Consumer Complaint Detail
DODGE / RAM QUAD CAB / 2002
0 Injured
0 Death
No Fire
| Components - Details | |
|---|---|
| NHTSA Complaint Number: 003227972 | Incident Date: Jul, 01 2003 |
| Consumer's City: SAN ANTONIO | Consumer's State: TX |
| Vehicle Transmission Type: AUTO | Manufacturers Name: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) |
| Model Name: RAM QUAD CAB | Model Year: 2002 |
| Vehicle Involved in a Crash: No | Component's Description: Engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline:belts and associated pulleys |
| Vehicle Involved in a Fire: No | Persons Injured: 0 |
| Vehicle's VIN#: 1D7HA18N82S | Date added to File: May, 25 2021 |
| Date Complaint Received: Aug, 03 2003 | Complaint Type: IVOQ |
| Incident Reported To Police: No | Purchase Date: May, 05 2002 |
| Was Original Owner: Yes | Anti-lock Brakes: Yes |
| Number of Cylinders: 8 | Date of Manufacturer: - |
| Was Vehicle Towed: - | Description of the Complaints: During heavy rain, or in a car-wash, or running through too large of a puddle of water, the serpentine belt begins slipping an excessive amount. it will slip enough to cause the gauge that is showing the charge level to drop noticeably, and it will sometimes drop to the point of no longer showing charging at all. at this point the check engine light is also displayed, and it is now necessary to turn the ignition off and restart the truck to reset the gauge and light and have it begin displaying properly again. during a heavy downpour of rain, this problem occurred again as i was going around a curve and the power steering failed. this is obviously due to the fact that the power steering pump is driven by this belt. had there been another vehicle in the oncoming lane of traffic, i would have had an accident that i could not have prevented due to this failure. i am not satisfied with the answer that there is nothing that can be done to correct this problem. this is a truck, and it should be able to handle some water. if this problem truly exists in all trucks like mine, then it is only a matter of time before someone has a serious accident and files a lawsuit against dodge, or even a class-action suit if enough people are really affected by the same problem. had i been in an accident when the power steering failed on my truck, im certain that dodge would have been held liable for both my damages and whomever i had hit. the problem might be resolved by replacing all the pulleys with wider ones and then a wider serpentine belt , or it might be resolved by adding some type of splash guard, but that would probably not resolve the water coming through the grill. one of my employees has the new hemi dodge truck, and his belt is slightly wider, and he does not have this particular problem. *ak |