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Broken rear drive shaft

7K views 26 replies 14 participants last post by  XtreamStealth 
#1 · (Edited)
Please help me!
I have a 2017 Dodge Challenger T/A with less than 15,000 miles on it. I drive out of my garage today heading to work. Made it about 2 blocks and could feel the car shaking really hard, seconds later I heard a loud bang underneath. I saw something fly out from under the car. I tried to pull over and had no control of the car, when it finally came to a stop it continued to roll in park.I called my insurance company and tow truck. Tow truck said drive shaft broke. I had the car towed to the dealership and got a call a few hours later. Dealership said there is some rubber particles in left real wheel well and some wear on the inside of the tire. I’ve never done any burnouts and no one else drives my car. They said they’ll have to submit photos and report to see if repairs will be approved or denied under warranty. Is there anyway to prove I’m not doing burnouts? Is there any other way the drive shaft could have broken?

Updated: Here are the pictures of my tires.
Tire Automotive tire Synthetic rubber Tread Wheel
Tire Automotive tire Wheel Auto part Synthetic rubber
Tire Synthetic rubber Automotive tire Black Tread
Tire Automotive tire Wheel Synthetic rubber Auto part
Tire Automotive tire Synthetic rubber Wheel Tread
Bumper Automotive exterior Automotive tire Auto part
Tire Synthetic rubber Automotive tire Wheel Tread
White Black Dress Black-and-white
Tire Automotive tire Wheel Synthetic rubber Auto part
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Motor vehicle Muscle car
 
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#2 ·
Long shot, did you ever get the piece that shot out from underneath the car? Rubber in the wheel well really isn't a indicator of doing burnouts, it could of been picked up while driving, it would have to be pretty excessive. You're car has a limited slip differential, meaning, if you did a burnout both tires would engage, there should be Rubber also on the other side as well. As far as the tire being worn on the inside, that can also be attributed to an alignmen issue.

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#3 ·
No, I didn’t get whatever it was that broke off and shot out from under the car. When the tow truck was pulling my car onto the flat bed. I big round silver piece fell out from under the car. Tow truck driver said it was a piece of the drive shaft. He took it with him and gave it to the dealership.
 
#4 ·
This is not the first time I've heard about a Challenger snapping a driveshaft. I believe the issue is the bearings, plus the fact that they are balanced to something like 4000 RPM. Get a high-speed balanced 1 piece driveshaft. You will love it!

 
#12 ·
This is not the first time I've heard about a Challenger snapping a driveshaft. I believe the issue is the bearings, plus the fact that they are balanced to something like 4000 RPM. Get a high-speed balanced 1 piece driveshaft. You will love it!

Sounds like one crappy dealer, how did you pick them? Is this who you bought the car from? Did you have any other work done there? I'd be over there in two seconds so they can show me this rubber and that I can take my own pictures. This is serious, if they black flag that car, youre not getting it fixed anywhere.


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It’s not the dealership that I bought the car from. But I have it serviced there. I actually just had it serviced 3 weeks ago. Oil change and tire rotation. I did go there and take my own pictures and spoke with the service guy. The amount of rubber in the wheel well is very little mostly on the back side and the wear to the tire is on the inside of the tire. They told me they’d call me back today. But they wouldn’t even give me a loaner or rental vehicle.

Any teenagers drive the car? If doing burnouts I would be surprised the driveshaft broke, these cars are stout. i think I would chalk it up to a defective part or poorly assembled.
No, no one drives the car but me. My kids are 12 and 8.
 
#6 ·
Any teenagers drive the car? If doing burnouts I would be surprised the driveshaft broke, these cars are stout. i think I would chalk it up to a defective part or poorly assembled.
 
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#7 ·
Perhaps DodgeCares can assist you in dealing with this? Send them a PM (Conversation) with your VIN# and details where the dealer is, etc.

Make DodgeCares the recipient


A Guy
 
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#14 ·
Thanks! They are supposed to give me a call today and let me know if they will repair under warranty or not. Wish me luck! If not I will definitely send a message to DodgeCares!

When you had your car serviced 3 weeks ago and rotated your tires did the dealer report any unusual inside tire wear to you? I'm guessing not, which might tend to negate their claims about you doing burnouts, etc. Just a thought.
No, they never said anything to me about any wear on my tires or burned rubber inside of the wheel well.

No, they never said anything to me about any wear on my tires or burned rubber inside of the wheel well.
All of the other tires show no sign of wear and the right wheel well has no sign of burned rubber.
 
#8 ·
Dealership will say anything to get out of a warranty. I would have said "Show me the rubber you're mentioning".

I have a warranty on my car. I have a 1320 edition which comes with drag spec tires, line lock, trans brake, and launch control.... made for drag racing.... I have rubber thrown on the inside of the fender wheels...lol I have wondered if I'm at the drag strip and break a rear driveshaft/axle.... is that going to void my warranty? Of course I would have to say it broke on the way to work..lol Will they replace it no questions asked since the car is made for drag racing? Why would they warranty a drag strip equipped car....LOL
 
#9 ·
Something similar to this happened to me when I first got my 13 M6 challenger. Except mine broke at 70 mph. I got it towed back to the dealership and the fixed it under warranty no questions asked. It did take a little time though. Hopefully you have the same luck.


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#10 ·
Sounds like one crappy dealer, how did you pick them? Is this who you bought the car from? Did you have any other work done there? I'd be over there in two seconds so they can show me this rubber and that I can take my own pictures. This is serious, if they black flag that car, youre not getting it fixed anywhere.


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#11 ·
If you decide to go with a high performance aftermarket driveshaft, it will most certainly void the warranty. Unless you purchased the car used; Dodge does not extend the warranty to second owners. If that's the case here, I'd go with the aftermarket shaft.
 
#13 ·
It’s not the dealership that I bought the car from. But I have it serviced there. I actually just had it serviced 3 weeks ago. Oil change and tire rotation. I did go there and take my own pictures and spoke with the service guy. The amount of rubber in the wheel well is very little mostly on the back side and the wear to the tire is on the inside of the tire. They told me they’d call me back today. But they wouldn’t even give me a loaner or rental vehicle.
When you had your car serviced 3 weeks ago and rotated your tires did the dealer report any unusual inside tire wear to you? I'm guessing not, which might tend to negate their claims about you doing burnouts, etc. Just a thought.
 
#15 ·
@LadyTruckDriver
If you'd like, we can connect you with a case specialist for additional assistance while your vehicle is in for repair.

Feel free to follow up with us privately.

Lamar
DodgeCares
 
#19 ·
A dealer doesn't need warranty authorization to replace a propshaft so we're not getting the whole story/all the info here. PTSC only requires photos/claims for (some) engines & transmissions.

Are you sure there isn't more damage/other problems going on here?
 
#21 ·
A dealer doesn't need warranty authorization to replace a propshaft so we're not getting the whole story/all the info here. PTSC only requires photos/claims for (some) engines & transmissions.

Are you sure there isn't more damage/other problems going on here?
There is no damage at all to my car. My car is practically new 14,8** miles. Service man said he would have to send report and pictures because of some rubber in left rear well and some wear to the left tire. Assuming I’ve been doing burnouts or at least trying..... I don’t know how and have never tried. I’m a commercial licensed truck driver. I wouldn’t jeopardize my license and source of income to do a few donuts. Either way..... warranty said they will cover the repairs. So now I just have to wait....

I just felt like it was a little unfair to assume everyone with a performance car is driving crazy! I’ve never been in a situation with a warranty or dealership where I felt like I was going to have to prove I wasn’t doing what they assumed I was. The pictures of my tires and wheel well included yesterday.
 
#24 ·
Thanks guys! The warranty department finally responded and they will cover the repairs. Special thanks to Sweet Orange Hemi, dodgeboy90501 and JayH58. I literally quoted some of your responses and I’m pretty sure that made a difference in arguing that what they were concerned about wasn’t consistent with me doing burnouts.
 
#25 ·
So last June I bought a Phantom Black 2015 Challenger R/T Plus Black Top Edition from my local dealership. We already had a Black 2015 SXT we got from the same dealer and 30 days ago we bought yet another car from them. A Hellraisin 2020 SXT. That's three cars from the same dealership in five years. We almost didn't buy the R/T because of a very snaky move the head of the service department pulled on us. We where told that the person in question had been fired. It was the only time we'd been to the service department but what happened was just wrong. About my R/T, I wasn't looking to buy another 5 year old car but the guy on the phone pushed so we went and took a look. The original owner ordered the car with a lot of cool stuff. The rotating assembly was lightr and stronger than stock. I has black and white seats that had air blowing through them. The owner bought it a parked it, driving it as little as every other month. The cal had 14,000 miles on it. I got a good deal and I have to say I love this car. So about five weeks back my wife used my car to take my grandson home. When she got back she said the car was making a strang sound. I took it for a drive and it seemed to be one of the roters. I stopped at our local Trany shop. The owner is a good frend of mine. He drove it, then put it up on a lift. It looked ok untill I put my hand on the drive shaft and pushed. The cairyer bearing had failed. The car only has 26,000 miles on it. I called the dealership and it was a week before I could be seen. The service guy Ty called me the next day and said it was covered but after a day of looking he finley found a drive shaft out of state and that if would take five days to get it. Five days come and go, no car. I called Ty and he said they can't find the new shaft. A nother week goes by and now he says the shipper says there was a catistofic insedent. WTF so when to I get my car back? He gave us a voucher for a rental but that company had no cars. Finely a week later they give us a Buick. yeeew, Still no car and no calls. except for the first call this service person has never call me with an update. I spoke to two other dealership and they said something doesn't sound right because they would have no trouble getting a drive shaft. So what do I do? I could really use my car back. Anyone have an idea?
 
#27 ·
Thanks, I will do just that tomorrow morning. I think I will check and see about the shipper. If it's FedEx then the frase the service rep said to my wife is something FedEx uses. It's code for "the item is in a Rail Car sitting at the Tracy FedEx yard awaiting unloading. It also means that it could be there for months. If that's the case, well an email to the president of FedEx will see that shaft at the dealer within 24 hrs. It really works, last time I was waiting on a Fanatec setup and FedEx was dicking me around I took a chance and email their CEO. The next day my phone was blowing up. He put the Vic Pres on it and she ripped some a*)^)( I will also ask to see the car, just to be sure they haven't screwed something up. Thanks for your help
 
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