NHTSA Investigation EA06004

STEERING WHEEL AND STEERING SHAFT BOLTS

ON MARCH 9, 2006 ODI UPGRADED PRELIMINATRY EVALUATION PE05-056 TO ENGINEERNING ANALYSIS EA06-004 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF LOOSE OR MISSING STEERING SHAFT COUPLING BOLTS AND STEERING COLUMN RETAINING BOLTS IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2004 THROUGH 2006 DODGE DURANGO SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND MY 2005 THROUGH 2006 DODGE DAKOTA PICKUP TRUCKS.EITHER CONDITION COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL.ALTHOUGH ODI IDENTIFIED SOME QUALITY ISSUES IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES FOR THE DAKOTA AND DURANGO VEHICLES, THE DATA DO NOT INDICATE THAT A SAFETY DEFECT TREND IS PRESENT IN EITHER POPULATION.THE FAILURE RATES ARE LOW FOR EACH CONDITION AND TREND ANALYSES INDICATE THAT PROBLEMS WITH THE SUBJECT BOLTS WERE ISOLATED TO A FEW UNITS AFFECTED BY ASSEMBLY ERROR THAT WERE DETECTED EITHER PRE-SALE OR OCCURRED EARLY IN VEHICLE SERVICE.FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES IN THIS MATTER DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR COMPLAINTS AND OTHER INFORMATION RELATING TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUGJECT VEHICLES AND WILL TAKE FURHTER ACTION INTHE THE FUTURE IF WARRANTED.FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.