NHTSA Complaint #11230325 — 2017 RAM 2500

I TOOK MY 2017 RAM 2500 INTO THE LOCAL DEALER, URSE DODGE, FOR A DRAGLINK RECALL. RAM'S REPAIR FOR DRAGLINK RECALL WAS TO WELD JAM NUTS. THE WELDING OF THE JAM NUTS COMPLETELY DISABLED THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE LINK FOR PURPOSES OF PROPER ALIGNMENT TO THE TRUCK. I HAVE TALKED TO RAM CUSTOMER CARE AND THE LOCAL DEALER URSE DODGE, BOTH URSE AND RAM CUSTOMER SERVICE CLAIM THAT WELDING THE IS THE RECALL REPAIR AS OF NOW. NOWHERE CAN I FIND ANY STATEMENTS OF A FINAL AND PERMANENT REPAIR COMING. I NOTICED TIRE WEAR ON MY TIRES AND TOOK THE TRUCK FOR AN ALIGNMENT TO NTB IN BRIDGEPORT WV. (I HAVE HAD MY TRUCK ALIGNED THERE ABOUT EVERY 5000 MILES FOR THE LAST YEAR, OR APPROXIMATELY 6 TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR. TRUCK CURRENTLY HAS 67,000 MILES ON IT.) ON THIS OCCASION MY TRUCK WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT BUT NTB COULD NOT ADJUST IT BECAUSE URSE DODGE HAD WELDED THE JAM NUTS. I CALLED URSE, AND THEY MADE ME AN APPOINTMENT TO CHECK MY ALIGNMENT. ON MONDAY 7-1-2019 THE MECHANIC AT URSE DODGE CUT THE WELDS FROM THE JAM NUTS USING A DIE GRINDER, CUTTING TOOL, ALIGNED MY TRUCK, AND THEN TIGHTENED THE NUTS WITHOUT RE-WELDING THEM. THIS IN EFFECT "UN-REPAIRED" MY RECALL. MY CONCERN IS, 1. THE ORIGINAL WELDING AND THE HEAT AND OTHER REACTIONS TO THE JAM NUTS HAVE WEAKENED AND STRESSED THE METAL IN BOTH THE JAM NUTS AND THE ADJUSTING SLEEVE THE NUTS WERE WELDED TO. 2. THE CUTTING AND REMOVING THE WELD, WITH THE HEAT AND THE PHYSICAL DAMAGE INVOLVED IN REMOVING THE WELD, HAS FURTHER WEAKENED AND STRESSED THE METAL. 3. THE DRAGLINK IS NOT ABLE TO PERFORM TO IT'S ORIGINAL ENGINEERED DESIGN WITH THIS WELDED FIX. 4. THIS "FIX" WILL COST CONSUMERS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OVER TIME REPLACING NOT ONLY THESE ALTERED DRAGLINKS, BUT TIRES THAT WEAR BECAUSE OF THE INABILITY TO ADJUST THE ALIGNMENT TO SPECIFICATIONS. 5. THIS TEMPORARY REPAIR COMPROMISES THE SAFETY OF THESE VEHICLES. *BF *DT*JB