NHTSA Complaint #10641789 — 2010 RAM 2500

HAD BEEN WAITING OVER 6 MONTHS FOR PARTS FROM DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR LEFT TIE ROD RECALL N49. ON 10/01/14, UPON LEAVING A GAS STATION AND ACCELERATING TO PROCEED DOWN HIGHWAY, THE LEFT TIE ROD BROKE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE'S LEFT WHEEL TO LOCK, RESULTING IN TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL AND STEERING ABILITY, AND THE VEHICLE CROSSED OVER TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER, LANDING PARTIALLY IN A DITCH AND PARTIALLY REMAINING ON THE ROAD. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC NEXT TO ME AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE TRUCK HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP, WHO HAPPENED TO HAVE THE PART THEY WERE HOLDING FOR ANOTHER CUSTOMER WHO HAD NOT RESPONDED TO THE NOTICE THE PART WAS AVAILABLE, AND WAS USED ON OUR TRUCK THE SAME DAY. THE DISTURBING THING IS THAT CHRYSLER WILL NOW NOT REIMBURSE MY TOWING EXPENSE, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS TOTALLY RELATED TO THIS RECALL FAILURE. I HAVE BEEN CONTACTING MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP ROUTINELY FOR OVER 6 MONTHS TO INQUIRE ABOUT THIS PART AND BEEN TOLD EACH TIME THAT THE PART IS NOT AVAILABLE AND I AM 'ON THE LIST'. ON THE DATE OF THE INCIDENT, I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE PERSONNEL THAT THEY ARE ALLOWED ON A SMALL NUMBER OF PARTS AND THAT THEY CANNOT GET ADDITIONAL PARTS UNTIL THEY SUBMIT PROOF OF INSTALLING THE PREVIOUSLY SENT PARTS. YET THIS DEALERSHIP HAD PARTS THAT THEY HAD BEEN HOLDING FOR SEVERAL WEEKS FOR A CUSTOMER WHO HAD NOT RESPONDED TO THE NOTICE THEIR PARTS WERE IN. MEANWHILE, MYSELF AND MANY OTHERS ARE WAITING FOR PARTS AND RISKING INJURY EACH TIME WE HAVE TO TAKE THESE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. I LIVE OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS AND MUST TAKE A HIGHWAY OR INTERSTATE TO TRAVEL ANYWHERE. LUCKILY MY BREAKDOWN/ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT A SLOW SPEED AND NOT THE 60 MPH THAT I WOULD HAVE BEEN GOING IN JUST A FEW MORE MINUTES. IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT CHRYSLER TRULY VALUES THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. *TR