NHTSA Complaint #10983190 — 2008 DODGE RAM 2500

THE RIGHT (PASSENGER) LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT FAILED WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES PER HOUR. THE FAILURE WAS A SEPARATION OF THE BALL AND BOLT FROM THE CUP THAT IS PRESSED INTO THE CUP. TOTAL CONTROL OF THE TRUCK WAS LOST AND A MINOR ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN THE TRUCK ENDED UP ON A MEDIAN WITH THE LEFT (DRIVER'S) TIRE ON THE MEDIAN AND THE OTHER TIRES ON THE ROAD. THE MEDIAN IS APPROXIMATELY 16 INCHES ABOVE THE ROAD BED. THE BALL JOINT IS PART OF THE STEERING MECHANISM. THE STEERING ARM ENDED UP PUSHING THE RIGHT TIRE OUT AT 45 DEGREE ANGLE OUTSIDE OR TO THE RIGHT. THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE TO THE LEFT. THE VEHICLE WAS ON A CITY STREET NEARING AN INTERSECTION TO A 55 MILE AN HOUR HIGHWAY THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ABOUT TO TURN LEFT ON. THE DRIVER REPORTED A SHAKING OF THE STEERING WHEEL SIMILAR TO A FLAT AND BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN WHEN CONTROL WAS LOST DUE TO THE MECHANICAL FAILURE OCCURRED. HAD THIS FAILURE HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE DODGE RAM WOULD HAVE ROLLED. THE MILES ON THE TRUCK WERE 99,455. A BALL JOINT SHOULD NOT FAIL WITH LESS THAN 150K MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ON 2 MAY, 2017 AND THE LEFT (RECALLED) BALL JOINT, ALL STEERING HARDWARE AND THE FAILED BALL JOINT WERE REPLACED BY A DODGE DEALER. THE RECALLED PART HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED PRIOR TO PURCHASING THE TRUCK IN DECEMBER, 2016. THE CRASH ENDED UP IN MINIMAL TO NO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DODGE DEALER AND THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER HAD TO USE PLASTIC SLIDERS TO GET THE TRUCK SAFELY ONTO THE FLATBED TILT TOW TRUCK.