Problems with 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 POWER TRAIN

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. while driving approximately 45 mph, the driveshaft detached and caused the rear of the vehicle to seize. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. the contact called southern chrysler dodge jeep at 936-634-7793 (located at 2711 s medford dr, lufkin, tx 75901) and the manufacturer and was informed that there was no recall. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 262,000.

Driveshaft separated from rear axle and wheels locked.vehicle was in motion.

Driving on highway when drive shaft fell off and rearend locked up

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. while driving 2 mph, the pinion bolt loosened and fell off, which caused the drive shaft to fracture and also detach. the failure caused the vehicle to seize. robert green chrysler, dodge, jeep in monticello, new york was made aware of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 13v038000 (power train). the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to nhtsa. the failure mileage was 197,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that the vehicle independently surged forward out of gear more than once while in park. the vehicle had to be stopped and force was applied to prevent the failure. the dealer (gillman chrysler jeep dodge ram, 10585 w sam houston pkwy s, houston, tx 77099, (713) 776-4900) was notified and scheduled an appointment. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was not available. *tt *tr

My wife and i were driving at about 55 mph and next thing we know we heard a very loud bang and then my rear end locked up and about caused us to hit the car beside us once i was able to pull over safely i got out and found my driveshaft separated from the rear end so i had it towed to the local mechanic and he had informed me that my pinion nut had came loose and backed out that it was not properly torqued i have contacted the dealership and the corporation of ram and neither will own up to it even though they informed me there was a pending recall for my year model for that pinion nut and they also informed me that i do have the same rear end as the 05 model that did have a recall on the pinion nut which is the 9.25' ring gear chrysler rear end but they said since mine is a 2002 they can do nothing about it and that i am stuck with paying for repairs for something that should've never happened on a truck with 124,000 miles and something that could've injured my wife and i and i've seen a lot of reports of this same thing happening to people atleast once i don't see why this is not a recall because i see it as a huge saftey issue

While driving home a noise started to occur when letting off gas pedal, got louder the more i drove, i drive 25 miles to and from work, well as i was coasting to slow to enter my driveway (i live in the country) and the then boom and no power rear end locked right at end of my drive and would not move, found drive shaft gone and pinion was pulled into differential, stopped in the middle of as state route had to drag truck off of road removed cover and found rear end chewed up, my question is why is dodge only coving this rea end back to 2005 and not to when they started using it in 2002, glad it didn't happen in heavy traffic, i would have been hurt or worse someone else would have

Today around 1am coming home from work, i was going 65 mph and i was coming up on my turn.i slowed down and my 2002 dodge ram quad cap did a noses dive felt like i was slamming on the brakes. took the turn bring it back up to 40mph to see if i can see what it was ( thinking i hit my e brake) and all of a sudden hurd a big boom and my truck lock up going around a dirt road almost going in to the trees, now my truck is in the middle of the road side ways.

While in motion pinion nut came loose drive shaft fell off vehicle rear axle locked up i was able to regain control of the vehicle and avoid crash and injury to others, this is the second incident where i could have been seriously injured due to pinion bearing and nut coming loose, dodge took care of this issue on 11/09/10 at 150,768 and this occurred again on 2/17/17 at 187,568 vehicle has only been driven about 36,000 and has failed again i believe this is the same issue the 05,09,10 ram models were recalled for but dodge continues to deny.

The bolt attaching the drive shaft to the rear differential pinion came off and the drive shaft fell off. the pinion was then able to slide back and lock the differential carrier causing the rear axle and tires to lock in place, the dealer explained this is a problem and they actually recalled the 2005 model for the same problem. because i was never made aware that this needed to be checked, severe damage has occurred which will cost several thousand to fix. i was fortunate this happened on a side road going 30 mph, if this happened on a highway or worse yet while hauling a trailer, chances are a major accident would have happened (serious safety risk). there needs to be some kind of notification to other ram truck owners that this may occur and the simple fix or maintenance that is needed.

My friend was outside the 2002 dodge ram. it was running and in park. he leaned in the door to check the mileage on the oil change sticker on the windshield. suddenly, in park, the truck began rolling down a very slight grade. it drug my friend who was attempting to stop the truck. it rolled about 25 yards until it hit a parked car. this all happened while in park! he was bruised and banged up, and was sore for a few days.

I was on my way home from picking up my paycheck driving on the highway in the fast lane doing around 70 mph when all of a sudden my truck shut down with no warning and then restarted. i immediately got off of the highway and took back roads. about 1.5 miles from my home at a red light the truck once again shut down completely, no engine, no electric, nothing, it was completely dead on a fairly busy road. i had to have the truck towed home and have not been able to get it started at all. i went online to see what might be the cause and have found many related cases to what i am dealing with.

My truck has a faulty rear end that i am concerned about.. dodge will do nothing to fix what is a large scale problem affecting all trucks like mine.. please help us get this truck recalled .. it's a wide spread problem.. thanks mike

While driving down a two lane road, a loud sound came from the rear end of the vehicle and the rear axle seized up. rear springs detached and drive shaft also came loose.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that while traveling approximately 30 mph, the rear differential fractured impacting the drive shaft which then fractured the transfer case and caused damage to the transmission. the contact indicated that the bolt fractured while the vehicle was in motion. the contact was able to pull the vehicle over. the vehicle was towed and parked to be further taken to an authorized dealer for inspection and diagnosis. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the contact was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 14v796000 (power train). the approximate failure mileage was 150,000. updated 5/4/15*cn the consumer stated the dealer was able to fix the truck with used parts and was also able to save the transmission and transfer case. the rearend and driveshaft had to be replaced. updated 11/16/2015*js

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the rear wheels seized without warning. after inspecting the vehicle, the contact discovered that the rear drive shaft disengaged from the vehicle. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 13v038000 (power train). the failure mileage was 159,000.

We were driving along and suddenly there was a lot of vibration coming from the rear end and a loud bang. the truck would keep rolling even in pack. after parking brake applied the truck stopped. looking under the truck the drive shaft was lying on the ground sheared in two about 75% was sheared off. the largest front section was on the ground and the rear section still attached to the differential. *tr

Rear axle seized and the drive shaft fell off. mechanic stated that pinion nut loosen, causing the rear axle to seize. the drive shaft also detach, which almost caused a crash. can forward pictures if needed.. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that while driving down an hill at 35 mph, a loud clanking noise emitted from the vehicle. after inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the drive shaft fractured off the rear differential. the contact mentioned that he performed the repairs by replacing the drive shaft and pinion nut. a year later, the failure recurred. the dealer was made aware of the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 142,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. the failure recurred continuously. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the pinion nut was loose and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 13v038000 (power train). the failure mileage was 89,622. updated 4/30/15*cn updated 05/12/15*jb

While i was driving, my truck made a odd sound and then came to a screeching halt. to my surprise, the rear driveshaft had disconnected and fell out of my 2002 dodge ram 1500 truck. after having it towed and inspected by a mechanic, it was discovered the nut came off of the pinion gear. the axle and companion gear slipping out of the pinion gear and the yolk came completely off. the mechanic was as concern and surprised as i was, considering this type of thing should not happen to a vehicle. i contacted chrysler via their customer service website and advised them of my situation. sadly, i received a response stating there was no information regarding my issue. i conducted my own research about the possible defect, and found the nhtsa details regarding this problem with dodge ram trucks. currently, they are only reviewing 2008-2014 models. considering my 2002 dodge ram 1500 has incurred the same problem, chrysler should recall all of their 2000 series for this defective part. i consider myself and others very lucky. if the driveshaft would have disconnected 10 minutes earlier while i was driving 70 mph on the interstate. the incident could have been much worse. i'm fortunate, i had reached my exit and was driving 45 mph with no vehicle behind me when my truck came apart and stopped. *tr

Was driving and a loud noise started to come from the back part of the truck. i took it to the mechanic and the differential is gone. spoke to other dodge ram owners and my understanding is that this is a factory defect that dodge has yet to accept responsibility for. please help. *tr

Today on my 2002 dodge ram 1500 a sound started at speed, a sort of whining sound. i had learned there were some problems via internet forums so i slowed down, as i slowed down the diff locked up. luckily since i sort of knew what might be coming i was going slow enough to not cause an accident, but had i not known, who knows what might have happened. it's in the shop now waiting on parts. *tr

Was driving to work at 40 mph and suddenly a loud bang occurred. my rear end lock up and the truck came to a screeching halt. i got out and saw my drive shaft hanging down and called a tow truck! no injuries thankfully, but it sure could have had a different outcome on a highway at faster speeds! extremely expensive repair. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram. the contact stated that the gear shifter would lock into any gear. also, the key was able to be removed from the ignition key althought the vehicle was not in park. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileage was unknown. pam

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact was driving at an unknown speed, when the clutch pack clips broke off and made contact with the gears. the contact stated this caused a failure with the rear differiantial. the contact notified the manufacturer, who refused to repair the vehicle.

Our gears came apart, there was rear end fluid in there but the gears came apart. which i was told what i needed to do before this happened, but i wasn't and now i am looking at a $4000 bill to get this fixed. heard it was a common problem with these trucks to have rear end issues. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that he took the vehicle to an independent mechanic for routine maintenance and was informed that one of the differential clips was fractured and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was unavailable. the failure and current mileage was 70,000.

i was told the rear end brake the lubricant (rear end oil) out of it because i had not changed the lubricant to a synthetic oil and an additive to keep oil in liquid form and fight heat. if i had been letting the dealership do my maintenance on my truck, they would have told me about the service bulletin (tsb 03-002-02), which came out in july 2002, four months after i purchased my truck new. well no one told me and i followed the owners manual for my maintenance and schedules, which is not correct, according to the dealership that did the $3002.00 repair. i had never driven my truck over 50 miles one direction (used to pull bass boat only) until the day the rear end went out, 500 miles away from home. that dealership will not answer my calls or e-mails anymore because i requested on paper what caused the failure. *tr

Retaining clips from the limited slip clutch packs in the rear differential, fractured and fell into the gears, locking the rear end. the truck slid on a dirt road into a gate causing minor body damage. this is the 9.25 inch ring gear axle with a dana tru-trac limited slip. *tr

Whining noise in differential at all speeds straight ahead and turning. replaced pinion bearings, races, and carrier bearings and races. pinion gear and ring gear ok but bearings were rough. cracked dash. repair cost on differential $800. parts. did labor self. cracked dash not repaired. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, there was an abnormal scraping heard from the rear of the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the mechanic advised the contact that the rear differential would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 170,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 10 mph, there was an abnormal noise coming from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the rear differential fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the vin was unavailable. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

On july 8, 2012, the mother carried her 2 year-old daughter to her husband's parked 2002 dodge ram 1500 pickup equipped with a manual transmission. the mother opened the passenger door, inserted the ignition key into the ignition switch, turned the key as the mother was trying to activate the air conditioner and cool the vehicle down before her husband came out to drive them home from church.the vehicle was in 1st gear and lurched forward when the key was turned.the speed of 2 mph at time of incident is an approximation only. the mother was struck by the moving vehicle which knocked her child from her arms to the pavement. the child suffered severe head trauma and was removed to the hospital by ambulance. the child later died in the emergency room. the accidental death was caused by failure of the clutch ignition interlock safety switch, compression spring, and attendant parts. this is the same defect involved in recall no.14v795000 and is at least the second death caused by this same defect. the only difference is that recall no. 14v795000 covers vehicles back to only 2004, and this vehicle is a 2002 model year. *tr

I have had trouble with my power train and wheel twice,the first incident the front wheels broke apart completely, i was driving at a slow speed so no injuries except to the highway i had it replaced and less than three years had to be replaced again. my dash is cracked so bad it looks just awful.i had no idea so many other people had the same problem. i was never notified about the recall on the power train. i am very disappointed about that. i have several grand kids that rides with me. i should have been notified, and send a replacement letter. the unknown or other in the affected parts is my dash. *tr

Found metal pieces (broken c clip) and damage to the rear differential of my 2002 dodge ram 1500 quad cab 4x2. the whole rear end had to be replaced. this is a well documented known problem based on hundreds of forum threads under "c-clip", "retainer clip" and/or "clutch pack retainer" problems. paid out of pocket to fix as warranty has expired. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that there was a loup pop as smoke began escaping from under the vehicle. the contact exited the vehicle and discovered that the transmission had exploded, causing the entire vehicle to catch on fire. the fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. a police report was not filed. neither the dealer nor manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 88,000.

When the truck was a stop and i would begin to drive i would hear a clanking noise that sounded like it was coming from the rear of the truck. this went on for a month i figured it was something in the bed moving around. while i was driving one night, i heard a crunch noise that then resulted in the rear tires locking up and causing me to start skidding, i was able to maintain control of the truck and stop it safely. i was able to limp the truck home this time, at 15 to 20 mph. if i went any faster it would lock again. this is the second time the rear in this truck has failed me, the first time i was cruising at highway speed when the rear locked and the drive shaft separated from the differential causing damage to my truck as well as the shaft. the first repair cost me $2500.00 and i'm being quoted $1500.00 for this repair. this is a common and known problem on these trucks, chrysler won't step up and take any responsibility they just tell me that my vin was not covered under the recall despite the fact that i am experiencing the same problems as the trucks that were recalled. i will never buy another dodge truck! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact was exiting the vehicle when the gear shift selector independently moved from park and the vehicle began to roll backward. the contact was able to apply the emergency brake and place the vehicle back in park. in addition, the contact stated that the vehicle would only start when in neutral. the contact was able to locate a recall for the failure (nhtsa campaign id number: 07v555000 -power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift) but was told by the dealer that his vin was not included. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 100,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated while driving at 35 mph, the driveshaft fractured from the vehicle, causing the rear of the vehicle to lock. the vehicle was towed to a local repair facility where the contact was awaiting a diagnosis and repairs. the manufacturer was not contacted. the vin was not available. the current and failure mileages were approximately 124,000.

Drive shaft. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated while driving 50 mph, the rear end the vehicle locked up. the contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection. the dealer stated that there was a flaw in the metal and the entire rear end needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred twice. the contact also stated that while driving 60 mph, the wheel bearing fractured and the knuckle came off of the truck. the vehicle was taken the the dealer for inspection and they replaced both the wheel bearing and knuckle. the manufacturer was notified of the failures. the failure mileage was 60,000.

After crossing a railroad track a clicking noise became evident from rear of 2002 dodge ram 1500. i checked u joints then went to wheel bearings, they seemed slightly loose so i began changing. after pulling differential cover i found curved chunks of metal in bottom of differential housing. i took out 4 bolts and caps that hold differential in, i found major wear in aluminium housing right where bolts screw in on passenger side. i compared to drivers side of differential and found a half moon shaped cup that appears to be a dipper to collect oil it just slides in and out and the cup on the passengers side must have slid out and ground on the housing until it came out. i feel this could case a major accident as eventually the whole rear end could come out or let axles come out while driving. *tw

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that the drive shaft failed three times. the contact stated that each time the failure occurred, the rear pinion knob failed and was replaced. the vehicle was never used off-road or for hauling. there were no recalls for the vehicle. the failure mileage was 32,000. *tr

2002 dodge ram 1500. the power steering quit while i was driving and i was in a curve and almost wrecked. i have heard other people talking about this same problem. i thought safety was number one. but i guess this will not be a recall until some one from your office or someone you love is killed in this type of situation. i have read that people have ran of the road when this has happened or have struck a roadside object trying to stop. come on people lets fix this issue. *tr

Pinion gear failure. replaced rear end from a different vehicle. many people have told me that while driving down the road the rearend will lock up causing the vehicle to skid to a stop,causing damage to transmission,and drive shaft. not to mention the 'safety hazards' of possibly causing a wreck,and worse injuring someone. *tr

During a tire rotation the mechanic noticed a defect with the rack and pinion system which was leaking and would need to be replaced. he also noticed the tire rods were defective which is allowing unnecessary movement of the tires. lastly the front differential is leaking as well. this vehicle was purchased approximately 2 years ago used with 41,000 miles and currently has 62,955. this vehicle is operated under normal conditions. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. the contact stated that the linkage bar that connects the shifter to the transfer case is approximately 14 inches long. it is held together by rubber grommets. over time, a combination of excessive temperatures and wear and tear caused the grommets to fail. as a result, the linkage bar falls out of the vehicle without warning, which increases the risk of injury to other drivers. the vehicle has been repaired. the manufacturer did not assist. the failure and current mileages were 44,200. update 09/10/08 *cw updated 09/16/08 *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 dodge ram 1500. while attempting to park the vehicle, the contact placed the gear into park and the vehicle rolled backwards on its own. he restarted the vehicle, placed it back into park, and applied the emergency brake. the dealer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 05v460000 (power train: automatic transmission). the vehicle has not been repaired and he no longer drives the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 35,000.

My dealer, united dodge of las vegas, is unable to remedy a recall, (g28) park shift lock defect, in a reasonable amount of time(over 9 weeks) due to chrysler corp. only sending two parts a week. *tr