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2011 DODGE RAM 3500 — POWER TRAIN

fire · 1228605 · 2015-10-14

Vehicle

Make
DODGE
Model
RAM 3500
Year
2011
Manufacturer
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Component
POWER TRAIN
Miles at failure
122,000
Speed
65 mph

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
0
Fire
Yes
Crash
No
Police report
No
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

ON JULY 21, 2015 WHILE DRIVING ON I-40 NEAR NEWPORT TN. THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE THAT CAME FROM MY 2011 DODGE RAM 3500 TRUCK. AFTER THE LOUD NOISE THE TRANSMISSION WAS UNRESPONSIVE AND THERE WERE NO BRAKES AT ALL. MY FRIEND, WHO WAS DRIVING AND HAS CDL, GENTLY PRESSED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND SAFELY PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF I-40. ONCE THE TRUCK CAME TO A STOP A FIRE ERUPTED FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. A TENNESSEE STATE TROOPER SOON ARRIVED AND CALLED FOR THE NEWPORT FIRE DEPT WHO ARRIVED WITHIN A FEW MINUTES TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. AFTER THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT ONE OF THE FIREMEN NOTICED SMOKE IN THE CAB. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION HE FOUND A HOLE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A GOLF BALL IN THE DRIVERS SIDE FLOORBOARD. THAT WAS THE LOUD BANG. THEY ALSO NOTICED A LOT OF METAL HANGING FROM UNDER THE TRUCK AND CONCLUDED THE DRIVE SHAFT HAD FALLEN OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I CALLED AAA AND HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO THE CLOSEST DODGE DEALERSHIP WHICH IS IN NEWPORT. IT WAS 5 WEEKS BEFORE THEY EVEN LOOKED AT THE TRUCK AND THEN THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID IT WAS A MECHANICAL FAILURE LIKE NOTHING HE HAD EVER SEEN. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE DRIVE SHAFT FAILURE CAUSED A CHAIN REACTION OF EVENTS, IN A MATTER OF SECONDS THE FRONT DRIVE AXLES, THE TRANSFER CASE FOR THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE, THE MAIN DRIVE SHAFT, THE TRANSMISSION, AND POSSIBLY THE REAR END WERE DESTROYED. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH CHRYSLER ON AUG 27TH AND THEY HAD AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR LOOK INTO THE MATTER. HIS FINDINGS STATED THAT WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FLEW

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10782106
Machine
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