NHTSA Complaint #10275722 — 2008 DODGE RAM 1500

THE INCIDENT OF JUNE 19, 2008. MY WIFE AND I WERE ON OUR WAY TO A SOCCER MATCH AT A LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL WHEN UPON HITTING A SLIGHT DIP IN THE ROAD, MY LEFT FRONT WHEEL SHEARED FROM THE LUG NUTS AND ROLLED AWAY, WHILE MY TRUCK WHEEL HUB AND ROTOR SLAMMED INTO THE ASPHALT AND GRINDED 15 FEET TO A STOP. I CALLED POWER DODGE OF VALENCIA, WHO AUTHORIZED A TOW FROM LANCASTER TO VALENCIA. MY TRUCK WAS ON ITS WAY TO GOOD HANDS, I THOUGHT. ONE WEEK LATER, JUNE 26, 2008, THERE WERE NO REPAIRS MADE TO THE TRUCK YET, AND WHAT HAD ORIGINALLY SEEMED LIKE A WARRANTY REPAIR ISSUE, NOW WAS BEING FAULTED TO ME BY THE SERVICE MANAGER OF POWER DODGE, (THE SM). THE SM WAS LOOKING FOR EVERY AVENUE TO FIND BLAME ELSEWHERE EXCEPT WITH HIS COMPANY, AND WITH LITTLE CARE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE I WAS BEING PUT THROUGH WITHOUT A VEHICLE. THE SM HAD A WHEEL EXPERT LOOK AT THE DAMAGE, AND WHAT WAS FOUND, WERE TWO LUG NUTS WITH APPARENT STRESS CRACKS, WHICH ONCE THEY GAVE WAY LEFT NO ROOM THE REMAINING THREE TO HOLD THE WHEEL FAST, THUS SHEARING ALL THE BOLTS OFF. IT WAS SAID THAT THIS IS SOMETIMES CAUSED BY OVER TORQUING THE BOLTS DURING TIRE ROTATION OR CHANGING OF A TIRE, ALL SERVICES ONLY PERFORMED ON MY TRUCK BY POWER DODGE OF VALENCIA. THE SM INSTEAD BLAMES ME FOR NOT ROTATING THE TIRES SOONER THAN EIGHTY FIVE HUNDRED MILES, STATING THAT THE LUGS MAY HAVE BACKED OFF AND BROKEN. WITH ALL OF THE SAID DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE WHEEL BREAKING OFF, MY TRUCK IS IN FOR IT?S REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE, WHICH INCLUDES TIRE ROTATION. IF DODGE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY OF THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE LUG NUT FAILURE, THEN IT WOULD STAND TO REASON THAT MY WARRANTY WAS NOW VOIDED DUE TO WHAT THE SMOF DODGE CLAIMS WAS FAILURE OF THE LUGS DUE TO NOT ROTATING THE TIRES SOON ENOUGH. BUT, ACCORDING TO POWER DODGE OF VALENCIA, MY WARRANTY IS STILL GOOD. DODGE IS ACCEPTING NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR LUG NUTS SHEARING OFF WHILE DRIVING WHICH IN NOT NORMAL. *TR