NHTSA Complaint #11398569 — 2015 RAM 1500

THE VEHICLE'S AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM SUDDENLY FAILED DURING DRIVING. THE AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM CONTROLS THE RIDE HEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE, AND THE RIDE HEIGHT ALSO IMPACTS THE VEHICLE'S STEERING ALIGNMENT. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE ISSUE IS THAT THE NITROGEN AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM PERFORMS A SELF-CHECK UPON START-UP AND PURGES A SMALL VOLUME OF AIR AND INGESTS OUTSIDE AIR, WHICH CONTAINS MOISTURE. DURING THE WINTER MONTHS, THIS MOISTURE GETS INTO THE SUSPENSION'S COMPRESSOR, AND CAUSES PREMATURE FAILURE DUE TO FREEZING. THE COST OF REPAIR/REPLACEMENT FOR THIS AIR SUSPENSION COMPRESSOR IS $1200, AND WILL FAIL AGAIN WHEN THE SAME CYCLE REPEATS. CHRYSLER/RAM IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE, AND THERE ARE TSB'S ABOUT AIR SUSPENSION ISSUES, AND MULTIPLE CUSTOMER CARE CASES, BUT THEY REFUSE TO ISSUE A RECALL. IF THIS SYSTEM FAILS DURING DRIVING IT CAN CAUSE A SUDDEN LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO VEHICLE GEOMETRY CHANGES. I WAS ON A HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED, AND HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AS THE WARNING SAID SEEK "IMMEDIATE REPAIR" OF THE AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER, WHICH ACKNOWLEDGED THE ISSUE, AND OPENED A CASE, BUT LATER DENIED THE CASE. THIS ISSUE IS DOCUMENTED AMONG MANY OTHER CHRYSLER AIR RIDE SUSPENSION VEHICLE EQUIPPED OWNERS. THE ONLY RECOURSE IS TO REPLACE THE SYSTEM WITH LIKE PARTS (WHICH FAILS AGAIN), OR TO SWAP THE AIR RIDE SYSTEM FOR TRADITIONAL COILS AND SPRING SUSPENSION, WHICH IS COSTLY. THE AIR RIDE SYSTEM IS A COSTLY FACTORY UPGRADE. HAD CHRYSLER DISCLOSED ISSUES WITH SAID SYSTEM, I WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED IT, ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS ISSUE IS MOST PROBLEMATIC FOR COLD CLIMATE OWNERS, WHERE TEMPERATURES DIP BELOW FREEZING. ONE NEED MERELY GOOGLE, "CHRYSLER AIR SUSPENSION FAILURE" AND IT RETURNS "ABOUT 1,260,000 RESULTS".