NHTSA Complaint #10852376 — 2005 DODGE RAM 1500

THE SPARE TIRE HOIST CAN BECOME INOPERABLE, NOT ALLOWING YOU TO RAISE NOR LOWER THE SPARE TIRE. HOWEVER, OVER TIME, THE CABLE BEGINS TO SLOWLY LOWER THE SPARE TO WHICH THE SPARE BEGINS TO ROCK BACK AND FORTH. EVENTUALLY, THE CABLE GIVES WAY AND BREAKS, ALLOWING THE TIRE TO FALL OFF. IN MY CASE, I HAD NEVER BEEN ABLE TO RAISE OR LOWER MY SPARE TIRE, NOR HAD THE DODGE DEALERSHIP OR ANY ALTERNATE PLACES THAT REPLACE TIRES. IT WAS ALMOST 9 YEARS WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE SPARE TIRE HAD LOWERED AND WAS ROCKING BACK AND FORTH, HOWEVER, THE HOIST WAS STILL INOPERABLE, AND THE TIRE HAD NOT LOWERED ENOUGH TO ACCESS THE MOUNTING BOLTS FOR THE HOIST NOR TO CUT THE CABLE. SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 75 MPH WHEN I NOTICED ALL THE CARS BEHIND ME SWERVING EVERY WHICH DIRECTION.....AND THEN I NOTICED A TIRE BOUNCING ON THE HIGHWAY IN FRONT OF THEM. I HAD MY SUSPICION SO I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO CHECK ON MY SPARE JUST TO FIND THAT IT AND PART OF MY HOIST WERE MISSING. LUCKILY, NOBODY GOT HURT AS RUSH HOUR WAS JUST UNDER WAY SO THE NUMBER OF CARS ON THE ROAD WAS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN NORMAL. THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE TIME I'VE OWNED THIS TRUCK, I'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO USE MY SPARE (AND I'VE HAD A FAIR SHARE OF FLATS BUT HAVE LUCKILY BEEN CLOSE ENOUGH TO FRIENDS OR FAMILY THAT COULD HELP). ON EVERY INSTANCE WHERE I CONTACTED THE DODGE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THEY MERELY TOLD ME I COULD PAY THEM TO FIX IT. WHY SHOULD I PAY TO FIX SOMETHING THAT NEVER WORKED FROM THE MOMENT THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED?