2013 RAM 3500 Power Train Problems

The contact owns a 2013 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V821000 (Power Train). The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the vehicle was inspected and repaired. Years later, the contact stated that upon shifting the gear lever to DRIVE, the shifter moved to LOW and remained stuck in the LOW gear. After multiple attempts, the contact was able to shift the vehicle into PARK; however, the transmission remained in NEUTRAL. The contact was forced to keep his foot on the brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from moving forward. The contact was eventually able to correct the failure; however, no warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed him that the vehicle was no longer under the recall. The vehicle had was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Mileage: 50,000

MY SHIFT LEVER ON THE STEERING COLUMN WILL OFTEN NOT SHIFT ALL THE WAY BACK IN TO PARK WHEN TRYING TO PLACE THE VEHICLE IN PARK. OFTEN THE LEVER GETS HUNG UP BETWEEN REVERSE AND PARK. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE VEHICLE'S PRND INDICATOR ON THE CONTROL PANEL WILL TURN A YELLOW COLOR INSTEAD OF THE NORMAL WHITE COLOR. ALSO, THE SHIFT LEVER WILL BECOME STUCK AND MUST BE FORCIBLY TAKEN BACK INTO GEAR TO TRY TO SHIFT AGAIN BACK INTO PARK. THE LEVER ACTS AS IF IT HAS FOUND A 'NEW' SLOT BETWEEN PARK AND REVERSE. ALSO, WHEN THIS YELLOW COLOR SHOWS ON MY PRND INDICATOR, IF I AM NEGLIGENT IN NOT GETTING THE VEHICLE FULLY BACK INTO PARK, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THIS VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER REPAIR SHOP BECAUSE I COULD NOT GET THE SHIFT LEVER OUT OF THE SPOT IT WAS STUCK IN BETWEEN PARK AND REVERSE. THIS REPRESENTS A PROBLEM IN THAT I BELIEVE THE TRUCK IS RECOGNIZING THAT IT IS NEITHER IN PARK OR REVERSE SO THAT IT MAY BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN THE TRUCK IS PARKED. WITHOUT THE USE OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IT MAY ROLL OFF. THIS INCIDENT HAS SO FAR ONLY HAPPENED WHEN I STOP TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK AND ATTEMPT TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF BUT WHEN I RETURN TO START THE VEHICLE, THE CONTROL PANEL EMITS THE SAME YELLOW COLORING FOR PRND INDICATOR AND WILL REFUSE TO START UNTIL THE SHIFT LEVER IS FORCED OUT OF THE SPACE IT HAS FOUND BETWEEN PARK AND REVERSE. I HAVEN'T YET TAKEN ANY PHOTOS, VIDEO OR BEEN ABLE TO GET THE DEALERSHIP REPAIR PERSONS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE. THE ONLY THING THE DEALERSHIP DID TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM IS TALK ME INTO PURCHASING A NEW KEY FOB. *DT *DT *DT *DT *TR*JB *DT *DT THE CONSUMER STATED BTSI AND SHIFTER CABLE WAS REPLACED ON SEPTEMBER 13. *TR*DT*DT*JB

Mileage: 75,000

MY RAM TRUCK WENT INTO A MALFUNCTION AND LIMITED THE SPEED TO 5 MILES PER HOUR CAUSING A MAJOR HIGHWAY SAFETY ISSUE. THE TRUCK PUT ALL PASSENGERS AND OPERATORS IN DANGER. THE DEF SYSTEM IN THIS VEHICLE CAN ONLY BE RESET BY A RAM DEALER WHICH CAUSES OTHER ISSUES BESIDES EXTREME DANGERS DRIVING CONDITIONS.

Mileage: 100,000

JULY 17, 2015 - WHILE STATIONARY, I STARTED TRUCK ONLY TO HAVE ALL WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH ILLUMINATE, WIPERS ACTIVATE ON THEIR OWN, AND RADIO UNIT POWER OFF. EVENTUALLY, ALL POWER WAS LOST TO THE DASH. TRUCK WAS TOWED TO DEALER FOR REPAIR. TRUCK RECEIVED NEW PCM AND WAS RETURNED TO ME. JULY 17, 2015 - LATER THAT EVENING, THE TRUCK WAS TOWED BACK TO DEALER FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. TRUCK WAS IN THE SERVICE CENTER FOR TWO MONTHS RECEIVING A NEW WIRING HARNESS AND NEW COMPUTERS. SEPTEMBER 16, 2015 - TRUCK RETURNED TO ME. OCTOBER 13, 2015 - WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET THE TRUCK EXHIBITED THE SAME PROBLEM. MOMENTARILY LOST ENGINE POWER AND TRANSMISSION FUNCTIONALITY. LOST ALL POWER TO DASH INCLUDING TRAILER BRAKES. THE TRUCK SAT IDLING FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR WHILE WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK. I HAVE RECORDED VIDEO OF THE DASH CONTINUING TO FLICKER AND POWER UP AND DOWN ERRATICALLY. OCTOBER 16, 2015 - TRUCK STILL AT SERVICE CENTER AWAITING DIAGNOSIS AND PARTS.

Mileage: 40,000

I WAS ON PA TURNPIKE ATTEMPING TO MERGE FROM A SERVICE PLAZA, WHEN AN OPENING IN TRAFFIC WAS AVAILABLE I APPLIED POWER TO MERGE INTO LINE . AS I DID THIS MY TRUCK DID NOT RESPOND !! I WAS PULLING A 36' FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER AT THE TIME AND MY MERGE INTO TRAFFIC BECAME VERY PERILIOUS! AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE A VERY LONG DELAY ( AND SOME BRAKING BY OTHER MOTORISTS ) MY VEHICLE FINALLY STARTED TO ACCELERATE. ONCE THE MOTOR RESPONDED I HAD PLENTY OF POWER TO ACHIVE SPEED WITH TRAFFIC . I HAVE TOLD DEALER ABOUT DEAD PEDAL AND WAS TOLD " NEVER HEARD OF IT " THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME MORE THAT ONCE! *JS

Mileage: 8,000

I EXPERIENCED A SEVERE CASE OF THE DODGE "DEATH WOBBLE." THIS IS THE FIFTH TIME IN TWO MONTHS AND THIS WAS THE WORST YET. I WAS DRIVING ON A STATE HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 60. THE LEFT FROM TIRE HIT A SMALL BUMP - MAYBE AN INCH DEEP. THE TRUCK BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY AND WAS NOT CONTROLLABLE. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES TO STOP THE SHAKING BUT IT KEEP SHAKING VIOLENTLY AS LONG AS IT WAS MOVING. I FINALLY SLID OFF THE ROAD SIDEWAYS AND ENDED UP ON THE SHOULDER. FORTUNATELY IT WAS A GENTLE SHOULDER. IF IT HAD BEEN STEEP I COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN KILLED. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO A DEALER AFTER THE LAST TIME IT DID THIS AND HE SAID NOTHING CAN BE DONE. THAT IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE ANSWER AS THIS IS A DEATH TRAP. *TR

Mileage: 13,500

RANDOMLY, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO AVOID HAZARDS AND/OR COLLISIONS AND WHILE MERGING ONTO MOTORWAY, GAS PEDAL BECOMES UNRESPONSIVE FOR UP TO 5 SECONDS. THIS USUALLY HAPPENS FROM A DEAD STOP; HOWEVER, HAS OCCURRED WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ALSO. *TR

Mileage: 750

"DEAD PEDAL" STARTED OUT FROM A STOP LIGHT AND WAS STARTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN WITH A 8000 POUND TRAILER GOT TO ABOUT 5 MPH SOMEONE PULLED OUT AND WANTED TO COME STRAIGHT THREW THE LIGHT FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION I WAS GOING ! I LET OFF THE THROTTLE THEN DECIDED I HAD ENOUGH ROOM TO MAKE IT AND WHEN I GOT BACK ON THE THROTTLE IT WAS LIKE I DIDN'T PUSH THE THROTTLE. THE TRUCK JUST SAT THERE FOR 1 OR 2 SECONDS TILL IT STARTED TO MOVE ! THIS HAS HAPPENED QUITE A FEW TIMES SINCE ! DOES NOT MATTER IF THE TRUCK IS LOADED OR EMPTY ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS START ON THE THROTTLE LET OFF OF IT AND GET BACK ON THE THROTTLE AND IT DIES FOR A FEW SECONDS !! *TR

Mileage: 1,500

THE TRUCK HAS WHAT I DESCRIBE AS A "DEAD PEDAL". I WAS MERGING INTO TRAFFIC AND LET OFF THE THROTTLE IN AN EVASIVE MANEUVER, BUT REALIZED I NEED TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY TO AVOID BEING HIT. I PUSHED TO ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR, AND THERE WAS A 2-3 SECOND DELAY BEFORE THE ENGINE BEGAN ACCELERATING. I AVOIDED BEING HIT ONLY DUE TO EVASIVE STEERING. THIS SITUATION IS VERY DANGEROUS. I HAVE VERIFIED THIS CONDITION IN A CONTROLLED SITUATION, AND CAN REPLICATE THE PROBLEM EACH AND EVERY TIME. *TR

Mileage: 3,000

THE GAS PEDAL IS OCCASIONALLY UNRESPONSIVE, AND WILL NOT MAKE THE TRUCK ACCELERATE LIKE IT SHOULD. IT CAUSES A DEFINITE "PAUSE" IN THE ACCELERATION OF THE TRUCK, ALTHOUGH IT IS ONLY NOTICEABLE ONCE THE TRUCK IS ALREADY MOVING. IT IS MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN YOU LET OFF THE PEDAL, AND THEN REAPPLY IT, PASSING IN TRAFFIC FOR EXAMPLE. BECAUSE OF THE HESITATION, I HAVE COME MUCH CLOSER TO A COLLISION WHILE MERGING THAN NORMAL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 DODGE RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ODOR OF DIESEL FUEL WAS PRESENT INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE ODOR WAS PRESENT WHEN THE WEATHER TEMPERATURE WAS BELOW 50 DEGREES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE DEFECT. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND RELEASING THE THROTTLE, THE VEHICLE WOULD CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. ADDITIONALLY, THE TRANSMISSION BECAME STUCK IN 4TH GEAR AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 5 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF ALL FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6000.

Mileage: 6,000