NHTSA Complaint #10145761 — 2003 DODGE RAM 2500

I OWN A 2003 DODGE RAM 2500 PICKUP TRUCK. FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WITH A DIESEL ENGINE. VEHICLE HAS 30,000 MILES. ON 2 DECEMBER 2005, WHILE DRIVING TO WORK WITH OUT ANY WARNING THE STEERING LOCKED, RENDERING ME HELPLESS UNABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE. AFTER I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE LOCATION I ATTEMPTED TO TEST THE STEERING. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT STEER TO THE RIGHT OF CENTER. IT WILL STEER TO THE LEFT BUT SEEMS TO HAVE A DIMINISHED POWER ASSIST PERFORMANCE AT FIRST. WHILE CYCLING THE STEERING SYSTEM SEVERAL TIMES THE POWER ASSIST TO THE LEFT IMPROVES. HOWEVER ONCE THE STEERING REACHES THE CENTER POINT TO THE RIGHT THE STEERING LOCKS AND WOULD NOT GO ANY FURTHER RIGHT OF CENTER. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT DOMINION DODGE SERVICE REP 1259 E. MAIN STREET SALEM VIRGINIA, AND THEY HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING GEAR BOX HAS FAILED. ALTHOUGH IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT A COMPONENT OF THIS TYPE COULD FAIL, IN THE 30 YEARS AS AN AUTOMOTIVE MECHANIC AND A MASTER IN HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY I HAVE YET SEEN OR HEARD OF A STEERING GEAR BOX FAILURE THAT WOULD RENDER A VEHICLE COMPLETELY INCAPABLE OF CONTROLLING STEERING. MOST OF MY EXPERIENCE IN THIS FIELD IS USUALLY WORN COMPONENT THAT CAUSE POOR PERFORMANCE IN THE STEERING CAPABILITY. USUALLY THIS OCCURS AT GREATER THAN 100,000 MILES, NOT AT 30,0000. *NM