Problems with 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 POWER TRAIN

Three different occasions when i would park somewhere with the automatic transmission selector in park , the truck would take off backwards . once at shop at home , i was close enough to catch it , without incident . second time i was at a convenient store , had been in there5 to ten mins. it took off across busy state hiway. thitd time in a lake. witnesses on last 2.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge ram 2500. while the vehicle was in park, the gears independently shifted into reverse at a high rate of speed. as a result the contact crashed into two vehicles and the rear bumper was damaged. there were no injuries. a police report was filed. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic for further diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was not notified. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 200,000. updated 05/31/17*lj consumer stated vehicle was running but in park mode. on a level street at the end of a culdesac. vehicle slipped out of park and accelerated backwards into 2 other vehicles. found out recall was done for this problem between 2004 and 2005. i don't believe this vehicle was ever recalled. updated 6/28/18*jb

2004 dodge ram 2500 has an unknown transmission problem. shifts okay from cold start, but sporadically it will not shift into 2nd gear when engine is warm. once the engine is warm, if the engine is turned off and then is restarted (such as a stop at a store, gas station, etc.), it goes into first gear okay, but then winds out and will not shift into 2nd gear. the only way to get it to shift again is to turn the engine off and then restart it. then it will shift correctly. this is dangerous because many times when we pull out into traffic there is no place to safely pull to off the road to stop the engine. we have had to pray for red lights so we could shut off the engine off for a moment. we have had the governor pressure sensor replaced twice and have also replaced the transducer and the transmission solenoid and the problem remains.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge ram 2500. the contact received nhtsa campaign numbers: 05v462000 (power train), 09e001000 (steering), 13v528000 (steering), and 14v817000 (air bags); however, the parts needed for the repair were unavailable. while driving at an unknown speed, the steering wheel began to vibrate and a loud grinding noise emitted from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnosed that the front driver and passenger side universal joint front axles were replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failures. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for recall repairs. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

Approached gate across driveway; stopped 2004 dodge cummins 2500 truck, put in park, opened gate, proceeded through 12' gate. pulled truck forward to provided enough room for gate to close; put vehicle in park on level ground. exited my truck, it was stationary, with normal idle. walked past the rear of the truck to close the gate. had just latched the gate when i heard a click that made me raise my head as i wondered what the noise was. then the engine roared in acceleration and the truck flew backwards toward me. i moved out of the way, the truck hit the closed gate, crashed through it, proceeded in reverse down the drive way approximately 10 yards, veered off the driveway through 4 cemented fence posts and horse fencing boards that are 2x6 (very substantial boards). took out 2 sections of fencing before it met an incline in the pasture which caused the runaway truck to come to a stop. if i had not heard the truck make the clicking noise which was it coming out of the park gear, i would not have had time to get out of its way. after reading multiple other similar incidences, i implore dodge to stand behind its trucks and rectify the situation for consumers in the future and those of us with financial damages incurred now!!! *tr

10 minutes after start up i began to travel in drive gear of automatic transmission. upon acceleration the pedal was dead, i.e. no power. the engine was running fine. after the truck decelerated to about 10 mph the pedal was back and working. this happened again after about 20 seconds. this behavior continued for 30 minutes and stopped. it was colder that morning (10 degrees f). the pedal also had run away acceleration at times before the pedal went dead. i thought it was fuel related but that doesn't explain the run away acceleration. i believe it an electrical problem with the apps system? very scary though. i hope it doesn't die crossing and intersection. *tr

While driving at 70 mph on freeway, transfer case exploded and fell out on roadway along with part of the drive shaft rendering vehicle completely undriveable. *js

It will not shift out of park and then after many tries it works fine. it does not happen everytime i start the truck. *tr

Fracture of the pitman arn at the steering box/ had to replace entire steering box/ fracture was found while undergoing wheel aligment/ was only a matter of time before it would have failed. replace water pump/ 120000 replace rear universal joint for bad bearings/ 121,000 entire engine fan with pulley sheared off while on a trip/ 118000 replaced entire wiper mechanism due to complete failure/122000 poorly engineered vehicle/ wouldn't buy another dodge lots of safety issues. *tr

My differential has went out twice in my 2004 dodge ram 2500 diesel truck. the first time it went out at 48k miles (may 2008) (covered by warranty) and the second time at 137k miles. both times the failure began with a winding sound from the differential,then followed by differemential slip. if not corrected right away the differential will begin rattling before coming apart. the potential harm is that the differential can lock up when going down the road. the repair action is to replace all bearings and gears in the differetntial $1800). i do not tow anything with this heavy duty truck. i have kept up with the recommended manufacturer maintenance schedules. i have reported this to dodge and they do not recognize the problem as common. i have only 1k miles on the 2nd rebuilt differential and i already have to take it in for winding and slipping of the differential. i have it scheduled for 28 jan 2011 to have it looked at again. *ln

I did not have a accident, but my transmission began to fail in such a manner that the transmission did not know what gear it was supposed to be in. one day it would be fine and the next it might begin ok and then ten minutes later it would start off from a stop light in 2nd or 3rd gear and it was difficult to pull into traffic. dodge is aware of the problem because the dealerships are stocking the internal transmission parts to fix it. my mechanic talked to a nearby dodge dealer to obtain the parts and they said they knew of the problem and had a good supply of parts if needed. we also spoke to two different transmission shops that said this was a common problem. the necessary parts that needed to be replaced to fix this were a governor compression solenoid and pressure switch. both of which are located in the gear box just above the pan. the parts were only available from dodge and cost about $220.00 just for the parts. i would like to know if dodge has reported this problem. i have been in contact with them inquiring why they have not done a recall since they are aware of the problem and all they have told me so far is that it is a lengthy process that involves your department. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge ram 2500. the contact stated that the gear shift selector would move into any gear without depressing the brakes or without the key being in the ignition. the contact was concerned of the potential safety risk involved with the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 195,000 and the current mileage was 200,000. updated 09/28/10 *bf updated 10/01/10

Dodge death wobble. i have a 2004 dodge ram 2500 that has the death wobble. i see not many have been reported, but everyone ends up with it at one point. read message boards. they all talk about their experiences. i have to pay 300 bucks to replace parts that are recommended to possibly solve the problem. it is not deadly if handled correctly, but it causes you to have to stop immediately. i had to stop 3 times on the pa turnpike over the weekend. just got back from dealer. only suggested to try changing the steering dampener. that is not the issue though. *tr

Clicking and shaking when in 4x4 mode. sounded like u joints. after having it checked by a mechanic, he found both sides needed ball joints and the u joints on the axle was worn out. this was an expensive repair of over $1200. also the tie rod ends needed replacement. he said that the weight of the diesel engine was the cause. he said that all of these front ends with the diesel engine needed to be replaced after about 70k miles. i am disappointed. *tr

Driving down the freeway the truck became harder to steer and it felt like it was in 4 wheel drive. the indicator light did not show that it was. a little farther and the transfer case fell out on the freeway. about 3 weeks previous i also had the same feeling of it being hard to turn like it was in 4 wheel after i started it up, but it went right away. i was on vacation and had to have it towed 75 miles to dealership. they have said they don't know how this could happen,unless there was no fluid in the transfer case or it got put into reverse. neither was the case. i was going down the freeway at 65 miles per hour and there was fluid all over the road after i got it pulled over. i have two tow truck drivers who can verify that. i feel that it went into 4 wheel drive mode on it's own and am lucky to be alive. i just had to have the whole computer system replaced about six months ago on this same vehicle and feel that i have an unsafe and dangerous vehicle. the resolution is a bill for $4028. i do have the old parts. *tr

2004 dodge 2500 4wd dsl has exact problem of recall 03v503000, dodge claims my vehicle not on recall list. cracked transmission housing adapter at transmission bolt up. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge ram 2500. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 05v462000 (power train), 09e001000 (steering), 13v528000 (steering), and 15v313000 (air bags). however, the parts needed were not available. in addition, the contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the four wheel drive was engaged and the vehicle started to spin out of control. the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the transmission was replaced. however, the failure recurred. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 80,000.

2004 dodge ram diesel 2500 transfer case failed at 59,865 miles and the dealer refused to repair under warranty (maximum protection warranty upgrade purchased) due to no oil in transfer case (improper maintenance). i contacted vernon at transfer case express (510) 533-2273 and was told that this is a common problem with this transfer case that it will develop a leak at the rear seal and all the transmission fluid will leak out while driving. this was confirmed by blumenthal transmission a direct distributor of these transfer cases. this was also confirmed by the fact that no dodge dealer in the usa has this part as it is on back order status greater than 30 days lead time. this presents as a serious vibration in the front of the vehicle (feels like a tire is falling off). *tr

The vehicle had not been off road for several months but was driven on pavement. while driving down the road, with approximately 10 seconds of warning (similar to a tire howl sound) the front end locked up, jumped in the air and broke off the front drive axles. this caused a loss of steering and jumping of the vehicle. the dealership declared that road debris or an unknown object hit the lip of the front differential cover, which bent it out and causes all of the fluid to leak out, which ultimately resulted in the front end locking up on the highway. this cover hangs out an excessive distanced past the axle housing allowing it to be struck and bent by many objects including road debris. even though the vehicle is well within manufacturers warranty, they refuse to warranty it. the dealership stated that the entire front end is damaged and requires replacement at an out of pocket expense of approximately $4,350. the dealership also told me that this is not uncommon, that they have had several vehicles come in with the exact same problem. the work has still not been completed and all parts are still available for inspection. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge ram 2500. approximately three minutes after the contact exited the vehicle, the gear shifted into reverse. the vehicle crashed into a large truck. there were no occupants in the vehicle. the contact's leg was injured. both vehicles sustained body damage. a complaint was filed with the manufacturer. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer, but no repairs were made. the dealer stated that there was no failure with the vehicle. the speed was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 90,000.

The software change that indicates that the parking gear is not properly engaged, goes off all the time. at the most inconvenient times. like the middle of the night, at a quiet campground, when parking the truck. it seems that there is a better solution for the problem than sounding the horn. maybe correct the problem. also the horn goes off when backing the truck with the door open. i know it is supposed to do that with the "band aid fix" but when hooking up to trailers, it is often nice to leave the door open when backing. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge ram 2500. while driving 35 mph, the contact heard a noise coming from the front driver side of the vehicle. the contact took the vehicle apart and stated that the cause of the failure was the front driver side wheel hub. approximately one month later, the noise recurred when the vehicle came to a stop. the contact removed the front passenger side wheel and found that the universal joint failed. the failure mileage was 85,000 and current mileage was 91,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge ram 2500. the contact stated that the recall notice associated with nhtsa campaign id number 05v462000 (power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift) was received in the mail. the vehicle was not experiencing any failures, but it was taken to an authorized dealer for repair. after the repairs were completed, the contact stated that the out of park alarm would emit a loud sound every time the vehicle was in park. the dealer and manufacturer denied assistance with repairs of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 102,000.

Apparent driveline vibration at apx. 42 mph to apx 55 mph+. has been in shop at least five or six times for same problem. rear axle rebuilt, driveshafts replaced, wheels balanced, etc. is actually getting worse. had vehicle since new in jan 2004. now has only 54,000 miles. *tr

2004 dodge 4x4 quad cab 2500. when is a pull or turnning to the left the rear differetial has a gringing sound. started making this sound at about 45000 miles. have contacted dealer to have is checked. will followup after dealer visit.

Upon having the truck at dealer b for warranty servicing,the dealership installed without my knowledge or consent the e17 out-of-park alarm, similar to recall nhtsa campaign 05v462000. the recall was for a computer flash to look for several things to occur simultaneously; 1) driver's side door opened, transmission was in reverse, and foot was off of brake. when these conditions occurred the horn started blowing and the lights start flashing. this was not an acceptable recall, and i didn't want it on my truck. on numerous occasions i needed to back up by having the driver's side door open to use the ground as a reference. this typically occurred when mirror or window views were blocked, or there was an object behind that could not be seen. when trying to back up to these objects the horn started blowing and lights started flashing. this resulted in bothering neighbors, coworkers, etc. it was an annoyance and it did not result in a safer vehicle. chrysler needed to develop an alternate method for addressing the problem, if there was truly a problem needed to be addressed. chrysler informed me that they were not willing to reverse the recall that it was in place. also, they claimed that they were mandated to do the recall if i brought the truck in for service, and therefore claimed they had no duty to inform me beforehand. this was tantamount to tampering with my vehicle without my knowledge or consent. does chrysler have the authority to perform this recall without my knowledge or consent? if so, from where do they derive this authority?*ak updated 04/18/07. *jb

I was driving to one of our buildings and noticed one of my diesel trucks had not been plugged in so i stopped put the truck in park and got into the other truck. i had started the other truck and was letting it warm up when i looked over at the truck i had parked it was about 25 yards away with the back up against a tree. i ran over to it the tail gate was smashed the truck was still running. *nm

Tl* - the contact has a 2004 dodge ram 2500 diesel motor automatic truck, on a dry pavement on a flat surface, he stopped, and when he put the truck into park and got out of the truck it jumped out of park into reverse and rolled down the driveway and struck a vehicle that was following it , resulting in a total of $4000.00 worth of damage to both vehicles. the dealership found nothing wrong with the vehicle. *ak updated 02/06/07. *jb

Tl*-the contact stated that the 2004 dodge ram 2500 diesel had recall 05v462000 repaired in 12/2006 for the power train: automatic transmission. he was not satisfied with the recall repairs. when he pulled up to the gate of his home he put the vehicle in reverse with the emergency brake on, which gave him light at night, but it startled his cattle. the contact went back to the dealership and asked for the repair to be removed ,and was informed that this a regulation and could not be deactivated. *ak

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge ram 2500 diesel. the contact drove into the driveway, placed the vehicle in park, walked to the back of the vehicle ,and the gear moved on its own into into reverse and hit another vehicle. the weather was not a factor. the failure and the current mileage was 45,000. *ak updated 03/30/07. *jb

My 2004 dodge ram 2500 developed a vibration in the front end a about 35,000 miles. it was most noticeable at low speeds turning to the left. it got worse and by 50,000 miles began to appear at speeds from 45 mph and up. at 52,000 miles the dealer found that both cv joints were bad along with both upper and lower ball joints. both cv joints, all four ball joints, and the lt front hub and bearings were replaced. i have the replaced parts except the cv joints which were returned to chrysler. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the recall work for the automatic transmission #05v462000 was performed without the contact's consent. the vehicle had an out of park alarm added to the vehicle and whenever starting the vehicle, the alarm went off. the contact wanted the alarm removed and the service dealer and manufacturer refused to disengage the alarm.

Dt*: the contact stated no problem had occurred with the vehicle. there was a nhtsa recall # 05v462000 concerning the automatic transmission. the recall work was performed however the contact wanted the out of park alarm removed.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge ram 2500. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 05v462000 (power train:automatic transmission). the remedy for the recall requires performing a software modification to equip the vehicles with an out-of-park alarm. he was dissatisfied with the remedy. there had been no failure to date. the current mileage was 53,000.

My truck is a 2004 dodge ram 2500 with a diesel engine in it. i got it used. it is an automatic. over the past year or so i have had to take it in to the dealer for an intense vibration and squealing coming from the rear end. the vibration is from around 25 to 40 mph and the again at 70 or so. the dealer replaced u-joins and the rear drive shaft a few times. today is the second time that they are replacing drive shaft. this is the 5th time over the past two years i have had it in for this problem. they told me this is a common problem on these trucks and they are working on a fix. the truck is only two years old and only has in the range of 60,000 miles on it. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated a nhtsa recall 05v462000 regarding powertrain: automatic transmission was performed but did not correct the problem. an out-of-park alarm was installed but the alarm sounded when the engine idled and the door was opened.

Consumer received a recall concerning a 2004 dodge ram 2500 automatic transmission jumping into gear from park position. mechanic determined if repair was made that the horn would honk unexpectedly. *kb *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the recall remedy for recall # 03v503000; power train: automatic transmission is unacceptable due to the horn sounding unexpectedly. the dealership informed the contact that there have been previous complaints about the remedy for this recall and further problems with the horn sounding unexpectedly after the recall remedy was performed.

I have a 2004 dodge ram 2500 with the cummins and automatic transmission. the automatic selection indicator does not show the vehicle in park at least once a day when i drive it. i now this is a problem and have had recall #05v-462 dcc #e17 done. this is a patch and does not address the problem of why my truck does not go into park. one of these days my 7000 pound truck is going to roll backwards and damage, injure or kill someone . *nm

We have had our 2004 dodge truck for almost 3 years and have loved it - however, within the last 2 weeks we are very concerned about the safety of the truck we are driving. while traveling 80 mph down the freeway our truck started vibrating / shaking uncontrollably. we were unable to steer the truck and were drifting into the other lane of traffic - if i applied the brakes it only intensified the vibrations of the truck. we were finally able to get the truck into the emergency lane (luckily without causing any accidents) and had to wait until the truck reached below 45 mph before the vibrations stopped. had we stomped on the brakes - the truck most likely would have rolled. unbelievably, when we called the dealer they knew about this problem. they assumed that we had a leveling kit on the truck, which we do not. they have indicated that daimler chrysler has even issued a service bulletin on how to fix the problem, which could lead to be very expensive, depending on how many steps we have to take to fix the problem. the first step is having the alignment adjusted to a different specification - this is $90.00. i am concerned about the cost of repairs, but even more concerned about the safety of my family while traveling in the truck. this is my first step to get attention to this problem - this needs to be seriously looked into and a recall sent out to have the problem fixed. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated there was a nhtsa recall campaign number 05v462000 performed on the vehicle. the contact was not satisfied with the recall remedy and is having the horn disconnected.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge ram 2500. the contact stated that his vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign id number 05v462000 (power train:automatic transmission) and he did not believe that the failure was corrected. the dealer stated that the only resolution was a small computer-like device that sounded when the vehicle shifted out of park. the contact believed that mechanical repairs should have been made, especially for hearing-impaired consumers who could not hear the alarm. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage was 92,000 and failure mileage was 80,156.

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle gear shift position indicator was placed in park. after the contact exited the vehicle left the park position, without warning, resulting in the vehicle crashing into a tree and a rock wall. there were no injuries and the police were not alerted. there was property damage. prior to the accident, the contact received nhtsa recall, #05v462000, concerning the automatic transmission. the recall remedy has not been performed, but the contact felt it should have also addressed the potential problem of the vehicle being out of gear. the recall remedy simply has the dealer install an out of park alarm.

On march 31, 2006 i stopped the 2004 dodge 2500 ram 4x4 to pick up my mail. prior exiting the vehicle i placed the shift lever into park believing it was in locked park condition. the vehicle was on level ground and not moving. believing it was safe to exit the vehicle i exited on the drivers side leaving the drivers door open and walked approx. 30 feet in front of the vehicle( approx 15 t0 30 sec.). all of sudden the vehicle started moving backwards at a high rate of speed. concerned that other persons may be in the area i chased the vehicle down on a dead run. i attempted to enter the vehicle but was pulled down by the drivers door and hitting the back of my head on the pavement. i was temporally paralyzed and lost all limb movement. unable to move i laid in the road and watched the front wheel roll passes my head. the vehicle was stopped by a drainage ditch without any damage. i however was not as fortunate and continue today to have multiple head, neck and memory related medical related problems resulting from the accident. i was not aware of a safety issue until receiving a recall notice dcc in aug 2006. this is a very serious problem as the vehicle provides the driver with the false sense of safety when the vehicle is not in a safe mode.

Re: dc e17 "safety recall to install out-of-park alarm system" this recall is an unacceptable resolution. it does not provide a fix to the lack of 2003-2005 dodge ram trucks to properly engage automatic transmission gear selections. the recall is being refused by myself and many others in the rv and towing community. activating an alarm if the vehicle is not fully in park and the engine running is going to do little to prevent accidents and/or personal injury. it is an annoying and obtrusive "feature" that drivers are over-riding anyway using faux seat-belt latches and jumper wires. the nhtsa should endeavor dc to fix the shifter engagement problem, not provide a band-aid to a poorly designed shifter mechanism. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle inadvertently shifts out of gear while in park. there is a nhtsa recall # 05v462000 concerning the automatic transmission on this vehicle, however the recall repair was not performed. the recall repair includes an out-of-park alarm, but this does not stop the transmission from shifting. the contact determined this would not correct the problem. the vehicle was not seen by a dealer.

I own a 2004 dodge ram 2500 xlt and on 03 25 06 i put my truck in park motor running to get a ice chest on patio. turned right back around and truck was gone. it was backing up hill still in park. i ran hollering to keep someone from getting hit. a maintenance man of the park jumped in and pushed the brake down with his hand it was still in park. while i turned the key off. well a 100 yards later the whole left side of the truck was damaged as it ran into a park model trailer and damaged the right side of the park model home if looking from front. it damaged the side panels of the trailer while putting a large hole in it along with the skirting. and possibly moving the trailer to the left. i believe that this is a serious problem and needs something done. it was a miracle no one was hit as we live in a very active 55 plus community and live on one of the busiest streets in the park. i have had my truck in several times to get the ac fixed and it still is not right. i don't know if i should keep the vehicle or sell it. i was never notified of the problem. i had it in the dealership and they said nothing about it. i feel i have a lemon. dodge needs to acknowledge the defects in there vehicles and fix them before someone else gets hurt. enough is enough. thank you *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds, there was a pronounced vibration within the chassis. the vehicle was taken to the dealer whom attributed the vibration to the design. after several inspections by the dealer, the driveshaft was removed in an effort to decrease the vibration. this repair effort worsened the vibration and the driveshaft was placed back onto vehicle. afterwards, the contact was driving 5mph and the driveshaft disengaged falling from the axle pocket onto the ground. the vehicle was towed to the dealer to await further inspection.

2004 dodge ram 2500 diesel pickup truck came out of park and went into reverse while running and started across parking lot with no one in the vehicle. vehicle almost ran me over when it went into reverse. i had gotten out to move a cart. dealership contacted, appointment scheduled to repair problem. vehicle had popped out of park twice (2) before with engine off. dealership was advised of both incidents and advised there were no recalls/safety bulletins. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle rolled backwards on two separate occasions after the vehicle was placed in park with the engine on. there was a nhtsa recall, # 05v462000, regarding the automatic transmission. the vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however, it is not included in the recall due to the vin.