NHTSA Complaint #10201870 — 2005 DODGE RAM 2500

I WAS DRIVING ON AN ACCESS ROAD WITH MY WIFE WHEN A VEHICLE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME. I HIT THE BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING THE OTHER VEHICLE. I MAINTAINED CONTROL OF OUR VEHICLE AND STAYED IN THE SAME LANE NOT HITTING ANYTHING, BUT WE HEARD A POP AND THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING MAKING IT HARD TO CONTROL. I COULD NOT KEEP THE STEERING WHEEL STRAIGHT ANYMORE. THEN WE SMELLED A BURNING ODOR AND HEARD SOMETHING SCRAPING THE GROUND. WE PULLED OVER AND SAW THAT THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE SHAFT WAS HANGING DOWN. WE THEN TALKED WITH THE SERVICE ADVISOR AND HE INFORMED US IN HIS OPINION THAT THIS WAS THE RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT AND WE WOULD HAVE TO FILE UNDER OUR INSURANCE. WE LOOKED AT THE DAMAGE AND SAW A SMALL DENT IN THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL CASING, BROKEN DRIVE SHAFT, TWO SUSPENSION ARMS BENT, AND DENT IN OIL PAN FROM THE AXLE BEING PUSHED BACK. WE INFORMED THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT WE DID NOT HIT ANY VEHICLE OR ANY OBJECTS IN THE ROADWAY. WE ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE A FALSE CLAIM ON OUR INSURANCE FOR SOMETHING THAT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH THE TRUCK. THE SERVICE ADVISOR BELIEVES THAT WE HIT SOMETHING WHICH MADE THE SMALL DENT IN THE DIFFERENTIAL CASING AND THIS CAUSED ALL THE OTHER DAMAGE DESCRIBED ABOVE. THERE IS NO WAY A SMALL DENT IN THE DIFFERENTIAL CASING COULD CAUSE ALL THE DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED. THIS DENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED FROM A ROCK HITTING IT; IT IS A VERY SMALL DENT. IF WE WOULD OF HIT SOMETHING, THERE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN DAMAGE TO THE FRONT BUMPER AND TRANSMISSION AS WELL WHICH SITS LOWER THAN THE DIFFERENTIAL. ALSO, IF WE HIT THE DIFFERENTIAL, WHICH IS MADE FROM ALUMINUM, THERE PROBABLY THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO IT. HIS THEORY DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO US. WE BELIEVE THERE COULD BE A DEFECT WITH THE SUSPENSION BARS ON MY VEHICLE. ALSO THE DRIVE SHAFT COULD HAVE CATAPULTED US CAUSING A SERIOUS COLLISION AND INJURIES TO US. *JB