NHTSA Complaint #10182632 — 2003 DODGE RAM 1500

ON FRIDAY THE 9TH OF FEBRUARY 2007 I NOTICED A LOUD SCRUBBING SOUND WHEN I MOVED MY STEERING WHEEL ANY. A WEEK PRIOR WE HAD NOTICED A LITTLE SQUEAK COMING FROM UNDER THE FRONT END SO WHEN I HEARD THE SCRUBBING NOISE ALSO I CALLED THE LOCAL DODGE SERVICE CENTER. ON THURSDAY FEB. 15TH 2007 I TOOK IT IN TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS THINKING MAYBE POWER STEERING PUMP OR SOMETHING SIMPLE. LOWER BALL JOINT BOOTS BUSTED AT 61K ON MY 2003 RAM 1500 4X4 QC. LOWER AND UPPER BALL JOINTS AND ASSEMBLIES NEED TO BE REPLACED. MY TRUCK IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION OTHERWISE, THIS CAME AS QUITE A SHOCK AND WE ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. PRICE TO FIX? $1,600.00. I WAS TOLD THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM THE DODGE DURANGO AND JEEP LIBERTY HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR AND THAT QUITE A FEW RAM 1500'S ARE COMING IN TO DEALERS, SO MUCH SO THAT THE PARTS TO FIX THIS ARE ON BACK ORDER. I NOW KNOW THIS IS THE REASON WE HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME UNEVEN TIRE WEAR IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS ONCE IT FAILS THE FRONT END WILL FALL APART. I WOULD LIKE TO DOCUMENT THIS IN THE PROPER PLACE SO THAT RESTITUTION CAN POSSIBLY BE MADE TO US CONSUMERS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. AUTOMOBILE COMPANIES SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO MANUFACTURE AND SELL BALL JOINTS AS "SEALED" THERE IS NO WAY TO MAINTAIN THEM AND ONCE THE BOOTS BUST THE BALL JOINTS FAIL - DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES INCUR. *JB