10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
9 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
70,908 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2005 Dodge Ram 2500 steering problems

steering problem

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2005 Dodge Ram 2500 Owner Comments (Page 6 of 8)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #43

Jan 142012

Ram 2500 4WD 8-cyl

  • 157,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I just purchased my used 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 and decided to take it on a 1500 mile round trip to test it out. At speeds over 55 mph, I experienced the death wobble whenever I would hit uneven pavement. My conservative estimate is that it happened no less than 50 times during the trip. It was very scary and dangerous as many times I was traveling 70 mph with semis right beside me. The Dodge dealer quoted me over $1200 to replace the steering dampener as well as the ball joints, with no guarantee that it would even fix the problem. This could have very easily caused a death if someone less experienced than myself was driving. I am very surprised that Dodge has not intervened with this obvious design flaw as it could very well cause serious injury including death.

- New Paris, IN, USA

problem #42

Nov 052011

Ram 2500 4WD 6-cyl Diesel

  • 142,000 miles
At cruising highway speeds, if a pothole is hit the truck will go into a violent "death wobble" until brought to a stop.

- Fort Riley, KS, USA

problem #41

Jul 062011

Ram 2500 6-cyl Diesel

  • miles
Dealer had my truck twice since the recall. He told me that there was a tie-rod assembly, steering linkage and front end needed. I only have 49,000 miles on it and there's a recall for these defects with Chrysler id 11V350000 - they old me that it would cost me $3,000 the first time and then I came back to get parts and now they are telling me they will give me a break on parts - this is fraud if there's a recall plus they should have fixed it the first time for free - it was totally under warranty at both times.

- Sussex, NJ, USA

problem #40

Jan 082012

Ram 2500 4WD 6-cyl Diesel

  • Automatic transmission
  • 139,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact stated while driving 80 mph over a road bump, the vehicle began to wobble. The contact applied the brakes and regained control of the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic for a diagnostic test. The mechanic notice wear in the tie rods but advised the contact that the wobble was not caused by the tie rod and that the vehicle was safe to drive. The contact tried to order tie rod parts to repair the vehicle but the parts needed were unavailable. The contact stated the pitman arm connecting to the spindle also needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 139,000. Updated 02/15/12 updated 02/17/12

- Hershey, NE, USA

problem #39

Aug 252011

Ram 2500 4WD 6-cyl Diesel

  • 72,000 miles
Traveling about 65 mph on I-10 hitting a small bump in the road caused my 2005 Dodge Ram 2500hd 4X4 diesel to shake so violently I thought my break caliper had broken free of its mount. Hitting the breaks only prolonged the violent shaking. I had taken it to my local Dodge dealer and was told my drive shaft had to be replaced. I had it replaced and the shaking repeated. I took it back to the dealer and was told that it was a broken cord in one of my tires and that I needed new tires. Those were replaced with michelins. Again the shaking accrued. At this point I lost faith in my local Dodge dealer. I took my truck to a local mechanic and he told me that this was a common occurrence and I had to purchase a Dodge upgrade kit to fix the problem. 4,000 dollars later my truck was fixed and I have not had any issues in 10,000 miles. When I asked my local Dodge dealer about a recall or warranty work, I was told that it is normal wear and tear and that there were no safety concerns with this issue. On an average day with an average driver someone is going to be killed if Dodge does not issue an across the board recall. The cause of this problem, known as the Dodge death wobble, is due to the fact that lesser grade parts were used to support a steering that requires more support. Case in point; the Dodge upgrade kit comes with components that are of a higher quality, size and weight to better support the steering system.

- Sierra Vista, AZ, USA

problem #38

Apr 192008

Ram 2500

  • 72,000 miles
My Dodge Ram 2500 truck has a violent death wobble issue. At freeway speeds when hitting an uneven bump in the pavement the truck goes into a sustaining death wobble type motion in the front end. It is extremely scary, and quite dangerous. The truck is completely out of control and must be slowed to approximately 30 mph for the wobble to stop. I've taken my truck to the Dodge dealer several times and they cannot find the problem. I've replaced everything, the axle, steering dampener 3 times, ball joints, alignment adjustments, new tires. The problem goes away for a short time but then always returns. I'm afraid to drive my truck on the freeway and my kids are afraid to drive in my truck period. When it happens it's very wild and scary. All the traffic around me slows down and swerves to get away from my truck. It's not only dangerous and scary, but embarrassing too. I don't know what to do. I've tried everything and nothing is working. Dodge is pretty much useless. They turned their back on me since all the components check out fine. They said there's nothing that they can do. I need a resolution for this problem.

- Simi Valley, CA, USA

problem #37

Aug 152006

Ram 2500 6-cyl Diesel

  • 10,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

We bought an 05 Dodge Ram 2500. On a trip with a small trailer after hitting a bump the front end started shaking violently. (death wobble) after slowing the truck shaking went away. Problem recurred several times on this trip. On way home no issues. Trailer empty. Issue recurred while wife was driving truck to work, no trailer. Bumps an potholes seem to set it off at speeds over 55mph. Took to dealer they found no issues. Put 2" spacer lift on truck with different tires. Problem seemed to go away. Over the past several years truck drives O.K unless hooked to a trailer. Last occurrence was 10-2-11 on trip to South Dakota. Problem recurred 3 times in 5 miles. I made adjustments to equalizer hitch (tightened 1 link) and had no more issues on this trip. This is a major safety issue with these trucks and need to be addressed. Web searches show this is a very common problem. It would be nice if Dodge would issue a recall and fix this issue.

- Loveland, CO, USA

problem #36

Sep 052011

Ram 2500

  • 162,378 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact stated that the tie rod detached while reversing and the vehicle failed to accelerate forward of backward. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection or repairs, but the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired by a private mechanic. The failure mileage was 162,378 and the current mileage was 162,400.

- Vancourt, TX, USA

problem #35

Jul 282011

Ram 2500 4WD 8-cyl

  • 40,000 miles
During normal speed on highway or interstate when a bump is hit the truck shakes violently until speed is reduced. This even has a phrase for it now "death wobble". this started at first while pulling a trailer but now it has progressed to anytime a bump is hit on the road at speeds above 60 mph. Speed must be reduced to <40 to stop the violent shake in steering.

- Keystone Heights, FL, USA

problem #34

Aug 052005

Ram 2500

  • 10,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 quad. While the vehicle was parked the contact noticed there was power steering leaking underneath it. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technicians stated the power steering line needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The transmission lines were cracked and needed to be replaced prior to repairing the vehicle. The computer in the transmission was reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated upon purchasing the vehicle there were several failures. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.

- New Britain, CT, USA

problem #33

Jul 102011

Ram 2500 8-cyl

  • 159,477 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When truck hits bump in road at more than 55 miles it gets death wobble, severe shaking in front end and have to stop to stop shaking.

- New Berlin, NY, USA

problem #32

Apr 202010

Ram 2500 4WD

  • 110,000 miles
2005 Dodge Ram 2500 quad cab 4X4, hemi. I have experience the death wobble very bad, more than 15 times, hit a bump when going anywhere over 85 km/H and the truck will start shaking violently and will not stop until the vehicle has slowed down to 40 km/H approx. Have brought it into Dodge dealership, they have never heard of death wobble and tell me that there's nothing wrong with my truck, I have replaced my tires with load range E tires, new upper and lower ball joint new front axle U-joints, steering box stabilizer, new steering stabilizer shock, replaced all tie rods, new adjustable heavy duty bd diesel tracbar problem still exists, this is very unsafe, im scared to put my kids in my truck, there should be a definite recall.

- Kamloops, 00, USA

problem #31

Apr 292011

Ram 2500 4WD 6-cyl

  • 150,000 miles
Death wobble on 2005, Dodge Ram 2500 4X4 cummings diesel. I was traveling 50 to 60 mph and the front end started shaking violently after hitting uneven pavement. It caused me to swerve in front of a semi tractor trailer who luckily stopped in time as I drove off the side of the interstate. This is not the first time it happened. Last time, approximately 6 months ago, I bought new tires. It seemed to help for a few months but it eventually happened again; once two weeks ago and twice today. The tires have very little wear. Today it ripped out the left front stabilizer link. When I bought the new tires, I told the service technician about it and he said I needed new wheel bearings, upper and lower ball joints, tie rod ends, right front axle U-joints, and stabilizer links; adds up to over $3,000. This truck only has 150,000 miles.

- Berkeley, MO, USA

problem #30

Apr 042011

Ram 2500

  • 151,605 miles
While backing out of a parking spot, my vehicle suddenly lurched - the left tie rod end had snapped off flush with the ball. This was the updated version of the tie rod end as well as the additional components required for the update (performed in March 2010 as a precaution when a friend's Dodge Ram had the same problem and ran into a ditch). Dodge insists they have never heard of the problem??

- Sheridan, CO, USA

problem #29

Mar 082011

Ram 2500

  • 82,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500. While driving approximately 65 mph over an uneven road surface, the vehicle suddenly began to wobble back and forth abnormally. The contact decelerated to 45 mph and the wobbling ceased. The vehicle was not inspected or repaired. The current and failure mileage was 82,000.

- Tega Cay, SC, USA

problem #28

Nov 302010

Ram 2500

  • 106,000 miles
While traveling westbound on ga 53 towards rome, ga. As I entered a very long sweeping right curve at 60 mph, I hit a pothole or something in the roadway. It may have just been the raised tar strips from the dot's patching job, they are pretty rough. My steering wheel starting teetering left and right extremely violently at about a 20-25 degrees. Within seconds the entire front end was hopping to and from causing the truck to move in a straight path even though I was in the middle of a right handed curve of a state hwy! luckily there wasn't any traffic in the left-hand lane because that's where the truck went. I applied the brakes hard and slowed to about 20 mph and it just stop and was all normal again! as I was reeling from the experience and hoping it didn't break anything in, under or on my truck, I realized traffic was rapidly approaching from behind so I accelerated quickly and at some point around 55mph it started again! this time I applied he brakes more slowly and it seemed to worsen until suddenly at 30 mph it stopped again. After that I played with my speed and steering to try to get a feel for what was going on with my truck, as I have been hearing of this "death wobble" for several years, but never had experienced it. As I accelerated past 40 mph and turning the steering wheel even as slightly as just changing lanes it would start up again, but if I straightened up the steering soon enough, it would stop before getting to a full blown wobble again. This is extremely scary and I haven't let my family in the truck since. Please do something with Dodge about this before someone gets hurt or killed!

- Silver Creek, GA, USA

problem #27

Jan 122011

Ram 2500 4WD 8-cyl

  • 80,000 miles
2005 Dodge Ram 2500. Has death shake. Steering box stabilizer, duel steering stabilizer, rancho rs 9000 shocks, ball joints alignment radiouse arm bushing, and complete front end checked by respectable ase mechanic. I bought a 2500 truck for hauling trailer, plus just the heavy duty aspect of the pickup. I cant drive over 70mph without worrying. Even worse when pulling a trailer. Dodge needs to do something about this. I ask a Dodge dealer about it and they act stupid, like they never heard of it. The least that Dodge could do is send a bulletin to Dodge dealers on how to fix it a, but I think its a major expensive design flaw, otherwise Dodge would of corrected this dangerous problem years ago. $1900 worth of part and labor later, and still no fix. This is major B.S. this has happened maybe 15 times in the last year and a half I have owned the truck. Would have been alot more if I didn't have to babysit the truck so bad. Its pretty bad when you cant go over 50mph with a loaded car trailer being pulled by a 2500 pickup and have to worry about loosing control so easily. Someone please do something about this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- Grove City, MN, USA

problem #26

Dec 152010

Ram 2500

  • 95,849 miles
I was driving on a 2 lane asphalt road at approximately 55mph. I was crossing a bridge and when I got to the end, there was a low spot in the roadway. When the truck hit the bump, the front end started shaking violently and uncontrollably and I had to hit the brakes and slow to 25 mph before it quit. On 12/17/2010 my wife was driving this vehicle at 70 mph on I-35. She said she hit an expansion joint in the roadway and the truck started shaking violently and she could not control it and went off into the center median before bringing it under control.

- Osage City, KS, USA

problem #25

Jul 012005

Ram 2500

  • 5,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 quad. While driving approximately 50 mph, the contact noticed that the steering wheel shook intermittently. The dealer was notified and they advised the contact that there were no recalls. The manufacturer, was informed who referred the contact to the dealer for repairs. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who informed the contact that the pitman arm joints and ball joints were wearing. The vehicle was not repaired. The current mileage was approximately 135,000. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

- Arroyo Grand, CA, USA

problem #24

Nov 142010

Ram 2500 6-cyl Diesel

  • Automatic transmission
  • 23,750 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph and driving over a road dip, the steering began to shake violently. The vehicle was not inspected by a dealer nor was it repaired. The failure and current mileage was approximately 23,750 updated 02/09/11 the consumer stated the problem was known as the death shake. Updated 05/12/11

- Richland, WA, USA

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