Problems with 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 SUSPENSION

Our 2003 dodge 2500 is experiencing something referred to on many websites and blogs as "the death wobble!!" this very scary shake occurs when you go over 50 mph or drive on cracked or uneven roads, including paved highways!! chrysler has not stepped up and accepted the blame and refuses to acknowledge this problem as a recall. dodge dealerships and a local mechanic have done repairs but nothing fixes it. this vehicle is too dangerous to drive!! we are still making monthly payments on our truck, and can not afford to put anymore money into it!! there are many other dodge truck owners out there experience this problem! someone needs to make chrysler take responsibility. i hope your organization has the strength to make them accountable. it is only a matter of time before someone dies... if it hasn't happened already!! here is a link to a blog of other disappointed dodge truck owners https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=29790327&postid=1828630666049356082&page=1&token=1284427578344_aie9_bfismzar6xjkp4fe6syt4diq9yfihzyhohz7hmj5_v3gume4q-oe-uap1fln-ed4qipq0cib884eefvdbmuak4scezcjlbdawgy2t39mb3bju5zpkugcfcya4h0tqbtnodcet91b_alfxrkzvizjsvobaewpiir4pn01z2lnhyaivcumzq9bjsvyknnxir761wezlnsojlxmvdwfjlcbe8kwy2ochbqegbur7a0oyfvoewdfjkkcvvkgaymu07ym8thcgl1gzjhektbl2v9hlc28k_g1aagdxvv5ufynu2p5ytfb_ft0baauprfkpdfvvciqiztbr9kvbubukd3h4b-sy_ck7ykwlzziilltp6iqi-xotuzsyzfoxtkpqsajy_v7tottukos4nr6yn3atxpexkxxpagdqm-7dwdf70bggwm0atgyslsohrt6-qoidy2igoyyzya5zlowqas2egca3ssxtxjybi15g0wl6ipprlkgs--3fwsl4trz7jmimt3a_y9gn5mjqnxh8st9uf6kjkso05zbdm42z04o32oeetmuorfoyloc9n-b_6ikcjwigtk01naqwkw_j_lq3nbywzusljyj3qw-c30m5h8cthq8mztn7b7o2payvy402rhcbovbhzipilgtkwr6odz9jycaulqfeqdtboly3pgiy3g0ql_pahgfabyde4aaxgpjqahqz1jug46wjnblhd88g13dfbaqcqivatq33qvoqgelvtlxs39kkerup0mf5ds47y9mn8bacwedffqyglnlooiojzjtrvv6sihm2gp6ftvk4jiwkbphopm91yi1q8k4rlp . *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. while making a turn, there was an abnormal noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. the contact discovered that the ball joints were fractured. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the upper control arm and sway bar links needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 42,323. updated 09/03/15*lj updated 9/8/2017*cn

I have a dodge ram 2500 4x4 hd that has a severe case of death wobble at only 50,000 miles. all equipment on truck is bone stock. *tr

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. *tr

2003 dodge ram 2500 diesel with stock tires and suspension started shaking violently in the front end while traveling on colorado state highway 94 at approximately 58mph. the shaking started after i transitioned from a bridge to the roadway. the shaking was so severe that i had to stop the vehicle in order to bring it back under control. this isn't the first time it has happened, but after reading several articles online referring to the "death wobble", i felt it should be reported. *tr

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.

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

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.

While driving at 65 +speeds and hitting a bump in the road lost steering wheel control. i called dodge recall hotline and was told my vehicle was not part of the recall. i am fearful driving this truck due to this problem. this happens every time as i have to do freeway driving in order to go shopping..i contacted the dealer where i purchased it and they never answered my inquiry.. *tr

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 mechanics 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 researched these issues and have found many people with similar issues. *tr

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

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

2003 dodge ram 2500 shakes violently when hitting a bump 40-70 mph the "death wobble". *tr

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

Dodge death wobble as its called by most, violent shakes in the front end put me in a ditch. i put up with it for about a year but kept getting worse called dodge and took it to a dealer which in turn charged me $150 to tell me nothing was wrong. took corrective safety actions myself ordered new front end parts $750 from dodge fixed problem with local mechanic. they are aware of it but really do not want to address the issue if at all possible. *tr

There have been numerous forums and blogs reporting this same problem among various owners with different equipment specs. the one thing we all seem to have in common is this problem called death wobble. while driving my truck at highway speeds, if i hit a bump at an angle, the front end would start to shake violently. so violently that i have to let my foot of the gas and coast to a speed that puts my life in danger because i can not safely or reliably steer the truck off the road. it takes everything i've got to keep the truck in the lane i am traveling in. this has happened several times and, each time, i try to get it fixed or have a mechanic look into what is causing the violent shaking. most of the time, the mechanic (about 5 different service stations) can't duplicate the problem. i asked a senior customer service agent with chrysler what they could do. she said that goodwill assistance was declined. i asked her what she meant by that, she said that i don't have a warranty, my truck is 6 years old, i have 80k mileage, and chrysler will not help. i wasn't the one who has declined this proverbial goodwill assistance nor was it in my power. i don't even know why she would bring it up. certainly, if it was offered, i would at least have the option. now i have a truck i'm afraid to drive and no recourse. *tr

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

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 dodge 2500. the contact stated that the wiring harness failed and was repaired under warranty. on a separate occasion, the defroster and windshield wipers failed. while utilizing the driver's side turn signal, the passenger side turn signal would illuminate instead. this failure was also repaired under warranty. in addition, the contact was experiencing very hard vibrations form the front end of the vehicle. he struck a squirrel in the road and nearly lost control of the vehicle due to the vibrations. a local service dealer replaced the steering linkages in the vehicle at the contact's expense. he later received a recall notice for the suspension and excessive vibrations (steering linkages). the nhtsa campaign id number was unknown. the current and failure mileages were less than 120,000.

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

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!

Tl* the contact owns 2003 dodge ram 2500. the contact stated that he looses control of the vehicle 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 contact continues to loose control of the vehicle. 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.

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.

This has happened multiple times since i bought it, starting on the day i bought it (used) in 2008. made it go away for some years, don't know how. combination of tire pressure adjustment, alignment, toe angle? limited myself to driving less than 55 mph. problem happens when you hit a bump just right and it sends one wheel up, and the other down. that wheel then gets bounced up, and sends the other down. it's like dribbling two basketballs, and the whole front end shakes violently. since this happens at highway speeds, it happens on the highway, and the truck is completely uncontrollable during this time. the only way to make it stop is to slow down (remember, you're on the highway) to 40-30 mph. last time i came back from queens, it happened seven times. it just happened again today, 8/14/15. it is dangerous, violent, and a known problem for which dodge has not offered a solution or recall. it is colloquially known as the "dodge death wobble."

Front unit bearing wear/failure. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 dodge truck 2500 4x4. the contact stated that the vehicle shakes violently while driving 70 mph. the vehicle was taken to the dealer three times and they changed the cable stabilizer and replaced the ball joints. the failure mileage was 100,000 and current mileage was 117,000. updated 03-27-09 *bf updated 04/01/09. *jb

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Traveling down freeway at speed of 70 mph passed over overpass hit bump and truck begin shimmying uncontrollably, had to bring truck to complete stop to get shimmying to stop. this has happened many times at speeds about 55 mph hit bumps and truck begins shimmying uncontrollably, have to completely stop vehicle each time. have replaced everything in front end along w/ adjusted air pressure in tires according to service bulletin, nothing seems to work. took to dealer they stated nothing else could be done. truck still has same shimmy and cannot get anything done about it. this needs to be recalled before someone gets seriously injured. *tr

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

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

At highway speeds, between 70 an 80 mph, the vehicle will vibrate uncontrollably if you hit any type of pothole, expansion joint, bridge, etc..... while driving recently (9/5/2006), i encounter a bridge crossing while traveling at approx 76 mph, at which point the vehicle began to shutter violently causing my vehicle to cross traffic and enter the median on i-20 outside of birmingham, al. this is an extremely dangerous situation. *jb

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

The first occurrence was at 20000 miles, (death wobble), it did not happen for another year. since then it has gotten more frequent, virtually every time i get on the highway. i have upgraded steering linkage to 09'.,new track bar, steering dampner , ball joints and also the gearbox frame brace w/pitnam arm bearing kit. i still have the death wobble. i now have around 58000 mi. i love my truck, just not the wobble, i would not feel right by selling it like this.

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

Truck shakes after hitting bump at 70 miles per hr. *tr

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

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

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

This pickup has the terrible "death wobble" in the steering when you drive over a bump pr rib in road,starting unexpected and jerking the wheel so hard that you can not hold the wheel! i plan to buy this pu from my employer and i wanted it fixed by dodge because it has always had this terrible safety problem from the factory! to verify this,[xxx] owns it and his # is [xxx]. thanks,[xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

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

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

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

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

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