NHTSA Complaint #10391088 — 2005 DODGE DAKOTA

THE PINION GEAR SHAFT TO MY DIFFERENTIAL SHEARED OFF JUST AFT OF THE TAPERED ROLLER BEARING IN THE FRONT OF THE HOUSING. THE PORTION OF THE SHAFT STILL ATTACHED TO THE DRIVE SHAFT THROUGH THE UNIVERSAL JOINT AND THE ROLLER BEARING PULLED OUT OF THE HOUSING AND FELL TO THE GROUND. THIS APPEARS TO BE A FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE GEAR SHAFT. THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON A MAINTAINED DIRT ROAD. NO MODIFICATIONS OF ANY KIND HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE VEHICLE AND ASIDE FROM OCCASIONAL USE ON MAINTAINED DIRT ROADS, NO OFF-ROADING OR OTHER SEVERE DRIVING CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN ENCOUNTERED. CONSIDERING THE MILEAGE AND LIGHT USAGE OF THIS VEHICLE, THIS IS A VERY UNEXPECTED FAILURE. A GEAR SHAFT OF THIS TYPE SHOULD NOT FAIL, CERTAINLY NOT BEFORE THE U-JOINT ITSELF. THIS WOULD THEN SEEM TO MOST LIKELY BE A RESULT OF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THIS IS CLEARLY A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AS THIS FAILURE IS FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY THE DRIVE SHAFT DRAGGING ON THE GROUND AND A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. A FAILURE OF THIS TYPE AT HIGH SPEED WOULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.