NHTSA Complaint #10450787 — 2001 DODGE RAM 1500

WHEN WE PURCHASED THIS TRUCK NEW IN ARANSAS PASS TX & IT RODE LIKE THE SPRINGS WERE SOFT & BOUNCED ALL OVER . IT GOT WORSE AT HIGHER SPEEDS. WE HAD THE SPRINGS CHECKED & WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE GOOD & THIS TRUCK JUST RIDES THIS WAY. IT STARTED WEARING THE TIRES REAL BAD AND WE HAD THEM REPLACED.THEN WE HAD TO HAVE THEM REPLACED AGAIN ( ONLY GETTING 13,000 MILES ON THEM BEFORE THEY WERE ALMOST WORN OUT) SO WE TOOK IT IN AGAIN ( 3RD TIME ) TO GET TIRES WITH UNDER 76,000 MILES ON IT. WE WENT TO FIRESTONE IN CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS & GOT NEW TIRES AGAIN BUT THEY COULD NOT DO THE ALIGNMENT BECAUSE THE BALL JOINTS ARE REAL BAD. WE HAD NO IDEA THAT IT HAD A PROBLEM BECAUSE WE WERE TOLD ITS NORMAL FOR IT TO RIDE THAT WAY. SO IT HAS BEEN THE BALL JOINTS ALL ALONG AND IT IS GETTING MORE DANGEROUS EVERY DAY- BOUNCES AND FEELS LIKE IT MAY TURN OVER. IT REALLY SCARES ME. II FOUND OVER MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT BALL JOINTS BEING BAD ON THIS VEHICLE FROM THE BEGINNING & DODGE REPLACED THEM AT UNDER 25,000 MILES TILL THE 3RD YEAR.THEN WAY TOO MANY TO COUNT HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BALL JOINTS BETWEEN 36,000 AND 80,000 MILES. ALSO WE HAVE NEVER GOTTEN ANY RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE AND WE LIVED AT THE SAME ADDRESS. THERE ARE MANY RECALLS I SEE THAT WE DID NOT GET NOTICE OF . THIS TRUCK IS AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN DANGEROUS. WE HAVE HAD IT FOR A LONG TIME BUT CANT DRIVE IT MUCH BECAUSE OF THE BOUNCING AND SWAYING. WE HAVE FELT FROM THE BEGINNING THAT IT IS DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE A BAD ACCIDENT. BUT WE WERE TOLD IT JUST RIDES LIKE THAT BECAUSE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE TOW PACKAGE. SO IN 2004 WE BOUGHT ANOTHER VEHICLE TO USE BECAUSE THIS ONE FEELS SCARY. SO WE HAVE PUT AN AVERAGE OF ONLY ABOUT 6500 MILES A YEAR BECAUSE WE ARE AFRAID OF IT. PLUS IT IS ON THE 4TH SET OF TIRES AND HAS ALWAYS WORN THEM OUT REALLY FAST. IT STILL RIDES THE SAME WAY IT DID FROM THE 1ST DAY WE GOT IT. SCARY. *TR