Consumer Complaint Detail
DODGE / RAM QUAD CAB / 2003
1 Injured
0 Death
No Fire
| Components - Details | |
|---|---|
| NHTSA Complaint Number: 003228303 | Incident Date: Jul, 21 2003 |
| Consumer's City: PHOENIX | Consumer's State: AZ |
| Vehicle Transmission Type: AUTO | Manufacturers Name: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) |
| Model Name: RAM QUAD CAB | Model Year: 2003 |
| Vehicle Involved in a Crash: No | Component's Description: Equipment |
| Vehicle Involved in a Fire: No | Persons Injured: 1 |
| Vehicle's VIN#: 1D7HA18D53S | Date added to File: May, 25 2021 |
| Date Complaint Received: Aug, 06 2003 | Complaint Type: IVOQ |
| Incident Reported To Police: No | Purchase Date: May, 31 2003 |
| Was Original Owner: Yes | Anti-lock Brakes: Yes |
| Number of Cylinders: 8 | Date of Manufacturer: - |
| Was Vehicle Towed: - | Description of the Complaints: While entering the driver side of the vehicle using the a-pillar grab handle assembly, the entire assembly broke free from the vehicle structure. i fell backwards onto the pavement injuring my back and left shoulder. my head missed striking a concrete curb by mere inches. this failure constitutes a serious safety condition with a strong possibility of personal injury. this is also a latent defect that is unable to be detected by the consumer until the component fails. my injuries resulted in two lost-work days, but could have been fatal if my head had struck the concrete curbing mentioned previously. this safety condition affects both the driver and passenger a-pillar and b-pillar grab handle assemblies (if quad cab) in all dodge ram series trucks. an inspection of the component showed that the assembly is held to the vehicle structure with two 8mm bolts. the bolts had pulled-through the plastic material of the assembly. there is no metal sub-structure within the handle assembly to prevent bolt pull-through from occurring. it seems unconscionable that a manufacturer would design a component to be used as a occupant weight bearing device without insuring that the component is designed to withstand the loads likely to be placed upon it. best practices for grab handles should always incorporate a metal sub-structure into their design. on a side note, my dealer informed me that the replacement component is on national back-order with every parts depot having fifteen or more parts on order. this would indicate that the problem is wide spread, and requires immediate corrective action. *ph |