2011 DODGE RAM 3500 Complaints

WE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM CHRYSLER THAT OUR TRUCK WAS RECALLED AND NEEDED A NEW TIE ROD TO ENSURE SAFETY. HOWEVER, OUR CHRYSLER DEALER SAYS THAT THEY ARE ALLOWED TO ORDER ONLY ONE OF THESE NECESSARY REPLACEMENT PARTS A WEEK. SO SINCE WE WERE THE 20TH CALLERS FOR THIS RECALL, WE MUST WAIT ABOUT 5 MONTHS FOR THIS PROBLEM TO BE FIXED! THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS TIE ROD BREAK! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V529000 (STEERING) HAD SURPASSED THE REASONABLE TIME FOR REPAIR. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A TIME FRAME FOR AVAILABILITY AND STATED ONE REPAIR KIT PER WEEK WAS PROVIDED TO THE DEALERS. THERE ARE NO FAILURES AT THIS TIME.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED A LOUD POP SOUND AS THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIE ROD WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V529000 (STEERING) WOULD NOT BECOME AVAILABLE UNTIL APRIL 4, 2014. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING OUT OF A RESIDENTIAL GARAGE, THE DRIVER'S SIDE TIE ROD FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIE ROD WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,000.

I WAS MOVING MY TRUCK IN MY DRIVEWAY AND AS I TURNED MY STEERING WHEEL TO POSITION THE VEHICLE WHERE I WANTED TO GO THE LEFT TIE ROD BALL STUD COMPLETELY BROKE WHICH LEFT ME UNABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THIS VEHICLE SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED NEW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE RAM 3500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V529000 (STEERING) AND STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WAS NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL APRIL 2014. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE AN EXPECTED DATE FOR THE PART TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

POWER ASSIST FOR BRAKES AND STEERING IS LOST AT APPROXIMATELY 20-25 MPH WHEN SLOWING DOWN FOR LIGHTS, TURNS, ETC., REQUIRING SIGNIFICANT MANUAL EFFORT TO CONTROL THE TRUCK. POWER WILL RETURN AFTER ACCELERATING FROM STOP OR SLOW TURN BUT GO OUT AGAIN WHEN SPEED IS REDUCED TO 20-25 MPH. *TR

I EXPERIENCED THE DODGE "DEATH WOBBLE" ON TWO OCCASIONS DURING A SHORT DRIVE YESTERDAY. FIRST WAS ON AN ON-RAMP TO THE RIGHT WITH A SLIGHT INCLINE AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 50MPH - DENVER AREA NORTHBOUND C470 RAMP TO I70 EASTBOUND. I CROSSED AN EXPANSION JOINT AT A VERY SLIGHT ANGLE TO THE VEHICLE, AND IMMEDIATELY EXPERIENCED A TOTALLY UNEXPECTED VIOLENT WOBBLE IN THE FRONT END WITH A NEAR TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL. IT WAS FRIGHTENING! I LIGHTLY APPLIED BRAKES WITH NO IMMEDIATE WOBBLE REDUCTION. I SLOWED, AND AT PERHAPS 30 MPH, THE FRONT END STABILIZED AND I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE. A FEW MILES LATER ON I70 I TOOK THE RAMP - AGAIN TO THE RIGHT BUT ON A MODEST INCLINE THIS TIME - TO HIGHWAY 58 WESTBOUND. I WAS STILL WARY AND WHEN CROSSING AN EXPANSION JOINT I AGAIN EXPERIENCE THE SAME DEATH WOBBLE, NOT AS BAD, BUT I WAS EXPECTING IT AND I WAS GOING A LITTLE MORE SLOWLY. THIS IS A SCARY DESIGN FLAW WITH A POPULAR NAME: "DEATH WOBBLE." THE SERVICE WRITER THAT I SPOKE WITH AT A LOCAL DEALER WASN'T EVEN AWARE OF THIS AS A FREQUENT ISSUE (HE OWNS THE SAME MODEL). THERE ARE A FEW AFTERMARKET KITS AVAILABLE TO CORRECT THIS FLAW WITH BEEFIER COMPONENTS AT SOME CONSIDERABLE COST. MY TRUCK HAS ONLY 16800 MILES; THE TIRES WERE ROTATED AND BALANCED ABOUT 3K MILES AGO. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FRONT AXLE OF THE VEHICLE HAD FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FRONT AXLE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER SHIFTING INTO PARK GEAR, THERE WAS A LOUD THUD NOISE. UPON RETURNING TO THE VEHICLE AND SHIFTING INTO DRIVE, THE CONTACT ALSO HEARD A SCRAPING NOISE. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE DRIVER FRONT TIE ROD HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS CONFIRMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 11V350000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.