NHTSA Complaint #10578242 — 2007 DODGE RAM 3500

WE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE TRUCK IN THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY 2014 CONCERNING THE LEFT TIE ROD AND THE POTENTIAL FRACTURE OF THE LEFT BALL STUD ON THE TIE ROD. WE CALLED OUR DEALER, [XXX], RIGHT AWAY AND WERE TOLD TO CALL BACK THE FOLLOWING MONTH AS THEY WERE TOO BUSY WITH OTHER RECALL REPAIRS AND WOULD NOT MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR US. WE CALLED BACK THE FIRST OF FEB AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE TRUCK REPAIRED ON FEB 14. WHEN I DROVE TO THE DEALER THEY JUST LOOKED AT IT AND SAID IT DID NEED REPAIRED AND SAID THEY WOULD PUT ME ON THE LIST. I SAID THAT WE WERE TOLD IT WOULD BE FIXED. THEY SAID THEY HAD TO ORDER THE PART AND IT WOULD BE A COUPLE OF WEEKS. AFTER 3 WEEKS WE CALLED THEM AND THEY FINALLY TOLD US THAT THE PARTS THAT CHRYSLER ORDERED DID NOT FIT AND THAT THEY WOULD BE ORDERING NEW PARTS. THE FOLLOWING MONTH WE CALLED THE CHRYSLER HOTLINE AND COULD GET NO ANSWERS. WE ASKED IT WE SHOULD NOT DRIVE THE TRUCK. THE WOMAN SAID "I DID NOT SAY THAT" AND THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH ALL SHE WOULD SAY. SHE DID SAY THAT WE COULD HAVE IT FIXED ON OUR OWN AND SEND THE BILL TO CHRYSLER AND THAT THEY WERE SLOW TO PAY, 60 TO 90 DAYS. WE CALLED THE DEALER AGAIN AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIX IT AND WE COULD TAKE IT TO OUR OWN MECHANIC. THEY ADVISED NOT DRIVING THE TRUCK. NO MORE NOTICES HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. WE PAID $40K FOR THIS TRUCK USED AND WE HAUL HORSES WITH IT. WE NEED IT. WE TOOK IT TO OUR MECHANIC. HE SAID THE COMPLETE DESIGN OF THE STEERING LINKAGE WAS "MICKEY MOUSE" AND HE COULD NOT BELIEVE THEY USED A STEEL TUBE IN LIEU OF ROD STEEL FOR THE MAIN STEERING ROD. HE SAID HE ORDERED SOME REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR THE LEFT SIDE BUT THEY WOULD NOT FIT INTO THE REMAINING PIECES. HE SAID IT LOOKS LIKE THE ENTIRE THING NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. HE SAID HE IS NOT SURE HOW TO PROCEED WITH IT. WE ARE DESPERATE AND NEED THE USE OF THIS TRUCK. PLEASE HELP. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR