NHTSA Complaint #11289563 — 2009 DODGE RAM 1500

THERE WAS A RECALL AROUND 2012-2013 FOR 2009 DODGE RAM 1500 PICK UP TRUCKS BECAUSE SOME PINION NUTS COULD COME LOOSE. I HAD THE RECALL PERFORMED AS SOON AS I RECEIVED THE NOTICE. THE FIX FOR THIS WAS TO INSTALL A RETAINER THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW THE NUT TO LOOSEN. THIS WEEK, 12/16/19, I WENT TO REPLACE MY PINION SEAL AS I NOTICED LEAKING AT THE SHAFT. I FEEL THAT THE RETAINER THAT WAS USED TO HOLD THE NUT IN PLACE IS DEFECTIVE AND NOT A SUFFICIENT FIX AS THE NUT HAS DEFINITELY MOVED SINCE THE RECALL WORK WAS PERFORMED. THERE ARE MOST LIKELY STILL TRUCKS ON THE ROAD WHERE A DANGEROUS CONDITION IS BEGINNING TO DEVELOP AGAIN. I NOTICED THAT THE PINION NUT HAD ONLY ONE THREAD SHOWING AND TOOK VERY LITTLE FORCE TO REMOVE. AS I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO REMOVE THE RETAINER "HOLDING" THE NUT IN PLACE, I USED A HAMMER AND A PUNCH TO TRY TO SPIN IT. THE RETAINER AND THE NUT MOVED WITH VERY LITTLE EFFORT. THERE WAS ONLY ONE THREAD ON THE SHAFT SHOWING BEFORE I LOOSENED IT. I CALLED A DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME TO BRING IT IN THE NEXT MORNING. THE NUTS ON THESE ARE ALL INDIVIDUALLY ADJUSTED UNTIL THE BEARING YIELDS A CERTAIN RESISTANCE AND THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE WITH THE COMPONENTS IN THE REAR OF THE DIFFERENTIAL REMOVED. THE SERVICE MANAGER IS STARTING TO TALK ABOUT "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" SINCE THE RECALL. MY CONTENTION IS THAT THE ORIGINAL RECALL WAS NOT PERFORMED PROPERLY BY A DEALER WHEN THE RECALL WAS DONE. WE CAN NOT KNOW WHAT WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR IF THE NUT HAS BEEN COMING LOOSE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. THERE MAY BE A REQUIRED WASHER MISSING BUT THAT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED YET. IF THERE IS A WASHER MISSING, THAT MEANS THAT THEY REMOVED THE PINION NUT COMPLETELY BEFORE REPLACING IT WHICH YOU CANNOT DO WITHOUT REMOVING THE DIFFERENTIAL CARTRIDGE TO PROPERLY SET THE PRE-LOAD FORCE ON THE BEARING. EACH ONE OF THESE NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED INDIVIDUALLY.