NHTSA Complaint #10639202 — 2005 DODGE RAM 2500

THE STEERING ASSEMBLY HAS GONE OUT TWICE ON MY TRUCK, ONCE AT ABOUT 85,000 AND ONCE AT 158000 MILES. THE FIRST TIME THE STEERING LOCKED TURNING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, THE SECOND TIME ONLY TURN TO THE LEFT. PRECEDING THESE OCCURRENCES, WHILE DRIVING HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND GOING OVER A BUMP THE TRUCK STARTS SHAKING VIOLENTLY (DEATH SHAKE), AND TO CONTROL THE TRUCK I HAD TO BREAK SHARPLY. THE THIRD STEERING ASSEMBLY THAT WAS JUST INSTALLED AT A LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP, WITHIN A COUPLE OF MILES, THE FRONT END STARTS TO SHAKE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS - TWO DIFFERENT VIBRATION - ONE LIKE THE TIRES ARE OUT OF BALANCE, THE OTHER IS A RAPID VIBRATION THAT YOU FEEL THRU THE STEERING COLUMN. THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE MONTH PRECEDING THE STEERING FAILURE. I HAD THE BALANCE OF THE TIRES CHECKED, THEY WERE FINE, BUT THE VIBRATION PROBLEMS STILL EXIST. I LOOKS LIKE ALL THREE STEERING ASSEMBLIES ARE BAD - I HAVE CHECKED WITH A REPUTABLE MECHANIC, AND THEY STATED THAT THE FACTORY STEERING ASSEMBLIES ARE NO GOOD FOR THIS TRUCK. THE DODGE DEALERSHIP HAS PROVIDED NO HELP OR RESOLUTIONS, AND I HAVE EVEN REQUESTED THAT THEY CONTACT THE FACTORY FOR RESOLUTIONS, BUT HAVE DECLINED TO HELP. THE LAST CONVERSATION THEY SAID IT WAS A BALANCING ISSUE - THIS WAS FOUND OUT NOT TO BE TRUE. *TR