NHTSA Complaint #11144970 — 2010 RAM 1500

A PINION NUT IN THE DRIVETRAIN FAILED DURING NORMAL USE WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH, THE MAIN DRIVESHAFT SEPARATED FROM THE TRUCK AND SHEARED HALF OF THE TRANSFER CASE OFF. THE DRIVESHAFT ALSO DESTROYED THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL AND DAMAGED A LARGE ARE OF THE UNDER CARRIAGE. THIS BUT WAS UNDER RECALL AND AN ACCREDITED DEALERSHIP MADE THE INITIAL REPAIR BY REPLACING THE TRANSFER CASE AND DRIVESHAFT. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS REPAIRED. AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE MADE THE TRUCKS DRIVETRAIN WOULD NOT OPERATE CORRECTLY AND WOULD TRY TO SHIFT ITSELF INTO 4WD INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT THE TRANSFER CASE SELECTOR BEING MOVED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM FOR A NUMBER OF WEEKS BUT FINALLY DISCOVERED THE TRANSFER CASE MOTOR WAS BROKEN AND THAT THE INITIAL REPAIR SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED THIS PART AS IT WAS OBVIOUSLY DAMAGED IN THE INCIDENT BUT COULD NOT MAKE THE REPAIR BECAUSE IT WASN'T LISTED ON THE INITIAL REPAIR. FCA REFUSED TO REPLACE THE PART AND WOULD NOT ACCEPT AN APPEAL TO HAVE THE CASE REVIEWED TO INCLUDE THE NEW INFORMATION AS THE AREA MANAGER RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR CLAIM CLOSED IT WITHOUT ALLOWING THE NEW TROUBLESHOOTING RESULTS TO BE CONSIDERED.