7.3

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
90,900 miles
Total Complaints:
6 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (6 reports)
1999 Dodge Ram 2500 transmission problems

transmission problem

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1999 Dodge Ram 2500 Owner Comments

problem #6

Jun 282018

Ram 2500 Sprint Diesel V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 87,151 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This truck has LOW miles--87,000! I replaced this transmission within the last 15,000 miles, and it is acting up again! This truck has MULTIPLE problems, including replacement of BOTH the transmission and engine within the last 15,000 miles. Transmission started slipping out of gear, switching gears and otherwise being a pain again, just within the last week. I bought this truck to pull a horse trailer, and in the shape it's in, I doubt if it could pull a kiddy toy. I paid a lot of money for this truck, and it has been nothing but problems. I don't know what needs to be done about the transmission, and transmission shops aren't known for their honesty. The transmission was replaced by the dealer I bought the truck from used, and was replaced under warranty, because the truck came with a four year warranty due to it's low miles, and now, I think due to its HORRIBLE record for reliability. The truck had the 53 block V6 diesel, which cracked and had to be replaced. Now, a transmission with less than 15000 miles is failing! PIECE O'SH*T!

- Jeri R., Kennewick, WA, US

problem #5

Feb 082016

Ram 2500 V8

  • Automatic transmission
  • 92,000 miles

Kicks out of gear transmission slips. Very poor gas mileage eight miles per gallon. I do not use it very much. When hauling a horse trailer with horses it goes out of gear and will not shift even at the higher rpms.

- John T., Logan, UT, US

problem #4

Jul 051999

Ram 2500 ES V6 Diesel

  • Automatic transmission
  • 25,000 miles

I had special order of this truck in January 1999 got it in March 1999, 0 miles I don't remember the exact date when the problem starts , and did not drive + 25000 miles, when transmission starts working really bad. I took it to Serramonte Dealer in Daly City Ca. The mechanic in charge told me You don't know anything about transmissions, this one is good,( I could file a law suit for discrimination the way they treat me) the did not take my complaint, went back again to Dodge Dealer in Richmond Ca they told me the same thing, got angry and told them if they don't fix it I will file a law suit against them, then they took it again to test drive , finally they told me the transmission was bad , they replaced weeks later. Am still have problem with but have no warranty. Stay away from dodge.

- nery3475, Marshall, TX, US

problem #3

Jan 042003

Ram 2500 V8

  • Automatic transmission
  • 85,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I bought this truck thinking it would be reliable because it was a DODGE. I am older and needed a reliable truck! nope not this one replaced one tranny and then the tranny started slipping in cold weather from start of late fall till late spring. also is worse if truck is going uphill!! what can i do about this... we tried changing the tranny filter no difference. this is the only problem this truck has i think we did have to change the transfer case as it got to low on fluid but.... it's not leaking any fluid that we can see. any ideas out there!!! we can't afford a big mechanic bill !!!! kris

- kriskunz, Swanville, MN, US

problem #2

Mar 022010

Ram 2500

  • Automatic transmission
  • 119,000 miles

I bought my 1999 Dodge Ram 24 Valve Turbo Diesel in late Jan 2010. I purchased it in Oregon from a small dealership. When my uncle and I test drove it, it ran perfect, shifted perfectly, diesel engine sounded amazing. We checked it out for about an hour (under the hood and under the truck), it checked out fine, so I decided to buy it. When we were test driving it, my uncle and I both remember the salesman "talking up" their transmission shop that they also owned, neither of us thought twice about what he was saying because we both checked it out and it seemed fine. A couple of months go by and no problems what so ever. So early March I was driving up a pretty nice hill, and all the sudden WHOOOOOSH, the truck won't shift into a gear up the hill, and the RPM's are up to about 28-2900 right now. I get real nervous and pull over because I put the petal to the floor and nothing happened.

The next day I took it to a transmission place, and the guy knew I wasn't a mechanic, but I did know SOME about diesels, meantime, he had my damn truck for 13 hours and I was stuck just walking around town...and I had a 8 am appt!!! There were NO warning lights (or as my family calls them "dummy lights") on at all, but this dude tried to tell me that his computer found 3 codes....NONE OF WHICH HAD TO DO WITH THE TRANSMISSION....

I soon left that place, and just took it to a local oil change center and got an oil change, and a transmission flush. When I did that, I had them replace a qt of tranny fluid with a qt of LUCAS TRANNY FIX. Works amazing. No problems after that.

About a month later, it started happening again and randomly 2 dummy lights came on (ABS & Brake). Two weeks later, the problems stopped, but the dummy lights are still on, and my speedometer only works past 25 mph....?

As of now (Mid March 2010), the lights are still on, the speedometer problem is still there, but the tranny was shifting fine. This morning May 12th, I woke up to go run some arrons, I start driving, and the transmission is doing the same thing as it started as back in March, but this time it is sticking in first gear until about 2800 rpm, then it shifts hard into 2nd. So I am stuck now...I hope someone can read this and help me out.

Thanks.

- Nate M., Olympia, WA, US

problem #1

Aug 152008

Ram 2500 Turbo Diesel

  • Automatic transmission
  • 137,000 miles

Here's one for you. We have a 1999, automatic, Cumming's Turbo Diesel Ram 2500 with 4WD and apparently anti-lock brakes. We've had several problems with it over the past two years, but the most recent is perplexing.

The issue is this: I was parked on an incline, not a massive incline, just a mild incline in my driveway. When I put the beast in drive, he rolled back. This isn't the norm. The norm is that he starts to move forward slowly. You'd think that's what a big, powerful beast of a truck should do on a mild incline. I hit the breaks and BOOM! my ABS and Brake lights both come on simultaneously, thus freaking me out, as I didn't think you'd need your Anti-lock brakes to brake going less than4mph backwards down an incline that is about as steep as the side of a shoe wedge. So, me being the safety conscious driver that I am, I pull out the manual and look up the ABS light/Brake light combo and find that the truck is not a deadly, brakeless killing machine, so I continue my quest to move my truck out of my drive way.

Here's the thing, why didn't my truck want to go up such a minor incline? Why after this incident did my speedometer quit working until I am traveling at least 2 miles over25mph ? Why do I SOMETIMES have noticeable slipping when the truck engages gear from a standing position, e.g. red light, stop sign, parking space, etc.? And most baffling of all, what the hell does any of this have to do with my ABS system? WHY? Why is this all happening? Did the Dodge demon come along and decide to throw my truck into a state of mechanical dementia? It's cruel; he's not THAT old. Can anyone put all these puzzle pieces together for me, because I'm not mechanic and I'm no clairvoyant, but I am thoroughly confused.

Take care,

Azy!

- azaliah, Arlington, WA, US

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