NHTSA Complaint #10536702 — 2010 RAM 2500

TRAVELING 60 MPH ON A TWO LANE COUNTY ROAD IN A RURAL AREA, SPEED LIMIT 55MPH. DROVE OVER A SLIGHT BUMP IN THE ROAD THAT WAS OVER A SMALL CREEK WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY AND VIOLENTLY STARTED TO WOBBLE BACK AND FORTH AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AS WELL. THE VEHICLE WAS UNCONTROLLABLE AND STARTED TO FORCE ME OFF THE ROAD TOWARD A WOODED AREA.LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN ENOUGH FOR THE "DEATH WOBBLE" TO SUBSIDE ENOUGH FOR ME TO REGAIN CONTROL. I WAS ON MY WAY TO PERFORM A CHORE AND HAD TO RETURN FROM THIS CHORE ON THE SAME ROAD. THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED ON THE RETURN TRIP. VIOLENT SHAKING OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND VEHICLE AND TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL. THE SAME THING HAPPENED ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE ROAD SURFACE WAS POORLY MAINTAINED AND THE "DEATH WOBBLE" OCCURRED WHEN I DROVE OVER AN IMPERFECTION ON THE ROAD SURFACE. LUCKILY NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE NEXT TO ME OR AN ACCIDENT SURELY WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. THIS FIRST EVENT I THOUGHT WAS JUST BY CHANCE, BUT AFTER THE LAST EVENT HAPPENING TWICE ON THE SAME DAY HAS ME CONVINCED THAT THERE IS A FLAW IN THE STEERING AND/OR SUSPENSION. I WENT TO THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE TRUCK AFTER DOING A WEB SEARCH ON PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE (MANY COMPLAINTS POSTED DETAILING EXACTLY WHAT HAD OCCURRED WITH ME) AND TOLD THE SERVICE REP WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND SHE SAID SHE HAD HEARD NO SUCH COMPLAINTS FROM OTHERS. THE ROADS IN MY COUNTY ARE VERY RURAL AND WELL MAINTAINED. NO PROBLEMS ON WELL MAINTAINED ROADS, HOWEVER, ON POORLY MAINTAINED ROADS OR OVER EXPANSION JOINTS OR POTHOLES GOING 60 MPH WILL THROW THIS VEHICLE INTO A "DEATH WOBBLE" AS IT HAS BEEN CALLED. *TR