Ram recently announced a voluntary recall for more than 10,000 units of its 2018-2019 Ram 1500 light-duty pickup trucks due to fracturing driveshafts. The driveshaft is responsible for transferring power from the engine to the wheels, without which driving would not be possible.
Affected vehicles carry build dates between March 16, 2018 and April 20,2018, while those not included in the recall either have different part numbers for their respective driveshafts or were built outside the window of suspected defects.
To be exact, the defective part is the rear driveshaft of the truck. According to documents filed by the automaker with the federal government, there is an incomplete weld between the rear driveshaft tube and the tube yoke, which could cause the weld to crack and fracture the driveshaft.
If the driveshaft gets fractured, it could possibly hit the ground while driving and cause the loss of motive force, eventually causing the road debris due to the dragging shaft.
Ram said that noise or vibrations might preview the weld’s failure.
The problem was discovered through an investigation launched by the brand based on six warranty claims of broken driveshafts, realizing that the trucks undergoing claims were all built within a month of one another. Analysis of the broken bits of the pointed to the insufficient weld on the driveshaft.
Ram clarified it is unaware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue, but has since announced a fix on the problem.
The company’s technicians will replace the rear driveshaft with one that has a “complete weld fusion”. As with other recalls, Ram 1500 owners who paid for repairs out of their pockets will be reimbursed. Owners can expect recall notifications starting mid-June.
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