Dodge and Ram preliminary evaluation PE11009
Outer Tie Rod Failure. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the tie rod assembly on 10 model years (2008–2011). Opened Apr 4, 2011, closed Feb 6, 2012 after 10 months. It led to safety recall 11V350000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedODI received complaints regarding failing tie rod ball studs on Model Year 2008-2011 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 vehicles resulting in loss of steering control. Chrysler concluded that misalignment of the left (driver side) ball stud on vehicles built with the Cross Car steering linkage system could allow contact between the bull stud and the ball housing which could weaken the stud and result in fracture. Chrysler submitted a recall notice on August 15, 2011 involving certain MY 2003-2011 Ram 2500 and Ram 3500 pickup trucks built or repaired with the Cross Car steering linkage. Chrysler will inspect, repair or realign the front end of the subject vehicles as needed. Chrysler's announcement of a safety recall on this matter addresses ODI's concerns. The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers:10332525, 10357937, 10366591, 10303744, 10377166, 10373240, 10343969, 10375403, 10324831, 10373546, 10370771.
A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage: NHTSA has decided the complaints and other information it screened are worth a closer look, and asks the manufacturer for its own data on the condition. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one became a recall. The campaign page carries the manufacturer’s filed defect, risk and remedy, the build window and every model year covered; whether one specific vehicle is included is settled by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 2008 Dodge RAM; 2009 Dodge RAM; 2010 Dodge RAM; 2011 Dodge RAM; 2008 Dodge RAM 2500; 2009 Dodge RAM 2500; 2008 Dodge RAM 3500; 2009 Dodge RAM 3500; 2010 Ram 2500; 2010 Ram 3500.
A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs PE11009 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 11V350000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is PE11009 still open?
No. It closed on Feb 6, 2012 and led to recall 11V350000.
Which vehicles does PE11009 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 10 model years: 2008 Dodge RAM, 2009 Dodge RAM, 2010 Dodge RAM, 2011 Dodge RAM, 2008 Dodge RAM 2500, 2009 Dodge RAM 2500 and more. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.