2010 Dodge RAM 1500

WHILE ON VACATION I WAS DRIVING 45 MPH AND HEARD A WHINNING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF TRUCK. IT GOT LOUDER AND LOUDER VERY QUICKLY AND THEN I HEARD A LARGE BANGING NOISE AND THE REAR WHEELS FROZE UP CAUSING THE TRUCK TO SKID TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. GOT OUT OF SAID TRUCK AND NOTICED THE REAR OF THE DRIVESHAFT LAYING ON THE GROUND. PUT IT IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE TO GET OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THE REAR WHEELS WERE LOCKED SOLID AND WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET THE TRUCK TO MOVE TO GET OF THE ROAD. THE PINION NUT CAME LOOSE CAUSING THE DRIVESHAFT TO FALL OFF IN TURN THE PINION MOVED IN THE REAR AXEL CAUSING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE INSIDE THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. *TR

THE VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING A WHINING NOISE IN THE REAR DURING DECELERATION, BOTH FROM SIMPLY LETTING OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKING. NOISE BEGAN 50 MILES FROM RESIDENCE, AND PROGRESSIVELY BECAME LOUDER ON THE DRIVE HOME. AT ROUGHLY 17 MILES FROM MY CURRENT RESIDENCE, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD FOLLOWED BY MORE LOUD RUMBLING AND SMOKE FROM DIFFERENTIAL FLUID SLINGING ONTO THE EXHAUST. I TURNED ON TO A SIDE ROAD AND BEGAN COASTING UNTIL REACHING A SAFE LOCATION TO PULL OVER; HOWEVER, BEFORE STOPPING THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL LOCKED UP CAUSING THE TRUCK TO SKID TO A STOP. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE, I COULD SEE THE DRIVE SHAFT HANGING ON THE GROUND, IT'S REAR CONNECTING BOLTS SHEARED, AND THE DIFFERENTIAL YOKE WAS MISSING. I COULD SEE THE PINION SHAFT SLOPPILY RESTING IN THE THE DIFFERENTIAL WHERE THE YOKE SHOULD HAVE BEEN. I PAID TO HAVE IT HAULED TO THE LOCAL DODGE DEALERSHIP, WHO INDICATED THEY "DID NOT HAVE A QUALIFIED REAR END TECHNICIAN", AND SAID I'D "HAVE TO HAVE IT TOWED TO ANOTHER ONE AT MY PERSONAL EXPENSE" 50 MILES AWAY. AFTER CONTACTING CHRYSLER, THEY REIMBURSED MY TOWING EXPENSE, AND TOWED IT TO THE OTHER DEALERSHIP. THE SECOND DEALERSHIP SAID THE RING AND PINION WERE BROKEN, AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE CARRIER. AFTER WAITING ONE MONTH WITHOUT MY TRUCK, I CONTACTED THEM AND WAS TOLD THE PARTS NECESSARY TO FIX THE VEHICLE WERE ON BACKORDER, AND WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR 3 MONTHS. I CALLED CHRYSLER TO EXPEDITE THE PARTS, AND THAT AFTERNOON WAS TOLD THE PARTS HAD ARRIVED, AND WOULD BE FIXED IN 2-3 DAYS. AFTER ONE DAY, I WAS TOLD CHRYSLER OKAYED AFTERMARKET PARTS TO EXPEDITE THE REPAIR, BUT WERE FLAWED PREVENTING CORRECT REPAIR. THEY OFFERED TO LET ME HAVE IT BACK, BUT WARNED ME IT WOULD MAKE MORE NOISE THAN BEFORE. I REQUESTED THAT THEY FIX IT RIGHT OR NOT AT ALL. CHRYSLER THEN INDICATED PARTS WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR 5 MONTHS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, A HUMMING SOUND EMITTED FROM THE POWER TRAIN. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL SEIZED, DESTROYING THE POWER TRAIN. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE DUE TO PART AVAILABILITY. THE CONTACT THEN TRADED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,200.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, BOTH OF THE REAR WHEELS LOCKED. AS A RESULT, THE DRIVE SHAFT BROKE OFF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,200.

I WAS DRIVING VEHICLE AT 55 MPH ALONG UNDIVIDED 2 LANE HIGHWAY. DIFFERENTIAL BEGAN TO MAKE WHINING NOISE AND THEN WITHIN 1-2 MINUTES THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL LOCKED UP AND THE DRIVE SHAFT YOKE BROKE CAUSING THE DRIVE SHAFT TO DROP TO THE GROUND. DUE TO THE SPEED, VEHICLE CONTROL WAS DIFFICULT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP. ONCE STOPPED, DRIVE SHAFT YOKE WAS OBVIOUSLY SNAPPED OFF AND PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE HAD MELTED RUBBER FROM BEING DRAGGED FOR A FEW HUNDRED FEET WHEN DIFFERENTIAL LOCKED UP. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEAL AND AFTER 2 WEEKS DETERMINATION WAS MADE THAT SOMETHING SEIZED IN THE DIFFERENTIAL AND CAUSED INTERNALS TO BE DESTROYED. DEALER HAS NOT MENTIONED CURRENT RECALLS OR INVESTIGATIONS. AS OF NOW, I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT DODGE IS NOT MAKING THE PARTS NEEDED AND THAT A MINIMUM OF 1 MONTH LEAD TIME IS EXPECTED BEFORE PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE. I AM TOLD NO LOANER VEHICLE OR RENTAL CAR WILL BE PROVIDED. *TR

I NOTICED THE VEHICLE MAKING A HUMMING/RUBBING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR END WHEN MOVING 20-35MPH AND COMING TO A STOP. I PARKED THE VEHICLE UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, SO THE TECHNICIAN COULD TEST DRIVE AND LOCATE THE PROBLEM. UPON HIS INITIAL LEAVING HE HEARD NOTHING SO HE PROCEEDED TO PICK UP THE SPEED TO 55MPH TO CHECK FOR VIBRATION IN A NEUTRAL COAST DOWN. UPON REACHING 45MPH THE DRIVE-SHAFT COMPLETELY SNAPPED AND SEPARATED FROM THE REAR END ASSEMBLY, RESULTING IN THE REAR END COMPLETELY LOCKING UP AND SENDING THE TRUCK SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL AND THE DRIVE SHAFT SWINGING VIOLENTLY UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK UNTIL THE TRUCK CAME TO REST IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION WHEN THE TRUCK WAS TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY COMPLETELY UNTHREADED ITSELF FROM THE DRIVESHAFT RESULTING IN A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE REAR END. AS A RESULT IT COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE GEARS AND COMPONENTS WITHIN THE REAR END HOUSING INCLUDING DEEP GASHES INTO THE HOUSING ITSELF RENDERING IT UNSAFE TO RE-BUILD ON. THE DEALERSHIP HAS SINCE ORDERED A WHOLE NEW REAR END ASSEMBLY TO BE PURCHASED AND PLACED ON THE TRUCK AND CURRENTLY WAITING ON PARTS AS I WRITE THIS LETTER. *TR

DRIVING TRUCK AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE. HEARD A LOUD, HIGH PITCHED MOANING/WHINING SOUND. TRUCK LOST POWER, PULLED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD. WALKED AROUND TRUCK TO LOOK FOR CAUSE OF PROBLEM, SAW SMOKE, SMELLED BURNED METAL, SAW OILY SHEEN ON BACK OF TRUCK & ON FENDER. LOOKED UNDER TRUCK, SAW A HOLE WHERE A PLUG SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN REAR DIFFERENTIAL BOX. NOTIFIED DODGE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FOR TOW, CONTACTED DODGE/CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE TO REPORT PROBLEM, ACTIVATE WARRANTY. TRUCK BROUGHT TO DODGE DEALERSHIP WHO DENIED WARRANTY, CLAIMED VANDALISM THE CAUSE OF THE MISSING PLUG, NOT DEFECT. PURSUED THIS WITH DODGE WHO CONTINUED TO DENY FAULT. ONLY SUBMITTING THIS NOW BECAUSE SAW AN ARTICLE ONLINE ABOUT DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE ON DODGE, JEEP PRODUCTS. DUE TO DENIAL OF WARRANTY COVERAGE HAD TO PAY OVER $900 OUT OF POCKET AND SUBMIT CLAIM TO INSURANCE COMPANY. *TR

DRIVING HOME FROM DINNER, STARTED TO HEAR A LOUD WHINNING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR END STARTED TO SLOW DOWN THEN NEXT THING I KNEW I HEARD A LOUD THUMP DRIVE SHAFT FELL OFF AND REAR END LOCKED UP. DEALER REPAIRED IT BUT I AM ALWAYS SCARED IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN AND MAYBE AT HIGHER SPEEDS. IAM STARTING TO NOTICE THIS IS STARTING TO BE A BIG DEAL FOR ALOT OF PEOPLE ALSO. GO ON THE RAMFORUMZ.COM FORUM LOOK UNDER THE 2010 YEAR AND THERE ARE PEOPLE TELLING THERE STORIES. I HOPE NOBODY HAS TO LOOSE A LIFE FOR SOMEONE TO TAKE ACTION. *TR

I HAVE A 1500 DODGE 4X4. WHILE DRIVING HOME (WITH MY THREE KIDS) I PULLED UP TO A STOP SIGN AND NOTICED WHAT FELT LIKE MY BRAKES GRINDING. I ROLLED DOWN MY WINDOW AND IT WAS VERY LOAD. I DROVE ANOTHER 2 MILES MAYBE, PULLED UP TO ANOTHER STOP SIGN ONLY TO HAVE MY DRIVE SHAFT HIT THE PAVEMENT. A FEW MEN SELLING VEGETABLES ON THE CORNER HELPED PUSH IT BACKWARDS OFF THE ROAD. MY HUSBAND LATER WENT TO PICK IT UP WITH ONE OF HIS TRAILERS AND NOTICED THAT IN 4X4 WITH THE DRIVE SHAFT REMOVED IT WAS STILL LOCKED. THE DEALERSHIP HAS HAD IT FOR THREE WEEKS AND FIRST HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE PARTS, THEN SAID THAT THE PARTS WERE ON BACK ORDER, THEN SAID THAT THE HOUSING WAS DELIVERED BUT THE GEARS HAD TO BE INVESTIGATED AND RELEASED BY A REGIONAL MANAGER IN ORDER TO BE ORDERED. WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THAT HAD HAPPENED DOING 75MPH DOWN THE INTERSTATE THAT I WAS HEADING TOWARDS??? I HAVE LOOKED THROUGH FORUMS AND ONLINE AND NOTICED THAT THIS IS NOT TOO FREQUENT BUT STILL COMMON. WHAT TO DO? THREE WEEKS WITHOUT MY VEHICLE, NO END IN SITE ORDERING THE PIECES OF THE REAR END AND STILL NO ANSWER ON IF THE FRONT END OR TRANSMISSION HAVE ISSUES. *TR