Drive a Dodge Ram in Texas? Make Sure Your Wheels Don't Fall Off

Don't you just hate when this happens? You're driving along, blissfully enjoying a beautiful Texas day, when you suddenly feel a thud and start to lose control of your truck.

Crap. You know you have a flat tire. So you get out and investigate, only to find that your tire is not flat.

It's GONE.

Yep, flew off in the wind. History. It's now part of the West Texas landscape. That's the reality that some Dodge Ram owners are facing.

Photo by Nezar Bani Nasur on Unsplash

On Friday, Fiat Chrysler, which builds Dodge Ram, announced a recall which effects certain 2012 through 2021 Dodge Ram 3500 Heavy-Duty pickups, and Ram 4500 and 5500 cab-chassis vehicles, mainly in North America. The trucks have dual rear wheels and flanged lug nuts.

According to the manufacturer, the owners manuals had the wrong torque specifications listed, which could lead to overtightening lug nuts, resulting in damage to the wheel studs and causing the wheels to fly off.

Imagine that nightmare at 75 miles per hour. Or this sucker flying at your head?

Photo by Dusty Barnes on Unsplash

Picture it. You're cruising along the South Loop when the truck ahead of you suddenly launches a very heavy tire right at your windshield. In that instance, your only thought is whether or not you've had a good life and left enough for your kids.

The company says that the wheels were tightened correctly at the factory, so this only impacts trucks that have had wheel service done after the fact. Owners of the impacted Dodge Rams will be notified within the next 8 weeks if they need to bring their trucks in for inspection, and say that they will replace the manuals and the wheel studs if necessary.

In the mean time, do whatever you can to keep your tires on your big ass ride. No one needs their day ruined by black, rubbery death from above. Or just buy one of these.

via GIPHY

LOOK: See the iconic cars that debuted the year you were born

LOOK: What are the odds that these 50 totally random events will happen to you?

Stacker took the guesswork out of 50 random events to determine just how likely they are to actually happen. They sourced their information from government statistics, scientific articles, and other primary documents. Keep reading to find out why expectant parents shouldn't count on due dates -- and why you should be more worried about dying on your birthday than living to 100 years old.