NHTSA Complaint #10433918 — 2006 DODGE RAM 2500

I WAS TURNING MY DODGE RAM IN A PARKING LOT WHEN THE STEERING FAILED. THE TIE ROD END SEPARATED AND FAILED CAUSING THE STEERING TO FAIL. IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN TRAVELING AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OF THE TRUCKS STEERING. DODGE WOULD NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM WITH OUT CHARGING ME FOR THE REPAIR AND DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE THAT PEOPLE COULD BE GETTING KILLED FROM THE DEFECTIVE PARTS IN THEIR TRUCKS. I CALLED TWO DEALERS AND THE CHRYSLER CARE LINE BUT ONLY GOT THE RUN AROUND. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MAKE NOTE THAT THERE ARE MANY OF THESE FAILURES OCCURRING WHEN I DID A GOOGLE SEARCH I FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS ON MESSAGE BOARDS OF DODGE TRUCK STEERING FAILURES. I'M SURE SOME PEOPLE HAVE NOT LIVED THROUGH THIS FAILURE TO LAUNCH A COMPLAINT ABOUT IT. I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT I REPAIRED THE TRUCK MYSELF WITH A REPLACEMENT PART FROM NAPA. THE PART COST $103.00. IF I WOULD HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER I WOULD HAVE HAD TO PAY OVER $650.00 FOR THE PARTS BECAUSE DODGE HAS CHANGED THE REPLACEMENT STEERING LINKAGE FOR MY TRUCK. I WOULD HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE LINKAGE TO THE 2008.5 LINKAGE. I AM SURE THEY DID THIS BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZED THEY HAD A PROBLEM. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET IT APPEARS THAT THE 2008.5 LINKAGE MAY HAVE A HIGHER FAILURE RATE THAN THE 2006 LINKAGE I HAVE ON MY TRUCK. BECAUSE OF THAT I CHOOSE TO KEEP MY ORIGINAL STYLE LINKAGE AND JUST REPLACE THE TIE ROD END. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT DODGE NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR CORRECTING! *TR