Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | ||||||||||||||||
| 07E009000 | L.K.I. ENTERPRISES, INC. | E (Equipment) | 3350 | 03/12/2007 | MFR | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC | 02/01/2007 | 02/01/2007 | ||||||||
| Defect Summary | Certain lki enterprises, inc., brand name superlift suspension, pitman arms sold as replacement equipment for 2003-2007 dodge ram 2500 and 3500 4x4 light trucks. due to inadequate heat treatment during production, the affected pitman arms may develop cracks in the upper splined attachment attachment to the steering output shaft. movement between the pitman arm and the output shaft may deform splines, resulting in premature wear and fatigue failure of the affected pitman arm. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Pitman arm wear or failure may lead to loss of vehicle control, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Lki will notify owners and replace the pitman arm, if necessary. the recall began on march 12, 2007. owners may contact lki at 1-800-551-4955. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Lki recall no. 07-01pit.this recall only pertains to replacement lki, superlift suspension kits,and has no relation to any original equipment installed on dodge ram 4x4 light trucks manufactured by daimlerchrysler.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov. | |||||||||||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 07/13/2012 | 85300 | 1 | |
| Front end shakes violently after hitting a bump or seam in the road traveling at any speed from 40 mph and up. must slow immediately and almost come to a complete stop in order to regain control of steering.this is known as the death wobble. *tr | |||
| 09/01/2009 | 105000 | 1 | |
| During normal driving the front end of the vehicle violently started to shake, the vehicle did not stop shaking until speed was reduced drastically. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where upon inspection, the dealership representative said there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. *tr | |||
| 09/01/2009 | 105000 | ||
| During normal driving the front end of the vehicle violently started to shake, the vehicle did not stop shaking until speed was reduced drastically. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where upon inspection, the dealership representative said there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. | |||
| 05/18/2012 | 86858 | 1 | |
| After going over an overpass (60 mph)and hitting the small bump at the end of it the front end began to shake and vibrate violently and it was almost impossible to steer and hard to slow down quickly. the vehicle had to be slowed to about 20 mph before i was able to regain control. it was shaking so violently that papers on the passenger seat flew on to the floor. this happened again after crossing a bridge with the same result. *tr | |||
| 02/28/2012 | 153453 | 1 | |
| Traveling on us 58 in suffolk, va. i was forced off the road while trying to avoid an accident and hit a very large water filled pot hole. the results was my driver side front tire came off the vehicle after breaking two lug nuts. the truck slid 300 feet down the road until coming to rest in the median. a usaa repair facility replaced the driver side hub assembly. i moved to kings bay ga. and started to notice a vibration in the steering wheel. the vehicle has 35 off road tire on it so i assumed the tires need to balanced. after about three weeks of driving the real problems arose. i developed the dodge death wobble. it is a violent shaking of the steering system that forces you to slow to below 45 miles per hour. it is so violent that a 36 year old navy diver chief, who has been to tactical driving schools for the military, has a difficult time holding it on the road. now, i have had the dodge dealership disregard the problem, balance the tires, replace the steering dampener, and the problem still exists. *tr | |||
| 02/28/2012 | 153453 | ||
| Traveling on us 58 in suffolk, va. i was forced off the road while trying to avoid an accident and hit a very large water filled pot hole. the results was my driver side front tire came off the vehicle after breaking two lung nuts. the truck slid 300 feet down the road until coming to rest in the median. a usaa repair facility replaced the driver side hub assembly. i moved to kings bay ga. and started to notice a vibration in the steering wheel. the vehicle has 35 off road tire on it so i assumed the tires need to balanced. after about three weeks of driving the real problems arose. i developed the dodge death wobble. it is a violent shaking of the steering system that forces you to slow to below 45 miles per hour. it is so violent that a 36 year old navy diver chief, who has been to tactical driving schools for the military, has a difficult time holding it on the road. now, i have had the dodge dealership disregard the problem, balance the tires, replace the steering dampener, and the problem still exists. | |||
| 04/18/2012 | 61000 | ||
| My dash board on my 2003 dodge ram 2500 with only 60000 miles is falling apart,then it falls little piece of it in my ac vent cause pieces to fly out if you put it on defrost.very dangerous .allso the whole dash is falling in and if the air bags go off the dash pieces could easily kill or hurt you.the dealer says that it is out of wattenty and that's all . | |||
| 05/04/2012 | 84700 | ||
| Traveling at 65mph on interstate, hit slight bump when crossing bridge and the front end started vibrating so much couldn't hardly hold it in the road. the same has occurred 5-6 more times since the first incident. on several occasions, my wife has to come to a complete stop to get it to stop shaking.... | |||
| 05/10/2012 | 90000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. the contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the vehicle began to shake violently and uncontrollably. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis but the failure was not able to be replicated. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was 90,000 and the current mileage was 91,000. kmj | |||
| 05/10/2012 | 90000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram. the contact stated while driving 70 mph the vehicle began to shake violently and uncontrollably. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis but the failure was not able to be replicated. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was 90,000 and the current mileage was 91,000. | |||
| 05/12/2011 | 150000 | ||
| Front axle shaking violently. shakes consistantly going over bridges. shook so hard one time it broke the adjusting sleeve on the drag link leaving me with no steering and vehicle crossed into the oncoming lane and into the grass coming to a stop just before hitting the guardrail. since this incident the ball joints and tie rods have been replaced along with the steering stabilizer. the front axle has been aligned and everthing is to oem specifications and this vehicle will still shake going over bridges if your running 70mph. from the reasearch ive done it apperas there is a problem on these dodge trucks if they are 4x4 with a straight front axle and short wheel base. i have seen kits on the internet that claim to fix the death wobble and the geometry of the fix is different than oem. i hope that you will investigate this issue and i would be more than happy to take you for a ride in my vehicle or let anyone inspect it. | |||
| 01/04/2012 | 37450 | ||
| When i installed my winter tires , when i hit a pot hole the truck shook very bad. i took tires and had them balanced, no help, then replaced stering damper, no help. then replaced track bar bushings . no help. replaced one tierod still no help. changed back to summer tires , problem just keeps getting worse. next im going to have the alignment checked and see what they sugest to fix the problem. | |||
| 11/01/2011 | |||
| I have a 2003 dodge ram 2500,as of this evening i had all the major steering components replaced, at a cost of nearly $2500.00 to solve what is commomly known as the dodge death wobble, the first expansion joint in the road, after i pick my truck up, caused my truck to shake violently, and nearly out of control again. this is not the first time this has happened, dodge wont admit that there is a problem and keeps selling me replacement parts without any resolve. the violent shaking contiues. i can not even contemplate selling this vehicle because my concience wont allow me to put another persons safety in jeoprody please help us!!! dodge won't!!!!!!! | |||
| 01/15/2011 | 66000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram2500. while driving approximately 75 mph the vehicle lost control and began to wobble back and forth. the contact applied the brakes and the vehicle stopped wobbling when the speed decreased to approximately 50 mph. the vehicle was previously taken to an authorized dealer for the same failure in which they were unable to diagnose the failure. the failure and current mileages were 66,000. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 01/12/2009 | 108000 | ||
| Death wobble i have a 2003 dodge ram 2500 diesel 4x4 truck and now i am having a problem with a horrible shake. i have had this truck since the beginning of 2004 and never had any problems, but recently when driving on any highway and go over a bridge or bump, my vehicle shakes vigorusly!!! so bad this last time i almost took out 2 other vehicles while trying to regain control over my vehicle and pull off to the side of the highway. i am constantly with my children and i rely heavily on my vehicle and recently i made the decision to parked my truck indefinately due to this horrible shake! dealers have looked and found nothing and advised me everything looks ok. i have bought the steering stabilazer box and that helped for about a month. replaced shocks and still nothing. i am now going to an alignment shop to hopefully resolve this issue. again i rely heavily on my truck as an everyday vehicle and purchased it due to occasionaly hauling cattle and horses in my ranch. it is even worse when this vehicle has any load (trailer) attached. i cannot go over 45 mph without it shaking violently! | |||
| 11/03/2009 | 90000 | 1 | |
| Death wobble, on many, many occasions exceeding over a dozen. i have replaced numerous front end parts to no avail, including tires and rims. it always occurred at hi-way speeds of 65 mph and above, the best way to describe it is a crash happening with out the bent metal. i am sure this is going to get someone killed if they are an inexperienced driver if it hasn't already, the dead don't talk so to speak, you cant see death wobble after the truck has crashed, you may want to look into the single vehicle fatalities of this make and model of truck i am sure it is high ratio for the amount of vehicles sold, one is unacceptable in my opinion. i could be next. it can happen at any time crossing a bridge, pavement patches, especially dangerous passing slower vehicles like semi-trailers and rv's where you have no where to go but the said vehicles and or bridge wall. this is a terrible issue with these trucks, check internet search engines on death wobble, and this is the truck that comes up, what else do you need before something is done? *tr | |||
| 02/17/2008 | 47000 | 1 | |
| We were driving when you hit about 60 and hit a bump the truck shakes so violently and the only way to stop it is to slow down to 20 or slower. happens when you are going 50 or more and hit a bump or where the roads connect. *tr | |||
| 03/17/2008 | 77200 | 12 | 04/14/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. while driving 65 mph, the vehicle drove over a pothole and began to shake violently. the dealer named the failure the death wobble and stated that there were no recalls for this failure. the manufacturer and dealer would not repair it for free. the current and failure mileages were 77,200. updated 6/9/08 *cn the consumer believed there was a problem with the ball joints,stabilizer, trac bar and alignment. updated 06/09/08 | |||
| 11/01/2007 | 67000 | 1 | 02/04/2006 |
| While driving my 2003 dodge ram 2500 quad cab 4x4 cummins diesel at approximately 35 mph, my right front tire came off causing me to lose control of my vehicle. exact cost of repair is yet to be decided, but damage was more than moderate. the lug nuts did not fall off. the hub bolts sheered off without warning. damage is in that tire, the rotor, brake system, front right quarter panel, right side front passenger's door, and suspension system. the police officer said we were lucky to be going so slow around a curve with a 40 foot embankment drop-off. i have read nhsta bulletins and dodge forum websites and found that this problem is more than common. my truck did have a slight vibration on bumps which i was told was normal. however, after this incident and reading hundreds of other complaints, this issue needs to be handled now...with sole responsibility lying on dodge corporation. this is unsafe. people have been hurt. all readers say the same things and agree that dodge will not do anything about this problem. we need someone to confront the automakers and demand safety recalls immediately. *tr | |||
| 04/10/2006 | 15000 | 2 | 10/14/2003 |
| Excessive movement in poor quality oem ball joints, along with road feed back through a multi piece, and movable steering shaft and steering column. make this series of truck unsafe, a hazard, and a liability on the road. *nm | |||
| 02/15/2005 | 2 | ||
| When driving over a pot hole at 60 mph vehicle vibrated severely. vehicle stopped vibrating when speed decreased to 30 mph. the cause had not been determined. driver will contact the dealer in the near future. *ak | |||
| 06/15/2003 | 22000 | 1 | 01/21/2003 |
| My 2003 dodge ram 2500 steering shakes uncontrollably when you hit a bump at highway speeds or a bridge expansion joint. directional control is difficult while this is happening. this happened while traveling at 75 mph, and sent the truck into the other lane, nearly causing an accident. could not get the shaking to stop until truck dropped to 45 mph. the dealership says that one other customer is having the same problem. they checked all the steering components and said everything was good. this is very dangerous, and should be checked out further. ball joints in these trucks:2003 ram 2500 -3500 are proven to be defective. i am a member of the turbo diesel register which is comprise of 40,000+ members and this problem is not uncommon at all. approximately 50% of all 2003 + trucks have ball joint slop in the first 10,000 miles. *jb | |||
| SUSPENSION - AUTOMATIC STABILITY CONTROL (ASC) | |||
| 12/15/2003 | 7258 | 15 | 07/19/2003 |
| When driving truck on highway at speeds above 45 mph, and especially when driving over a bump, rut, or slight imperfection on the road, the truck will literally get away from you and veer to another lane. especially worse when driving in a turn or curve. have had several near accidents in past few months, since purchasing truck in july of 2003. have taken it back to dodge dealer numerous times, and they say it is normal. last service advisor told me to file a report so that daimler chrysler will eventually have to fix the problem. have met several people at dodge service departments that are there for the exact same problem. the truck is a major safety hazard with fatalities soon to come. steering wheel will jar out of your hands and make a sharp turn to the next lane. *jb | |||
| 05/20/2001 | 1500 | 1 | 03/21/2003 |
| When the vehicle went over a bump or around a slight curve it bounced out of control. the driver had to slow down or stop to gain control. the dealer stated that was a normal driving condition. *ak the vehicle would also fishtail when encountering uneven road surfaces even when going straight. (front leading) when slight turns were encountered the front end would leave the road, out of control. *scc *jb | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 01/01/2009 | 90000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns 2003 dodge ram 2500. the contact stated that the vehicle jumps out of control while driving at any speed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the tie rod and ball joint was replaced, but failure was not corrected. the vehicle continues to jump out of control. the manufacturer took a report 21276257 and advised the failure was not recalled. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 90,000 and the current 100,000. tlb | |||
| 01/01/2009 | 90000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns 2003 dodge ram 2500. the contact stated the vehicle jumps out of control while driving at any speed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer replaced the tie rod and ball joint but failure was not corrected. the vehicle continues to jump out of control. the manufacturer took a report 21276257 and advised the failure was not recalled. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 90,000 and the current 100,000. li | |||
| 06/15/2011 | 90000 | ||
| I own a 2003 dodge ram 2500 hd with cummins 5.9l vin c engine and when traveling at speeds over 70 mph and hit a bump on the front right tire it enters a death wobble and the steering wheel shakes violently and the vehicle is uncontrollable until i slow down to a speed of less than 35 mph. this has happened numerous times and i have gone off the road due to the unability to steer the vehicle. i have replaced the steering stabilizer, front shocks. tires and still have not been able to correct the problem. other drivers have wittnessed the tire shaking violently and reported that it looks like the wheel is going to fall off. | |||
| 12/27/2010 | 151452 | ||
| Tl. the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram. the contact stated while driving less than 5 mph the front suspension broke. the contact looked at the vehicle and notice the passenger side tire rod broke. the contact purchased a brand new tire rod and replaced the tire rod himself. the contact stated the vehicle is unsafe to drive because the tire rod has been replaced three times. the contact stated this is a manufacturer defect that needs to be address. the failure mileage was 151,452. jo | |||
| 12/24/2009 | 103000 | ||
| I have a 2003 dodge ram 2500 diesel 4x4. has a death wobble when i encounter a bump on highway. this wobble almost made me go off the freeway. i have taken it to many mecanics and have spent alot money with no avail. the dealer will give me no answer of how to fix the problem. i do not know whether to contact the b.a.r. or an attorney. i have have researched these issues and have found many people with similar issues. | |||
| 04/29/2010 | 190000 | ||
| Death wobble. violent shakes after hitting a small bump in a road. the vehicle is nearly impossible to control. happens at speeds from 30 and up | |||
| 03/22/2010 | 50000 | ||
| My 2003 dodge ram 2500 (4 wheel drive) shakes violently when i encounter a bump on the highway. it occurs everytime when driving around 65 mph and i hit a bump. the truck shakes so much i totaly loose control of the steering. the only thing i can do to stop the shaking is to brake to a speed of aproxamatly 35 to 40 mph. this has happen six times already in the last year. i only have fifty thousnad miles on the truck. this failure has caused my truck to veer into other lanes and has also caused other cars to jack on thier brakes when they are behind me on the highway. i brought the truck to a dodge dealer. they replaced one of the steering components. this did nothing to alleviate the problem. all dodge dealers were sent a service bulletin aproxamately 3 to 4 years ago about this potentially deadly saftey issue but when i went to the dealership and explained the problem the manager acted like he knew nothing about it. i fear for my life in this truck. i will not let anyone else drive it until i get it fixed or if it can be fixed at all. | |||
| 02/15/2008 | 60000 | 1 | |
| When traveling at highway speeds and i hit a bump in the road with my truck the front end shakes violently. this violent shaking has caused me to almost lose control of the vehicle several times. when the vehicle is slowed down to 40mph or slower the shaking goes away. i have researched this and it is a common problem with this vehicle. it is commonly referred to as death wobble. *tr | |||
| 11/10/2009 | 160000 | 1 | |
| 2003 dodge ram 2500 shakes violently when hitting a bump 40-70 mph the death wobble. *tr | |||
| 01/18/2010 | 80000 | ||
| Death wobble! this has happened to me to many times to count. i have had the front end of my 2003 dodge ram cummins repaired twice. both times i have had ball joints and tie rods replaced along with axle u joints and followed by alignment. i have also added a dual steering stabilizer system. that has helped a little bit, but it still happens often. the wobble has taken me off the road once at 60 miles per hour. luckily, nobody was hurt. please help if you can. thank you justin hulse. | |||
| 02/03/2010 | 55000 | 1 | |
| My 2003 dodge ram 2500 will shake violently and possibly go out of control if i hit a bump above 40 mph. this condition is called death wobble and has been shown to be on may trucks. it has happened more than 20 times and must slow to 25 mph to make the steering wheel stop shaking. this is a very dangerous situation and could cause the truck to go out of control if i don't slow down at an emergency rate. *tr | |||
| 11/13/2009 | 73000 | 1 | |
| 2003 dodge 2500 4x4 wobbles after hitting a bump at 70mph. this happens only at this speed and when you drive over a bridge. *tr | |||
| 11/24/2009 | 136839 | 1 | |
| I experienced what dodge owners are calling the death wobble today 24 nov 2009 after i had the front u-joints replaced on both front wheels and the u-joints replaced on the rear drive shaft. i contacted davis moore in wichita ks and they seem unconcerned about the problem. i was doing 60 mph on somewhat smooth road. i ran over a seam that where the concrete meets and that's when i got the wobble that nearly drove me into the guard rail. i had experienced it back in july 09 in a turn going over a bridge. i drove over a slight bump in the road and that's what started it. my wife informed me that she experienced it back in april 09 same thing drove over a bump and the wobble started. the wobble today has caused the steering dampener to start leaking. at a cost of $149.00 + tax i will replace it tonight. on all 3 of these occasions we have been lucky enough to be in a 1-lane road either exiting or entering a curve and driving over normal bumps in the road. my incident this morning is first time driving straight no turns or curves. *tr | |||
| 07/06/2006 | 100000 | 1 | |
| Death wobble due to pitman arm; occurs at speeds over 65mph or when vehicle hits a bump at any speed. vehicle becomes hard to maintain control over. began occurring when vehicle reached approximately 100,000 miles. *tr | |||
| 05/22/2009 | 53887 | 1 | |
| Ball joints and tie rod ends wore out and rusted parts on a 2003 ram that almost resulted in the loss of a wheel. *tr | |||
| 10/18/2008 | 49000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. the contact heard a squeaking noise when the vehicle was started. after shifting into drive, the vehicle began vibrating. the vehicle was driven to the dealer for a routine oil change and the contact notified them of the failures. the mechanic stated that the upper and lower ball joints were defective. the vehicle was not repaired. immediately after leaving the dealer, the driveshaft fell out of the vehicle and was replaced by a local mechanic. the upper and lower ball joints have not been repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the current mileage was 55,000 and failure mileage was 49,000. | |||
| 05/30/2008 | 25816 | 1 | |
| Front unit bearing wear/failure. *tr | |||
| 09/28/2007 | 35127 | 8 | 01/01/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. while driving 75 mph, the front of the vehicle vibrated after driving over a bump in the road. the dealer stated that the front tie rod end was loose and worn. they replaced the front tie rod end; however, the failure continued. as of october 16, 2007, the dealer had not inspected the vehicle a second time. the failure mileage was 35,127 and current mileage was 37,170. updated 11/05/07. *jb | |||
| 04/26/2007 | 10 | 04/01/2007 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. while driving 55 mph the vehicle drove over a bump in the road which caused the front end of the vehicle to vibrate. the road conditions were clear. the contact stated that the failure occurred approximately 10 times. the mechanic inspected the vehicle, but was unable to diagnose the failure. the current mileage is 62,000, and the failure mileage was unknown.*ak | |||
| 01/21/2005 | 45000 | 30 | 04/06/2003 |
| This is a common problem with this year truck relating to faulty front suspension components. i have experienced the so called, death wobble at least 30 or more time on freeways all over the state. problem occurs when traveling 65 mph +/- 2 and driving over uneven surfaces. causes truck to shake violently and veer to the right or the left. only way to stop is to let off the accelerator and let coast to 25 to 30 mph which is real safe on the freeway. this may have been caused or caused failure of track bar, which is also listed in your complaint section multiple times. the manufacturer blew off my claim and told me the vehicle was road worthy. they referred me to this site so i could read the hundreds of complaints i guess? this problem started around 45,000 miles and continuously gets worse. since they really don't care i've ordered an after market track bar made by a superior designer. *jb | |||
| 01/04/2006 | 40000 | 20 | 02/04/2003 |
| 2003 dodge ram 2500 quadcab 4x4 p/u goes into an uncontrollable front end wobble after hitting a bump in the road but only while traveling in excess of 60 mph, i have had new tires put on, front end checked, aligned, new front steering damper, new rt front ball joint and hub assembly. *nm | |||
| 11/24/2005 | 1 | ||
| My 2003 ram 2500 has been nothing but trouble. in first two years the bearings/hubs, u-joints, upper/lower ball joints have all been replaced, i have spent over $2000.0 in front end parts alone. my friend has a 2003 dually, he has replaced all the same parts. also, an injector line rupture on christmas eve, while i was in rural maine, needless to say it got very expensive, once they found a part in michigan. all i can say is no more dodges for me or my family, buying a toyota or nissan next time. the dodge is a $40,000 piece of crap....tf. *nm | |||
| 05/10/2005 | 1 | 01/31/2003 | |
| 05/26/05 noise in front end clunking while driving, took to dealer not where we bought the truck from because they were not helping us with any of the other problems we were having. ball joints were loose hub frozen replaced the right hub bearing and both side ball joints. replaced the front axle u joints replaced the brake pads now it is march 13 2006 and the ball joints need to be replaced again , and u joints are bad. seems to be one problem after another. *jb | |||
| 03/08/2006 | 34492 | 1 | 12/10/2003 |
| 2003 dodge 2500 4x4 pu reported rattling noise front end at low speed. under warranty 3/36 vehicle taken in dealer manager reports upper lower ball joints gone. upon checking on vehicle status next day dealer reports misdiagnosis and sway arm control needs only replacement. dealer never intended to inform owner (me) of change. interestingly they changed position and are now trying to sell me into extended warranty with only 1500 mile left on 3/36. *nm | |||
| 04/21/2005 | 39000 | 6 | 03/12/2003 |
| I was driving at freeway speed 75 mph when i hit a small washboard type bump, my 2003 dodge 4x4 2500 diesel (with 39,000 miles) began swerving so violently i could hardly hang on to the wheel. we nearly ran off the road and just missed the semi next to us. it was so bad, my wife's head was hitting against the passenger window. we had to slam on the brakes & come to a speed of 30 mph to get it to stop. it seemed to drive fine until we could get it to the dealership in grand junction, who diagnosed it as a bad tie rod end. replaced that,, and sent us on our way. we again began driving down the freeway, pulling a small cargo trailer when it happened again. this time it was so much worse while i tried to hang on to the wheel that i could hardly focus my eyes and again my wife's head smashing against the passenger window with this violent shaking. we took the truck to the dodge dealership in st. george, ut where they reported there were several things they could do, but couldn't guaranty that it would fix the problem. did comment that they were well aware of this problem with these trucks and the service team in slc, ut had named it the death wobble. i questioned why there is not a recall if it is so common, but he had no answer. he stated most of the people who had this problem 'just got rid of the truck' in other words some other fool has it. this is going to kill someone if not remedied. as a matter of fact, my small wife would have never had the strength to hang on to that wheel & we would be dealing with a crash or death instead of this letter.*ak | |||
| 12/20/2004 | 9654 | 3 | 07/24/2003 |
| When hitting moderate bumps in the road at speeds over 45mph, the front wheens start bouncing uncontrollably. nothing stops the shaking except deceleration to <40 mph. contol of the vehicle is compromised while the wheels are bouncing. *ak | |||
| 03/21/2004 | 25489 | 100 | 02/23/2003 |
| My automobile is unsafe, i almost wrecked thursday with my children with me. it very scary and i am afraid to drive it any more. we have been through arbitration twice and been denied. we have two dealerships that have driven it and says it is unsafe and needs to be removed from the highways. i have contacted daimler chrysler and they have refused to cooperate with us. please call me at 479-394-0058 or 614-886-5716 *la | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - LOWER BALL JOINT | |||
| 04/13/2007 | 28300 | 2 | 03/30/2007 |
| I owned my dodge ram 2500 pick up truck for 4 years. i have a state vehicle inspection every year and i had no problem in april of 2006. in april of 2007 i was informed by the dealership that both the upper and lower ball joints on the passenger side needed replacement. i have a total of 28,300 miles on the vehicle, only 5,000 of which were accumulated between april of 2006 and april 2007. i am retired.*ak | |||
| 05/10/2005 | 1 | 01/31/2003 | |
| 05/26/05 noise in front end clunking while driving, took to dealer not where we bought the truck from because they were not helping us with any of the other problems we were having. ball joints were loose hub frozen replaced the right hub bearing and both side ball joints. replaced the front axle u joints replaced the brake pads now it is march 13 2006 and the ball joints need to be replaced again , and u joints are bad. seems to be one problem after another. *jb | |||
| 02/05/2006 | 35000 | 3 | 10/01/2003 |
| Upper and lower ball joints fail with very low mileage. i know of three owner 3 truck that the ball joints failed, causing the truck to handle wrong, shake and bounce out of control. dodge will not fix, the cost is over 1,000. mine failed at 35,000 mile all the trucks failed below 40,000,this on a 35,000 dollar truck. *jb | |||
| 01/30/2006 | 1 | ||
| The national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) opened an investigation on july 22, 2003 concerning 1998 - 2003 dodge durango vehicles to address complaints regarding front suspension ball joints. what is the status of the investigation, and what are you doing about this problem experienced by so many. my suspension ball joint went bad and broke while fixing something else. it was not covered by the warranty. obviously it was a defective part and or design of the vehicle, and that was unacceptable to make the customer pay for the mistakes by dodge. *ak | |||
| 04/19/2005 | 58000 | 2 | 11/01/2003 |
| I currently have a 2003 dodge ram 2500. at 50,000 miles the dealer notified me that the upper and lower ball joints are showing wear. at 55,000 the front end started to make noise. as soon as i heard the noise i drove the vehicle over to don miller dodge. when the dealer contacted me, informing me that all ball joints need to be replaced. this is not cover under the 7/70 dodge warranty. the price tag for the work came out to $1200. after hanging up the phone, i contacted dodge directly and told them of the problem. they acknowledged that i had great maintenance reports, but since i had placed new tires on the vehicle at 45,000 and increased the tire from 275 to 285 (.5 difference). there is nothing they can due for me. i contacted several dodge dealers in the area and spoke with the service departments. this is a know problem with the 02-03 dodge durangos and 02-03 dodge ram pickup's. dodge ref#13452182 i find this performance from a so called heavy duty vehicle highly disappointing. this is my second dodge ram. i upgraded from my 1999 1500 gas to the 2500 diesel heavy duty just to avoid these types of problems. if i would not have gone to the deal right away. this could have resulted in losing the front tire. causing injury or worse. similar to what happens with the 03 durango. i lucky enough to recognize the change in steering. if my wife was driving she would not have been able to recognize the problem until it was to late. i will obtain the old part from the dealer. *nm | |||
| 12/16/2004 | 45000 | 1 | |
| The consumer experienced a problem with the upper and lower ball joints. when driving over a bump in the road, the consumer could feel the movement of the ball joints in it's socket which caused the vehicle to pull to the left. owner took the vehicle in to have it aligned when it was discovered that the ball joints were cracked. the consumer contacted the manufacturer and was told there was nothing they could do. provide further details. *jb | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT | |||
| 08/01/2007 | 29850 | 1 | 09/16/2003 |
| Failure of ball joints on my 2003 dodge ram pickup truck after less than 30,000 miles. truck has been well maintained and babied, never in an accident or off road for that matter. way too early for this type of failure. dodge dealer is going to replace at a cost to me of about $1400, no offer to replace under warranty or due to failure. *jb | |||
| 04/13/2007 | 28300 | 2 | 03/30/2007 |
| I owned my dodge ram 2500 pick up truck for 4 years. i have a state vehicle inspection every year and i had no problem in april of 2006. in april of 2007 i was informed by the dealership that both the upper and lower ball joints on the passenger side needed replacement. i have a total of 28,300 miles on the vehicle, only 5,000 of which were accumulated between april of 2006 and april 2007. i am retired.*ak | |||
| 05/10/2005 | 1 | 01/31/2003 | |
| 05/26/05 noise in front end clunking while driving, took to dealer not where we bought the truck from because they were not helping us with any of the other problems we were having. ball joints were loose hub frozen replaced the right hub bearing and both side ball joints. replaced the front axle u joints replaced the brake pads now it is march 13 2006 and the ball joints need to be replaced again , and u joints are bad. seems to be one problem after another. *jb | |||
| 02/05/2006 | 35000 | 3 | 10/01/2003 |
| Upper and lower ball joints fail with very low mileage. i know of three owner 3 truck that the ball joints failed, causing the truck to handle wrong, shake and bounce out of control. dodge will not fix, the cost is over 1,000. mine failed at 35,000 mile all the trucks failed below 40,000,this on a 35,000 dollar truck. *jb | |||
| 01/30/2006 | 1 | ||
| The national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) opened an investigation on july 22, 2003 concerning 1998 - 2003 dodge durango vehicles to address complaints regarding front suspension ball joints. what is the status of the investigation, and what are you doing about this problem experienced by so many. my suspension ball joint went bad and broke while fixing something else. it was not covered by the warranty. obviously it was a defective part and or design of the vehicle, and that was unacceptable to make the customer pay for the mistakes by dodge. *ak | |||
| 04/19/2005 | 58000 | 2 | 11/01/2003 |
| I currently have a 2003 dodge ram 2500. at 50,000 miles the dealer notified me that the upper and lower ball joints are showing wear. at 55,000 the front end started to make noise. as soon as i heard the noise i drove the vehicle over to don miller dodge. when the dealer contacted me, informing me that all ball joints need to be replaced. this is not cover under the 7/70 dodge warranty. the price tag for the work came out to $1200. after hanging up the phone, i contacted dodge directly and told them of the problem. they acknowledged that i had great maintenance reports, but since i had placed new tires on the vehicle at 45,000 and increased the tire from 275 to 285 (.5 difference). there is nothing they can due for me. i contacted several dodge dealers in the area and spoke with the service departments. this is a know problem with the 02-03 dodge durangos and 02-03 dodge ram pickup's. dodge ref#13452182 i find this performance from a so called heavy duty vehicle highly disappointing. this is my second dodge ram. i upgraded from my 1999 1500 gas to the 2500 diesel heavy duty just to avoid these types of problems. if i would not have gone to the deal right away. this could have resulted in losing the front tire. causing injury or worse. similar to what happens with the 03 durango. i lucky enough to recognize the change in steering. if my wife was driving she would not have been able to recognize the problem until it was to late. i will obtain the old part from the dealer. *nm | |||
| 03/19/2005 | 25000 | 2 | 03/13/2003 |
| With 25000 miles on truck had noise coming from front end. i inspected to find ball joint almost ready to fail. *ak | |||
| 01/01/2004 | 20000 | 1 | 11/01/2003 |
| Uncontrolled wobble of front wheels on 2003 dodge ram heavy duty truck due to worn ball joints and steering components, i'm told these are the same ball joints used on the durango. *ak | |||
| 12/16/2004 | 45000 | 1 | |
| The consumer experienced a problem with the upper and lower ball joints. when driving over a bump in the road, the consumer could feel the movement of the ball joints in it's socket which caused the vehicle to pull to the left. owner took the vehicle in to have it aligned when it was discovered that the ball joints were cracked. the consumer contacted the manufacturer and was told there was nothing they could do. provide further details. *jb | |||
| 08/04/2004 | 34000 | 3 | 06/01/2003 |
| I had sears align tires on my dodge. they described problems with ball joint, tie rod and bearing on my 2003 dodge. chrysler will not replace parts that are showing excessive wear on this 1.5 year old truck as they did not diagnose problem before warranty expiration. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - HUB | |||
| 02/08/2007 | 70504 | 1 | 03/15/2006 |
| The front sealed inner wheel bearing failure on dodge trucks and cars. south point dodge service department, in austin,tx informs me that they have a lot of failures with this on the newer vehicles. mine is a 2003 dodge ram 2500 truck, diesel, failed at 70,000 miles, i have spoke with 2 other dodge owners in the past 4 days and they also have had the same thing on their dodge trucks,1 was at 50,000 miles and the other was at 63,000 miles, inner wheel bearing failure on a sealed bearing on the front hubs. these type of failures can cause the front wheel to leave the vehicle cause accident or death. i have been driving dodge trucks for 18 years and have owned 5 of them. i really believe that this is a major safety issue/defect that really needs to be looked into. especially when the service department tells me that they see it all the time with these new seal bearings in the hubs on the front wheels. *jb | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY | |||
| 12000 | 1 | 01/01/2003 | |
| While driving over 50 mph the is severe shaking in the front end. this shaking is so severe that vehicle changes lanes on its own. driver has slow down below 50 mph to gain control. dealer cannot duplicate the problem. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - STABILIZER BAR | |||
| 10/14/2005 | 62000 | 3 | 08/01/2005 |
| Dt: the contact states there is problem with the front suspension. at highway speeds the steering wheel shakes and there is a heavy vibration in the front end. this problem ultimately resulted in a minor one vehicle accident. the contact lost control of the vehicle and ran into a ditch. no one was injured, but some damage was evident on front of the vehicle. the vehicle had to be towed to a dealer. the dealer noticed the stabilizer bar broke. no repairs were done at this time due to the excessive expense. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING | |||
| 02/12/2007 | 70000 | 1 | 07/18/2005 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. while driving at 30 mph,the contact heard a loud winding noise. the contact was able to bring the vehicle to the dealer before the wheel bearings failed. the dealer replaced the wheel bearings, and stated that the failure was one of the most common repairs. the current mileage was 73,000, and failure mileage was 70,000.*ak update 05/21/07*tr | |||
| 02/08/2007 | 70504 | 1 | 03/15/2006 |
| The front sealed inner wheel bearing failure on dodge trucks and cars. south point dodge service department, in austin,tx informs me that they have a lot of failures with this on the newer vehicles. mine is a 2003 dodge ram 2500 truck, diesel, failed at 70,000 miles, i have spoke with 2 other dodge owners in the past 4 days and they also have had the same thing on their dodge trucks,1 was at 50,000 miles and the other was at 63,000 miles, inner wheel bearing failure on a sealed bearing on the front hubs. these type of failures can cause the front wheel to leave the vehicle cause accident or death. i have been driving dodge trucks for 18 years and have owned 5 of them. i really believe that this is a major safety issue/defect that really needs to be looked into. especially when the service department tells me that they see it all the time with these new seal bearings in the hubs on the front wheels. *jb | |||
| 08/04/2004 | 34000 | 3 | 06/01/2003 |
| I had sears align tires on my dodge. they described problems with ball joint, tie rod and bearing on my 2003 dodge. chrysler will not replace parts that are showing excessive wear on this 1.5 year old truck as they did not diagnose problem before warranty expiration. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - MULTIPLE AXLE | |||
| 11/01/2007 | 67000 | 1 | 02/04/2006 |
| While driving my 2003 dodge ram 2500 quad cab 4x4 cummins diesel at approximately 35 mph, my right front tire came off causing me to lose control of my vehicle. exact cost of repair is yet to be decided, but damage was more than moderate. the lug nuts did not fall off. the hub bolts sheered off without warning. damage is in that tire, the rotor, brake system, front right quarter panel, right side front passenger's door, and suspension system. the police officer said we were lucky to be going so slow around a curve with a 40 foot embankment drop-off. i have read nhsta bulletins and dodge forum websites and found that this problem is more than common. my truck did have a slight vibration on bumps which i was told was normal. however, after this incident and reading hundreds of other complaints, this issue needs to be handled now...with sole responsibility lying on dodge corporation. this is unsafe. people have been hurt. all readers say the same things and agree that dodge will not do anything about this problem. we need someone to confront the automakers and demand safety recalls immediately. *tr | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 03/21/2004 | 25489 | 100 | 02/23/2003 |
| My automobile is unsafe, i almost wrecked thursday with my children with me. it very scary and i am afraid to drive it any more. we have been through arbitration twice and been denied. we have two dealerships that have driven it and says it is unsafe and needs to be removed from the highways. i have contacted daimler chrysler and they have refused to cooperate with us. please call me at 479-394-0058 or 614-886-5716 *la | |||
| 11/10/2003 | 6000 | 2 | 03/05/2003 |
| Rear end has been replaced on my truck two times in less than 10,000 miles due to failure. *la | |||