NHTSA Complaint #10147197 — 2004 DODGE RAM 2500

FACTORY ALUMINUM WHEELS PRONE TO GALVANIC CORROSION. WHEELS CORRODE SEVERELY AROUND CIRCUMFERENCE OF INNER WHEEL HUB. TAKES A SLEDGE HAMMER TO BREAK WHEEL, TIRE, AND RUST FREE TO CHANGE WHEELS AT 10,000 MILE INTERVALS. WORRY IS THAT RUST WILL PROGRESS TO GRAIN BOUNDARIES OF LUGS ON REAR AXLE AND LUG AREA ON ALUMINUM WHEEL AND LEAD TO WHEEL FAILURE. FACTORY SHOULD ADDRESS ISSUE AND PROVIDE SOLUTION. NO WAY A PERSON CAN CHANGE A WHEEL ON THE HIGHWAY WITH THE FACTORY JACK AND LUG WRENCH. EVEN THE LOCK ON THE SPARE TIRE ON MY 2004 2500 RAM 4 X 4 WAS CORRODED SO SEVERELY THAT THE KEY WOULD NOT GO INTO THE LOCK KEY WAY. LUCKILY THE FLAT HAPPENED ON PAVEMENT IN FRONT OF A FRIENDS HOUSE. THE ONLY WAY WE COULD GET THE WHEEL OF WAS TO HACKSAW THE CHAIN ON THE SPARE, LOWER THE FLAT TIRE TO THE GROUND, LOOSEN THE LUG NUTS, HOLD THE BREAK AND PUT VEHICLE IN REVERSE TO BREAK THE RUST FREE AND POP THE WHEEL ONTO THE LOOSENED LUG NUTS. EVEN AFTER THE WHEEL BROKE FREE OF THE RUST AND THE VEHICLE WAS JACKED. I STILL HAD TO PLACE A LARGE PIECE OF WOOD AGAINST THE WHEEL IN THE 6 O'CLOCK POSITION AND BEAT ON THE WOOD WITH A SLEDGE TO BREAK THE WHEEL FREE OF THE HUB. ALUMINUM WHEEL WAS SEVERELY CORRODED TO INCLUDE THE INNER HUB AND SURFACE THAT FITS AGAINST THE REAR AXLE. *JB