Chrysler Group is conducting a worldwide recall of almost 288,000 Dodge Ram pickup trucks which shall begin on Feb. 13. Among those trucks that are covered by the recall include over 21,000 which are registered in Canada, 8,802 in Mexico and 408 outside of North America. In the U.S., the recall will affect more than 250,000 Dodge Ram 1500 pickups with the model year of 2005.
The need to recall the vehicles is caused by an issue on its rear axle pinion nut which has the tendency to loosen thereby increasing the threat of a crash. The findings have been filed at the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The safety agency said that several reports reveal that the vehicles showed little or no warning sounds prior to a lock-up and separation. The latter had occurred on seven incidents wherein the vehicle speed was recorded to be at 50 mph or greater. There were also two incidents saying that the truck's rear axle lockup had caused the vehicle to turn itself in a spin. So far, the most recent complaint had been filed on May 16.
The NHTSA began their investigation in June which involved 260,000 Dodge Ram pickup trucks that had issues of a failed rear axle. At least 15 cases on seizing and detaching rear axles had been reported to the agency.
"I lost immediate control of the vehicle," recalled one driver who said that he and his two children "almost died" while they were in a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500. "I fought to regain control of my truck, just missing being rear ended and broad sided by several vehicles."
The driver was traveling at around 70 miles an hour when he suddenly heard a loud bang. The sound came from the rear pinion nut which came loose. This caused the rear end to be locked up and the drive shaft to be thrown off the vehicle without any warning. The driver noted that the incident happened in the midst of heavy traffic.
In February 2013, similar problems had prompted Chrysler to recall 370,297 vehicles. These include the Ram 1500 pickup trucks which had the model years of 2009 until 2011.
Vehicle owners affected by the recall should go to their nearest local dealer for a free installation of a retention feature to the pinion nut. The free service could at least save them from the vehicle's costly repair which can reach up to $4,500 based on the experience of the driver's case that was mentioned earlier.
