Chrysler Recalls Trucks Due to Rear Axle Pinion Nut Loosening Risk
Chrysler is recalling specific 2009-2012 Ram 1500, Dodge Dakota, Durango, and Chrysler Aspen trucks because the rear axle pinion nut may loosen, potentially causing a loss of vehicle control.
What this means for you
Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.
Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect (rear axle pinion nut) that can cause a loss of vehicle control and a crash, meeting the criteria for a Severe rating.
Plain-English summary
Chrysler Group LLC is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ram 1500 trucks, model year 2009-2011 Dodge Dakota trucks, model year 2009 Chrysler Aspen trucks, and model year 2009 Dodge Durango trucks. This campaign is an expansion of a previous recall campaign (12V-474). The affected vehicles were manufactured between specific dates in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011, as detailed in the official notice.
The defect involves the rear axle pinion nut, which may loosen due to an undersized pinion spline. This condition can allow relative motion between the nut and the companion flange. If the rear axle pinion nut loosens, the axle can lock up, causing a loss of vehicle control and/or a vehicle crash with little warning.
Owners should contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753 or visit a dealer for a free repair. Under a consent order with NHTSA, owners were offered three options: perform the original remedy (installing a pinion nut retainer), have the vehicle repurchased at fair market value plus 10%, or receive an additional incentive toward the purchase of a new Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, or Fiat vehicle. Owners were notified of these options via letter expected to be mailed on August 31, 2015.
The recalled product
- Product
- DODGE, CHRYSLER DAKOTA, RAM 1500, DURANGO, ASPEN
- Brand
- DODGE
- Manufacturer
- Chrysler Group LLC
- Category
- Vehicle — Truck
- Hazard
- Affected units
- 278,674
Is your product affected?
Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.
Model numbers (4)
- DAKOTA
- RAM 1500
- DURANGO
- ASPEN
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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