NHTSA Complaint #10247231 — 2004 DODGE RAM 2500

ON 3-24-08, MY VEHICLE FAILED STATE INSPECTION AT SHAFFER'S AUTO SERVICE CENTER; 422 TAYLOR ST.; NEW CASTLE, PA 16101 (724-654-1088). SINCE IT WAS UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY PLAN, I TOOK IT TO KING'S CHRYSLER; 3239 WILMINGTON RD.; NEW CASTLE, PA 16105 (724-654-7761) TO BE FIXED. THEY REPLACED BOTH FRONT UNIVERSAL JOINTS. BUT THEY SAID THAT ALL FOUR BALL JOINTS WERE WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS FOR ALLOWED MOVEMENT. MY 2004 DODGE RAM 2500 HAD 32083 MILES ON IT THEN. A REMARK WAS MADE THAT THE BALLJOINTS SHOULD LAST ANOTHER 5 THOUSAND MILES OR SO. TODAY I WANTED TO HAVE THEM CHECKED, SINCE I HAVE 37,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I HAVE BEEN CONTINUALLY WORRIED THAT A WHEEL MIGHT BREAK OFF SINCE THIS VEHICLE FAILED INSPECTION AT SHAFFER'S. AND THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT I TOOK IT BACK TO KING'S TO SEE IF THE BALLJOINTS WERE BAD ENOUGH TO CHANGE. TODAY, THEY TOLD ME I VOIDED THE WARRANTY BECAUSE I HAD LOCKING HUBS INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE TO IMPROVE FUEL MILEAGE. I HAD THE HUBS INSTALLED AFTER IT FAILED INSPECTION AND THEY SAID IT WOULD LAST A WHILE LONGER. I PLAN ON CHANGING THE BALLJOINTS AT MY OWN EXPENSE NOW. BUT AM TROUBLED THAT THEY DIDN'T CHANGE THEM AT THE TIME BECAUSE IF ONE BREAKS, THEN A WHEEL COULD FALL OFF MY VEHICLE AND I COULD BE INJURED AS WELL AS ANYONE ELSE WHO WAS NEAR ME ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN DOING A LOT OF TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE RT. 80, ACROSS PA AND AM AFRAID ONE WILL BREAK AT 65 MPH AS I TRAVEL RT. 80. SHOULD VEHICLE DEALERS BE PERMITTED TO DEFY THE AUTHORITY OF ANOTHER STATE VEHICLE INSPECTION STATION TO KEEP FROM DOING WARRANTY WORK? I BELIEVE THAT THEIR NEGLIGENCE HAS PUT ME AND OTHERS AT RISK ON THE ROAD WAYS I TRAVEL. *TR