1999 Dodge RAM 2500

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND WHEN PASSING A SEMI- TRAILER VEHICLE PULLED, AND COULDN'T CONTROL STEERING. ALSO, WHEN TRAVELING AT 65MPH VEHICLE WANDERED ALL OVER THE ROAD. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING ON A LOCAL ROAD AND MAKING A RIGHT OR LEFT HAND TURN, STEERING WHEEL DID NOT RETURN BACK TO THE CENTER. DEALER HAS TRIED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, BUT WITHOUT SUCCESS. *AK *ML

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH ON A TWO WAY RURAL ROADWAY, A MINI-VAN DRIVING TOWARD ME MADE A LEFT HAND TURN IN FRONT OF ME AT 10-15 MPH (FAILURE TO YIELD). I HIT THE ABOVE MINI-VAN'S FRONT PASSENGER CORNER HEAD ON WITH THE FRONT OF MY TRUCK. AFTER THE IMPACT WITH THE MINI-VAN, MY TRUCK HIT AN ELECTRIC POLE WITH FRONT CENTER OF THE VEHICLE WHERE IT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE MINI-VAN WAS THROWN 25 PACES IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION IN WHICH IT WAS TRAVELING. BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED IN THE MINI-VAN AND DRIVER WAS NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED. MY SEAT BELTS SAVED ME FROM BEING THROWN FROM VEHICLE. MY FOREHEAD HIT THE TOP OF THE STEERING WHEEL. BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I AM STILL TRYING TO OVERCOME HEAD INJURIES THAT RESULTED. PATROL OFFICER AT ACCIDENT SUGGESTED I CONTACT MANUFACTURER ON FAILURE OF AIRBAGS. I DID NOT FEEL CONCEARNED AT THE TIME DUE TO FEELING FORTUNATE THAT INJURIES COULD HAVE BEEN MORE SEVERE. AFTER A WEEK OR SO WENT BY I STILL HAD HEAD INJURIES RESULTING FROM STEERING WHEEL CONTACT AND CONTINUED MEDICAL ATTENTION. ONE WEEK LATER, A SIMILAR DODGE RAM TRUCK'S AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN A SIMILAR ACCIDENT. I CONTACTED MANUFACTURER AND THEY INSPECTED VEHICLE. THEIR INSPECTION RESULTED IN DETERMINING THE AIR BAG SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED IN THIS INSTANCE. BASED ON WITNESS' OBSERVATIONS OF THE ACCIDENT, I'M AM BEING TOLD TO PURSUE THIS ISSUE. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, IF MY HEAD INJURIES ARE CURED, I'M NOT PLANNING LEGAL ACTIONS AGAINST MANUFACTURER AND/OR DRIVER AT FAULT. SINCE THE ACCIDENT, I HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF TWO RECENT SIMILAR CASES INVOLING DODGE TRUCK'S AIR BAGS. I FEEL CONCEARNED ABOUT THE RELIABILITY OF THIER AIR BAG SYSTEMS IN FUTURE ACCIDENTS OF THIS NATURE. OFFICER AND WITNESS ACCIDENT REPORTS AND PHISICAL MARKINGS LEFT AT ACCIDENT SCENE REVEAL THE IMPACT POINT OF VEHICLES AND ELECTRIC POLE. *AK

1. AUTO TRANSMISSION DROPS OUT OF DRIVE TO NEUTRAL WHEN START FROM WASHBOARD ROAD SURFACE OR HIT BUMP WHILE DRIVING. DEALER (ED MOSES DODGE) SAYS THAT CHRYSLER RECOMMENDS DRIVING IN 2ND GEAR. THIS INFO IS NOT IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. 2. STEERING WILL NOT CENTER - ALWAYS PULLS R OR L. 2 ATTEMPTS BY DEALER TO REPAIR HAVE FAILED. UNSTABLE ON WASHBOARD ROAD.