NHTSA Complaint #11462111 — 2009 DODGE RAM 1500

The rear axle pinion nut came off and the rear axle locked up. Driveshaft dropped to the street, breaking the transfer case. Incident resulted in an immediate loss of control. Driver behind me saw the driveshaft fall and braked to avoid contact with my vehicle. Luckily, I was driving about 25 miles per hour and was able to come to a stop on the roadside without wrecking. I later learned that in late 2015, Chrysler was supposed to notify owners of the defect concerning the rear axle pinion nut. I never received that notification or any other recall notice regarding my vehicle. The local Dodge dealer has told me to have my vehicle towed to them. They said the damage will be evaluated and Chrysler will determine if they should pay for the necessary repairs. I believe they should, since I was never notified of the problem with the rear axle pinion nut. The consumer stated the District Manager at the dealership refused to repair the vehicle. The reasons for not repairing the vehicle were the necessary parts couldn't be found, the recall was too long ago, and you should have brought it in for repairs earlier when the recall notice went out.