Suspension complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 22 | 8% | 38,000 miles |
| 2011 | 37 | 12% | 37,000 miles |
| 2010 | 32 | 14% | 35,000 miles |
| 2009 | 15 | 7% | 80,000 miles |
| 2008 | 48 | 15% | 55,000 miles |
| 2007 | 93 | 26% | 52,000 miles |
| 2006 | 106 | 16% | 76,000 miles |
| 2005 | 77 | 18% | 89,000 miles |
| 2004 | 106 | 18% | 65,000 miles |
| 2003 | 122 | 18% | 79,000 miles |
| 2002 | 14 | 9% | 50,000 miles |
| 2001 | 39 | 8% | 78,000 miles |
| 2000 | 23 | 11% | 104,000 miles |
| 1999 | 22 | 7% | 26,000 miles |
| 1998 | 19 | 8% | 146,000 miles |
| 1997 | 20 | 9% | 70,000 miles |
| 1996 | 23 | 8% | 203,000 miles |
| 1995 | 22 | 8% | 100,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
When driving at highway speed, if I hit the seam between the road and a bridge and it is not smooth my truck goes into a, "Death wobble." The steering wheel and the whole truck shakes uncontrollably. I can barely keep it in the road. It will only stop when the vehicle slows below 30mph. This problem started about 48,000 miles, I only have a little over 56,000 now. I have changed the stabilizer, got new tires and an alignment. I will be taking it to a mechanic on the 17th but I really believe the manufacture should have a recall on this vehicle. It is very dangerous. I am not the only person to own one of these trucks and this happens to.
I noticed for 6-8 mos steering issue to the left, called dealer said nothing wrong. At various times a strange clunking clicking left front wheel area as decelerating and turning left weight to the front. Now choppy tire left front as there are no ball joints it appears tie rod is bad or something. While pulling into a turn the other day August 17,2015 the veh pulled heard the clank again and the steering pull caused us to strike fixed object. Dealer says not affected by recall, but we have all the same issues, and noted for awhile steering at intermittent times problems... What can I do very afraid to drive as we drive interstate often with loads, we need the vehicle but it seems to have the same issue as recall even though our VIN shows different plant, but what do we do just be killed first? Help please.
Dear sir or ma'am, I am writing you to report a severe problem that occurred to me on 3/5/16, and again on 4/9/16. I was traveling at approximately 65 MPH on both occasions on washington state highways. The front end of my 2011 Ram 2500 pick up began to shake violently. It was so intense that I was afraid that I might lose control of the vehicle. I slowed down and pulled to the side of the road and the problem stopped. After I got back on the road I traveled about a mile, and the problem occurred again. My wife brought the truck into a repair shop on 3/7/16 to see if there was a problem with the tires or suspension. The shop said the tires were balanced and that they did not find any obvious problem with the suspension. After a quick internet search I discovered a number of people describing the exact problem that I had experienced. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Ram 2500. The contact received a recall repair for NHTSA campaign number: 13V529000 (steering), but the remedy did not provide a solution. The contact stated that there was an extensive wobble in the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer a second time where it was indicated that the parts needed to be replaced again. The dealer replaced the front tie rods, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was unable to be driven over 45 MPH. The vehicle continued to wobble in the front, which was extremely unsafe while driving at highway speeds. The manufacturer was notified of the failure each time and provided no solution to the dealer to address the repair. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer for further inspection. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.
This is the 3rd time this happened to me. The first time I was driving around 55 and the truck started to shake so bad I could not actually hold onto the steering wheel, and I made it to the side of the road. I thought was a flat tire and I pulled over to find nothing wrong. The second was bad as it shook so violently, I was unable to make it to the side of the road, so I hit the brakes in the middle of traffic to stop. This 3rd time I happen to be traveling 65 mph on the interstate in PA and hit a small bump and all of the sudden the truck felt like it was bouncing off of the road. I hit the brakes to slow down and drove to the side and into a field. I purchased tie rods and actually the entire front suspension. This was the worst shaking I have ever felt in 45 years of driving. This is going to get me killed when this happens on the road. Please help. [redacted]
The second day I owned my 2010 power wagon I experienced the death wobble. It only had 16,000 miles on it. Took it back to the dealership replaced steering dampener and tires. This worked for only a few months. That was 2011 when it started. It is now April 2015 have been having the same issue every few months. I have rebuilt the entire front end helped for a little while but it soon came back. I have put 4 sets of tires on it also in this time period. I installed an aftermarket dual steering stabilizer same result. My truck only has 63,400 miles on it now. Two days ago running down the toll road hit an expansion joint at 70 miles per hour and started the death wobble cars scattered all around me as truck shakes violently until you can slowly slow your speed down to about 30 miles per hour praying that nobody slams into you. This happened twice in a matter of about five miles. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Dodge Ram 2500. While driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering and vibrated. The contact stated that this was a recurring failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 165,000. Updated 09/18/15 the consumer stated when he hit a pot hole or dip in the road, the steering wheel would shake violently, along with the entire truck. The consumer stated he had no control over the vehicle. Updated 09/22/15...updated 10-27-15 the consumer stated he replaced the ball joints, shocks and steering dampener. It remedied the problem some, but he could still feel a light shimmy in the steering wheel which progressed for several months. The consumer wanted to participate in the buy back program. Updated 01/05/16. …
While driving the Dodge Ram 2500 2009 year on the highway at 60-65 MPH the vehicle started shaking uncontrollably after hitting a joint in the road between the asphalt and a bridge. I was unable to steer during this time and the vehicle shook so violently that the connectors vibrated off of the battery terminal, both batteries, at which time I lost all power. This almost resulted in my driving off of a bridge. The shaking would only stop upon coming to a complete stop. This happened 3 more times at slower speeds between 40-50 MPH. I eventually had to get a tow truck to get us to our destination. This happened on highway roads and always after hitting a small bumps. Mileage on vehicle is 89500.
NHTSA investigations
Front suspension spring/shock absorber
Allege failure of the coil spring/shock absorber bracket at its attachment to the vehicle frame May allow collapse of the front suspension, and potentially affect steering or braking system performance
Frequently asked questions
Which Dodge Ram 2500 years have suspension problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2003 (122), 2004 (106), 2006 (106), 2007 (93) and 2005 (77) model years. Suspension complaints make up 18% of all complaints for the 2003.
Is there a recall for Dodge Ram 2500 suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for any Dodge Ram 2500 model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Dodge Ram 2500 suspension problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 69,000 miles; 37% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front (194 mentions), followed by the front › control arm › upper ball joint (36).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.