NHTSA Complaint #10148853 — 2000 DODGE RAM 1500

NOTICED REDUCED DIRECTIONAL STABILITY, BRAKING DEGRADATION AND VEHICLE PULLED UNDER BRAKING CONDITIONS. THIS LEAD ME TO TAKE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE. WHILE ON THE VEHICLE RACK IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT BOTH LOWER CONTROL ARMS HAD CRACKED IN THE EXACT SAME LOCATION ON BOTH SIDES. ADDITIONALLY, CRACKS WERE DISCOVERED DUE TO WHAT APPEARED TO BE POOR WELDS ON THE FRONT AXLE. ON 01-16-2006, I AUTHORIZED THE FOLLOWING WORK TO BE DONE AT MY OWN EXPENSE: 1) REPLACEMENT OF CRACKED LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND WELDING OF THE CRACKED FRONT AXLE RECALL 00V007000). REPLACEMENT CONTROL ARMS WERE REINFORCED IN THE AREA THAT FAILED ON BOTH STOCK OEM CONTROL ARMS. THE REPLACEMENT ARMS WHERE ALMOST TWICE AS HEAVY AS THE ORIGINALS. WITH THIS INFORMATION, I CONTACTED DODGE DAIMLER/CHRYSLER TO EXPLAIN THE SITUATION AND REQUESTED A REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE PARTS REPLACED. CHRYSLER DENIED THE REQUEST AND SAID THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE FOR THE ABOVE LISTED ISSUES. ALL REPAIR WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND I HAVE THE ORIGINAL LOWER CONTROL ARMS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. PICTURES OF THE BOTH PARTS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.*AK