NHTSA Complaint #10102295 — 2004 DODGE RAM 2500

MY DODGE 2500 SERIES TRUCK DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARDS IN THE 49 CFR 567.4 3) ``GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING'' OR ``GVWR,'' FOLLOWED BY THE APPROPRIATE VALUE IN POUNDS, WHICH SHALL NOT BE LESS THAN THE SUM OF THE . *AK UNLOADED VEHICLE WEIGHT, RATED CARGO LOAD, AND 150 POUNDS TIMES THE VEHICLE'S DESIGNATED SEATING CAPACITY. MY DODGE HAS AN EMPTY WEIGHT OF 6072 POUNDS WITH AN ADVERTISED PAYLOAD OF 2690 POUNDS AND SEATS SIX PASSENGERS. 6072 + 2690 + 900 = 9702 POUNDS. IF I LOADED MY VEHICLE TO IT'S CAPACITY, I WOULD BE 702 POUNDS OVER MY GVWR OF 9000 LBS. FURTHERMORE MY TRUCK ACTUALLY WEIGHS IN AT 7490 POUNDS WITH MY FAMILY OF FIVE AND A FULL TANK OF GAS. IF I WAS TO LOAD MY TRUCK TO THE PAYLOAD OF 2690 POUNDS, MY TRUCK WOULD WEIGH 10,180 POUNDS. THIS WOULD LEAD ME TO BE 1,180 POUNDS OVER MY GVWR. IN ESSENCE THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY TO SAFELY STAY WITHIN MY GVWR IF I LOADED MY TRUCK WITH SIX PASSENGERS WEIGHING 150 A PIECE AND THEN LOADED TO MY PAYLOAD CAPACITY. THE ONLY OPTION IS TO LOAD MY VEHICLE TO LESS THAN HALF OF IT'S PAYLOAD CAPACITY ON MY DOOR PLATE. THIS IS AN UNSAFE CONDITION FOR THOSE ONLY READING THE DOOR PLATE AND MANUFACTURER LITERATURE. I HAVE BEEN LED TO OPERATE MY VEHICLE IN A UNSAFE MANER BY USING MANUFACTURER LITERATURE.