Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Dodge Ram 2500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 24 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
I HAVE A 98 RAM 2500 V10 IF I GO ABOUT 65 MPH THERE IS A MASSIVE WOBBLE IN THE STEERING WHEEL BUT IF I SPEED UP TO 70 IT STOPS OR IF I SLOW DOWN TO 60 IT STOPS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS BECAUSE ALL OF THE RAM TRUCKS THAT I HAVE HAD DO THIS EXACT SAME THING.
THE PASSENGER SIDE LOWER REAR ARM SUPPORT BRACKET WELD ARE CRACKING TWISTING TEARING FROM MAIN FRAME RAIL. THE FRAME WELD IS TEARING HORIZONTALLY AND ACROSS SAME RATES. THE CRACK ARE NEXT TO WELDS AN SOME LOCATION TEARING CIRCLING ROTATING. THE VEHICLE NEVER OPERATED OFF-ROAD AND MILEAGE IS 171,550 MILES. THE CRACK ARE 65% AND VEHICLE UNFIT TO BE OPERATED SAFETY. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE I DIDN'T HAVE A ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE ROW OVER ON I LEFT SIDE WITHOUT NO WARNING . I WAS PREFORMING VEHICLE BRAKE INSPECTIONS AND I NOTICE RUST ON THE LOWER REAR SUPPORT HANGER WHICH HOLD THE LOWER ARM BRACKET AND COIL SPRING. I AM VERY FORTUNATE THAT I DIDN'T LOAN MY VEHICLE TO MY RELATIVES. I HAVE PICTURES AVAILABLE. I WANT THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION TO REPAIR THIS ASAP!!!
THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE TENDS TO WANDER AND REQUIRES CONSTANT ADJUSTMENT TO MAINTAIN PROPER LOCATION TIN TRAFFIC LANE. $1000 REPAIRS LAST A FEW THOUSAND MILES. TALKING WITH OTHER OWNERS OF SIMILAR VEHICLES INDICATES THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE. MA 10/8 UPDATED 12/11/2017*CN
WHILE TURNING LEFT AT ANY SPEED HAVE A SERIOUS SHUDDER. TRUCK HAS NEW WHEEL BEARINGS TIE ROD ENDS ROTORS AND CALIPERS DONE AT DODGE DEALERSHIP. THE SHUDDER IS HEARD AND FELT IN FLOOR BOARD NOTHING IN BRAKE PEDAL OR STEERING WHEEL. SHUDDER IS LESS AUDIBLE WHEN PUT INTO NEUTRAL AND COASTING WHILE TURNING LEFT. *TR
EVENT: PULLED UP IN FRONT OF BARN TO GET A LOAD OF HAY. MOVED GEAR SELECTOR LEVER TO REVERSE TO BACK UP TO BUILDING, BUT WHEN ACCELERATOR WAS PRESSED, VEHICLE MOVED FORWARD. FAILURE: INTERNAL PARTS IN STEERING COLUMN HAD BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM EACH OTHER, THE RESULT BEING THAT MOVEMENT OF THE GEAR SELECTOR LEVER DID NOT AFFECT THE LEVER AT THE END OF THE STEERING COLUMN THAT IS CONNECTED TO THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL ROD. THE ONLY WAY THAT THE VEHICLE COULD BE PLACED IN PARK, STARTED, OR PUT INTO A GEAR POSITION WAS TO RAISE THE HOOD AND MOVE THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL ROD BY HAND. SOLUTION: SINCE THE STEERING COLUMN IS A WELDED ASSEMBLY AND IS NOT SERVICEABLE, IT WAS REPLACED. THE OLD ASSEMBLY IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. THE ASSEMBLY PART NUMBER IS P55351175 RELATED COMPLAINT: SIMILAR TO COMPLAINT ODI ID 892310 WHICH WAS ENTERED AS A PROBLEM WITH COMPONENT : POWERTRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION: P/N START SWITCH. MY PROBLEM WOULD HAVE MANIFESTED ITSELF IN THE SAME WAY IF I HAD PLACED THE SHIFT LEVER INTO PARK POSITION AND HAD GOTTEN OUT OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT SETTING THE BRAKE. *TR
ON MY 1998 DODGE 2500 4X4 TRUCK THE MAIN STEERING SHAFT SHEARED OFF THE STEERING BOX ABOVE THE PITMAN ARM WITHOUT NOTICE. I AM GLAD I WAS PARKING AND NOT GOING DOWN THE FREEWAY. *JB
THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ALREADY INSPECTED BY THE DEALER. A FEW DAYS LATER THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MEINEKE BECAUSE OF A SQUEAKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS CHECKED AND THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE NEVER PASSED INSPECTION DUE TO NUMEROUS PROBLEMS FOUND WITH THE VEHICLE. *TS THE MEINEKE TECH STATED THAT EH VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE PASSED INSPECT DUE TO NUMEROUS VIOLATIONS. THE VEHICLE NEEDS 2 WHEEL BEARINGS, TRACK BAR, STEERING SHOCK, 2 HUB ASSEMBLIES, BRAKE LINES, OXYGEN SENSOR AND A NEW LICENSE PLATE BULB. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER TO GET HIS MONEY BACK BUT THEY REFUSED. *NM
VEHICLE WAS PARKED. CONSUMER SAW FRONT TIRES POINTING DIFFERENT WAYS. THE FRONT TIE ROD SNAPPED. CAUSING VEHICLE TO BECOME INOPERATIVE. *AK
THE STEERING COLUMN WAS NO LONGER OPERATIVE. *JB
DEFECTIVE STEERING COMPONENTS LEADING TO DIFFICULTY IN CONTROL. PROBLEM BEGAN SOON AFTER PURCHASE AND CONTINUE TO DATE. *JB
I HAVE RECENTLY EXERIENCED WHAT I WOULD DESCRIBE AS A "WANDERING FRONT END" ON MY '98 RAM. I HAD A LOCAL DEALER LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. THEY SPENT 0.60 HRS DIAGNOSING A "SLIGHTLY WORN LOWER COLUMN SHAFT". THEY WERE QUICK TO POINT OUT THAT THIS MAY NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND THAT PERHAPS I SHOULD CONTINUE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN HOPE THAT THE SYMPTOMS WOULD BECOME MORE EVIDENT. I DECLINED ANY REPAIR. I LATER WENT "ON-LINE" AND WAS SURPRISED TO FIND A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE SUBJECT. (TSB 19-10-97 - "STEERING WANDER") IN ADDITION, I FOUND AN ENTIRE WEB SITE DEDICATED TO THIS PHENOMENA. (KEY SEARCH, DODGE RAM) THE STORIES ARE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT I AM EXPERIENCING AND SOME ARE MUCH WORSE - SCARY! I E-MAILED DAIMLER CHRYSLER AND ASKED IF THEY WERE CONSIDERING ANY SORT OF CORRECTIVE ACTION. THEIR ANSWER WAS NO. TS
A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE STEERING WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PH
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE 5TH GEAR WAS INOPERABLE. TS
WHEN DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND UPON EXITING OFF RAMP AT 70 MPH VEHICLE SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED LOSS OF ALL STEERING. STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT RETURN AND VEHICLE WAS PULLING TO RIGHT. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. *AK WHEN TURNING A CORNER STEERING WILL NOT RETURN STICK TO THE RIGHT AND MAKES A SQUEALING NOISE DUE TO BAD STEERING GEAR BOX. DAMPNER SHOCK IS LEAKING FROM SEAL. THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE. *YH
BOTH TIE RODS REPLACED, FRONT END WAS LOOSE AND MADE A LOUD NOISE, UPPER AND INTERMEDIATE STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED. *SLC
STEERING COLUMN HAS A CLUNKING NOISE AND CAN BE FELT THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL. HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OFF WHEN HIGH BEAM IS APPLIED THEN TURNED OFF. *AK
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING A TURN STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. DEALER REPLACED STEERING GEAR BOX WITH A NEWER MODEL. *AK *ML
PEOPLE IN SERVICE DEPT. AT DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT MY GEAR BOX AND TIE ROD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO AN OVERSIZED TIRE (APPROX. 2 INCHES TALLER THAN FACTORY TIRE) ALSO DUE TO THE FACT OF USING A LOWER GEAR TO PULL A TRAILER. THE TRUCK IS AN AUTOMATIC.
THERE IS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AT SPEEDS LOWER THAN 20 MPH WHICH COULD CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. DEALER CLAIMS THIS IS NORMAL FEATURE, AND NO SOLUTION IS AVAILABLE. *AK
I HAVE HAD THE STEERING DAMPER REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES. IT IS UNKNOWN TO ME WHY THIS HAPPENS AND THE DEALER HAS NO ANSWER EITHER. ALL THE COMPONENTS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE "HEAVY-DUTY". BRAKING IS BECOMING MORE OF A PROBLEM AS THE BRAKES WEAR DOWN. THE TRUCK ONLY HAS 21,000 MILES ON IT. THE POWER DOOR LOCKS I HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT THEY JUST STOPPED WORKING ONE DAY, BUT, THEY DO WORK W/ THE REMOTE ENTRY. I ALSO NOTICED THE HORN ACTUATOR IS HARD TO ACTIVATE DUE TO THE HARD "LEATHER" FOR THE AIRBAG COVER. THE DRIVER'S DOOR KEEPS GETTING MISSALIGNED, I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A VEHICLE HAVING THIS MUCH OF A PROBLEM LIKE IT.
WAS LEAVING SHOPPING CENTER WHEN DRIVER BLACKED OUT. VEHICLE HIT LIGHT POLE OFF CENTER. NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE STEERING WHEEL HAD DISCONNECTED & FELL OFF. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED. THE DRIVER SUFFERED TRAUMA TO TORSO. *AK.
SWAY BAR BOLTS THAT HOLD SWAY BAR FELL OUT, AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. WENT TO DEALER AND GOT IT FIXED. BUT THEN ALL FOUR BOLTS THAT HOLD THE SWAY BAR FELL OUT AGAIN, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. ALSO, WORN GEAR IN THE STEERING BOX CAUSED A LOSS OF STEERING. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK *ML
APPLICATION OF BRAKES CAUSES VEHICLE TO SHARPLY VEER TO THE RIGHT.
STEERING GEAR BOX MOUNTING BOLTS WERE STRIPPED DURING ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE UNIT TO BE VERY LOOSE ON THE FRAME, WHICH COULD HAVE FALLEN OFF AND CAUSED LOSS OF STEERING.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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