NHTSA Complaint #11006220 — 2018 KARAVAN KHD-2990-72-PR

UTILITY TRAILER BEGAN MAKING HIGH PITCH NOISE, LOOKED IN DRIVERS REAR VIEW MIRROR TO SEE TIRE WOBBLING AND SMOKE COMING OUT OF WHEEL BEARING HUB AT 35 MPH. PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO SEE WHAT THE ISSUE WAS TO DISCOVER THAT THE WHEEL BEARING ON THE DRIVERS SIDE HAD FAILED. BOTH THE THE INNER AND OUT BEARING RACES WERE PRESENT, BUT ALL OF THE ROLLER BEARINGS HAD FALLEN OUT. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THERE WAS NOT A NUT OR COTTER PIN ON THE AXLE SHAFT. IT APPEARS THAT THE FACTORY FORGOT TO PUT THE SAFETY COTTER PIN ON THE BEARING NUT AND WITHOUT THAT THE NUT SLOWLY BACKED OFF UNTIL IT FELL OFF CAUSING THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. NOT SURE HOW THE WHEEL WAS STILL ON BECAUSE WHEN I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AS I WAS ABLE TO GRAB THE WHEEL WITH MY HANDS AND EASILY PULL THE ENTIRE WHEEL AND HUB OFF THE AXLE SHAFT. I'M GLAD THE TIRE STAYED ON UNTIL I GOT IT OFF THE ROAD AND THAT I WAS AT A LOWER SPEED, HAD THIS HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEED, I'M NOT SURE HOW THE OUTCOME WOULD HAVE BEEN. TRAILER WAS JUST PURCHASED ON JUNE 22, 2017 FROM HOMEDEPOT. THIS WAS ONLY THE SECOND TRIP OUT WITH THE TRAILER, IT HAS LESS THAN 100 MILES ON IT.