NHTSA Complaint #10266397 — 2008 DODGE RAM

ON A MISTY MORNING OUR TRUCK BEGAN TO SKID AS WE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AFTER YIELDING TO EXITING TRAFFIC ON AN ACCESS ROAD ON IH 10. MY HUSBAND TRIED TO CONTROL THE SKID BY STEERING INTO IT, BUT WE JUST KEPT SKIDDING OUT OF CONTROL. HE PURPOSELY REMEMBERS NOT APPLYING THE BRAKE IN AN ATTEMPT TO LESSEN THE LOSS OF CONTROL. WE CONTINUED THE SKID ACROSS 2 LANES OF ACCESS ROAD TO THE RIGHT, THEN SPUN AROUND 180 DEGREES AND SKIDDED BACK ACROSS 3 LANES OF ACCESS ROAD TO THE LEFT. WE CAME TO STOP FACING ONCOMING TRAFFIC AFTER HITTING A CONCRETE RETAINING WALL FIRST WITH THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE TRUCK AND THEN WITH THE RIGHT REAR OF THE TRUCK. I REMEMBER HEARING THE TIRES CONTINUING TO SPIN AND SMELLED BURNING RUBBER. THIS CAUSED OVER $6500 DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK AND HAS CAUSED OUR INSURANCE RATES TO INCREASE. AFTER MONTHS OF DISCUSSING THE WRECK AND REPLAYING IT IN OUR MINDS, WE HAVE DETERMINED THAT PROBABLY, AS MY HUSBAND CLINCHED THE STEERING WHEEL AND TRIED TO CONTROL THE SPIN, THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED AND SET WHICH MADE US CONTINUE TO TRAVEL AT THE SET SPEED INSTEAD OF SLOWING AND ALLOWING HIM TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE TRUCK. THE CRUISE CONTROL ON/OFF BUTTON AND THE SET BUTTON ARE BOTH LOCATED ON THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS IS THE FIRST VEHICLE THAT WE HAVE EVER HAD OR SEEN THAT HAS THE ON/OFF CONTROL FOR THE CRUISE LOCATED ON THE STEERING WHEEL. MOST VEHICLES HAVE THIS EITHER ON THE BLINKER LEVER OR EVEN ON THE DASH BOARD. WE FEEL CERTAIN THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS INADVERTENTLY TURNED ON WHEN MY HUSBAND TIGHTENED HIS HOLD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. I FEEL THAT THIS IS AN UNSAFE LOCATION FOR THIS CONTROL. WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT IN OUR TRAVELS ACROSS ALL LANES OF TRAFFIC, NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD THAT MORNING OR THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A MULTI CAR PILE UP. NO CHANGE HAS BEEN MADE TO THE TRUCK'S CRUISE CONTROL. WE PLAN TO HAVE IT DISCONNECTED. IN ATTEMPT TO PREVENT OTHERS FROM HAVING A WRECK, WE ARE REPORTING IT. *TR