My letter to Mopar regarding discontinued ABS module

[DaSOB]

Like so many other owners of 2014-16 Rams, I am searching in vain for an ABS module (Mopar #68228991AD). I was told by one of their CSR's that that module has been DC'ed. So I wrote a sharp letter to Mopar and copied the NHTSA. Here is the text of that letter for anyone who wishes to copy and paste it.

Mopar Customer Care
PO Box 21-8004
Auburn Hills, MI 48321-8004

RE: Mopar part #68228991AD (discontinued)

Sir or Madam:

I am writing to your Company regarding the lack of availability of this part, the ABS Control Module for 2014-2016 Ram 1500 trucks.

My truck, like those of numerous other Ram owners, has a malfunctioning ABS Control Module. Because of this malfunction, the ABS and cruise control do not work. In turn, this places me and other owners of this vehicle in an unsafe situation in that lack of an operating ABS system is conducive to skidding and accidents. Some owners have even reported that they cannot drive their vehicles due to locked brakes which resulted from this malfunction.

I have tried every source in existence in my efforts to find a replacement module, but I have been totally unsuccessful. I have been told by one of your Customer Service representatives that your Company is “…unable to maintain a complete inventory for an indefinite period of time and the lower the demand, the less likely it is we will have stocked parts. As such, the part you are requesting is no longer in our inventory.”

This is absolutely appalling. Apparently, several thousand Ram owners who paid tens of thousands of dollars for their trucks are not important enough to your Company for it to provide very necessary support for their products. I am thoroughly disgusted with Chrysler/Stellantis and definitely will NOT purchase another vehicle from your Company.

Sincerely,


cc: National Highway Transportation Safety Administration

 

[DILLIGAF]

Its literally a couple of hundred buck to get it fixed. lol... Plenty of places do it.

Or pull one from a wrecker.

Not sure why this is so appalling to you, This is what everyone that owns older Vehicles deal with every day. Its actually quite fun to figure out how to fix **** without a parts catalog. Or in this case an overpriced POS factory part that can be fixed for pennies on the dollar.

 

[Brandon-w]

You could Probly modify a new style abs module to work they all have the same.basic working principles and usually the same style connectors just different wiring in the socket. It might be worth some investigation...

 

[NCRaineman]

That is a troublingly new vehicle to not have a safety-related part like an ABS module available anywhere.

 

[tjfdesmo]

Keeping a ten year old truck on the road is not the same as restoring a 1909 Huppmobile, where you know fabrication will be necessary.

Sorry, this is pure corporate BS.

 

[Travelin Ram]

It is appalling that a vehicle under ten years old doesn’t get factory parts support.

Just another example of FCA’s attitude towards buyers.

 

[04fxdwgi]

ABS modules OR electric steering racks for a viable model less than 10 years old should absolutely be available. If the problem "is higher than expected demand" is is a black mark on the design / manufacturing for demanding more replacements are needed due to a crap design.

This "parts supply chain problems" is a BS catch all blaming someone else for the problems that corporate should be puting first and foremost..

 

[NCRaineman]

It is appalling that a vehicle under ten years old doesn’t get factory parts support.

Just another example of FCA’s attitude towards buyers.

It's not just limited to one manufacturer, everybody is doing it... and given the *average* vehicle on American roads is 12.5 years old it is a troubling trend.

We are working back towards the days of Grandpa having two or three junk vehicles in the yard that he could pull parts off of in order to keep one running.

 

[indept]

We are working back towards the days of Grandpa having two or three junk vehicles in the yard that he could pull parts off of in order to keep one running.

Oh, so grandpa drove Fords?

 

[mdc1990zr1]

ABS modules OR electric steering racks for a viable model less than 10 years old should absolutely be available. If the problem "is higher than expected demand" is is a black mark on the design / manufacturing for demanding more replacements are needed due to a crap design.

This "parts supply chain problems" is a BS catch all blaming someone else for the problems that corporate should be puting first and foremost..

I don't think its a parts supply chain problem. We bought our vehicles, and we're now yesterday's news. The big 3 is putting all their advertising effort into fooling the sheeple to thinking that EV is the way of the future. I'm just a dinosaur at this point.

 

[chri5k]

Your last sentence may be problematic to finding a resolution. Why bother with you if you will never be a customer again?

Did you try contacting XeMODeX? They have a rebuild service for $199 with a lifetime warranty. https://xemodex.com/us/product/abs-module-repair-service-for-dodge-ram-1500/

 

[GTyankee]

Chrysler/ FCA does not have enough warehousing for parts over 8 years old in most cases.

But Chrysler/FCA did not make the parts in the first place.

The companies that made those parts may have Overstock Warehouse(s)

In fact, there are Mopar parts buyers that buy up Overstock & sell those parts at the Big Swap Meets, like:

Long Beach | High Performance Swap Meet

which is coming up this Saturday
it is held every month, just view the schedule

Carlisle Chrysler Nationals

i'm sure there are several others

unfortunately, many Mopar/Chrysler swap meets have closed permanently, because of Covid & venders that went broke

 

[BossHogg]

I am thoroughly disgusted with Chrysler/Stellantis and definitely will NOT purchase another vehicle from your Company.

The blame may not be all on RAM, it could be in part, an issue with the supplier that made the module. Mostly, outside of the powertrain and vehicle assembly, the rest of the vehicle is made by suppliers from wiring, plastic, seats, modules, etc.

 

[huntergreen]

Its literally a couple of hundred buck to get it fixed. lol... Plenty of places do it.

Or pull one from a wrecker.

Not sure why this is so appalling to you, This is what everyone that owns older Vehicles deal with every day. Its actually quite fun to figure out how to fix **** without a parts catalog. Or in this case an overpriced POS factory part that can be fixed for pennies on the dollar.

Wrong. Companies required to have parts available for vehicles for a minimum of ten years. In the states, auto companies do not have choice to discontinue a part like this.

 

[NCRaineman]

Wrong. Companies required to have parts available for vehicles for a minimum of ten years. In the states, auto companies do not have choice to discontinue a part like this.

That's not actually codified into law anywhere in the US. A lot of people think it is... it's not.

 

[huntergreen]

That's not actually codified into law anywhere in the US. A lot of people think it is... it's not.

Partly true, The 10 year part thing is required by NHTSA, who has the authority to issue recalls. Imagine Chrysler being forced to buy back every 2016 ram on road., kind of like what they did with 2011s.

You can read up on Fords enforced resolution to the Pinto recall after spending millions in legal fees trying to get around NHTSA back in the seventies.

 

[Scottly]

Current federal law states that parts have to be available as long as the product is under warranty. One that's out, no more. Reminds me of when Harley Davidson issued a memo to dealers about the old Shovelheads, telling them that were no longer ALLOWED to work on them, and would not be supplied parts. The aftermarket stepped up...as I'm sure will happen with this issue.

 

[huntergreen]

Current federal law states that parts have to be available as long as the product is under warranty. One that's out, no more. Reminds me of when Harley Davidson issued a memo to dealers about the old Shovelheads, telling them that were no longer ALLOWED to work on them, and would not be supplied parts. The aftermarket stepped up...as I'm sure will happen with this issue.

Lots of extended warranties out there.

 

[Scottly]

Lots of extended warranties out there.

Those are service contracts, sir. They are not warranties. People call them warranties when they sell them (which they aren't suppossed to do), but the states (who regulate this type of activity because it's a form of insurance) call them service contracts.

 

[Burla]

They have pre written cards just for this, I don't know why I would waste energy typing a long winded letter.