Problems with 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 SUSPENSION

I was traveling at about 20 mph, slowing down to make a turn when i heard a loud cracking sound. i pulled over but could not determine the source of the sound. i decided to return to the house to investigate further. on my way home, i stopped at a coffee shop and when tried to back up into a parking space, the passenger front wheel broke off. it completely fell off!! i am very happy we were moving at about 1-2 mph instead of the 40mph on the road. truck was towed to the dealer where i was told that the bottom ball joint had broken off. this is a very serious issue. peoples lives are at stake here. i am the only owner of this vehicle and have all the repair/ maintenance records. the repair for this is over $3000.00. why hasn't the manufacturer recognized this as a problem? *dt *dt consumer picked up the truck after getting it fixed about 7 miles driving down the highway the truck broke down again. it was towed and repaired second time around.*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. while driving 75 mph over a pothole, the front end of the vehicle shook violently and vibrated. the cause of the failure was not determined. janssen dodge (3101 s. jeffers dr, north platte, ne) and the manufacturer were notified, but no assistance was offered. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 88,000. *tt *tr

Violent front wheel side to side shaking when hitting a small bump on the freeway, going strait. braking hard to a slower speed, below 50 mph stops the shake. ram dealer installed a steering arm factory update. this did not cure the problem. the dealer could not tell me how they could fix the problem. this problem is known as the death wobble.

At highway speeds the truck will intermittently jerk violently until speed is reduced. this is so common the internet is referred to it as the "death wobble". it can do it multiple times in one trip and then not again for serveral others. thankfully i was driving and not my wife. the vibration is so violent not many could control it safely.

While driving at about 55 mph, i hit a minor bump in the freeway and the truck started shaking violently,steering wheel shaking side to side. the only way it stopped was i had to reduce my speed to complete stop , the problem was i was towing a 16' trailer with a 4000 lb load on it, i was in front of a semi truck with a full load, it was a very scary and dangerous situation. . it happen again while driving at about 65 mph on freeway next day without the trailer i hit a minor bump in the roadway and the truck started shaking violently. the only way it stopped was i had to reduce my speed and stop. i think this problem should be investigated as some one is going to get killed by this happening to them

At 138916 mile took vehicle in for warranty recall n62 left outer tie rod assemble , since that time have had six instances of uncontrolled sever and dangerous vibrations almost to the point of losing control at highway speeds of 60-70mph. the most recent occurrence was yesterday while making a left hand curve at 60mph; vehicle not has approximately 141,000 miles

While traveling over 55 mph and hit a bump the front end shimmies violently. the dodge death wobble.

Apparent "death wobble" at highway speeds, hit a small bump, and truck starts shaking violently. dissipates upon slowing down.

On vacation towing a 5000 pound boat the front and started shaking violently the so-called dodge death wobble.had to turn around and go homeat a much lower speed.brought it to warwick dodge in new york for recall on tie rod assembly.they had it for 2 days they said they looked at it and did absolutely nothing.no wonder dodge had to pay billions of dollars this is how you remedy problems.i've spent thousands on front end parts every mechanic tells me something differenti've replaced ball joints stabilizer links u-joints calipersand still have same problem my wife is afraid to drive with me.

I was traveling down a highway at about 55 mph when i hit a bump in the road. the whole truck started shaking so violently that i couldn't steer. i immediately pulled off to the shoulder and began examining the tires and suspension. i noticed some slightly worn components and replaced them once i got the truck home. still have the same problem hundreds of dollars later. i don't want to sell the truck to anyone and afraid to drive it my self!

While driving down the expressway in chicago in heavy, high speed traffic, the vehicle drove through a small pothole, which caused the vehicle to shake \ wobble violently from the front end and cause impossible steering. the only way to stop this shaking \ wobble was to immediately slow down to below 20 mph crossing 2 lanes of traffic into the soft shoulder. it has been replicated multiple times from speeds of 40 mph and up. after taking this vehicle, a 2003 dodge ram 2500 quad cab, 5.7 engine, stock with all current recalls up to date (except the air bag recall which no one has parts for), to multiple repair shops and dodge dealerships, no exact caused has been located including fca (dodge) stating there is no issue. thousands of dollars have been spent on this in the last 3 weeks to solve the problem as it cannot be resolved yet. this is a widely known about issue in these vehicles, commonly refereed to as the "dodge death wobble" as i have found out. fca and nhtsa need to do something to resolve this major issue.

The 'bump' associated with an overpass expansion joint on highway i-515 induced 'death wobble' into the truck causing a loss of control. the loss of control almost caused an impact with other vehicles that were close. the dealer nor the manufacture will assist in correcting the issue. the dealer service manager says that install the 'upgraded' linkage package cures this most of the time (for $1,600.00). this appears to be a know safety issue that nhtsa and dodge are ducking. dodge upgraded the linkage in 2009 and totally redesigned the system in 2014. the vehicle is all original and in good working order. help. *tr

Driving truck down freeway. hit a bump and whole truck started to shake slowed down and shake went away. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. the contact stated that the dashboard was falling apart. when the air conditioner was activated, there were particles flying out of the vents. while driving approximately 10 mph over a bump, the steering wheel seized and something on the front end felt loose. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician diagnosed that the upper ball joint and stabilizer bar needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired and the dashboard was replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

I'm constantly having electrical & intake/exhaust problems with this vehicle. i've replace the battery 2 times within 2 years and it still cuts off all the time. all inspections and maintenance is current. my mechanic has also constantly worked on u-joints. please give me a list of all recalls for this vehicle. *tr

I was driving my dodge ram 2500 and hit a series of small bumps and my front end began to shake violently. this has happened several times and no one can seem to find a problem with my suspension at all. i have tried different tires and that doesn't fix the problem either. *tr

Let me start by stating that i've been driving for over 33 years and have an impeccable driving record. this is what happened. i was driving on the interstate at approx. 65 mph. i was changing lanes when i hit a few small bumps in the road. my truck immediately started shaking violently and uncontrollably. i pulled to breakdown lane while slowing the vehicle. the truck didn't stop shaking until approx. 30 mph, though it was still shaking, i had never encountered such a loss of control before for no apparent reason. i decided to see if there was anything about this issue on the web. i was amazed at what i found. this phenomenon is dubbed 'death wobble'. though it seems this in not an uncommon event, no-one seems to be able to pinpoint the problem that caused the violent shaking. there are lots of differing opinions. my mechanic checked out truck and i was told that other than very slight wear in drivers side upper and lower ball joints, everything was tight. i've since replaced upper and lower ball joints even though my mechanic told me they weren't bad enough to warrant replacement. i've also replaced shimmy shock on stabilizer and installed aftermarket stabilizer after researching this problem even more. we also realized previous owner had numerous new parts installed too. seems as though he was chasing this as well. since replacing these, this has happened 2 more times. this is extremely dangerous and i won't even go over 55 mph on the interstate. is dodge aware of this issue? and what about recalls? i've looked and cannot find any recalls that pertain to this problem. the suspension itself seems flawed even though i cannot pinpoint one failed component in itself. thank you

I am the original owner of this ram 2500.. i have contacted local dealer about two years ago and followed up.. but they are full of excuses. they keep telling me "when we get the word from dodge we will call you.. they air bad issue really scares me since i cannot turn the [xxx] thing off when i drive it and some else's carelessness is what will blind...me. also, i see the track bar made need to be replaced... sort of important since it affect steering. how do you light a fire under these people.. car sales are booming.they go the money... they hope i go way... honda friends of mine have had their bags replaced a long time ago.... whom do i contact to get this done??? [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

We have previously filed a complaint for the "death wobble" or violent, uncontrollable shaking that occurs after going over uneven roads. the entire vehicle shakes and there is minimal control of steering when this happens until the vehicle has slowed down to almost a stop. the shaking of the front tires is visible on the outside of the vehicle. today when i was entering the expressway, which has fresh patches of concrete, no pothole or rough surface, my truck starting shaking the front tires and steering wheel violently (death wobble). i hit the brakes to slow the vehicle down. the vehicle started drifting and i realized i had no steering when i tried to bring the vehicle into my lane. when i was able to bring the vehicle to a stop (remember i am on a 4 lane x-way) i found that the steering bar that goes from the pitman arm to the right tire had broken in half. this is a solid 1inch bar and i had not hit anything to cause this to break. . this could have very easily been a complaint lodged with a death occurring.the shaking is a know issue with ram 2500 trucks with this same front end design (incl 2013), and the jeeps with the same design front end are now complaining of the same shaking. i have owned this truck for 7yrs now, so i know it has not been in any accidents, over curbs, 4 wheeled or any other driving condition that could have stressed or caused the bar to broke. *tr

I had no control of the steering and the vehicle was violently shaking, i slowed down to a stop, composed myself and drove on, the steering was very hard to control but the shaking only started about 40 mph, i took the vehicle to two shops, had ball joints, u joints, tie rods, steering, shocks, upgraded mopar steering assembly, pitman arm , all replaced, shortly thereafter i received recall notice n62/ nhtsa 13v-528, the instructions stated to mail all original repair documents related to tie rod failure and i would be reimbursed, i received a phone call just simply denying any responsibility with no particular reason other than my mileage, i asked for an email outlining the reason in detail which had absolutely no content of any explanation as to why the claim was denied. i did not receive my original receipts back either. *js

At approx. 55-60 mph, the truck began to shake very violently. applied brake, to attempt to get truck under control; we ended up in the ditch. myself and my daughter were injured. luckily, neither of us were injured bad, just bumps and bruises. i had a mechanic look at the truck; he stated there is a problem with all dodge trucks from 2002-2008. the steering gear box and front suspension are at fault. i contacted a local dodge dealer. they informed me, "dodge is not at fault and there are no need for any recalls". they did say they could fix the problem, at almost $2700. they would put a new front suspension and steering box. i feel if they will fix the problem, then they know about the problem. i have searched on the internet about the problem and there are hundreds of complaints. i am asking the ntsb to fully investigate this matter. *tr

First episode of the dodge ram "death wobble" in july 2013 approximately 2 weeks after replacing tie rods. occurred one more time in early august 2013. didn't experience again until august 2014 while on a trip in upstate new york, four occurrences in 3 days. the latest occurrence was this past saturday, twice in the same day. *tr

While traveling on the highway and normal speeds and you hit a minor bump, wheels will shake violently with no ability for driver to recover steering. the only recourse is to let the vehicle slow down and then pull over. this is know as the death wobble and can be viewed on youtube. dodge has denied the problem but yet you can buy an entire new steering assembly from dodge for $300. i have spent over $4000 trying to fix this issue. this has happened to me over 10 times and no longer put my family in the pickup and will no longer use it on the highway..a simple tierod recall will not fix this and there is enough people having this problem that the nhtsa should force dodge to finally correct this design flaw, before we get killed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. the contact was traveling 65 mph when the vehicle began to shake violently. the vehicle was taken to both an independent mechanic and the dealer for inspection and repair. the repairs were unknown however, the defect was remedied. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 102,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. the contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph, the front end of the vehicle started to vibrate and jerk violently. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 50,000.

My vehicle has been having "death wobble" at 55 mph and over and been having the issue for about a year and half and have had the entire front end steering replaced and im still having the issue. please find a cause i've almost lost control every time it occurs! i would like to be contacted by a ram field engineer! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500 tdi. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the vehicle started to shake violently and without warning. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the shock absorbers and steering damper. the remedy failed to repair the failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 85,000. updated 3/12/14*cn updated 03/21/14

After purchasing this truck from the first time owner, i begin to notice at certain times i would experience a violent shaking when going over a bump. after looking online and reading about the "death wobble" i become worried and contacted the dealer. of course they acted like they did not know what i was talking about. but when you talk to an independent mechanic, they know exactly what you are talking about. in short, i have spent over $2700 getting the front end redone, with no help from chrysler. i find it completely irresponsible on their part to not do anything to help with this problem. now.. just last week i get this recall notice on the left tie rod end. i am most certain when i take it in, they will say there is nothing wrong with it.. and send me on my way. this issue and the cracked dash is all a bunch of baloney to which chrysler should have taken some serious action to help folks who bought a $50k truck in good faith that it was built good.. *tr

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

While coming home from work, i hit a bump or pothole with one front wheel, & the front wheels started shaking violently back & forth. the only way i could get it to stop was to slow down. i stopped & looked under the vehicle to see if anything was visibly broken & did not see anything. i slowly sped up again. after hitting another bump, the shaking started all over again & would not stop until i slowed down. this is a very dangerous condition that will get someone killed. i am afraid to let my wife drive the truck with our children, because i don't know what is gonna happen. *tr

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

We were driving to the store and the vehicle started shaking violently and caused us to go into the other lane. i slowed down to stop, got out looked for some broken part.... did not see anything out of the ordinary. we then proceeded slowly back home and the vehicle just had a continuous vibration, but did not shake violently. i then looked it up on the computer and found others having the same problem. i would really like to know what needs to be done to avoid excess cost but be safe. *tr

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.... *tr

We bought a 2003 dodge ram 2500 in november of 2011. since we have bought it we have spent $3500 in repairs in regards to the "death wobble" and it still isn't fixed. i drive it down a road and as soon as you get it up to 50-55 mph and hit a small bump it violently wobbles uncontrollably. the wobble has caused several parts to break or crack including our most recent purchase, the radiator. this isn't the first truck to report this and isn't going to be the last until dodge man's up and admits they made a mistake. this is an apparent mistake of more than just broke down parts and worn parts. there is something extremely wrong with the manufacturing of these vehicles and is it going to take a death for someone to do something about it? chrysler is quoted "the safety of our customers comes first" and i would love for the man who made that statement take this truck for a drive and experience the "death wobble' for himself and let me know how safe he feels after that. we have owned many vehicles in the past, none of which has remotely caused this many problems so to say there's no issue or problem with this is extremely bold. we are looking into furthering our investigation in this matter and also looking into what a attorney would do if they were us. *tr

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

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 steering 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 suggest to fix the problem. *tr

Well have you heard of the "death wobble!!!?????" google this and it will tell you exactly! my husbands truck hops at 70 mph on the freeway almost causing a huge accident! why the hell after all the complaints nothing has been done with this issue! thousands of people are talking about this online!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *tr

While driving my 2003 dodge ram 2500 down the highway and i will hit small bump, and the truck will violently shake and i am unable to steer the truck. the "death wobble" makes it impossible for me to steer during the shaking and the only way to regain control of the truck is to try to brake and not crash. this first started on 12-23-11 and has happened about 6 times since then. the death wobble occurs at speeds as slow as 40 mph. it is extremely dangerous due to my inability to steer when the truck shakes so violently. i have researched this and there are more people with this same problem and there appears to be no fix. the tires shake side to side and the inside of the cab of the pickup is vibrating violently. *tr

Traveling at highway speeds, upon hitting a bump or groove in highway the truck began a violent shake in the front end. the shaking would not stop until the truck slowed down. this has happened multiple times and the shaking is violent enough to possibly cause a crash. through internet research i have seen this issue commonly called the "death wobble". *kb

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 commonly 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 continues. i can not even contemplate selling this vehicle because my conscience wont allow me to put another persons safety in jeopardy please help us!!! dodge won't!!!!!!! *tr

Truck gets a severe wobble when it goes over rough spot in road and the wobble is so severe that it is all a person can do to hang on without wrecking to get the truck slowed and stopped. *tr

Tl* the contact owns 2003 dodge ram 2500. the contact stated while driving 55 mph, the front end of the vehicle wobbled and bounced rapidly every time the vehicle drove over any dip or bump in the road. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the stabilizing bar was broken. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not offer any assistance. the approximate failure mileage was 180,000. updated 10/02/14*lj updated 5/12/2015 *js

On a road trip i was driving on a highway at 65 mph and i hit a small light decal that delineates the lines on the road and my truck began to shake violently and so severely that i nearly lost control. braking did not stop the shaking, not accelerating until it slowed to about 35 mph did stop the shaking. i pulled over immediately because i was terrified that it would happen again. since i was in the middle of nowhere i decided that i would drive again but at a slower pace. this time i drove at 55 mph and when it hit a tiny bump again it began to shake horribly again. and once again i was stressed beyond belief that i was barely able to control this truck. this continues to happen at high speeds and if there is any ruffness on the road. please recall these trucks and fix them. i paid alot of money for a truck that i thought would be good quality and now i am stuck with a piece of junk that i cannot drive faster than 35 mph for fear that i will kill myself or someone else. and i refuse to sell this lemon to some other poor soul. *tr

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 inability 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 witnessed the tire shaking violently and reported that it looks like the wheel is going to fall off. *kb

My 2003 2500 dodge ram 4x4 shakes violently bad when i hit bumps on the freeway at about 60 mph. i have to almost come to a complete stop to make it go away. it feels like i am going to loose control of the truck and crash. i have spent about $2000.00 trying to fix the problem, but no success. help please! *tr

While driving at highway speeds, the steering experienced a violent resonant oscillation upon hitting a pothole in the road. the only way to control the vehicle was to slow down below 35 mph, once the resonant oscillation occurs. i've brought the vehicle to the dealership locally, and they have replaced almost every front end component and still the problem persists. this vehicle has been in the dealership for seven months during the last two years, and it still has the issue. i cannot let my children drive it, i cannot, in good conscience, sell it. i'm at a loss as to a path forward.

Front axle shaking violently. shakes consistently 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 everything is to oem specifications and this vehicle will still shake going over bridges if your running 70mph. from the research i've done it appears 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. *tr

I drive a 2003 dodge ram 2500 with 113,00 miles. while driving at approximately 65mph i hit a slightly rough patch of road. the truck began shaking violently to the point of completely loosing control of the vehicle. this violent shaking could be reproduced any time i drove over a bump in the highway at normal highway speeds. i took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who replaced the shocks, steering dampener and steering box that was leaking. he stated that none of these parts were worn to the point that he felt they should cause the problem that he experienced and termed "an unacceptable safety hazard". the shaking has been reduced with these repairs but not eliminated. the mechanic now feels the ball joints may be the next approach to a fix although these again are not that worn. *tr

A few months after purchasing our dodge ram 2500, we experienced our first "death wobble" incident on interstate 70 at approximately 65 mph, and occurred 2 more times that same trip. i had the truck towed and brought to an automotive shop. the automotive shop said they could not find anything wrong with the truck but suggested replacing the steering stabilizer. i had the stabilizer replaced and it seemed okay for about 3 days. after the first incident the "death wobble" occurred on a regular basis, any small bump or transition in the roadway would cause the front axle, tires and steering to shake so violently it felt like a large earthquake in the truck. the death wobble will not stop till the truck was slowed down to a complete stop. this seemed to occur mostly at speeds between 45-70 mph. we stopped taking the truck on major roadways as it would be likely to cause an accident at highway speeds. the truck was brought to several automotive shops including dodge and chrysler dealerships. all of the automotive shops said that this is fairly common among these trucks as dodge dealerships told me that basically i was a liar and denied that there was a problem. after doing thorough research i decided to follow the advice of the automotive shops and several specialty 4x4 shops. every steering and suspension component was replaced including every bushing, bearing and grease fitting some parts were the upgraded mopar linkages and pittman arm and the rest of the parts were oe replacements from reputable high end manufacturers. i also had an alignment performed immediately i have saved every part that i have taken off the truck since i began this journey including receipts for all the work/parts that was performed/installed. death wobble was gone for about 4 months and the truck was still lightly driven. by month 5 death wobble is back in full force with no explanation. *tr

I have a 2003 ram 2500 4x4 with 65000 miles on it. i just started to get the death wobble , my father-inlaw has a 1998 cummins and he has already experienced the death wobble he has tried to replace several parts on the front suspension with no fix, i have been reading alot of forums on the internet with people having the same problems what can be done to get this issue fixed? *tr