NHTSA Complaint #10138517 — 1998 DODGE RAM 3500

DIESEL ENGINE, MANUAL TRANSMISSION, 3500. THE NUT THAT HOLDS THE 5TH GEAR ON IN THE TRANSMISSION COMES OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. RESULTING IN NO 5TH GEAR. IT IS KNOWN THAT THE NUT SOMETIMES JAMS THE REST OF THE TRANSMISSION, RESULTING IN NO TRANSMISSION AT ALL WHEN MOVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE AND IT IS ABOUT $600+ TO FIX EACH TIME. I LIVE IN CALIFORNIA, MY BUSINESS FRIEND IN SOUTH CAROLINE HAS HAD IT HAPPENED TWICE ALSO, AND HE KNOWS OF ANOTHER PERSON IN TEXAS THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I DO NOT KNOW OF TOO MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE SAME VEHICLE, SO IT SEEMS STRANGE THAT THE ONE PERSON I DO BUSINESS WITH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COUNTRY HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT HE KNOWS OF SOMEONE ELSE IN ANOTHER PART OF THE COUNTRY WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE PICK UP SPENDS 1 OR 2 DAYS IN THE SHOP, THEY REPLACE THE NUT, AND THAT'S IT. THE SECOND TIME THEY REPLACED THE NUT, I THINK THEY PUT LOCKTITE ON IT. THE OLD PART IS NOT AVAILABLE, BUT MY WORK ORDERS FROM THE DODGE SERVICE DEPARTMENTS ARE. I AM NOT SURE OF THE EXACT DATES OF BOTH OCCURRENCES, IT IS ALL FILED AWAY, BUT IF YOU WANT, I CAN DIG THEM UP FOR YOU. *NM