NHTSA Complaint #11195031 — 2013 RAM 2500

I WAS DRIVING IN THE FAST LANE WITH NO UNUSUAL NOISES OR VIBRATIONS. ALL OF MY GAUGES WERE NORMAL. ALL OF A SUDDEN, MY PICKUP TRUCK STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY, AND THERE WAS A CLANGING BANGING NOISE OR SENSATION. I IMMEDIATELY PUT MY BLINKER ON AND HEADED FOR THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. AS I ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN, IT FELT LIKE I WAS LOSING POWER, , THE TRUCK WAS STILL SHAKING SO I TIGHTLY GRASPED THE WHEEL AND CRANKED IT OVER TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROADWAY, OFF OF THE PAVEMENT ALTOGETHER. AS SOON AS I WAS ABLE TO STOP, I TURNED THE KEY OFF. THERE WAS ALREADY SMOKE RISING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT CORNER OF THE TRUCK, THEN FLAMES APPEARED. I GRABBED WHAT VALUABLES I COULD AND ESCAPED THE VEHICLE AND CALLED 911. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, MY PICKUP TRUCK, A 2013 DODGE RAM 2500 DIESEL WITH BARELY 130,000 MILES ON IT WAS TOTALLY GUTTED BY THE FIRE. MY FRONT DRIVE LINE, DRIVE SHAFT HAD BROKEN OFF OF THE AXLE OF THE PICKUP HITTING THE BRAKE LINE WHILE IT WAS BOUNCING AROUND, CAUSING IGNITION OF THE BRAKE FLUID. THE DRIVE LINE WAS FOUND IN THE CENTER OF THE FREEWAY. THE LEAKING BRAKE FLUID OR TRANSFER CASE FLUID WAS BURNING ON THE GROUND. THE FIRE GRADUALLY SPREAD THROUGH THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THEN THROUGH THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE CREW CAB PICKUP, DESTROYING IT.