NHTSA Complaint #10184372 — 2001 DODGE RAM 1500

DEAR SIR/MAM, I PURCHASED A 2001 DODGE RAM NEW. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES I HEARD ABNORMAL SQUEALING AS I TURNED ONTO OTHER STREETS AT A LOW SPEED. I ALSO NOTICED UNEVEN TIRE WEAR. I WAS ADVISED BY THE DODGE DEALERSHIP THAT THE VEHICLE HAD NO DEFECTS AND TO SEEK OUT THE TIRE MANUFACTURER. IN FEBRUARY 2007 WITH APPROXIMATELY 58,400 MILES ON THE TRUCK I WAS TRAVELING THROUGH TOWN AND HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM MY REAR END. I LOCATED A MECHANIC THAT OPENED UP MY DIFFERENTIAL PAN AND FOUND METAL PIECES LAYING IN THE PAN. MY TRUCK HAS A LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL WITH 4:10 GEARS. THIS LAYOUT OF GEARS IS PART OF THE HEAVY DUTY OFF ROAD PACKAGE DODGE OFFERED WITH THEIR TRUCKS AT THE TIME OF MY PURCHASE. MY MECHANICS DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE POSI- TRACTION SPACERS HAD EXPLODED AS THEY HAD APPEARED TO HAVE STUCK TOGETHER. THE PIECES OF METAL THEN EVENTUALLY TRIED TO TRAVEL THROUGH THE RING AND GEAR CAUSING CHIPPING. THE END RESULT IS TO HAVING THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL COMPLETELY REPAIRED AT A COST WITH PARTS AND LABOR EXCEEDING $1300.00. I RECALLED BACK TO MY ORIGINAL COMPLAINT WITH DODGE OF THE EXCESSIVE TIRE SQUEALING AND UNEVEN TIRE WEAR AT 10,000 MILES AND BASED UPON MY KNOWLEDGE BELIEVE THAT THE TIRES WERE SQUEALING WHILE TURNING ONTO OTHER STREETS AS THE REAR END WAS LOCKED UP IN THE POSI TRACTION MODE. I CONTACTED DODGE SEVERAL TIMES AND SPOKE WITH THEIR CHIEF CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVE BY THE NAME OF PAT. DODGE STATED AT THE END OF EACH CONVERSATION THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST ME IN THIS ISSUE EVEN AFTER I ADVISED THEM OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE IN THEIR DODGE TRUCKS. I HAVE SPOKE AND LOCATED FOUR OTHER DODGE OWNERS IN MY TOWN THAT HAVE HAD TO REPAIR THEIR DODGE TRUCK REAR ENDS. AFTER OBSERVING THE METAL PIECES IN THE DIFFERENTIAL AND FROM SOME PERSONNEL EXPERIENCE FROM A PREVIOUS INCIDENT IN A FRIENDS TRUCK YEARS AGO I MADE THE FOLLOWING DETERMINATION, THE PIECES THAT EXPLODE IN THE DIFFERENTIAL WILL MAKE A CLUNKING NOICE IN THE DIFFERENTIAL. *JB