NHTSA Complaint #10404319 — 2002 DODGE RAM 1500

WHEN THE TRUCK WAS A STOP AND I WOULD BEGIN TO DRIVE I WOULD HEAR A CLANKING NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE TRUCK. THIS WENT ON FOR A MONTH I FIGURED IT WAS SOMETHING IN THE BED MOVING AROUND. WHILE I WAS DRIVING ONE NIGHT, I HEARD A CRUNCH NOISE THAT THEN RESULTED IN THE REAR TIRES LOCKING UP AND CAUSING ME TO START SKIDDING, I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE TRUCK AND STOP IT SAFELY. I WAS ABLE TO LIMP THE TRUCK HOME THIS TIME, AT 15 TO 20 MPH. IF I WENT ANY FASTER IT WOULD LOCK AGAIN. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE REAR IN THIS TRUCK HAS FAILED ME, THE FIRST TIME I WAS CRUISING AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN THE REAR LOCKED AND THE DRIVE SHAFT SEPARATED FROM THE DIFFERENTIAL CAUSING DAMAGE TO MY TRUCK AS WELL AS THE SHAFT. THE FIRST REPAIR COST ME $2500.00 AND I'M BEING QUOTED $1500.00 FOR THIS REPAIR. THIS IS A COMMON AND KNOWN PROBLEM ON THESE TRUCKS, CHRYSLER WON'T STEP UP AND TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY THEY JUST TELL ME THAT MY VIN WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL DESPITE THE FACT THAT I AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS THE TRUCKS THAT WERE RECALLED. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER DODGE TRUCK! *TR