2011 Ram 1500 Body & Structure Problems

The tailgate fell open when accelerating after stopping at a stoplight. It had been securely closed for 4 hours of driving without stopping with no interaction.

Tailgate randomly unlocks and opens while vehicle is in motion. Cargo comes out. The dealer was shown the defective locking mechanism and refused to repair it.

OUR 2011 RAM 1500 HAS RUST UNDER THE PAINT, BUBBLING IT UP, UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE BACK DOOR RIGHT ON/ABOVE THE ROCKER PANEL. THE ACTUAL DOOR IS NOT AFFECTED AND APPEARS TO BE RUST FREE, IT IS THE BODY OF THE TRUCK THAT IS AFFECTED. WE NOTICED THIS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND HAVE OWNED THE TRUCK FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 YEARS. I CALLED AN AUTO BODY REPAIR PLACE AND THE PERSONNEL TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH DOGE TRUCKS BECAUSE THE PANELS ARE NOT WELDED TOGETHER ANY LONGER, BUT ARE NOT BONDED TOGETHER WITH SOME KIND OF INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH ADHESIVE WHICH THEN CAUSES MOISTURE TO BE UNABLE TO ESCAPE, WHICH CAUSES RUST. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND FAULTY DESIGN AND TO CONTACT DODGE TO SEE IF THEY COULD ASSIST, BUT THEY CLAIM THEY CANNOT DUE TO THERE BEING NO RECALLS ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. A GENTLEMAN FROM THE FCA INSTRUCTED ME TO COME HERE AND FILE A COMPLAINT. THOUGH THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS LISTED, THERE IS NO RECALL BECAUSE THERE IS NO RISK OF INJURY CONSIDERED, BUT FOR ME THE RUST IS ON THE ROCKER PANEL, WHICH IS STRUCTURAL, AND IS A RISK IF IT WEAKENS. ALSO, THE GENTLEMAN AT THE FCA AGREED WITH ME THAT THIS IS A DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING, SO IT WOULD ONLY BE GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE FOR DODGE TO COVER THE EXPENSES AND WORK TO IMPROVE THEIR PRODUCT BECAUSE IT CAN AND HAS PUT PEOPLE IN DANGER. THE COMPLAINTS ARE OUT THERE, AND I BELIEVE RUST ABSOLUTELY POSES RISK OF INJURY, AND I ALSO BELIEVE THAT DODGE SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAULTY DESIGN OF THEIR PRODUCT BECAUSE THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. OUR VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN REGISTERED IN A STATE WHERE INCLEMENT WEATHER AND SALT BRINE FOR THE ROADS WAS REGULAR, AND IT HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED NEAR THE BEACH. WE LIVE IN THE PIEDMONT AREA OF SC AND EVERY TIME WE RETURN FROM THE BEACH WE THOROUGHLY WASH IT. RUST SHOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE. DO NOT REMEMBER THE DATE THAT WE FIRST NOTICED

MY TAILGATE HAS OPENED BY ITSELF SEVERAL TIMES I'VE SEEN IT WITH MY EYES AND THE LAST TIME WE WERE PULLING A TRAILER IT OPENED WHILE DRIVING AND THIS IS WHAT I'M LEFT WITH A RUINED TAILGATE WHERE WE CAN'T EVEN OPEN IT TO USE IT. I'M FURIOUS! THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND IT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN - MY VIN IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 RAM 1500. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SAM LEMAN CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE OF PEORIA (309-692-1801, LOCATED AT 1801 W PIONEER PKWY, PEORIA, IL 61615) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ROCKER PANELS ON THE VEHICLE'S DOORS WERE RUSTING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THREE INDEPENDENT MECHANICS, BUT THEY REFUSED TO REPAIR THE ROCKER PANELS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,000. *BF*JB

DURING A PA STATE INSPECTION THEY FOUND ONE OF THE FUEL TANK SUPPORT STRAPS HAD PULLED OUT OF THE FRAME. THE FRAME HAD RUSTED IN THE AREA WHERE THE STRAP USE TO BE ATTACHED TO THE FRAME. THIS LEFT THE TANK WITH 150LBS OF GASOLINE IN IT HANGING BY ONE STRAP, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC IF THE TANK FELL OUT AND BECAME WEDGED UNDER THE AXLE. IT IS GOING TO COST OVER $650 TO HAVE THE FRAME WELDED. VEHICLE IS A 2011 WITH 57K MILES.

PASSENGER SIDE FACTORY INSTALLED "DODGE" STEP BAR FELL OFF THE TRUCK AS MY 90LBS. DAUGHTER STEPPED IN. AS HER & THE STEP BAR WENT CRASHING TO THE GROUND SHE BANGED HER ELBOW REALLY HARD ON THE DOOR LATCH STRIKER. COMPONENT IS HELD TO THE INNER ROCKER PANEL OF THE TRUCKS CAB WITH 6 EXPANDING RIVET NUTS THAT HAVE VERY LITTLE SURFACE CONTACT AREA. IT APPEARS THAT THE STEEL OF THE INNER ROCKER HAS FATIGUED OVER TIME & CRACKED. THE CRACKS ALLOWED THE METAL TO CONICALLY DEFORM TO THE POINT WHERE THE RIVET NUTS WERE ABLE TO POP OUT OF THE BODY. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE IF IT HAD BEEN AN ELDERLY PERSON ON THE STEP BAR INSTEAD OF A RESILIENT MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUNGSTER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 RAM 1500. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT BECAME AWARE THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS LOWER THAN EXPECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE INSPECTED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL TANK STRAP FRACTURED DUE TO SEVERE RUST AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AN UNKNOWN DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE PERTAINING TO THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE REPAIRED AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,100. ..UPDATED 11/07/17 *BF UPDAATED 9/12/18*JB

I HAVE A WATER LEAK IN THE BACK OF MY TRUCK AND ITS GETTING MY HEADLINER WET. *JS

I WAS SITTING AT AN ENTRANCE NOT MOVING WHEN A CNN RAIL REPAIR TRUCK JUMPED THE CURB RAN INTO MY DRIVER SIDE FRONT FENDER AND TORE HALF FRONT END PARTS OFF SPUN ME 180 HIT REAR DRIVER SIDE PANEL ON SOME STEEL POSTS WAS INJURED BROKEN COLLAR BONE BROKEN RIBS HIT HEAD OFF DRIVER SIDE WINDOW HAVE WIPLASH NO AIR BAGS WENT OFF AT ALL IN MY TRUCK

WATER LEAKS THROUGH THE REAR WINDOW SEALS. SPOKE TO MANY DODGE RAM OWNERS AND THEY HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE. DODGE HAVE BEEN REPAIRING THE SEALS FOR FREE IF YOUR VEHICLE IS UNDER WARRANTY BUT CHARGING $174.00 IF YOUR WARRANTY HAVE EXPIRED. WHEN I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE IN TO GET THE LEAK FIXED THE SERVICE PERSONNEL TOLD ME THAT THIS IS AN ON GOING ISSUE WITH THESE TRUCKS AND THERE WAS FOUR MORE TRUCKS IN THAT DAY FOR THIS ISSUE. [XXX] WAS THE SERVICE PERSON AT LANDMARK DODGE IN MORROW GEORGIA. DODGE CORPORATION IS NOT WILLING TO REFUND MY MONEY OR HELP ME. LANDMARK DODGE SERVICE#678-251-2270. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

SMALL ROCKS ARE GETTING LODGED BETWEEN BEDSIDE AND WHEEL TUB CAUSING OUTWARD PROTRUSIONS ON BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT BEDSIDES. ACCORDING TO DEALER THERE ARE ISOLATED CASES OF THIS HAPPENING HOWEVER THIS ISSUE IS ALSO OCCURRING ON MY OTHER 2011 RAM 1500 AS WELL. BEING AS THESE VEHICLES TRAVEL GRAVEL ROADS DAILY IT WOULD SEEM THERE WOULD BE A GREATER CHANCE OF THIS OCCURRING ON MY VEHICLES THEN MOST SOLD THAT NEVER LEAVE PAVEMENT. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THIS VEHICLE AS IT IS HAPPENING TO BOTH OF MINE AND SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. I COULD UNDERSTAND THIS BEING AN ISOLATED THING IF IT WASN'T OCCURRING ON BOTH OF MY TRUCKS. *TR

SMALL ROCKS ARE GETTING LODGED BETWEEN BEDSIDE AND WHEEL TUB CAUSING OUTWARD PROTRUSIONS ON THE RIGHT BEDSIDE. ACCORDING TO DEALER THERE ARE ISOLATED CASES OF THIS HAPPENING HOWEVER THIS ISSUE IS ALSO OCCURRING ON MY OTHER 2011 RAM 1500 AS WELL. BEING AS THESE VEHICLES TRAVEL GRAVEL ROADS DAILY IT WOULD SEEM THERE WOULD BE A GREATER CHANCE OF THIS OCCURRING ON MY VEHICLES THEN MOST SOLD THAT NEVER LEAVE PAVEMENT. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THIS VEHICLE AS IT IS HAPPENING TO BOTH OF MY TRUCKS AND SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. I COULD UNDERSTAND THIS BEING AN ISOLATED THING IF IT WASN'T OCCURRING ON BOTH VEHICLES. *TR

PAINT PEELING ON 2011. *JS

WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED FROM 25 MILES AND ABOVE WITH REAR QUAD CAB DOOR WINDOWS DOWN - ANY HEIGHT - VEHICLES SHAKES VIOLENTLY, NOISE IN CAB MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO TALK. HAVE DONE THIS WITH SINGLE WINDOW DOWN, REAR WINDOW BOTH OPENED AND CLOSED AND VEHICLE STILL SHAKES MAKING VEHICLE HARD TO DRIVE. HAVE NOT TRIED THIS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AS I IMAGINE THE VEHICLE WOULD BE UNCONTROLLABLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD. WHILE DRIVING ABOVE 50 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT WHEN HE WOULD ROLL THE REAR WINDOWS DOWN, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE EXCESSIVELY ALMOST CAUSING THE CONTACT TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS AWARE OF THE ISSUE, INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS AND OFFERED NO ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE MANUFACTURER NOR WAS THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 2,300. BW UPDATED 01/18/11 *BF UPDATED 03/15/11*LJ