NHTSA Complaint #10314932 — 2006 KZRV COYOTE

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) KZ-RV; 2006 MONTEGO BAY, VID; [XXX] ON FEB 7TH OF THIS YEAR WE WERE RETURNING HOME FROM AN ANNUAL EVENT. DRIVING THROUGH THE DESERT (CA95 NORTH BOUND TO I-40), WE EXPERIENCED AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AXLE FAILURE, WHEN 2 U-BOLTS THAT WERE HOLDING THE AXLE TO THE LEAF SPRINGS ON THE REAR AXLE (OF A TANDEM) FAILED. I WAS ABLE TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION AND GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN A REASONABLY SAFE PLACE AFTER HAVING COMPLETED A SERIES OF DOWN HILL ?S? TURNS. WE WERE ABLE TO AFFECT REPAIRS VIA CONTACTING GOOD SAM ERS, WHICH WAS ABLE TO LOCATE A MOBILE MECHANIC/REPAIR SERVICE. WHILE WE WERE WAITING FOR THEM TO ARRIVE, I WALKED BACK THROUGH OUR PREVIOUS PATH OF TRAVEL TO LOCATE THE FAILED U-BOLTS. I WAS ABLE TO LOCATE ONE OF THEM, AND FROM MY INSPECTION LOOKS TO BE THE FINAL ONE THAT WAS HOLDING THE AXLE TOGETHER BECAUSE IT HAD SHEARED CLEAN THROUGH. I BELIEVE THAT THE OTHER U-BOLT HAD DEPARTED ITS LOCATION SOMETIME IN THE PAST, MOST PROBABLY BECAUSE OF A SERIOUS MANUFACTURING/ASSEMBLY PRACTICE. ON THE FORWARD AXLE (UNTOUCHED FROM FACTORY DELIVERY), OF THE TANDEM, I FOUND THAT; ?NO WASHERS WERE USED ON THE U-BOLTS ?EQUAL LEG/THREAD LENGTH ON SIX OF THE POTENTIAL 8 LEGS ?ONE U-BOLT WAS SERIOUSLY FLAWED IN ITS ASSEMBLY OONE LEG WAS CROSS THREADED/STRIPPED AND HAD ONLY WHAT APPEARED TO BE ONE NUT WIDTH IN THREAD CONTACT. OTHE FORCE APPLIED TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THIS U-BOLT, CAUSING A SEVERE DISTORTION IN THE ARC OF THE CLAMPING DEVICE, THERE BY STRESSING IT TO AN EXTREME LEVEL. I DOCUMENTED WITH PICTURES EVERY STEP, ALONG WITH THE FAILED U-BOLT THAT SHEARED. *TR