150,000 Trucks to be Recalled

[jackrea]

About 111,000 1997-1998 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups with diesel engines are being recalled to replace a fitting in the engine compartment. The fitting could corrode from road salt used during winter months in the Midwest, the automaker said.



This was posted on the Drudge Report this morning. Jack



www.drudgereport.com

 

[Chipstien]

I wonder why I never see recalls on foreign cars... . of yeah, designed and assembled better. On well, none are offered with a Cummins either.

 

[Oil Ape]

I worked for a couple years as a fleet mechanic and although the majority of our vehicles were Chevys we had a few Dodges, Fords, Hondas, Nissans, Toyotas, etc... We were an authorized Chevy dealer so we could get 'em cheap but whatever the Departments wanted, they ended up with, and we serviced. I've done recalls on almost every make including the foreign models. The question I think is not that foreign cars don't have recalls but rather most of us don't own foreign so we don't hear about the recalls. I've found that most recalls are for something simple anyway like putting a lock washer on a seatbelt bolt or a wire tie around a certain wire. For example the new Volkswagon Beetle had a recall on the wire harness over the battery that could accidently touch down and start a fire. I don't care what the make or model of vehicle one might own, they all seem to generate recalls of one sort or another. It just seems that the domestic vehicles you hear about them more often in the news.



For all those Dodge Viper owners out there... . I just heard there is a recall on the frame... It seems that a certain spot on the frame if corroded has a tendency to fracture under high torque applications. The fix is to buff the corrosion off and repaint the frame in that location... ... ...

 

[Steve M]

I hate to hear people insinuate that our American made products are inferior to foreign made. Why is something like this even said. I love this country and what we have to offer. We have the best there is because we are the best there is. I guess it's "in vogue" to bash America. I guess I just don't keep up with the latest trends...

http://www.safetyalerts.com/recall/a/014/v1066.htm

I sure wish I would have bought my daughter one of these instead of the Mustang that has over 112,000 miles on it and runs quiet, burns no oil, and looks like a champ.



Or maybe I should have bought my wife one of these instead of the Durango she wanted.



Nissan Recalls Certain 2000-2001 Infiniti QX4 Models

Detroit, MI (SafetyAlerts) - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has published a recall affecting certain 2000 and 2001 model Nissan Infiniti automobiles. The affected models were manufactured between October 1999 and March 2000.



Certain passenger vehicles may have an ignition lock assembly with improperly seated key cylinder cap connector pins. Vibration can cause the connecting pins to loosen and/or fall out, allowing the key cylinder cap to disengage from the key cylinder. If this occurs, the steering wheel lock rod can move and lock the steering wheel.



This recall affects 9,200 automobiles.

 

[Oil Ape]

Steve I'm with you all the way... ... ... ...



I have worked on them all and believe the American products to be every bit as good and reliable as the rice burners in the same price ranges. Granted in the 70's and early 80's the domestic cars and trucks sucked gas like crazy and that is why the economical foreigns got such a great reputation. I think the problem is people compare apples to oranges and of course a $25k Honda Accord is nicer and has more features than a $16K Chevy Lumina. Longevity and problem wise I think they are equal. If Chev dumped an additional $9k there would be an uproar but then maybe it would have a nicer fit and finish and be a fairer comparison. Notice almost all comparisons the foreign cars run $2k to $10K+ higher... .



Of course, the Porshe 911 Carrera is one sweet "little" car for $130K but a fully loaded corvette at $40K will almost run right with it and with an additional $40K worth of work you can run circles around the 911 and still save you $50k. Or at $80k you can get a stock Viper that will throw up some impressive #'s.



I do like some makes and models of foreign cars but I would never buy them on the pretence that they are any better than the American cars, but rather because they are an option to the American models. Besides, a large percentage of these so called foreign cars, such as the Honda's, are made here in the United States anyway.

 

[jbone]

Hate to blast the younger bunch as a whole, but they almost all got brain washed by the Jap's in 80/90 time frame and just suck up that greater than thou stuff the japs put out... . and while I'm on my soap box--I think Car and Driver and most of the car magazines are bought off by the Japs---every d**n car listed in top 10 every year 8 out of 10 Japs..... boy they sure are along on the side of the road, now that the youngster have bought them for 20 years--low and behold just as many Japs broke as American (must be those honda's made in marysville?!? R, J. B.

P. S. pay as much for american car and match it to Jap same price, no they always compare apples and oranges... .

 

[merryman]

I am convinced the "foreign cars are better', line is simply a by-product of the hate america attitude of the hippy-anti-america era of the 60's.



I got carried away with it in '69 and bought a new Mercedes------sshheesss!!!! that car lived at the dealer!!! It was allways needing some kind of complicated service. The transmission had to be replaced at 50k miles and at 92K miles it needed an engine rebuild. EVERY fall, the heater controls had to be replaced.

At that point I gave up on the Benz, Iwas afraid to go any place in it, so I traded it in on an new '74 Volvo.

Boy was that a mistake: before it had 50K miles, it was on its fourth camshaft, and soon thereafter, it required a diff. rebuild, then a transmission rebuild; but the dealer did let me take it home everyonce in a while so that something else could break so they could work on it again. by 125K miles, it was fill the oil and check the gas... .....

Went back to T-birds and in the next 175K miles, only a very few minor , minor things, nary a major component repair of any sort. Gave the last T-bird to my Daughter about six years ago, when it had 90K miles on it, and she is still using it as her daily driver (40 mile round trip to work) and has yet to have a problem with it.

In fact, with all the American cars and trucks I have driven since I got my licence in 1950, the only major components I have had to have repair on were a transmission rebuild on my "50 Dodge truck at about 75K miles (three speed). and my '84 Ford---it was relatively trouble free till 85K miles, then it just sort of fell apart.

Apart form thoes items, I have had beautifull service from many U. S. built vehicles with nothing but small repair items.

Keep your foreign stuff and let me have as American made as possibel--yea I know thats getting more and more difficult----but if it says "made in China" I won't buy it.



Vaughn

 

[shendren]

the quality of the product is usually reflected on the bottom line. in the financial stmts. (unless AA is doing your acctg. )... ... . see who comes in first then...

 

[dresslered]

I sure would never consider a Japanese vehicle, but my 1972 Mercedes and my 1983 BMW both have over 200,000 miles and they each still pure like a kitten!



P. S. Both have original "untouched" fuel pumps. When the Mercedes fuel pump finally goes, you just replace the brushes.

 

[Chipstien]

Lets see... my first car was a Ford Mustang, second was a Jeep Cherokee, third was a Dodge Dakota and forth was a Dodge Cummins. I have never owned a foreign made vehicle. I'm all for buying American even though I feel that the big three can't even compare when it comes to comparing HP per L to the foreign companies. The big three feels that there is replacement for displacement while the foreign guys are getting the same #'s from engines half the size along with twice the fuel economy. And if you look in the paper you see that foreign cars will sell with higher mileage than American cars. I am NOT anti-american in any way, shape or form.



I will say that my next car will be a VW Jetta with a TDI... . does this make me anti-american?

 

[Dieselnerd]

We had 4 new VW's and with each one "hoped" it would last for awhile. They never did. We bought a new 1986 S10 Blazer that the car magazines all said was full of problems. We sold it to our son in law this year for a second car and it was still going strong. Problems? The radio broke under warranty, one of the tailgate lifts wore out after 15 years and the drivers power door lock switch only lasted 14 years. Motor, transmission, transfer case, etc. etc. all problem free. Junk? I guess not! We replaced it with a 2002 Trailblazer which has also been trouble free so far.

 

[mtrippi]

I think all cars and trucks are junk for the price you have to pay for them. I can't seem to find out way dodge front ends need to be replaced far to soon. Every car/truck should come with larger brakes and better suspensions. Audi a-4 front ends wear out in 30,000 miles. junk. what about the crappy paint job on my dodge. I had to get it repainted at 30,000 miles. What about my bumpers that rusted out after 10,000 miles. I did get new ones. The dealer put a used front bumper on. At least it wasn't rusted. Oh well! I rather have a american car/truck than a rice burner.

 

[Cummins4Life]

da*mn hippies... . #ad

 

[NVR FNSH]

Hmmm, different philosphies about how to run a business in Japanese vs American car companies. 'They' appear to be in it for the long haul and seem to invest more in their manufacturing processes/plants than the American companies. I wonder if the UAW has anything to do with that? I know my '85 Toyota 4wd truck didn't get a new transmission before the warranty expired - my '00 CTD 6spd did.....



IMO the Big 3 just don't have anything in the 'car' market that is appealling. We have Ford Taurus sedans/wagons & Windstars for company cars and they are so blah it's pathetic.



Before any of you accuse me of being a flaming liberal hippy socialist let me say this:



'76 Toyota Corolla wagon

'79 Jeep CJ-7 (still own)

'78 GMC Heavy 1/2 Ton P/U

'88 Suzuki Katana 1100 m/c

'88 Honda XR600 m/c

'96 Dodge 2500 CTD 4wd (Dad now owns)

'90 Kawasaki KX500 m/c (still own)

'96 Dodge 2500 360 V8 4wd

'98 Ford Explorer (still own)

'92 Honda XR 250R m/c (still own)

'00 Dodge 2500 CTD 4wd (still own)

'99 Yamaha WR 400 m/c (still own)

'85 Toyota 4wd P/U (now own - was my dad's then sister's)



These are the vehicles I've owned since '86 - I am not brand loyal. I buy the vehicle that suits my needs the best from whoever produces it.



Brian

 

[PHaller]

Made in America??

I don't want to hit this point too hard but all you guys that swear you'll only buy American and American made is better so, you buy a Dodge. My Dodge was made in Mexico. The CTD I had before was made in Canada.

About the ONLY thing America manufactures anymore are airplanes, arms, crayons, and washing machines. Just about everything else is made outside our borders.

Sorry to burst your bubble but it is now a world economy. We can't compete with foreign labor prices and OUR companies like Dodge, now owned by Mercedes, is shipping your jobs to Mexico. Meanwhile, you cry at the unemployment line because your assembly line job just got transfered to south of the border.

I read a lot of people on the list buying German cars. Mercedes, VW, Audi... We beat the Germans in the second world war just like we beat the Japanese. Why is one beaten former enemy more acceptable then another if you are concerned about keeping the apearance of all for America? I don't get it.

If you really are "buy American" and keep jobs in America, DON"T buy anything made elswhwere. Oh, by the way, vertually every vegetable that passes your lips is either grown or picked using foreigners. That means, NO vegetables or fruit, no microwaves, no TVs, no Michelin or Toyo tires, no food processors, no diamond rings, they are South African, Canadian, and marketed by a French company De Beirs, and NO CTD... after all, 9 of 10 were assembled in Mexico or Canada and after all... It's really a German owned truck anyway!! Get Real.

-Paul R. Haller-

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

Sorry to say it but most Hondas are assembled in the US.



I won't buy a new foreign car either. I like the corporate money to stay here at home. When I buy used it's usually the cheapest/best car for the money.



BTW my wife's '96 Chrysler Cirrus has 130k w/no real problems. . The AC compressor died at 100k

 

[illflem]

It doesn't matter where the vehicle is assembled or where the parts come from, what's important is whose pocket the profit goes in. At least if the profit stays home the money boys can hire laid off US autoworkers for gardeners and servants.

 

[dan_gilson]

I think all manufactures now realize that it is cheaper for them to make cars of better quality. It costs less to engineer in the quality than to have a dealer fix it.



With this said: I have purchased 4 new cars: Mazda RX-7, Saturn SW2 and 2 RAMs.



The RX-7 had 3 problems all covered under extended warrenty.



Saturn: replaced 3 of the 4 power windows under warrenty. Hard brake pedal they never fixed.



96 RAM: Sent back after 2+ years and 18 trips to the dealer. Talk about living at the dealership.



98 RAM over 10 trips so far. It seems to be holding. I have given up on the dealerships and gone to self maintenance.



You can draw your own conclusions. I would not say that I am overally happy with Dodge. And I am really unhappy with the service that I have gotten from their dealerships.

 

[JGK]

I've owned a Subaru, 2 Toyotas (Celicas), 3 Nissans (Pathfinders), and currently a Volvo wagon and the only problems I've had was exhaust manifold bolts and clutch pilot bearings on the Nissans and an electric seat problem on the Volvo. I liked them and would/will buy again. But I think lately the big Japanese mfrs are resting on their past laurels a bit too much.



I strongly believe if it weren't for the Japanese and European competition of the last 20 years or so we'd still be driving vehicles like the Ford Pinto and Fairmont, Chrysler K car, AMC Gremlin, etc. Wanna go back to those days? It's the freedoms we have today and the competition from the rest of the world that keeps us strong. Let 'em stay at it and let the US consumer buy where he feels he's getting the best deal. It'll only make us stonger if our government doesn't kill us first!

 

[JGarcia]

I agree with JGK. The one thing that the foreign mfg's did was pay attention to what the public wanted. The big three spent many years trying to dictate what we should drive without paying a bit of attention to what was important to us: value, fit and finish, customer service. I've owned both foreign and domestic vehicles, and it used to be that you would get into a 2 year old domestic car and without fail you would hear squeaks and rattles and see where interior pieces were loose or had fallen off. Then you could get into a 5 or 6 year old Honda or Toyota and it still sounded quiet and new.

Having said that, the American Mfg's have made tremendous progress in production standards and quality of product and I applaud them for it. I'm also convinced that without foreign competition, we'd still be buying sub standard American products.

By the way, do you think Dodge would have re-designed our lift pump set up if Toyota had started building 3/4 and 1 tons?



JRG