NHTSA Complaint #11715691 — 2023 RAM 2500

On Feb 3, 2026, I purchased a used 2023 Ram 2500 with ~40,107 miles from a large national used car dealer for ~$46,000. I drove the vehicle with my son as a passenger. On Feb 4, I had it inspected by a third-party shop. Both upper ball joints were worn beyond spec — the wheel moved in and out by hand on the lift, indicating imminent wheel separation risk. All 4 shocks and both front struts were leaking oil. All 4 tires were cupped from prolonged suspension failure. Front brakes near end of life. Estimated repairs: ~$7,000. These components do not fail at 40K miles under normal use, indicating prior abuse/neglect that existed before sale. The dealer's pre-sale inspection failed to catch an obvious, critical safety defect. I wanted to keep the vehicle and have it repaired. The dealer refused to authorize outside repairs, insisted on doing it themselves, but could not even look at it for over a week. They did not request a copy of the inspection report documenting the defects. I was forced to return the vehicle the same day. The ball joints posed a wheel separation hazard. My son and I were exposed to this risk on public roads. This raises serious concerns about the adequacy of this dealer's vehicle inspection process.