NHTSA Complaint #11114765 — 2013 DODGE DURANGO

TO WHOM THIS MAY CONCERN: THE AXLE SHAFT NUT IS NOTORIOUS FOR RUSTING BADLY ON THESE VEHICLES. WATER GETS TRAPPED BEHIND THE CENTER CAP ON THE WHEEL AND MOISTURE CAUSES THE SHAFT ENDS AND NUTS TO CORRODE AT AN ACCELERATED RATE. MINE ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY UNRECOGNIZABLE AS NUTS AT THIS POINT, AND SHOULD I HAVE TO REMOVE THE NUTS TO SERVICE ANYTHING (EMERGENCY BRAKE COMPONENTS FOR EXAMPLE) I WILL END UP HAVING TO YANK OUT AND COMPLETELY REPLACE MY CV SHAFTS. THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED DESIGN FLAW THAT MAY ALSO BE THE RESULT OF INFERIOR METALS USED TO MANUFACTURE THE AXLE SHAFTS (FCA WILL NEVER ADMIT THAT). IF MY AXLES WERE TO FAIL AT A HIGH SPEED OF RATE, DUE TO INFERIOR METALS USED BY THE FCA, I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE A DESIGN ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER. GOOGLE "DURANGO AXLE SHAFT NUT RUST" OR "WK2 AXLE SHAFT NUT RUST" AND SEE FOR YOURSELF. THE PHOTOS ARE HORRIFYING. I FIND THIS TO BE VERY DISTURBING, AND LIFE THREATENING. THIS PROBLEM WAS FIXED STARTING WITH 2014 VEHICLES, AND MINE IS A 2013. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED, AS IT WOULD BE MUCH EASIER FOR YOU ALL TO FIX THIS RATHER THAN FIX A LAWSUIT IF I HAVE A VEHICLE FAILURE. REGARDS, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR