NHTSA Complaint #10441757 — 2005 DODGE RAM 2500

TRAVELING ABOUT 65 MPH ON I-10 HITTING A SMALL BUMP IN THE ROAD CAUSED MY 2005 DODGE RAM 2500HD 4X4 DIESEL TO SHAKE SO VIOLENTLY I THOUGHT MY BREAK CALIPER HAD BROKEN FREE OF ITS MOUNT. HITTING THE BREAKS ONLY PROLONGED THE VIOLENT SHAKING. I HAD TAKEN IT TO MY LOCAL DODGE DEALER AND WAS TOLD MY DRIVE SHAFT HAD TO BE REPLACED. I HAD IT REPLACED AND THE SHAKING REPEATED. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A BROKEN CORD IN ONE OF MY TIRES AND THAT I NEEDED NEW TIRES. THOSE WERE REPLACED WITH MICHELINS. AGAIN THE SHAKING ACCRUED. AT THIS POINT I LOST FAITH IN MY LOCAL DODGE DEALER. I TOOK MY TRUCK TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE AND I HAD TO PURCHASE A DODGE UPGRADE KIT TO FIX THE PROBLEM. 4,000 DOLLARS LATER MY TRUCK WAS FIXED AND I HAVE NOT HAD ANY ISSUES IN 10,000 MILES. WHEN I ASKED MY LOCAL DODGE DEALER ABOUT A RECALL OR WARRANTY WORK, I WAS TOLD THAT IT IS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AND THAT THERE WERE NO SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THIS ISSUE. ON AN AVERAGE DAY WITH AN AVERAGE DRIVER SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE KILLED IF DODGE DOES NOT ISSUE AN ACROSS THE BOARD RECALL. THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM, KNOWN AS THE DODGE DEATH WOBBLE, IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT LESSER GRADE PARTS WERE USED TO SUPPORT A STEERING THAT REQUIRES MORE SUPPORT. CASE IN POINT; THE DODGE UPGRADE KIT COMES WITH COMPONENTS THAT ARE OF A HIGHER QUALITY, SIZE AND WEIGHT TO BETTER SUPPORT THE STEERING SYSTEM. *KB