Steering linkage and tie rod issues. Steering not working properly. I see that my vehicle is not listed in the recalls. Although. I am having steering issues. Constant tail light replacing.
Dodge RAM 2500 ball joint problems
661 of the 6,440 owner complaints about the Dodge RAM 2500 describe ball joint or control arm failure, most of them for the 2006 model year.
- owner complaints
- 661
- worst model year
- 2006
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,350
- typical mileage
- 66,000
By model year
Often reported together
Power steering loss 34Pulling 16Harsh shifting 12Engine failure 12Grinding brakes 11Steering lock-up 8Tire blowout 6Steering noise 6
What owners say
Tie rod end sheared/broke causing the vehicle to be un-stearable. Fortunately, it happened as I was backing out of my driveway.
The contact owns a 2007 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH and towing a 20-foot trailer with a back yard shed on the trailer, the contact hit a pothole on the highway that caused the steering wheel to turn violently to the left. The contact regained control and guided the vehicle off the roadway. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the front tie rod ends, steering linkage, and power steering module needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 13V528000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 260,000.
When driving over some overpasses on highways the "bump" causes the whole front end to shake and makes steering very hard to maintain. I have heard this called "the Dodge death wobble" and has been reported by many other Dodge Ram owners. I have had all of the ball joints and tie rod replaced. This is a highly disturbing occurrence when traveling at a speed of 65-70 mpr on a highway. This has happened to me more than once and is a very scary feeling, thinking my front tires are coming off. Is there a recall to correct this?
dodge death wobble. this death wobble started prior to my 100000mile warranty expired, but by the time i drove the truck home, it was over the milage. After a lot of bs and a fee, Dodge "fixed" my problem. ( for a while) They have refused to re-repair their bad design since. .I've spent many hours and money temporarily repairing their front end design. If i hit a bump in the road while exceeding 55 mph the truck violently shakes and i cannot control the direction. I went off the freeway in Salt Lake this last weekend after putting new tie rods (again) on the front end. You know what this is ! Dodge has never remedied this situation. !
This is the 3rd time this happened to me. The first time I was driving around 55 and the truck started to shake so bad I could not actually hold onto the steering wheel, and I made it to the side of the road. I thought was a flat tire and I pulled over to find nothing wrong. The second was bad as it shook so violently, I was unable to make it to the side of the road, so I hit the brakes in the middle of traffic to stop. This 3rd time I happen to be traveling 65 mph on the interstate in PA and hit a small bump and all of the sudden the truck felt like it was bouncing off of the road. I hit the brakes to slow down and drove to the side and into a field. I purchased tie rods and actually the entire front suspension. This was the worst shaking I have ever felt in 45 years of driving. This is going to get me killed when this happens on the road. Please help. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The contact owns a 2006 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH and hauling a travel trailer, the vehicle wobbled, and the contact lost control of the vehicle when the front driver's and passenger's tires went in different directions. The contact was able to pull over and park the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with fractured linkages and damaged strut rods. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the independent mechanic. Prior to the failure, the independent mechanic had replaced the stabilizer bar, tie rod end, steering ball joints, and linkages. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.
They Did Not INCLUDE THE 2000 Dodge Ram 2500 Yet I have had the same experience several times.When travelling at highway speeds and hitting a bump or pot-hole in the road, the front end begins to shake violently and does not stop until the driver jams on the brakes and brings the truck back down to below highway speeds. Some people contribute this phenomenon to the worst possible downside of having a coil-sprung front suspension on a truck with a track bar. Unlike a typical suspension set up, Dodge Ram trucks will continue to shake long after hitting the bump to the point that controlling the vehicle is nearly impossible until the driver slows down. The current lawsuit alleges that Chrysler learned about the death wobble defect with Dodge Ram trucks in the mid-2000s but waited four years before conducting a series of recalls from 2009 through 2013. Chrysler classified the recalls as Safety Recalls, H36, H46, K28, L16, N62, N49, and N63. The recalls addressed various parts of 2009-2012 Dodge Ram trucks’ steering linkage system, including its tie rod assemblies. The complaint alleges that the recalls excluded many affected vehicles and that Chrysler provided replacement parts that were also defective, forcing Chrysler to make additional recalls to remedy prior recalls. Consumers have reported that Chrysler does not have enough replacement parts to repair all the vehicles for which it has submitted recall notices and that drivers have been put on long waiting lists for repairs. Chrysler’s steering linkage defect and redesign. Allegedly, the ball stud is defective in the Chrysler Suspension design. The driver’s side tie-rod ball stud that Chrysler used is too weak to and is known to fracture under normal driving conditions. The tie rod is a “crucial link” in the vehicle’s steering system. A loose tie rod can cause any vehicle to have an excess shimmy or the dreaded death wobble. The tie rod can affect front-end alignment. This happen several times in the last 15 years
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle rode over a bump in the roadway and experienced the death wobble. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics due to the failure to be diagnosed and repaired. The contact stated that the steering track bar, the steering column stabilizer, inner and outer tie rods, steering dampener, ball joints and wheel bearings were replaced however, the failure recurred. A dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted and informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000. The VIN was not available.
On the evening of may 1st, 2020, I pulled my 2010 dodge ram 2500 trx 4wd into my sons? Driveway and dropped off my granddaughter. I went to back out of the driveway turning my wheel to the right as I backed out I heard what sounded like I ran over a large rock, as I pulled forward I turned my wheel to the left and proceeded forward only to have the truck go right back in the yard where I had just pulled out. I realized that there was an issue with the steering. I climbed under the truck to discover that the tie rod had sheared off at the pitman arm. This caused a complete loss of steering. I had a front-end alignment about 2 years ago with no issues. Prior to that I had a recall issue with the drag link about 3 or 4 years ago with no other known issues. I do not drive the truck off road just on paved roads. The parts are the factory sealed tie rod with no grease fitting. I have been repairing vehicles for over 40. I have never seen this type of failure. The normal failure mode for this part should have been lots of slack in the joint from loss of grease. This failure mode is not acceptable! If I had been traveling at highway speeds and this part had broken I would have had total loss of steering and you know as well as I do when you hit your brakes the vehicle tends to pull to the right due to the slope of the road which is designed for water runoff. This could have resulted in a catastrophic crash resulting in serious injury or death. This is something that needs to be address immediately before someone dies!
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Dodge RAM 2500 ball joint
Which Dodge RAM 2500 years have ball joint or control arm failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2006 (96 complaints), 2008 (87 complaints) and 2007 (66 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix ball joint or control arm failure on the Dodge RAM 2500?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,350 (median of 55 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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