHERE THE FIRE STARTED SO TRIED STARTING AGAIN AND FIRE STARTED IMMEDIATELY AT THE REAR OF THE ENGINE OR ON TOP OF THE BELL HOUSING. I ALSO SMELLED FUEL. THE TRUCK WAS NEXT TO MY GARAGE AND HAD BEEN DRIVEN A FEW DAYS EARLIER. IF I HAD NOT PUT OUT THE FIRE MY WHOLE HOUSE COULD HAVE BURNED DOWN. I DONATED THE TRUCK TO WHEELS 4 VETS.

Fire

I TURNED THE KEY TO START THE ENGINE AND AS IT STARTED CRANKING SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE DEFROSTER AND THEN FIRE STARTED COMING OUT THE ENGINE HOOD. LUCKILY I HAD A FIRE EXTINGUISHER HANDY AND OPENED THE HOOD AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. WONDERED WHERE THE FIRE STARTED SO TRIED STARTING AGAIN AND FIRE STARTED IMMEDIATELY AT THE REAR OF THE ENGINE OR ON TOP OF THE BELL HOUSING. I ALSO SMELLED FUEL. THE TRUCK WAS NEXT TO MY GARAGE AND HAD BEEN DRIVEN A FEW DAYS EARLIER. IF I HAD NOT PUT OUT THE FIRE MY WHOLE HOUSE COULD HAVE BURNED DOWN. I DONATED THE TRUCK TO WHEELS 4 VETS.

Fire

MY 2001 DODGE RAN HAS A BROKEN AND CRACKED DASH BOARD PARTS OF THE DASH WILL FLY OFF AND HIT THINGS,PEOPLE ECT AND I THINK IT WILL HURT THE PEOPLE I LOVE LIKE MY GRANDKIDS,WIFE ECT. I THINK IT SHOULD BE RECALLED BECAUSE SOMEONE (DRIVER) MIGHT GET HIT IN THE FACE AND LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND SOMEONE GETS HURT OR EVEN KILLED FROM THIS CRACKED DASHBOARD THAT IS NOT THE OWNERS FAULT. THANK YOU AND PLEASE CAN YOU RECALL THIS DASHBOARD?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS VERY LOOSE AND MOVED A LOT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. ALSO, THE GEAR INDICATOR DISPLAYED DIFFERENT GEARS EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE DRIVE POSITION. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 400,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASH BOARD WAS DISINTEGRATING. PIECES OF THE DASHBOARD WERE PENETRATING THROUGH THE HEATER VACUUM SYSTEM, WHICH CAUSED THE HEATER NOT TO WORK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 163,000.

DASH PANEL HAS CRACKED BADLY TO THE POINT PIECES HAVE FALLEN OUT EXPOSING WIRES, CONNECTORS, DUCTS AND OTHER UNDER-DASH COMPONENTS. I AM CONCERNED THIS MAY AFFECT INFLATION OF AIR BAGS AND POTENTIAL FOR PIECES OF CRACKED DASH TO CAUSE SEVERE INJURY IN THE EVENT OF AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. DASH PANEL CRACKING ON THESE MODELS IS WELL KNOWN TO CHRYSLER, AND HAS DRAWN NATIONAL MEDIA ATTENTION (EG NEW YORK TIMES, 2013). CHRYSLER HAS APPARENTLY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ITS LIABILITY TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM.

DASHBOARD FALLING APART; SHARP/JAGGED PIECES OF DASH CUTTING INTO ELECTRICAL WIRING CAUSING SHORTS, FAILURE OF ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT ON BOARD TRUCK; WHILE DRIVING ON STREET, HIGHWAYS IN MOTION STRAIGHT-LINE AND TURNING.

I'M WORRIED THAT THE AIR BAG ON PASSENGER SIDE IS DEFECTIVE AS THE STRANGEST NOISE IS COMING FROM BEHIND THE DASH LIKE A RUBBER BAND IS TIGHTENING AND THEN CLICKING ON AND OFF. DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. I'VE ALSO HAD MY TRUCK IN FOR THE STEERING BEFORE AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN RIGHT. NOW THE HOOD WILL NOT SHUT RIGHT. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A LEMON. I FIGHT TO KEEP IT ON THE ROAD. IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE 36,000 MILES ON IT. I'M WONDERING WHAT RECALLS I'VE MISSED SO I'M CHECKING. THANK YOU.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SUDDENLY BECAME STUCK AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO KEEP ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED ONCE IT WAS RESTARTED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER (VICTORY DODGE, 64 GREENSBURG ST, DELMONT, PA) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

DISINTEGRATION OF DASHBOARD PLASTICS. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR DODGE TRUCKS IN THIS TIMEFRAME. IF THIS VEHICLE WERE TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT SUFFICIENT TO DEPLOY THE AIRBAGS, SHARP PLASTIC SHARDS WOULD BE PROPELLED EVERYWHERE, INCLUDING THE FACE AND EYES.

THE HOOD LATCH BEHIND THE GRILL BROKE OR FAILED. MY HOOD FLEW UP AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND SHATTERED MY WINDSHIELD. THE HOOD AND HINGES ARE BENT. IT FELT LIKE I HIT A BRICK WALL. I COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING. I GRADUALLY GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I COULD NOT PULL THE HOOD DOWN. A GENTLEMAN STOPPED TO HELP ME AND WE GOT THE HOOD DOWN BUT IT WOULD NOT CLOSE. THE HOOD HAD TO BE SECURED WITH A BUNGEE CORD. MY TRUCK WAS TOWED AND IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP. THEY WILL BE REPLACING THE HOOD, WINDSHIELD AND HOOD LATCH. THIS WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION I WAS PUT IN FROM A FAULTY HOOD LATCH.

I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK NEW. I HAVE MAINTAINED IT REGULARLY. ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO I NOTICED A LARGE CRACK IN THE DASH. SINCE THAT TIME THE CRACKS HAVE EXPANDED UNTIL PIECES ARE FALLING OUT OF THE DASH. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE! I HAVE EVEN A MINOR ACCIDENT THE SHARP PIECES OF THIS BROKEN DASH COULD INJURE ME OR MY PASSENGER. I LOOKED INTO HAVING THE DASH REPLACED AND WAS GIVEN A PRICE OF MORE THAN $2000. THIS IS TOO MUCH FOR ME TO BE EXPECTED TO PAY TO REPAIR A DEFECT THAT IS TOTALLY DODGE'S FAULT. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS.

CSPC: THE DASHBOARD ON MY 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 PICK UP TRUCK HAS BECOME EXTREMELY BRITTLE. IT CRACKS WITHOUT WARNING AND SENDS SHARDS INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. *DT *JS

TAKATA INFLATOR. MY AIR BAG LIGHT STAY ON ALL THE TIME WHEN THE TRUCK IS RUNNING. AS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL ON THIS CONCERN? I DON'T IF IT WILL WORK OR NOT IF I WHERE TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. I WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE ANY NOTIFICATION RECALLS.

THE FABRICATED ATTACHMENT POINTS THAT HOLD THE CONTROL ARMS, TRACK BAR, DAMPER AND SPRINGS TO THE FRONT AXLE RUST TO THE POINT OF BEING UNSAFE. I HAVE REPLACED MY FRONT AXLE ONCE, AND WILL HAVE TO DO SO AGAIN SHORTLY. FORTUNATELY THIS PROBLEM WAS DETECTED BEFORE THE AXLE FELL OUT OF THE TRUCK, AND THAT IS WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED! THE MANUFACTURER SIMPLY DID NOT PROTECT THESE CRITICAL PARTS FROM CORROSION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR TRACKER 2 SERIES TIRES, SIZE: P265/70R17 (NA). WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE TREAD ON ALL FOUR TIRES SEPARATED. A DEALER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT SENT AN EMAIL TO WALMART'S STORE MANAGER VIA THE CORPORATE WEBSITE, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE. THE CONTACT ALSO SENT AN EMAIL TO THE MANUFACTURER AND DID NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 125,000. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. *TT CONSUMER ONLY HAD ABOUT 2,000 MILES ON THOSE TIRES BEFORE REPLACING UPDATED 9/21/18*JB

SEVERELY CRACKED AND BROKEN DASH BOARD. SMALL PIECES FLY OUT WHEN FAN IS ON.

MY 2001 DODGE RAM 1500 DASHBOARD IS A WRECK ITS BROKEN IN LITTLE PIECES AND WILL FLY TO THE FRONT SEAT AND THE BACK SEAT AND SOMETIMES HITS WIFE AND THE GRANDKIDS IN THE BACK SEAT. THIS REALLY NEEDS A RECALL BECAUSE SOME COULD FLY OFF AND GET IN EYES AND MIGHT HAVE AN ACCIDENT. I HOPE AND PRAY THAT THE DASHBOARD PIECES DONT HURT WIFE OR GRANDKIDS OR ME.PLEASE RECALL THE DASHBOARDS SO NO MORE WILL GET HURT OR EVEN KILLED. TKS

I KNOW THAT THIS IS AN OLDER VEHICLE AND THE DASH HAS BEEN COMING APART FOR YEARS. EVERY TIME I CLOSE THE DOORS OR HIT A BUMP, PIECES OF PLASTIC FALL OUT. NOW THE WHOLE DASH IS LOOSE AND RATTLES. I LOOKED AT IT AND CAN SEE WHERE THE PLASTIC AROUND ALL THE DASH MOUNTS IS COMING APART AND MAKING IT EXPONENTIALLY WORSE. LIKE I SAID, I KNOW ITS AN OLDER VEHICLE BUT IT HAS BEEN COMING APART FOR YEARS. LOOKING ONLINE I SEE THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE FOR THIS MODEL AS WELL. MY FEAR AT THIS POINT IS THAT IN AN ACCIDENT, THE ENTIRE DASH ASSEMBLY MAY SHIFT OR BREAK FREE CAUSING TO AIRBAGS TO NOT DEPLOY CORRECTLY OR IN THE WRONG LOCATION OR EVEN PROJECT BIT OF THE PLASTIC DASH INTO THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER WHEN THEY DEPLOY.

SEVERAL YEARS AFTER I BOUGHT MY DODGE 1500 RAM TRUCK ABOUT 2008 THE DASH STARTED FALLING APART AND THE BLEND DOOR STOPED WORKING EVERY DODGE DEALER I TOOK IT TO SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO

SATURDAY 14 APRIL 2018 BACKED UP DRIVEWAY TRUCKLENGTH AND GOT OUT TO DELIVER BOOKCASE FOR FRIEND. UNHOOKED ROPE HOLDING HAND TRUCK AND PLACED ON GROUND. SMELLED SMOKE LOOKED AROUND NEIGHBORHOOD TO MY LEFT SAW NOTHING, LOOKED THE OTHER WAY AND SAW SMOKE COMING UP BEHIND CAB IN CAB TO BED GAP. HAD 1.5L PEPSI AND SPRAYED ON GAP. NO EFFECT. THREW QUILT OVER GAP TO CHOKE AND POURED 3 ADDITIONAL 1.5 L PEPSI ON QUILT SOAKING IT. CALLED 911 AND GAVE INFO. THEN UNLOADED BOOKCASE 5 SECONDS AND MOVED IT AWAY. THEN PROCEEDED TO ATTEMPT SALVAGE OF POSSESSIONS. WINCHESTER CITY FD APPEARED AND PROCEEDED TO ATTACK FIRE, 4/5 EMGINES HYDRANT AND FOAM AND 40 MINUTED FIRE CONTAINED. CAB CONTENTS SAVED AND REMOVED MONDAY 16 APRIL 5PM. EMAIL TO YOUR AGENCY MONDAY NIGHT

Fire 1 injured

I HAVE A DODGE RAM 1500 TRUCK. MY ENTIRE DASH IS COMING APART. A PIECE FLEW OFF AND HIT ME IN THE FACE WHILE DRIVING I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND MY WIFE HIT THE WINDSHIELD CRACKING IT. MY LIGHTS ON MY CEILING WENT OUT DON'T WORK