Problems with 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 POWER TRAIN

The truck incorrectly reads gear indication while not in gear and is extremely hard to change gears in a timely and safe fashion.. one time, after exiting the truck it proceeded to engage in reverse and crashed into a tree. a person assisting had considerable trouble getting the truck to find its gears. it will rev in neutral while clearly indicating drive. i have already contacted dodge. they sent and investigator who did not examine the fault and disregarded the claim. this is a potentially dangerous engineering fault! *jb

Dt*: the consumer stated the vehicle rolled backwards 30 seconds exiting the vehicle. there was a clicking noise as if the vehicle was attempting to shift into reverse. there is a nhtsa recall, # 05v462000, regarding the automatic transmission. the consumer experienced the same problem as indicated in the recall, however the vehicle identification number. *jb the consumer attempted to stop the truck, but was injured in the process. updated 02/27/06 .*jb

Dt: the contact states while vehicle was parked it slipped out of gear. the vehicle rolled over into a ditch line. he noticed at times while driving that the correct gear was not displayed on the gear shift indicator. vehicle at dealer to be repaired. *ak

When truck was placed in "park" somehow it went into reverse and hit a post at the shopping center damaging the right side or the rear bumper. also when truck is parked with engine idling there is a banging noise coming from underneath by the 4 wheel drive engage lever. *nm

Vehicle jumps into reverse while transmission indicator light indicates it is in park. *nm

2004 dodge ram 2500 qslt 4 x 4 diesel excessive vibration in steering, seats, floorboards and mirrors at highway speeds around 70 to 75 mph. vehicle has been to dealer twice for a total of 12 days. technician has duplicated problem and dealer has tried to rectify problem. dealer has replaced u-joints, drive shaft, tried rebuilding the differential, even swapped known good wheels and tires from a new vehicle. tried adjusting air pressures and rotating wheels. dealer has contacted s.t.a.r. technical center. the center gave them a lengthy recommendation for isolating this vibration only to seem to have made the vibration worse. at this time the dealer has been told by the manufacturer that they are not authorizing any more attempts to repair this problem. when contacting the customer service center at chrysler i was told to work with the dealer. i was finally told by the dealer that chrysler is aware of this problem and is supposedly working to resolve it. if you ask me, after researching the internet, i have seen this complaint by several consumers of this particular model, and it dates back over a year and a half. *nm

A few weeks ago we had to have the transmission "dropped" on our 2004 dodge ram 2500 4x4. we bought this vehicle brand new last year so we were obviously surprised that we had to have something this extensive done so soon. my husband was leaving a house and put the truck in park to walk back and open the electronic gate. when he turned around the truck was rolling back at him. he managed to get his right leg up into the vehicle to try to reach up and put the truck in park. his leg was pinned between the door jamb and the electronic fence. finally the fence gave way and collapsed. he was lucky that it did that or it would have cut his leg off at the knee. he was shocked at what happened. after seeing all the similar complaints on a website - and one death - i wanted to make my complaint also so that maybe dodge will do something about it before more people get hurt. all i can think of is, "what if our 3 yr old had been there - she would be dead right now". i think it is unacceptable that chrysler/dodge knows of this problem but won't recall the vehicle. it is life-threatening. please do something about it before more people are injured or killed. *nm

I parked at a local gas station to go inside to pay. i left the truck running with it in park. after i was inside for approximately 30-45 seconds, the trucks gear shift slipped out of park and into reverse, causing the truck to run backwards, finally striking a gas pump and knocking it over. i was able to reach the truck and stop it before it went any further. i had my bumper replaced as it was damaged. there was a claim for approx $25,000.00 to replace the gas pump. *jb

Dt: the contact's truck jumped out of park into reverse on its own. he talked to the dealer, and the dealer told him to call daimler chrysler. they claimed they would have to see what the problem was. this was the third time this happened. the last time it happened was on 8-26-05 and the truck almost ran over him. on 8-31-05 the dealer was suppose to tear down the transmission and fix it. had 20,000 miles left on warranty. it was 70,000 miles power train warranty, and daimler/chrysler were not sure if the repair work will be covered under the warranty. *ak

Dt: there is a problem with the indicator light on the dash and a problem with the gear shifter. the consumer states that when putting the vehicle into gear the indicator light does not always show the correct gear. before the consumer put the vehicle into park with the motor running, and when the consumer exited the vehicle, it did not move at first, then it rolled backward. this caused property damage. this incident occurred on 8-26-05, and similar incidents happened at least five times. when the consumer took the vehicle to the dealership they could not find the cause of the problem. *ak

Dt: the consumer stated that 2004 dodge ram 2500 went into reverse by itself. the truck was parked and was idling. the consumer left the truck with his grand child in the back asleep. the truck knocked itself into reverse and ran across a parking lot and hit a sign and crashed. after the truck hit the sign it stopped but was still running. resulted in $7,200.00 damage. the child was not hurt. the consumer left the truck in park and when he returned to the truck it was in reverse. and the child was still asleep. the child had not knocked the truck out of gear. a police report was taken gave no indication of the cause. the truck bent a water valve besides the sign with some property damage. the consumer was in shock over this incident. the consumer was contact by another car owner that faced a similar situation. the consumer had refectories of the accident. the consumer said that the truck is drivable and parked at his house. someone from dodge was suppose to come look at the truck. *ak *nm

Mr. dennis shannon had parked his 2004 dodge ram 2500 and then exited the vehicle. the vehicle remained running during this period. as mr. shannon began to walk back towards the rear of his truck it started to roll backwards. the police report indicates that as mr. shannon attempted to get back in the truck it ran over him. mr. shannon suffered severe and fatal injuries. mr. shannon died on 7-22-2005. *jb

Dt: the contact states there is nhtsa recall campaign 05v462000 concerning the automatic transmission. this vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall, but it is not included in the recall due to vin. the consumer stopped the vehicle to rearrange items in the truck box when the vehicle started moving backwards. the consumer jumped from the truck box and tried to get inside the vehicle to bring it to a stop. the consumer was knocked down and the vehicle ran over his right knee injuring it. the vehicle has not been taken to the dealer. *ak updated 1/11/2006 - *nm

Dt: contact stated her husband drove a pickup for beaver valley supply co. inc. while the truck was idling it jumped from park into reverse. it just shook terribly. while contact's husband was driving he parked the vehicle, left it idling, and left his wife in the truck. the truck jumped into reverse while idlining, resulting in a crash into a neighbor's fence. contact talked to the dealer. they checked the truck, and it didn't show anything was wrong with it.*ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 dodge ram 2500. in 2005, the contact's vehicle was repaired according to nhtsa campaign id number 05v462000 (powertrain: automatic transmission). the repair included a software modification to equip the vehicles with an out-of-park alarm; however, it has caused significant issues with the horn assembly in the vehicle. every time he places the vehicle into park, the horn sounds loudly and causes chaos among himself and other drivers. the only way to prevent the horn from sounding is to slowly release the brake pedal, and then slowly shift the vehicle into park. the manufacturer did not provide any assistance. the current mileage was 50,000 and failure mileage was 4,000. updated 05/20/08. *lj

Vehicle came out of park on more than one occasion when consumer was not in the vehicle. thus far no accident has occurred.*ak each time this occurred the vehicle ran into something. the damages totaled $9000. *sb *nm

Today stalled again while turning into intersection. failure of power steering and brakes almost caused accident. 6th time in last 2 months. dealer flashed computer 2x and replaced map sensor per damler chrysler engineers. still not fixed.

Dt: consumer owns a 2004 dodge ram 2500. she is having problems with vehicle coming out of park and going into reverse. this caused an accident with about $9000 worth of damage. there is an investigation going on, and a lot of complaints for this same problem. *tt *sc *jb

Consumer states: all of a sudden vehicle died when making a turn in traffic , no lights came on, it just died. dealer couldn't find anything wrong the first time 4/14/05 but then they called back had us come in, and they flashed the computer on 4/15/05, and then had us bring it back and flashed again on 4/25/05. then it happened on 5/6/05 and 5/7/05 and damler-chrysler had dealer change map sensor on 5/10/05.

3 times this has occurred. after putting my dodge ram 2500 diesel into park, leaving the motor running and stepping out of the truck, the transmission has jumped out of park and into reverse. the first time it ran over a gate and crushed the driver door. dodge paid the repair bill. the second time i was testing the vehicle to see if it would do it again. it did. the third time my wife was assisting me at my farm and stepped out of the truck after putting it in park. we looked up and the truck was traveling backward at a fairly fast pace. i was able to get the door open and put in park, however, it was a very close call. we could have both been run over in addition to the pens that were just a few feet away.

Ea 04 025/false park: the vehicle jumped out of park and rolled backward into a ditch, then continued to roll through some trees before stopping. the vehicle is at the dealer. *ak the gear could shift and could be placed into a position that appeared to be in park when it actually was between park and reverse. it would take up to 30 seconds and the vehicle would back up even thoug it was actually not in the reverse position. *sc *jb

Truck rolls backwards about two feet when parked on a slight grade.*ak

Crash. *ak

On two occasions the truck was left running in park. it automatically came out of park and into reverse. the first time it just back up down the street and i ran and caught it. the second time it back out of driveway, catching the door on a fence post and tearing the driver's side door off the truck.*ak

Dt: on a couple of occasions vehicle was running and it popped into reverse. second time this happened wa son february 8, 2005, a trailer was attached to vehicle. while at store, pacific feed store 554 east osage, pacific, mo. 63069 vehicle popped into reverse. trailer jackknifed and caused damage to the side of the vehicle above the rear passenger side wheel and tailgate. no police report on incident because no other vehicles were involved. dealer told consumer to have truck serviced, consumer done so immediately, then contacted manufacturer. dealer found problem with linkage for transmission. dealer repaired problem. manufacture rwas supposed to send an inspector to inspect vehicle. when inspector called consumer to schedule an inspection, consumer gave a time for inspection, then inspector called back and told consumer that he had received an e-mail from manufacturer that stating he was to do nothing further with consumer's vehicle. manufacturer then contacted consumer by mail, stating that since vehicle was repaired they could not adequately access the claim, and based on this information, they were denying consumer's claim.*ak

Dt: without warning the vehicle came out of park. the consumer took it to the dealer and they said there was nothing wrong with it. 6 months ago the dealer said they could not duplicate the problem and they tried it and they could get into park. the consumer said it was sporadic. the consumer stated last night(july 24, 2005) he and his wife pulled up in front of his gate and he exited the vehicle to open the gate and the vehicle came out of park with his wife still in it and it ran into a ditch and then into his fence and was stopped by a tree. his wife was not hurt. the consumer will be calling the manufacturer after this call. this has happened more than 18 times. *jb

2004 dodge ram [xxx] quad cab slt. there is an obvious noise coming from the rear of the vehicle, best described as a loud whine. it occurs while accelerating or decelerating at low rpm's and only when the vehicle is cold and the temperature outside is cold as well. the colder it is outside, the louder the whine noted from the rear end. after approximately 5-10 minutes of driving, the noise steadily diminishes and then eventually completely disappears. took vehicle to the dealer and had it inspected during routine maintenance. maintenance technician advised that it was normal and was probably the pinion gear. took the truck back again as the temperature got colder and the whine got louder. they let the vehicle sit overnight and test drove it the next morning and, this time, heard the obvious whine. i was advised that there are no recalls or tsb's issued as of yet, but it is a problem that daimlerchrysler is investigating. the printout from dealer connect stated that it is a rear propeller shaft center bearing noise issue-"especially when cold." they also stated that a tsb or other notification may be issued after engineering review of the reported problem. it has been assigned a "solution number" of [xxx]. i just wanted to report the problem to nhtsa so that appropriate follow up can be done and help expedite a recall notice if warranted. *ak updated 07/24/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Dodge (daimler chrysler) has a recall to install an "out-of-park alarm system" (notification code e17). this alarm will activate lights and horn until your battery runs down. what they should be having is a "fix the transmission" recall so that the vehicle goes into "park" readily and stays there. this is a very dangerous condition. ours slipped out of park and rolled into a building. *nm

My wife and i bought a 2004 dodge 2500 hemi quad cab pick-up last march. we took is back to the dealership every month last year except july which was the month we got married. the problem was a high pitched whine coming from what was later discovered to be the center bearing. this whine would start at 20 mph and would continue longer the colder is was. it would also continue into higher speeds the colder it was. the dealership tried many things to fix it including replacing the center bearing twice. nothing worked for more than a day. in december one of the service managers said the center bearing was vibrating so hard,"i couldn't keep my hand on it." he also reported that dodge was aware of the problem and was not able to come up with a solution. at this time my wife and i proceeded to enforce the lemon law in december. we finally took delivery of an identical replacement truck about 3-4 weeks ago. initially the truck ran fine. then this last sunday, monday and tuesday the new truck started making the exact same noise and the previous "lemon". do you have any further information on this problem?

Vehicle is a 2004 dodge ram 2500 with automatic transmission and a diesel engine. i exited the vehicle to check an issue with home construction. put the vehicle in neutral on a flat street in phoenix opened the door and walked approximately 20 feet. a coworker yelled at me as my truck took off in reverse , wasn't rolling. while going backwards the door hit palates of roof tile and bent the door back. the truck eventually rolled into a home and stopped. the gear was still in neutral. called dodge, was told there was no problem with truck and there was nothing to correct. a year later, there was a recall for this same problem. called dodge to make a claim, and was told that this vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin although my truck and options match the recall description. i want my vehicle fixed, and the insurance company reimbursed for the repairs $3000. think the recall needs to be expanded and not be based solely on vin numbers, but the description of the vehicle and associated options listed in the recall.*ak

The first time was in december 04 my truck went out of park while running and backed into a wall. march 22 it backed into a rock wall and damaged the side. *jb

Upon putting the gear in park, the vehicle would automatically place itself into reverse and take off in that position. the consumer contacted the dealer and was told there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. please provide any further information. *jb

I have a 2004 dodge ram 2500 cummin diesel pick up,when i put into park with motor running i left the truck to check on a wreak my pick up rolled back into a tractor trailer causing damage to the rear corner panel of my truck. i know there is a recall for this reason but from all of the complaints with the alarm i don't know if i want to do it. i would like a recall to get this fixed so i wont be out another $3500.00 to fix my truck,it would be nice to get reimburse. *nm

Vehicle slipped out of the park gear to reverse gear. this caused the vehicle to roll back into a wall. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

2004 dodge ram 2500 4wd. purchased vehicle november 2004. upon drive home, at speeds of 60 mph and above, a vibration throughout the vehicle was felt. contacted local dealer who kept the truck for 2 days. after second day of test driving, 70 miles put on by dealer, was told that complaint could not be duplicated. i was told by servicing dealer that it was something that i had to deal with. this vibration is beginning to cause unsafe driving conditions at these speeds. the condition needs to be corrected before somebody gets hurt.*ak

While driving 70 mph driver heard a loud knocking noise coming from the front. vehicle vibrated uncontrollably. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection numerous times, and mechanic determined that the transfer case needed to be replaced. *ak *nm

Vehicle is owned by company and driven by sales staff. the operator stopped the vehicle on level paved surface and shifted to park then exited the vehicle with park brake off and the engine running. when the operator returned 1 to 2 minutes later the vehicle had moved rearward about 40 feet accross a public roadway. it struck a light pole and knocked it over. the rear bumper was also damaged. the vehicle was found in reverse ('r' illuminated) after the incident.

The truck was parked when it suddenly began to roll backwards. *nm the driver attempted to get in the truck while it was moving but the door knocked him down and the truck ran over his right leg and arm. the driver sustained massive bruises and later developed an infection. the manufacturer was notified about the incident. *nm *jb

While the vehicle was running in park, the vehicle slipped out of the park. *jb the vehicle rolled backwards and crossed the highway and hit two poles causing major damage. *tc

I pulled up to a local gas station and placed the shift lever in the park position as indicated by the shift indicator leaving the vehicle running as i went in to get an air chuck. i was inside maybe a minute and came out to find my truck had gone into reverse and backed out into a busy street and crashed into a tree a little ways down. the vehicle was still running and the indicator still read park but the truck was clearly in reverse. the rear bumper was pushed in as well as the right rear fender and back edge of the truck box.*ak

2004 dodge ram 2500 4x4 cummins diesel vibration at 70 mph to 75 mph vehicle was bought new. i took it back the next day after driving 150 miles asked for a different vehicle i have owned a lemon dodge before i just did not want the headache of a problem vehicle. the vibration feels like the rear axle or the driveshaft shake the steering wheel and mirrors and the brake pedal. also, my dashboard is starting to rattle. i am scared to drive this vehicle for fear of something flying out from under it and possibly killing someone or myself. the steering wheel on extended trips will make your hands go numb from the vibration! i have taken the vehicle in to my local dealership several times they had the driveshaft balenced from the local driveshaft shop they say that they have called star tech and that they are working on the problem but still i have a vibration that cannot be fixed .*ak

Consumer turned vehicle off and put it in park, got out, and walked to the back of vehicle, and it jumped out of park into reverse, knocking consumer down and rolled over him, killing the consumer. reported by richard gatewood. *ak updated 04/17/06. *jb

While parked vehicle came out of gear. as a result, vehicle rolled back into a trailer that was on consumer's property. *ak *nm

On a number of occasions i thought i put the automatic transmission in park and later realized it was in reverse. definitely something wrong here.*ak

Purchased dodge ram 2500 2004 4wd hemi brand new 2 weeks ago, 7/30/04. put the truck in 4wd and drove for 1 mile. took the truck out of 4wd, went to 2wd and the transmission would not engage. left me stranded for 2 1/2 hours waiting for a tow truck when i was supposed to be on vacation. no rental car available because they would not give us one - new truck, under warranty, first time in 4wd. we were 3 hours from home in outer banks and closest dealer would not work on truck because he stated, "you should have bought your truck from me". we did not buy a truck from him because he only had a long bed. had to argue with chrysler 24 hour road side assistance to make them two the truck back to dealer in virginia beach and they finally consented to pay for the whole trip. truck went back home without us. we were extremely lucky to break down at a gas station.*ak

Dear sirs i have a 2004 dodge desiel pickup 3\4 ton bought new last december. current mileage is 13,000. it has gone from park to reverse twice. last time had to cut it out of the cedar trees. i had got out and went around to the mail box on the other side. on the way back pickup took off... dodge company says that i should turn off the engine and set the emergency brake whenever i leave the truck. i live on a ranch with a half a dozen gates to get out and open. it just doesn't make sense to turn on and off a desiel that many times aday. if you could provide me with any suggestions, would be truly appreciated...thank you. sincerely hazelle calcote. *ak

Problems with transmission on 2004 dodge truck. *mr there were cooling line concerns as well. the consumer was concerned with the fuel odor and when the vehicle was placed in park, it felt as if it did not lock into place. on one occasion, the consumer parked the vehicle, went into a store, and the vehicle jumped out of park into reverse, and hit a dump truck. *sc *jb see also 10121524. *dsy

2004 dodge ram 2500 was parked with the emergency brake on when the vehicle jumped out of park and rolled backwards into a dump truck.*mr the transmission has acted funny ever since consumer got the truck. talked to 2 different service men , their reply was that this is a new and different transmission. *bf see 10092748 also. *dsy

While driving at any speed the 4-wheel drive engaged. as a result, turning became difficult.*ak

Very noticeable vibration in driveline. i could feel it mostly at higher speeds between 60 mph-90mph. noticed it right after i bought it. took it back to the dealer several times and they advised "cannot duplicate customer concern". after 3 attempts to let dodge techs identify the problem with no success i had the assistant service manager morry at norm reeves dodge of temecula ca. ride with me. amazingly with me in the truck morry was able to feel the vibration. he told me,"i've driven about 25 of theses trucks and they all do that". i said, "nice,that says a lot about dodge quality." the dodge tech took another look at it and again put down on paper"cannot duplicate customer concern". frustrated, i attempted to solve the problem on my own realizing a dodge technician would probably never do so. i took the truck to a driveline shop that norm reeves dodge uses. they told me the driveshaft was out of balance and rebalanced it. it did not make the problem better. it actually made it worse. i had them remove the new weights they added which put it back to the way it was. the problem is back the way it was when i bought it. however, my wallet is a $100 lighter. mcpeek dodge in anaheim ca. immediately found the problem and advised me dodge is currently working on a fix for the truck but at this time there is no fix. they acknowledged this is a common problem. i also have had a burning oil smell in the cab while idling. the dealership advised me it was new engine packaging oil burning off. i have 9000 miles on truck now and no longer smell burning oil. my truck is a 2500 quadcab 4x4 short bed with the cummins ho 600. *ak