NHTSA Complaint #10899770 — 2013 DODGE JOURNEY

AXLE NUTS - 2013 DODGE JOURNEY, FELT AS THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO BUCKLE UNDER THE FRONT END, ESPECIALLY IF I HAD TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP. I LOUD CLUNK TYPE NOISE WOULD ACCOMPANY THE JOLT FEELING. BEGAN OCCURRING MORE OFTEN, TO INCLUDE WHEN VEHICLE WOULD SHIFT. TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP THE FIRST TIME, AND THE ORDER WAS WRITTEN UP AS 'RE-TORQUE THE AXLE NUTS'. ISSUE CONTINUED, BUT WAS ALWAYS DESCRIBED AS 'COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE'. AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE AXLE NUTS AS IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THEY HAD BEEN COMPROMISED. I INFORMED THEM OF THE PREVIOUS FIX, AND WAS TOLD THAT YOU CAN NOT RE-TORQUE AXLE NUTS, THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP TRIED TO MAKE ME PAY, AS IT WAS SOMETHING NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY UNTIL I BROUGHT UP WHAT THEY HAD DONE, SO THEY TOOK THE LOSS. I WOULD THINK THAT THE AXLE NUTS SHOULD HAVE NEVER BECOME LOOSE TO BEGIN WITH, AS IT SEEMS AS IF IT WOULD BE A HIGH RISK FACTOR IN LIABILITY. FIRST OCCURRENCE: NOVEMBER 2014 SECOND OCCURRENCE: AUGUST 2016