Ram Truck “Wheel Separation” Problems May Impact A Half Million Vehicles
More than 500,000 Ram trucks are being recalled, due to problems with instructions that may cause owners to “over-torque” the rear wheel lug nuts, potentially causing the truck wheels to separate during operation, increasing the risk of an accident.
The Ram truck recall was announced by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on June 1, impacting vehicles equipped with Service and Owner’s Manuals that provide incorrect lug nut torque specifications.
Over-torqueing the flanged lug nuts may cause the wheel stud to yield and eventually break during vehicle operation, which may result in wheel separation for certain Ram trucks.
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Learn MoreThe recall impacts 2012 through 2021 model year RAM 3500 Heavy Duty Trucks, 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Cab Chassis, and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles, which were manufactured by Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) from April 2011 through May 2021, and distributed to licensed dealers nationwide.
Approximately 446,643 vehicles with the incorrect owner instructions were distributed throughout the U.S., while another 31,000 were shipped to Canada and another 32,365 were distributed to Mexico.
FCA US indicates that the problems were first identified on August 18, 2020, after several reports were received involving Ram truck wheel studs breaking. The auto maker opened an investigation, and determined that at least 128 customer assistance records have described similar problems, as well as 116 warranty claims and 184 field reports that may be related to this issue.
The manufacturer’s engineering division continued to collect field parts and investigate the root cause of the stud failure, which ultimately determined the M14 studs and flanged lug nuts torque specification listed in the Service and Owner’s Manual information was incorrect.
FCA US announced they will begin notifying owners of the recall on July 16, with instructions on how to schedule a free inspection and replacement owner’s manual along with other published service documents updating the torque specification. Dealers are also being instructed to inspect the vehicle’s wheel studs, and replace them free of charge if necessary.
Customers with additional questions or concerns regarding the recall are encouraged to contact t FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403 and reference the recall numbers Y26 and Y36.
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9 Comments
CharlesDecember 7, 2023 at 9:21 pm
I had the wheel studs shear twice. First one was going 15 mph so not really any damage except the truck was down for 3 weeks for lig nut shortage. My truck makes 4,000a week at min . Lose that I ate and not Dodge. 2nd failure was at 70mph and front drive tire came off sending the bucket truck into a concrete barrier. The impact was so hard, it pulled the bucket out of it's saddle t0 make the bucke[Show More]I had the wheel studs shear twice. First one was going 15 mph so not really any damage except the truck was down for 3 weeks for lig nut shortage. My truck makes 4,000a week at min . Lose that I ate and not Dodge. 2nd failure was at 70mph and front drive tire came off sending the bucket truck into a concrete barrier. The impact was so hard, it pulled the bucket out of it's saddle t0 make the bucket useless. I ate 125,000 on lost wages . Truck sits today without wheel being repaired with a refusal by dodge and s letter from Stella this that it was my fault for equipment failure. I even got a ticket for defective equipment.
RyanApril 11, 2023 at 6:50 pm
Same issue here. Delear would only replace 3 studs that were showing wear. A few months later, the rear wheels on the drivers side came completely off while my employee was pulling a gooseneck with a skidsteer loaded on it. Dealer refuses to cover the second repair because the original warranty was already closed. We are looking for an attorney to pursue this as the towing charges and repair a[Show More]Same issue here. Delear would only replace 3 studs that were showing wear. A few months later, the rear wheels on the drivers side came completely off while my employee was pulling a gooseneck with a skidsteer loaded on it. Dealer refuses to cover the second repair because the original warranty was already closed. We are looking for an attorney to pursue this as the towing charges and repair are $6K. We have purchased 15 trucks form this dealer, very disappointing.
CarlOctober 23, 2022 at 2:42 pm
Dealer checked wheel studs said I had no issues . I’m literally missing 3 studs on rear. My front wheel already came off putting truck in ditch . I ended up replacing front wheel hub assembly. Can’t figure how dealer can say no issues if the dang studs ar breaking with each tire rotation and while driving.
KarenAugust 1, 2022 at 7:33 pm
I had my Ram 3500 in for the recall and they said it was fine. A week later the front driver’s side tire almost fell off. I at least had enough warning that something was wrong to stop at a garage.
TimJuly 20, 2022 at 10:15 am
I experienced complete lug stud failure on July 10, 2022 while pulling a gooseneck trailer with my 2016 Ram 3500. The drivers side wheel completely fell off with no warning and flung into the woods at 58 mph on a 2 lane highway. All 8 studs were broken with no warning at all on the drivers side Thankfully I made it to the side of the road but needed a tow for both the trailer and Ram. A very sc[Show More]I experienced complete lug stud failure on July 10, 2022 while pulling a gooseneck trailer with my 2016 Ram 3500. The drivers side wheel completely fell off with no warning and flung into the woods at 58 mph on a 2 lane highway. All 8 studs were broken with no warning at all on the drivers side Thankfully I made it to the side of the road but needed a tow for both the trailer and Ram. A very scary experience.
GaryMay 15, 2022 at 12:21 pm
Was pulling a 27' travel trailer on May 4,2022. Just passed two semis and got back into right lane when felt a boom n shudder pulled over safely without going over ditch or getting hit by semi. Got out and looked and found 6 of the 8 wheel studs sheared off causing me to lose both of my dually tires wheels etc from the passenger side. January 20,2022 it was in a certified Ram dealership shop in [Show More]Was pulling a 27' travel trailer on May 4,2022. Just passed two semis and got back into right lane when felt a boom n shudder pulled over safely without going over ditch or getting hit by semi. Got out and looked and found 6 of the 8 wheel studs sheared off causing me to lose both of my dually tires wheels etc from the passenger side. January 20,2022 it was in a certified Ram dealership shop in California for wheel stud recall and "passed".
LukeFebruary 22, 2022 at 4:47 pm
On 2 separate occasions I have seen wheel stud failure on my 2017 dodge 5500. The first being before the recall when 7 of 8 studs snapped, tge second was after the truck was check for tge recall by the local dealer and certified to be within spec. All 8 wheel studs snapped sending the truck down the highway with n9 rear duals on the drivers side. Both of these failures happened on the drivers s[Show More]On 2 separate occasions I have seen wheel stud failure on my 2017 dodge 5500. The first being before the recall when 7 of 8 studs snapped, tge second was after the truck was check for tge recall by the local dealer and certified to be within spec. All 8 wheel studs snapped sending the truck down the highway with n9 rear duals on the drivers side. Both of these failures happened on the drivers side.
KellieSeptember 20, 2021 at 8:11 pm
My husband experienced a wheel stud failure on his 2019 Ram 3500 while pulling a load on his 40 foot trailer. During this event both tires on his rear driver side completely broke off and the tires went flying. Thank goodness no one was hurt. Really disappointed!
TimAugust 2, 2021 at 3:39 am
On 7/29/2021 i experienced a wheel stud failure on my 2012 Ram 3500 while pulling a 28’ gooseneck trailer. 6 out to 8 studs broke off with the front wheel nearly falling off the vehicle. I was able to get the vehicle stopped narrowly avoiding a very serious accident.