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2015 DODGE DART — SUSPENSION

crash · 1404986 · 2017-08-31

Vehicle

Make
DODGE
Model
DART
Year
2015
Manufacturer
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Component
SUSPENSION
Miles at failure
54,225
Speed
10 mph

Severity

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

Narrative

ON MARCH 31, 2017, I HIT A CURB WITH THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE OF MY VEHICLE DAMAGING PARTS OF THE SUSPENSION, INCLUDING THE CONTROL ARM, AS WELL AS THE BODY. AT THE TIME, I ASSUMED THAT WHEN I HIT THE CURB, MY WHEEL WAS TURNED, WHICH CAUSED THE DAMAGE TO THE SUSPENSION. CAR WAS REPAIRED. AT TIMES THE VEHICLE WOULD MAKE A CLUNKING NOISE WHILE TURNING LEFT OR WHEN ACCELERATING. ALSO AT TIMES, AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE. ON AUGUST 17, 2017, I WAS STOPPED TO YIELD FOR A VEHICLE CROSSING A ONE LANE BRIDGE. THIS BRIDGE WAS FLAT AND SMOOTH, WITH A CURVE AROUND TO THE LEFT IN MY DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. I STARTED MOVING TO GO OVER THE BRIDGE AND WAS TRAVELING BETWEEN 5-10 M.P.H., AS I APPROACHED THE LEFT CURVE, I STARTED TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL SLIGHTLY LEFT IN ANTICIPATION OF THE CURVE. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME NON RESPONSIVE AND I WAS UNABLE TO STEER MY VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE KEPT GOING LEFT, CAUSING ME TO IMPACT A CURB AND GUARD RAIL, AGAIN ON THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT. THE BODY SHOP SAID I HAD TO HAVE HIT SOMETHING TO SNAP THE BRAND NEW CONTROL ARM. I HIT NOTHING PRIOR TO IMPACT WITH THE CURB AND GUARD RAIL. THERE IS MINIMAL BODY DAMAGE BUT THE CONTROL ARM IS SNAPPED. I AM WONDERING IF THERE IS SOME TYPE OF POSSIBLE DEFECT WITH THE CONTROL ARM THAT WOULD CAUSE IT TO FRACTURE AND SNAP, LEADING TO MY LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND COLLISION. I HAVE READ WHERE DEFECTIVE CONTROL ARMS HAVE BEEN NOTED ON OTHER DODGE VEHICLES.

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
11020967
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown