NHTSA Complaint #10118105 — 2001 DODGE RAM 1500

VEHICLE STARTED EXHIBITING STEERING PROBLEM AT 3000 MILES. THE ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP DID A REALIGNMENT OF THE FRONT END, INSTALLED NEW SHOCKS, WE REPLACED THE TIRES EVEN THOUGH THE ORIGINAL TIRES WERE NOT WORN OUT, AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. WE HAD THE SHOCKS REPLACED UNDER THE WARRANTY TWICE WITHOUT ANY DIFFERENCE. WE HAD THE FRONT END REALIGNED AT OUR EXPENSE THREE TIMES WITHOUT ANY DIFFERENCE. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE PITMAN ARM AND TIE ROD END SLEEVE, AND REALIGNED THE FRONT END TO THE TUNE OF $345.00, AND SAID THIS WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. WHEN THE TRUCK HIT A BUMP OR UNEVEN PLACE IN THE PAVEMENT AT FREEWAY SPEEDS IT WILL START TO SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY, BUT THIS IS NOT CONSISTENT. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN WITH EVERY BUMP, AND THERE IS NO PREDICTING WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. IN ORDER TO REGAIN CONTROL, YOU HAVE TO STOP IMMEDIATELY, AND THERE IS GOING TO COME THE TIME WHEN THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE A MULTI-CAR CRASH ON THE FREEWAY! FORTUNATELY THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED YET. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, NOT WHERE WE BOUGHT THE TRUCK SINCE WE DON'T LIVE THERE ANYMORE, WANTS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FRONT END TO THE TUNE OF $2000.00, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS WRONG , AND DODGE SAYS THEY WON'T WARRANTY THIS WORK EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE 3000 MILES. ALL MILEAGE ON THE TRUCK HAS BEEN HIGHWAY OR CITY MILES. OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS A DEFECTIVE PART INSTALLED ORIGINALLY, AND HAS STEADILY GOTTEN WORSE, BUT THE DEALERSHIP CAN'T PINPOINT THIS DEFECTIVE PART. THE SITUATION HAS NOW GOTTEN VERY DANGEROUS.*AK