Death Wobble Makes Your Truck Shake Like a Washing Machine
- Ram truck owners are experiencing "death wobbles" which are a violent shaking of the front-end of the vehicle while driving.
- Some say the problem is the front coil-spring suspension on truck with track bars.
- The problem went away in 2013 when Dodge switched to a reciprocating ball steering gear and more robust linkages.
The term was originally started by Jeep Wrangler owners, but has since been adopted by Ram truck owners who have experienced the same phenomenon.
What Causes the Shaking? ∞
Many attribute the problem to the front coil-spring suspension on trucks with track bars. While a typical suspension would recover after hitting a bump, the coil-spring suspension can sometimes continue to shake until the vehicle is slowed way below highway speeds.
Others point to tie-rod ball studs that are too weak and known to fracture in Chrysler’s suspensions, most notably from 2009 to 2012. The tie-rod [er] ties the steering system together.
Did a Redesign Fix the Problem? ∞
Starting with the 2013 model year, when Ram became its own brand, Chrysler redesigned its trucks to use a reciprocating ball steering gear and more robust linkages.
Generations Where This Problem Has Been Reported
This problem has popped up in the following Ram generations.
Most years within a generation share the same parts and manufacturing process. You can also expect them to share the same problems. So while it may not be a problem in every year yet, it's worth looking out for.
4th Generation 1500
- Years
- 2012–2018
- Reliability
- 11th out of 11
- PainRank™
- 46.72
- Complaints
- 934
4th Generation 2500
- Years
- 2012–2018
- Reliability
- 9th out of 11
- PainRank™
- 12.07
- Complaints
- 173
4th Generation 3500
- Years
- 2012–2018
- Reliability
- 8th out of 11
- PainRank™
- 11.36
- Complaints
- 144
4th Generation 4500
- Years
- 2012–2016
- Reliability
- 3rd out of 11
- PainRank™
- 0.91
- Complaints
- 11
4th Generation 5500
- Years
- 2012–2016
- Reliability
- 2nd out of 11
- PainRank™
- 0.59
- Complaints
- 5
Further Reading
A timeline of stories related to this problem. We try to boil these stories down to the most important bits so you can quickly see where things stand. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts for your vehicle over at CarComplaints.com.
Death wobble worries have Ram owners up in arms, and now a class-action lawsuit has been filed
claiming Dodge knows about the problem, but doesn't know how to fix it.…
keep reading article "Lawsuit Says Dodge Has Known About Death Wobble Problems for Years"Remember last year when Chrysler recalled 1.2 million trucks for tie rod problems?
Well, turns out replacement parts have been hard to come by and owners, tired of waiting, have filed a class-action lawsuit.…
keep reading article "Does Chrysler Have Enough Parts to Fix Tie Rod Issues?"Chrysler will recall 1.2 million trucks for tie rod problems in three seperate actions.
The defective tie rods can cause a a complete loss of steering and could possibly be linked to the infamous death wobble.…
keep reading article "Tie Rod Recall Hopes to Fix Problem Before They Send Trucks Out of Control"
What Owners Say About This Problem
Bought this truck with only twenty miles on it. It has had a bad vibration from day one. [The dealership] has looked at this a half dozen times and can not seem to get it fix. They say it is a known issue and don't know how to fix it. This has to be one of the worst trucks I have ever owned.
Driving down the road and hit a small bump. The front end started wobbling very bad. The only way I was able to stop it was to slow down below 30 mph (I was in a 55 mph zone). This is very dangerous. I pull a 12000 pound trailer. I can't afford to lose steering with a trailer that size.