The problem
Affinia is recalling 5,700 aftermarket chassis tie rod assemblies manufactured from march 28, 2006 through march 17, 2008, sold for use on my 1998 and 1999 dodge ram 2500 and 3500 heavy duty trucks. The dust seal supplied with the chassis tie rods were manufactured to the wrong specification. As a consequence, the dust seal may prevent the ball stud of the chassis tie rod from properly seating into the taper of the vehicle steering knuckle during aftermarket installation.
The risk
If this condition remains undetected, the bolt can eventually unseat completely, causing the affected wheel to disengage from the steering mechanism, possibly resulting in a crash.
The fix
Affinia will notify owners and replace the affected chassis tie rod assemblies free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during april 2008. Owners may contact affinia at 734-827-5400.
Contacts
This recall only pertains to aftermarket brake parts chassis tie rods and has no relation to any original equipment installed on dodge ram trucks manufactured by chrysler, llc. Customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.Safercar.Gov.
What to do
- Check your VIN. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls - it shows whether this recall applies to your vehicle and whether the repair has been done.
- Call a dealer. Any authorized Dodge dealer will do the repair free, whether or not you bought the vehicle there. Quote campaign 08E027000.
- Ask about parts and a loaner. If parts aren't available yet, ask what to do in the meantime.
- Keep your paperwork. If you paid for this repair before the recall, you may be able to get reimbursed - here's how.