NHTSA Complaint #11449578 — 2018 RAM 2500

The contact's family owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving at 48-55 MPH with the vehicle hitched to a tow trailer transporting a vehicle, the rear driver's side wheel inadvertently detached, rolled away, and crashed into the front end of a vehicle that was driving on the opposite direction. The contact engaged the trailer brakes and the vehicle brake pedal to stop his vehicle. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. There were no injuries sustained. The contact stated as he was inspecting the rear driver's side wheel, he noticed that the wheel studs were missing. A police report was filed. The vehicle remained at the scene. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V398000 (WHEELS). The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000. Consumer is providing a link to photos of the incident and photos taken after the incident of the exact studs that failed. In the photos the day of the incident, a mark on the asphalt can be seen where the bare rotor slid to a halt on the side of the road. The other pictures were taken after the ram had been towed and was sitting in a grass field for ~12 days. Consumer saved all the failed studs from the vehicle. Consumer stated will be replacing the rest of the studs from the vehicle and will be saving them to along with a record of which wheel they came from. Consumer has managed to recover the wheel itself, which does not have oblong hole damage.