NHTSA Complaint #10723631 — 2011 DODGE RAM 1500

I WAS DRIVING ALONG AT POSTED HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN MY ENGINE SUDDENLY FAILED AND LOST ALL POWER. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF INTERSTATE WITHOUT INCIDENT WHERE I CALLED A TOWING COMPANY TO BE PICKED UP. MY TRUCK HAS 130,000 MILES ON IT BUT HAS NEVER SHOWN ANY SIGN OF A PROBLEM. THE TRUCK WAS SERVICED REGULARLY AT 5000 MILE INTERVALS. MAJORITY OF MILEAGE WERE HIGHWAY MILES BETWEEN 70 - 75 MPH. NORMALLY, I WOULD CHALK THIS UP TO HIGH MILEAGE. HOWEVER, DURING THE SEARCH FOR ANY PROBLEMS WITH A 5.7 L HEMI ENGINE, I NOTICED THE FOLLOWING RECALL AND WAS CURIOS AS TO WHY MY RAM 1500 WAS NOT INCLUDED: THIS RECALL COVERS A SPECIFIC BUILD PERIOD. THE VEHICLES INVOLVED ARE 20092012 DODGE CHALLENGERS (LC), DODGE CHARGERS (LD) AND CHRYSLER 300S (LX) EQUIPPED WITH A 5.7L HEMI ENGINE (SALES CODE EZD OR EZH, WHICH ARE THE MDS ENGINES) AND REAR AXLE RATIOS OF 3.06, 3.73 OR 3.92 (SALES CODE DMP, DME OR DMH). THE BUILD PERIOD IS FROM AUGUST 4, 2008, THROUGH JULY 10, 2012 (MDH 080406 THROUGH 071008). THE RECALL IS TITLED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION NOTIFICATION P01 ENGINE TIMING CHAIN AND CHAIN GUIDE AND IS DATED FEBRUARY 2014. SINCE THE ENGINES ARE NEARLY IDENTICAL, THERE IS NO REASON THAT MY TRUCK SHOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THIS RECALL. THE TIMING CHAIN FAILURE IN MY 2011 RAM 1500 SLT 4X4 CREWCAB CAUSED CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO THE ENTIRE ENGINE TO THE POINT WHERE IT NEED TO BE REPLACED. THIS TRUCK WAS PURCHASED NEW AND WAS EXPECTED TO LAST MUCH LONGER THAN IT DID. I AM VERY LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET SAFELY OFF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT BEING INVOLVED IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT WITH ONE OF THE MANY TRACTOR AND TRAILERS OR WASHINGTON DC COMMUTERS. THERE IS NO SUFFICIENT REASON FOR THE METAL TIMING CHAIN FAILURE OTHER THAN A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED IN OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME ENGINE BY THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION.