Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - DRUM - SHOES/LININGS
05049703/28/199754386Front brake lining wear prematurely when compared to the wear experienced on the rear brake linings. *yc04/07/1998
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
05079906/25/1999606160Brief information on the use of asbestos fiber brake linings. *tt08/11/1999
05069906/25/1999606161Information regarding accelerated brake lining wear, front versus rear. *tt08/11/1999
05039703/17/199751965Brakes - chassis dynamics diagnosis. *tw07/17/1997
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DIFFERENTIAL PROPORTIONAL VALVE
05049806/12/1998601570Vehicles listed on this bulletin are eqipped with rear height sensing proportioning valve that adjust brake pressure to the rear brakes based upon distance between frame and rear axle. *ak08/10/1998
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM - SHOES/LININGS
05059703/28/199705-02-96A6088765Concerns with accelerated brake lining wear, front versus rear. *nlm01/07/2000

Investigations


NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
PE97043CHRYSLER GROUP LLC10/20/199702/27/1998CLUTCH HYDRAULIC LINE FAILURE99V115000
 Alleged clutch line may melt and leak hydraulic fluid in the vicinity of the exhaust manifold.leaked hydraulic fluid could ignite and cause a vehicle fire.
EA98005CHRYSLER GROUP LLC02/27/199805/24/1999CLUTCH HYDRAULIC LINE
 Alleged plastic clutch tube may fail from exposure to exhaust heat, resulting in loss of clutch function and possible vehicle fire.

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - ANTILOCK
07/01/1997
 I have had many attempts to fix the problem on the front end fixed, because i have been told the rear brake adjusters dont work
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
11/19/20020
 Consumer states his brakes continue to go out on him. he states that he was told that the hub assembly causes the brakes to go out. this has happened to him 3 times and he is on his 4th time. there is no recall for this problem. he also states this is getting very expensive. ts
06/30/1997110/26/1996
 Vehicle pulls to the right when applying the brakes. after a repair attempt, the brakes locked (in wet conditions) and a pallet in back of the truck was thrown into the cab.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK
04/28/1998510/01/1996
 Had to make a accident avoidence manuever. the brakes would not stop the truck, had to run off the road to avoid impact. resulting in damaging a front lawn in a residential neighborhood. the next episode was pulling a small 8' trailer with a honda 4-wheeler. light turned red and when i went to stop, i ended in the middle of the intersection. after the second incident i contacted the dealership and took it in for inspection. no problems were found. the service manager mr. web ( i believe that's his name) drove my truck and agreed it seemed to take longer to stop, but upon inspection no problems were found. after 3 more incidents of the same nature, the dealership did replace all the brakes, telling me there was an update to a different pad for the rear brakes. the truck at the time had approximately19000 miles. i then was tols it was normal for the brakes to wear out at 19000 miles. i do not believe that. i still have the stopping problem, and i am extremely careful when i tow my 17' boat and trailer. the weight is less than 3000 lbs. the truck now has barely over 40000 miles. i had the brakes check by a qualified mechanic, and was told that the brakes have about 75% of pad left. are ther any other complaints about the braking system on the 1997 dodge 4x4 ram 1500 trucks?*ak
09/11/20011
 The thottle stuck in the wide open position and would not return to idle. the brakes were just able to stop the vehicle. shifting to neutral caused the engine to go well into the redline on the rpm indicator. pulling up on the accelerator pedal did nothing. the dealer said the linkage was rusted tight. they don't have new parts so they scrapped the rust off, oiled it and put it back together. they said the throttle cable was not the problem as in the recall of 95-96 vehicles. this is a hard truck to get stopped when the throttle is stuck wide open. good thing my wife wasn't driving it.*ak
12/18/2000205/01/1997
 All three have been in to the dealer regarding the same exact concern. different drivers operate each of these vehicles. this will bee the second time this vehicle will be going back to the dealer for the same repair. we are concerned about all like vehicles having the same concern. with the rear brakes getting severely out of adjustment like they do with these vehicles it is very possible that a crash occurs during a panic stop due to the vehicle swerving. *ak
01/24/2001110/25/1997
 While driving at approximately 45 mph consumer applied brake and skidded about 10 feet,hit another vehicle head-on. upon impact,driver airbags did not deploy which have caused injuries.*ak the inspectors from the manufacturer indicated that the air bags did not deploy because the impact dissipated. *yh
08/01/19971004/03/1997
 While braking, vehicle will not stop, dealer states brakes are withing specification. front tires keep wearing, dealer can not find reason for wear. *slc
12/22/20001
 Power steering and brakes went out at the same time while driving, no accident. tried to use emergency brake , did not work either. consumer used gears to stop vehicle. repaired, dodge will not reimburse because repair not done at dodge dealer. *ak dealer replaced steering pump and het assembly for emergency brake. *slc
09/14/2000103/18/1997
 Consumer ran into the back of another truck because brakes did not catch.- also, airbags did not deploy.*ak driver side seat belt failed. *yh
05/29/2000408/30/1998
 While driving about 65 mph and barely touching the brakes to slow down, all four wheels locked up. truck was towed to the dealership. brake failure had occurred once before, and resulted in an accident. dealer could not duplicate the problem, but they replaced the power brake booster. brake failure has not occurred since. *ak *ml
10/14/199910005/01/1998
 Truck continues to roll when brakes are applied and it goes to the floor. truck will not stop on an emergency.
09/01/19991005/01/1997
 Brakes don't stop at low speeds and lock up under wet conditions, ring and pinion due to premature wear at 19500, dead battery (h.d.) after 2 years
08/12/1999
 While driving and applying brakes without touching the pedal, brakes lock up. dealer contacted, and stated problem with abs system. problems still exists. provide further information. *ak
07/23/19990
 While driving vehicle about 60 mph stepped on the brake pedal trying to stop the vehicle, but the pedal went to the floor and the brakes did not perform. *ak
07/08/1999
 Transmission light & the anti-brake system light keep coming on. *ak *yc
12/16/1997
 The brakes would make squeaking/grinding noises & not grabbing to stop vehicle. also, structure seams cause leak of water inside of vehicle/steering pump pin had sheared off & the power steering had seized up, and water pump failed. *ak
03/15/1997212/01/1996
 I am very unhappy with this truck,it has been nothing but problems for repair work and out of warranty coast even though it was all ongoing from the day i bought it and paid cash of >36,000 tax and all. no safety defect(s) mentioned in the summary. *ak
0
 Consumer does not have any brakes on her dodge ram truck, and dealer does not know how to fix it. *ak
07/15/1998
 Vehicle experiencing ongoing problem with brake pedal going to the floor before stopping vehicle. vehicle been in/out of dealer shop on several occasions. dealer informed consumer that nothing could be found. seeking help from nhtsa in these matter. *ak
09/01/1997405/01/1997
 Turck would not stop when brakes are applied. *ak
02/15/199912/01/1998
 Extended stopping distance,intermittantly. brake pedal goes right to floor and doesn't stop any faster. *ak
09/01/1997304/01/1997
 3 times i have been slowing down to turn a corner and the rear portion of the anti-lock brakes bounce like a ball. i could not slow down enough to make the turn. i contacted the dealership and brought it in. they said that they could find nothing wrong with my truck. *ak
04/15/1997203/01/1997
 No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak( dot number: tire size: p223/17r )
03/03/1996
 While applying the brakes the truck pulls to the left. this happens on any type of road surface. the more weight on the truck, the more it pulls. this situation has been on going for two years. the dealer is not able to correct the problem. *ak
09/29/1998
 Consumer experiencing prematuure wearing of brake pads and rotors. when applying brakes, consumer can hear a metal to metal grinding sound.vehicle been in dealer shop and was infomed that there was no reason; it was normal. *ak
1
 Anti lock brakes continuously fade.
06/27/1998
 While driving the vehicle at 35 mph, first the abs brakes did not work. then a frontal impact accident occurred, the air bags did not deploy on impact. no injuries occurred. dealer sent out investigation team that stated the air bags were okay. reports from the fire department and police department stated the air bags should have deployed. dealer cannot duplicate the problem.
12/07/19973
 Whenever the abs brakes were applied after going 40mph, vehicle would pull to left. took to dealer & had mechanic replace front calipers. also had the suspension, the frame & the alignment checked out. *ak
11/01/1997207/01/1997
 Brakes lock up and grab when depressed.
06/01/1997103/05/1997
 Brakes pull when applied.
09/18/1996207/26/1997
 Anti lock brakes failed and caused accident.
 Vehicle has had braking system replaced three times by the dealer. the brakes are still malfunctioning. consumer will contact the manufacturer. *ak
11/04/19977
 Abs brakes will lock up ,worse in inclement weather, hears squeaky noise. dealer replaced front capiler/rotors/pads rear drums. cleaned rear drums/shoes. this is an intermittent problem, still experiencing defect. *ak
09/04/1997
 Abs brakes are subject to intermittent failure, causing extended stopping distance. on other occasions, brakes make grinding sound while making a turn and applying the brakes. when driver applied the brakes the pedal was hard, and the truck kept on going. *ak
09/07/1997
 Applied brakes and the truck almost didn't stop. the brakes faded out several times. owner took truck to dealer, and they cannot find any problem with the truck. *ak
03/25/1997
 Brakes: at 6,000 miles front brakes replaced, preiodically there is squeaking , pulling about a week ago brakes were squeaking most of th time. took in dealer , road tested and couldn't find anything wrong. driving after picking truck up on thursday, got in to go to work and the brakes were grinding. took back to dealer, and they put new brakes on the front . *ak
09/15/1997
 Brakes; driving approximately 25mph in wet conditions attempted to stop and there was poor brake response. had brake pedal completely to the floor, and the vehicle continued moving. could not stop and hit another vehicle. the only thing the dealer is saying is that there is a problem with the anti-lock brake system, and they don't have an answer as to how to solve it. *ak
05/30/1997605/01/1997
 When driving and upon depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle pulls to the left, consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer unable to find the problem. however, experiencing the exact problem with the 97 model. feels it is a design flaw. *ak
06/17/199708/01/1997
 Design flaw in brakes, according to dealer. front/rear brakes get out of sync, leaves front brakes functioning only. brakes will need adjusting every 6 months, could cause crash. *ak
09/06/1996109/06/1996
 On normal road conditions when going 55-60 mph and stepping on the brakes, the left side drops down and the vehicle goes to the left. the brake pads and calipers have been replaced. problem is still occurring. the system has abs on the rear. *ak
10/05/19960
 While driving vehicle about 57 mph, felt/heard a pop sound in the steering area, had no control of vehicle, had no brakes (abs), crashed, hit telephone pole, driver's air bag did not deploy. *ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK - CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
11/16/2001112/01/1996
 Made three trips to dealer for engine light over a period of 45 days. first trip was on 10/3/01with a charge of $132.25 tech found torque converter not working. cleaned torque converter solenoid. second trip to dealer was made on 10/30/01 with check engine light on again. tech found same problem again and replaced torque converter solinoid for charge of $246.58. third trip was made on 11/13/01 with check engine light again on. this time tech said probably an internal leak somewhere but don't know where. said ok to drive until transmission starts slipping. check engine light came on again on the way home and trans began slipping next day. returning to dealer on 11/15/01 the transmission gave out completely and had to be towed. dealer called on 11/16/01 stating that the front plate in transmission had failed and probably could never get all the metal out of transmission. now cost will be $2200 for a rebuilt transmission. *ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
01/02/2002103/01/1997
 When applying brakes, only half of brakes were appyling pressure to rotors. consumer performed repairs to vehicle. *ak the ridge in casting keeps the caliper from floating freely applying pressure only to the piston side of the caliper. *jg
208/01/2001
 A rapid wear of pads and rotors.
11/21/199808/01/1997
 While driving at highway speeds, brakes are soft wehn applied, and the pedal goes straight to the floorboard, causing vehicle to not stop. consumer had to keep his foot down on the brakes until the vehicle came to a stop. *ml
 Premature wear of the brakes causes them to overheat, and makes it difficult to stop vehicle. dealer has been contacted. *ak
07/23/1998104/04/1997
 Brakes do not provide adequate braking during abrupt stops. adjusted rear brakes but that did not fix the problem.
05/28/199810
 While driving about 5 mph and stepping on the brake pedal, brakes make a grinding noise metal to metal and lock up the front tires. when this happens could lose control of vehicle. *ak
06/03/1997403/01/1997
 Extended stopping distance.
10/20/1997403/01/1997
 When the brakes are applied the vehicle sways to the left or to the right. also, experiences extended stopping distance. the dealer has been notified four times. *ak
06/06/19976
 When applying the brakes under any circumstances, the truck swerves to the left or right, more to the left. the dealer has attempted to repair the problem (6) times. problem still exists. *ak
1
 When applying the hydraulic brakes, in type of weather or speed, the vehicle is pulling to the right. *ak the right pulling has been corrected but the vehicle now pulls to the left. *yh
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC
12/15/2000
 Consumer took vehicle in for inspection and found out brake pad fell off. metal to metal ruined rotor. both had to be cut because other good one was worn down. also, fuel pump went bad for second time. consumer stopped at a stop after returning from store and vehicle stalled. it no longer started right up, it always heitated like it was not trying to catch. dealer said it lost its program because it was not used enough. consumers warranty was expired, covered cost.*ak
04/27/1999
 Right front brakes make a clanking noise while driving. noise stops when applying brakes. vehicle been in / out of dealer shop on three occasions, and problem is still occurring. provide further details. *ak
307/01/1997
 I have had many attempts to fix the problem on the front end fixed, because i have been told the rear brake adjusters dont work( dot number: )
06/06/1999210/01/1996
 The pads still had over 50% left on them when they came apart. i still have the pads!
07/24/19976
 When brakes are applied vehicle would pull to the right. sometimes will also pull to the left. had taken vehicle to dealer at least 6 times & problem still not solved. was told design flaw. in addition, fron t brakes rotors/pads & torsion bar were replaced due to severe brake pulling. was tsb on brake pulling. *ak
311/01/1997
 No summary
 Front brakes locks up on ice or snow, abs brakes only on the rear of the vehicle. dealer cannot identify the problem. please give any further details. *ak
04/15/1997203/01/1997
 No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak( dot number: tire size: p223/17r )
03/01/1997202/01/1997
 The truck has had chronic brake pull problems - either to the right or left side. the dealer hasn't been responsive to resolve the problem in question. no parts were replaced by the dealer; chrysler has been very unresponsive to the problem. the pull is so bad that the truck will actually change lanes while braking. i am not sure if nhtsa really does anything, but if they stand for safety, then this problem should be very seriously looked into. many other people have complained about this same problem. for more information concerning the brake pull problems, please refer to: http://www.cartrackers.com/forums/messages/164.mechgoblins.html. there are many people there that have experienced the same problem i have.( dot number: tire size: 245/75 )
09/29/1998
 Consumer experiencing prematuure wearing of brake pads and rotors. when applying brakes, consumer can hear a metal to metal grinding sound.vehicle been in dealer shop and was infomed that there was no reason; it was normal. *ak
1001/20/1997
 When brakes are applied intermittently the vehicle pulls to the left and or to the right. the dealer has repalced the front brakes on the vehicle. *ak
11/04/19977
 Abs brakes will lock up ,worse in inclement weather, hears squeaky noise. dealer replaced front capiler/rotors/pads rear drums. cleaned rear drums/shoes. this is an intermittent problem, still experiencing defect. *ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - CALIPER
12/07/19973
 Whenever the abs brakes were applied after going 40mph, vehicle would pull to left. took to dealer & had mechanic replace front calipers. also had the suspension, the frame & the alignment checked out. *ak
12/12/1996
 When applying force to the brake pedal the left front wheel locks up, resulting in vehicle pulling to the right, consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer has replaced the front brake calipers. *ak
08/20/1996
 Upon applying force to the brake pedal the vehicle pulls to the left. consumer has contacted the dealer the dealer has replaced the brake calipers. *ak
09/06/1996109/06/1996
 On normal road conditions when going 55-60 mph and stepping on the brakes, the left side drops down and the vehicle goes to the left. the brake pads and calipers have been replaced. problem is still occurring. the system has abs on the rear. *ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - PADS
12/24/2001
 Applied the brakes and felt no response nor any decrease in speed other than releasing the accelerator, resulting in hitting the vehicle in front. after applyning the parking brake only the left front locked as i swerved to the left, replace pads and changed the brake fluid.
06/09/19974
 The brake pads wore out 4 times within 40,000 miles. dealer claimed it was due to the consumer's way of driving. *ak.et.
08/25/1997
 When applying the brakes heard a metal to metal grinding sound. this is due to the wearing of the brake pads. the brakes pads will be replaced. *ak
01/12/1997
 Upon applying force to the brake pedal the vehicle pulls to the right and left, consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer replaced the brakes pads and shoes. *ak
09/06/1996109/06/1996
 On normal road conditions when going 55-60 mph and stepping on the brakes, the left side drops down and the vehicle goes to the left. the brake pads and calipers have been replaced. problem is still occurring. the system has abs on the rear. *ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - ROTOR
09/28/20041060001
 The consumer states the front brakes have failed completely. the dealer states the vehicle was riding only on the caliper and the left rotor has cracked. . please provide additional information. *jb
01/20/2002
 While driving 70 mph left front wheel completely came off, causing loss of vehicle control. dealer replaced wheel hub/ brake rotors. please give any further details. *ak
09/22/2001203/11/2000
 While backing up heard a noise, noticed that front right rotors had broken in half. consumer replaced both front rotors.*ak while consumer was backing out of the driveway, he heard a metalic noise and brake pedal went to the floor and the vehicle would not stop, consumer had to pump it to bring the pedal up.*yd
03/27/2001
 Problem with rotors. they had rotors replaced because they were making some noises. contacted dealer ,and dealer was not willing to do anything.*ak
08/15/1999107/01/1997
 Rotors and pads required replacing at 17000 miles. dealer claims rotors are manufactured thin and road salt in our area corrodes them prematurely. i had to pay $360. to have them replaced, not covered under waranty. *ak
05/29/1997104/18/1998
 Rotor is rusting and covered with corrosion. this causes pads to wear out extremely fast.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DRUM - DRUM
11/04/19977
 Abs brakes will lock up ,worse in inclement weather, hears squeaky noise. dealer replaced front capiler/rotors/pads rear drums. cleaned rear drums/shoes. this is an intermittent problem, still experiencing defect. *ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
07/19/2002105/01/2002
 While operating brake pedal, brake pedal travel suddenly increased when i applied brakes. i stopped along the shoulder of the rural road upon which i was traveling and checked for a brake problem. i discovered that the front passenger side brake hose connecting the steel brake line to the brake caliper assembly had burst where visible wear indicated the hose had repeatedly made contact with the truck frame during right turns. on 07/20/2002 i spoke to the dealer from whom i'd purchased the used vehicle and suggested we check the right front hoses on the other used dodge trucks for sale on his lot. one of the vehicles had wear on its right front brake hose in a manner similar to mine. he said he would have to replace it 07/22/2002 and thanked me for informing him of the problem. i replaced the hose and retained the failed hose. i cannot determine whether or not the failed hose is original equipment .*ak
09/06/2001102/01/2000
 Line rubbed against frame, and rubbed hole into brake line. *ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - MASTER CYLINDER
03/15/1997212/01/1996
 I am very unhappy with this truck,it has been nothing but problems for repair work and out of warranty coast even though it was all ongoing from the day i bought it and paid cash of >36,000 tax and all. no safety defect(s) mentioned in the summary. *ak
04/15/1998
 Vehichle had grease built up on the rear axle when it was picked up by the dealer. car was in for service on brakes three times. the brakes are still grinding. the fluid level on the master cylinder is going down. vehicle is under warranty, driving vehicle up to 60 mph, dealer cannot duplicate the problem. *ak
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - PEDALS AND LINKAGES
09/22/2001203/11/2000
 While backing up heard a noise, noticed that front right rotors had broken in half. consumer replaced both front rotors.*ak while consumer was backing out of the driveway, he heard a metalic noise and brake pedal went to the floor and the vehicle would not stop, consumer had to pump it to bring the pedal up.*yd
04/16/199907/01/1997
 When pedal brake is depressed at 55 mph pedal vibrates. a vibration is coming from the front of the vehicle.