NHTSA Complaint #11099072 — 2007 DODGE RAM 3500

WHILE DRIVING MY 2007 DODGE 3500 RAM 6.7L DUAL, 6SPD MANUAL, PULLING MY CAMPER (WELL WITHIN TOWING LIMITS,) I WENT OVER A BUMP ON AN OVERPASS. THE VEHICLE BEGAN JUMPING AROUND VIOLENTLY AND I LEFT THE ROADWAY DUE TO LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKE FUNCTION. THE EVEN WAS SO VIOLENT, MY RADIATOR BROKE, AND I LOST ALL OF MY COOLANT. MY "FRONT END" WAS DESTROYED, AS WELL AS MANY SYSTEMS DAMAGED. THE INTERIOR OF THE TRUCK SUFFERED DAMAGE AS WELL. THERE ARE MANY NOISES, VIBRATIONS, AND SMELLS THAT HAVE NOT GONE AWAY. I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM SO COMMON, THAT IT HAS A NICKNAME, "THE DEATH WOBBLE." I FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL BEGINNING THE YEAR AFTER MY MODEL. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, MY MODEL YEAR HAS THE SAME PARTS DESCRIBED IN THE AFFECTED MODEL YEARS. THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE, SEEMINGLY WELL KNOWN TO DODGE. I WAS TOLD BY A CERTIFIED SHOP THAT IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. THEY SHOWED ME SEVERAL AFTERMARKET PARTS DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE THIS PROBLEM. THE STEERING SYSTEM ALONE WAS QUOTED AT $3,000 TO REPAIR. THE RADIATOR WAS DISTURBINGLY EXPENSIVE. MY EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS DAMAGED AND PARTS OF IT FELL OFF. THERE IS AN EXHAUST LEAK. NOT TO MENTION, THAT I ALMOST FLEW OFF OF AN OVERPASS. MY TRUCK HAS BEEN BABIED ITS ENTIRE LIFE, AND LOOKS NEW. WHEN I CONTACTED DODGE, THEY WERE UNWILLING TO HELP. I TOLD THEM THAT THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM COVERED BY THE RECALL IN VEHICLES CONTAINING ALL OF THE AFFECTED PART NUMBERS AS MINE. I TOLD THEM THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THIS EVENT, AND THAT THE PROBLEM HAS PERSISTED TO THE POINT WHERE IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE REPAIRS FOR THE DIRECTLY AFFECT DAMAGES COULD BE NEARING $10,000 ACCORDING TO THE CERTIFIED SHOP IT WAS BROUGHT TO. THIS DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR COMPONENTS THAT HAD A REDUCTION IN LIFESPAN FROM THIS EVENT. I JUST WANT MY FRONT END REPAIRED SO THAT I CAN DRIVE OR SELL IT. HAVEN'T USED MY CAMPER SINCE.