NHTSA Complaint #10607003 — 2005 DODGE RAM 1500

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2005 DODGE RAM 1500, AND HAVE ALWAYS KEPT MY TRUCK IN EXCELLENT PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL CONDITION, AND THERE ARE NO INCOMPLETE OR UNPERFORMED RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF ANY KIND OF MECHANICAL ISSUES WITH THIS TRUCK UNTIL SUNDAY, 6/22/14, APPROX. 6PM. I WAS DRIVING AT APPROX. 35-40 MPH ALONG A LOCAL STREET, APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION, WHEN IT SOUNDED LIKE A BLOWOUT, BUT THE TRUCK CONTINUED TO DRIVE INTO AN INTERSECTION. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY WHINING AND BANGING SOUNDS, WHICH AS IT TURNS OUT, WAS A THE DRIVE SHAFT TEARING UP THE UNDERSIDE OF MY TRUCK. ,,I MADE IT THRU THE INTERSECTION, AND PART-WAY INTO A PARKING LOT DRIVEWAY, WHEN THE 2 PIECES OF MY DRIVESHAFT FLEW OFF AND THE ENTIRE BACK END LOCKED UP, WITH MY TRUCK BLOCKING TRAFFIC. I AM DISABLED, AND WAS FORTUNATELY NOT INJURED, AND NO ONE WAS HIT BY THE FLYING PIECES OF THE DRIVE SHAFT AS THEY FLEW OUT. THE TRUCK WAS INSPECTED BY A GEICO ADJUSTER, WHO INDICATED HE WAS WELL TRAINED WITH TRUCK PARTS AND MECHANICAL, AND THAT ONE OF THE PINS HAD BACKED OUT OF THE 2005 DODGE RAM 1500 DRIVE SHAFT INTO THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL, CAUSING SPIDER GEARS TO LOCK UP AND THE DRIVESHAFT TO TEAR AWAY FROM THE REAR AXLE. I HAVE A COPY OF THE GEICO REPORT. THE ADJUSTERS ASSESSMENT WAS CONFIRMED ALSO BY THE REPAIR CENTER, WHO MENTIONED THAT THEY HAD SEEN THIS SAME ISSUE BEFORE. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS MECHANICAL FAILURE; THE VEHICLE APPEARS TO KEEP RUNNING, BUT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS ARE IN A VEHICLE THAT ULTIMATELY CANNOT BE CONTROLLED, AND THE DRIVE SHAFT COMES INTO 2 PIECES AND FLIES OUT, POTENTIALLY INJURING BY-STANDERS AND OTHER PROPERTY. ...UPDATED 01/07/15 *BF *TR UPDATED 08/23/2017*CT