NHTSA Complaint #10421668 — 2007 DODGE DAKOTA

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I WANT TO INFORM THIS ORGANIZATION AND FUTURE PEOPLE WHOM WOULD WANT TO BUY A 1/2 TON ADODGE RAM OR DAKOTA TO RESERCH IT FIRST. I TOOK MY 2007 DODGE DAKOTA 4X4 TO THE DEALER WITH JUST OVER 60,000 MILES DUE TO THE REAR END MAKING NOISE. THE DEALER FOUND 1 RETAINER CLIP THAT HOLDS THE CLUTCH PACKS TO FAIL PREMATURELY AND CAUSE SERVERE DAMAGE TO THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. I NEED TO REPLACE THE PINION BEARINGS, CARRIER BEARINGS, AND CLUTCH PACK ALONG WITH THE SAME RETAINER CLIPS THAT WILL BREAK IN ANOTHER 60,000 MILES OR LESS. WHEN I TOOK MY DAKOTA TO THE DEALER AND EXPLAINED TO THEM MY SYMPTOMS OF REAR END NOISE, THEY EXACTLY KNEW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. THEY TOLD ME THEY SEEN THIS ON MULTIPLE DODGE HALF TON TRUCKS AND DAKOTAS. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A RECALL, AND THEY SAID CHRYSLER KNOWS ABOUT IT AND WILL NOT ISSUE ONE. I WAS APPALED TO HERE SO MANY OWNERS OF THESE TRUCKS HAVING TO PAY FOR A POORLY DEISGNED DIFFERENTIAL WITH INHERRIENT DANGERIOUS PROBLEMS. IF ONE OF THOSE CLIPS BROKE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY DIFFERENTIAL WOULD LOCK UP AND I WOULD GET IN A CRASH. I CALLED CHRYSLER HEAD QUARTERS FOR SOME TYPE OF ASSISTANCE AND WAS RENDERED WITH NONE. THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE FIXED AND ADDRESSED OR PEOPLE WILL BE KILLED. THIS IS NOT AS SERIOUS AS TOYOTA'S PROBLEM WITH THEIR VEHICLES, BUT IT TOOK PEOPLE TO DIE IN ACCIDENTS FOR A RECALL TO BE ISSUED. LETS NOT DO THAT AND GET SOMETHING ROLLING ON THIS. THANKS FOR YOU TIME. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *TT