NHTSA Complaint #10664110 — 2014 RAM 2500

THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL LOCKED UP WHILE TOWING OUR RV, WHICH CAUSED US TO JACKKNIFE AND SUBSEQUENTLY FLIPPING OUR RV. THE RV IS A TOTAL LOSS AND THE TRUCK HAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. THERE WAS A LOUD POP OR BANG AND THEN MAYBE A SECOND OR SO BEFORE THE REAR END SEIZED. THE TRUCK SHUT DOWN DURING THIS WHICH LEFT US WITH NO BRAKES FOR THE RV AND THE TRUCK ALMOST FLIPPED WITH RV. THE MECHANIC AT THE SERVICE CENTER SHOWED US THE SPIDER GEAR SHAFT IN THE DIFFERENTIAL, WHICH HAD BROKEN LOOSE SOMEHOW AND JAMMED AGAINST THE DRIVESHAFT GEAR, THEREBY LOCKING THE DIFFERENTIAL AND POWERTRAIN. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH RAM TRUCKS AS THE INVESTIGATIONS HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS. WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE JUST EXITED THE FREEWAY BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY, MY WIFE AND MYSELF COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED AND ANY NUMBER OF DRIVERS THAT WERE AROUND US. THE FREEWAY WE HAD JUST EXITED WAS PRETTY BUSY WITH SEMI'S AND CARS ALIKE. THIS KIND OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE ON A NEW TRUCK WITH ONLY 4700 OR SO MILES IS UNACCEPTABLE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. *TR