NHTSA Complaint #10143480 — 2005 DODGE RAM 1500

I JUST BOUGHT A NEW 2005 DODGE MAGNUM 1500 RAM LONG BED FROM THE DEALER IN NOVEMBER 2005. AFTER THE SECOND DAY OF DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY I NOTICED THE TRUCK VIBRATED A LOT AT AROUND 65 MPH. I RETURNED THE TRUCK TO GET THE TIRES BALANCED AT THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT TIRES NEEDED NO BALANCING AND THE SHAKING WAS FIXED. THE NEXT DAY GOING TO WORK THE SHAKING STARTED AT AROUND 63 MPH AND I RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND TEST DROVE WITH MECHANIC AND THEY BALANCED THE TIRES. THIS TIME ONE TIRE WAS FOUND UNBALANCED AND WAS TOLD THAT THESE TRUCK SHAKE AT THOSE SPEEDS AND WHEN THERE IS LESS THAN 300 POUNDS ON THE BED. I MADE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT SO THAT THEY COULD DO MORE TESTS AND TEST DRIVE. SAME THING WAS SAID. THEY SAID EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE AND THAT I NEED TO PUT 300 PLUS POUNDS ON THE BED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I CALLED THE 1-800 CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY CALLED THE DEALER AND TOLD ME TO GO AND MAKE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT. I WENT TO THE DEALER THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THERE WAS NO NEED FOR ANY FURTHER APPOINTMENT AND THERE WAS NOTHING TO BE DONE AS THOSE LONG BEDS AND MODEL SHAKE THAT WAY WITH LESS THAN 300 POUND ON THE BED. I COULD NOT GET ANOTHER APPOINTMENT OR GO ON A TEST DRIVE. AT THIS POINT I THINK THAT IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IF YOU WERE TO GO ON A LONG TRIP, AND MOST HIGHWAYS AND INTERSTATE HAVE SPEEDS OF 60 AND ABOVE, YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LOOK THROUGH THE MIRRORS TO MERGE INTO LANES OR SEE OTHER CARS IF THE TRUCK IS SHAKING. IF YOU ARE DRIVING TO WORK AND THE PASSENGER PUTS A DRINK IN THE CUP HOLDER, AND YOU ARE ON THE HIGHWAY, AND IF THE DRINK SPILLS BECAUSE OF THE SHAKING WOULD THAT CAUSE A SHORTAGE AND /OR DISTRACTION. IT WOULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE TO HAVE TO LOAD AND UNLOAD THE 300 PLUS POUNDS OF WHATEVER FROM THE BED WHEN YOU HAVE TO LOAD PLYWOOD OR ANYTHING THAT REQUIRE THE DIMENSION OF THE BED. *JB