2011 Dodge RAM 2500

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE DOWN A HIGHWAY AT ROUGHLY 65MPH. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AT THIS TIME. I SIGNALED TO MAKE A LEFT-HAND TURN ONTO A STREET AHEAD. I SLOWLY BRAKED TO ROUGHLY 10-15 MPH BEFORE BEGINNING TO TURN. WHEN I STARTED TO TURN, THE POWER-STEERING IN THE VEHICLE FAILED. IN OTHER WORDS, THE POWER-STEERING WAS WORKING FINE JUST BEFORE EXECUTING THE TURN, THEN FAILED WITHOUT WARNING JUST AS I STARTED TO TURN THE WHEEL AND WAS STILL IN MOTION.. THE WHEELS BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN AND I WAS ABLE TO OVERPOWER THE FAILED POWER-STEERING COMPONENTS TO COMPLETE THE TURN AND GET OFF THE HIGHWAY SAFELY. HOWEVER, IF MY PHYSICALLY SMALLER WIFE HAD BEEN DRIVING, I AM NOT CONFIDENT THAT IT WOULD HAVE ENDED AS WELL. THERE WAS ONCOMING TRAFFIC ON THE OPPOSITE LANE TRAVELING AT 65MPH WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. NO DASH LIGHTS, "CHECK ENGINE", ETC. APPEARED BEFORE OR AFTER THE OCCURRENCE. ONCE THE ENGINE IS IDLED UP, THE PROBLEM DISAPPEARS. IT'S ONLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS IDLED DOWN (LIKE WHEN YOU'RE SLOWING FOR A TURN), THAT THE POWER-STEERING WOULD FAIL UNEXPECTEDLY. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ONLINE AND FOUND THIS TO BE CAUSED BY A "STICKING VALVE" IN THE HYDRO-BOOST SYSTEM. I CONTACTED A LOCAL DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT., AND WAS TOLD THAT THE REPAIRS WERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AFTER 36K MILES (VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 48K MILES). THEY DO NOT SEEM TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE EVIDENT SAFETY ISSUE THIS POSES ON A FAIRLY NEW VEHICLE. I AM WRITING THIS COMPLAINT IN HOPES THAT THE NHTSA WILL INVESTIGATE THIS FURTHER BEFORE SOMEONE BECOMES INJURED. I UNDERSTAND THAT PARTS CAN SOMETIMES FAIL ON NEW VEHICLES, BUT WHEN THEY FAIL THIS EARLY WITHOUT WARNING AND AFFECT VITAL PARTS THAT CONTROL THE VEHICLE, SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE.

MY SAFETY COMPLAINT ON OUR 2011 DODGE RAM 3500 TRUCK SHOULD ALREADY BE IN FILE! WE HAVE HAD SAFETY ISSUES WITH THIS TRUCK EVER SINCE PURCHASING IT AS A USED VEHICLE FROM RAMEY'S IN BECKLEY, WV. THERE ARE AT PRESENT THREE (3) RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE, OF WHICH N49 APPEARS TO BE THE MOST LIFE-THREATENING, WHICH WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED ABOUT, NOR WERE WE EVER NOTIFIED ABOUT THE BUYBACK ON THIS TRUCK. WE ACCIDENTALLY FOUND OUT. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF ANYTHING CONCERNING THESE PROBLEMS, PROBABLY BECAUSE WE PURCHASED IT USED. THE PROBLEM WITH THE TIE ROD, WHICH COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL AND A POSSIBLE CRASH IS NOT THE ONLY LIFE-THREATENING RECALL. THE RECALL WITH THE FUEL HEATER COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE A FIRE. WE HAVE, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD WHILE REFUELING THE TRUCK, AS WELL AS A NOTICEABLE SHAKING AND VIBRATING IN THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK WHILE IN OPERATION. FCA US, LLC IS ATTEMPTING TO CIRCUMVENT THE "CONSENT ORDER" AGREED TO BY THEM WITH NHTSA. THEY HAVE AGREED TO REPURCHASE THESE DEFECTIVE VEHICLES FOR THE PURCHASE PRICE PAID BY THE "ORIGINAL" PURCHASER, MINUS A REASONABLE AMOUNT FOR DEPRECIATION, PLUS 10%! IT APPEARS THAT FCA IS MAKING THEIR OWN RULES TO REPURCHASE BY "LOW-BALLING" THE REPURCHASE PRICE! WHAT THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO DO IS CALLED FRAUD! IT WOULD APPEAR THAT NHTSA IS ALLOWING IT! SHOULD A CRASH OR FIRE HAPPEN WHILE FCA DRAGS ITS FEET ON THE REPURCHASE OF THIS TRUCK, SOMEONE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY LAW!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE RAM 2500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TURBO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED 10 DAYS AND 75 MILES LATER. BLUE SMOKE EMITTED FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TURBO EXTENUATOR FAILED AND THE TURBO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000. UPDATED 01/21/16*LJ *CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE RAM 2500. WHILE REVERSING AT 2 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIE ROD FRACTURED AND PUNCTURED THE RIM AND TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIE ROD, TIRE AND RIM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V529000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,300.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE RAM 2500. WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT INTO A DITCH AS THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY LOOSE. UPON INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE TIE ROD BALL STUDS DETACHED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIE ROD, RIM AND FRONT BUMPER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V529000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW YOU REQUIRE FIAT CHRYSLER TO RECALL AND BUY BACK VEHICLES THAT ARE UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND I GET TO SELL MY PICKUP BACK TO THEM AT TRADE IN VALUE WHICH EVERYONE IN THE WORLD KNOWS IS A DEALERS WAY OF SCREWING THE OWNER BECAUSE THEY TURN AROUND AND LIST THE VEHICLE FOR AT LEAST $4000 MORE THAN WHAT THEY PAID FOR THE TRADE IN. SO I GET SOLD A LEMON AND IM GLAD YOU ARE STARTING TO PUNISH COMPANIES SO THAT THEY IN TURN START PRODUCING QUALITY VEHICLES AND PUTTING EFFORT INTO THEIR CARS BUT THEY ARE EVEN TURNING THIS FOR PROFIT. THEY FIX THE PARTS AND RESALE THE CAR FOR MORE THAN THEY PAID FOR IT. GREAT PLAN. WHY NOT USE PRIVATE PARTY RESALE VALUE SO THAT WE ACTUALLY GET WHAT THE CAR IS WORTH.

I'M SORRY IF I AM FILING THIS IN THE WRONG SECTION, BUT HERE GOES. I CHECKED MY VEHICLES VIN WITH YOUR WEBSITE AND WITH CHRYSLERS WEBSITE, MY TRUCK WAS ELIGIBLE FOR THE N49 TIE ROD END RECALL. WHEN I TOOK IT IN THE DEALER TOLD ME IT HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE. I ASKED HOW HE KNEW, AND THEY POINTED OUT TO ME THE STEERING LINK ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TRUCK. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE N49 RECALL AND FOUND THAT IT WAS TO REPLACE THE TIE ROD END ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STEERING LINKAGE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS TRUCK COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE BUY BACK PROGRAM BECAUSE OF THIS RECALL AND I CAN DEFINITELY SAY THAT RIGHT NOW I AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS TRUCK. THIS TRUCK IS PRIMARILY USED TO HAUL MY PREGNANT WIFE, 7 YR OLD SON, AND 3 YR OLD DAUGHTER. I KNOW THAT NO WORK WAS PERFORMED ON THE DATE THE N49 RECALL WAS PROCESSED ON MY VEHICLE. I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO! THANKS FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN PROVIDE ME.

AUGUST 7, 2015, I WAS DRIVING MY 2011 DODGE 2500 4X4 CREW CAB DIESEL WITH 47265 MILES, DOWN A NARROW CANYON ROAD WITH A DROP OFF INTO A RIVER ON ONE SIDE NEAR MY HOME. I BEGAN A RIGHTHAND TURN AT ABOUT 20-25 MPH WHEN BOTH THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WENT OUT. I WAS PULLING WITH BOTH HANDS AND HAD BOTH FEET ON THE BREAK AND I WAS STILL HEADING STRAIGHT ACROSS THE CENTER LINE TOWARD ANOTHER CAR GOING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. I DO BELIEVE IT WAS A MIRACLE THAT BOTH VEHICLES DIDN'T END UP DOWN THE EMBANKMENT AND IN THE RIVER. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE TRUCK IN A TURNOUT PAST THE CURVE, I COULD NOT FIND ANY LEAKS OR ANYTHING BINDING IN THE STEERING. WHEN I RESTARTED THE TRUCK THE STEERING AND BRAKES WORKED FINE, SO I DROVE THE 1 1/2 MILES BACK HOME WHERE IT HAPPENED AGAIN TURNING INTO MY DRIVE WAY. THE DODGE DEALER STATED THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER FAILED AND THAT HAD CAUSED THE POWER STEERING PUMP TO FAIL AND IT WOULD COST CLOSE TO $2000.00 TO FIX. I TOLD THEM TO GO AND FIX IT, BUT MY LAWYER AND I WOULD BE HAVING A TALK WITH DODGE BECAUSE I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AND DODGE IS LUCKY THAT THEY ARE NOT OWNING 3 FATALITIES. THE STATED THAT THEY WOULD CALL THE FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE. THE DEALER CALLED BACK AND STATED IT WOULD ONLY B E $500.00 FOR "CUSTOMER PARTICIPATION OF GOODWILL CDED". I HAVE LOST ALL CONFIDENCE IN THE SAFETY OF THIS TRUCK AND WITH THIS ISSUE AND WAITING 5 MOS. FOR PARTS ON ONE RECALL AND 4 MONTHS ON ANOTHER. I CAN'T EVEN SELL IT BECAUSE I AM WAITING ON AN O2 SENSOR FOR 2 1/2 MOS. NOW. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS STEERING AND BRAKE ISSUE TO SEE IF IT IS AN ISOLATED PROBLEM OR SOMETHING ELSE BEFORE SOMEBODY DOES GET KILLED.