NHTSA Complaint #10105997 — 2003 DODGE RAM 2500

(1) DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT 75 MPH SPEED LIMIT. HIT RUTS IN ROAD LEFT FROM SEMIS. TIRES STARTED BOUNCING. TRUCK WENT OUT OF CONTROL. I THOUGHT I HAD MULTIPLE BLOWOUTS. STRUGGLED TO PULL OVER WITHOUT HITTING ANYONE ELSE. GOT TRUCK STOPPED AND GOT OUT AND LOOKED AT TIRES. NO DAMAGE TO TIRES. RESEARCHED SYMTOMS ON-LINE WHEN HOME AGAIN, DISCOVERED WHAT IS BEING CALLED "DEATH WOBBLE". TOOK TRUCK TO ALIGNMENT SHOP TODAY AND THEY INFORMED ME THEY CANNOT ALIGN BECAUSE ALL OF MY BALL JOINTS HAVE WAY TO MUCH PLAY AND TIE ROD ENDS ARE WORN OUT. FURTHER RESEARCH DONE TODAY ON DODGE OWNERS WEBSITES AND HAVE FOUND THAT MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING "DEATH WOBBLE" ISSUES AND BAD BALL JOINTS, BUT DODGE IS NOT REPLACING THEM BECAUSE THEY STATE PLAY IS ACCEPTABLE. (2) THIS FAILURE IS ONE OF THE MOST SCARY THINGS I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED WHILE DRIVING A VEHICLE. TWENTY MINUTES EARLIER I WAS TOWING MY TRAVEL TRAILER BEHIND ME AND I THINK IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WITH THE TRAILER ON I WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONTROL THE TRUCK. I AM TERRIFIED OF IT HAPPENING AGAIN. (3) I HAVE NOT HAD ANY PARTS REPLACED YET DO TO THE WEEKEND, BUT I WILL BE CALLING A SECOND SHOP ON MODAY FOR A SECOND OPINION AND PRICING TO HAVE THE PARTS REPLACED. MY FAMILY MEANS TO MUCH TO ME TO WAIT FOR A RECALL FROM DODGE ON THESE BALL JOINTS. I DO KNOW THAT THEY JUST RECALLED DURANGOS AND DAKOTAS FOR THE SAME REASON AND IN MY OPINION, THEY SHOULD RECALL FULL SIZED TRUCKS AS WELL. THIS CONDITION COULD HAVE VERY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES UP TO AND INCLUDING DEATH, WITH THE VEHICLE GOING OUT OF CONTROL AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. *AK