Table 1 shows one common gasoline fuel system related problems of the 2013 Dodge Ram 1500.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Gasoline Fuel System problems |
Driving truck in town approx 35 - 40 mph. Can give exact detail / location. Vehicle transmission in "drive". Vehicle has center consul. As vehicle was climbing gradual hill, transmission automatically downshifted. Vehicle immediately went to full throttle uncontrollably. Engine rpm jumped to 6k - 7k. Vehicle speed still increasing. Stepped on gas pedal several times thinking it was stuck with no effect - rpm remained constant. Then put both feet on brake pedal - rpm remained constant. Then shifted transmission into neutral position. Check etc / red lightning bolt message now on in message center located between tach & speedometer. Rpm's now at a constant 4k with vehicle in neutral and coasting. No place to turn off without blocking traffic. Stopped at lighted intersection - vehicle still at 4k rpm. Shifted back into "drive", tires chirped and truck lunged forward still at 4k rpm. Parked vehicle in safe place adjacent to gas station and shut off - transmission still either in gear or neutral. Engine off - shifted into "park". Waited 3-4 minutes and attempted to restart vehicle. Engine icon, ect icon and red steering wheel with explanation point icon where all on. Vehicle cranked, but acted like no fuel / spark and would not start. Vehicle towed to dealership on flatbed. No word back from dealer yet. Mileage 5,443 - mostly highway. Note: no floor mats just factory rug and cruise control was not "on" or in use in any way. Only modifications to vehicle are the addition of a spray bed-liner and topper. I was born and raised around cars and have good mechanical ability including ground-up restorations of pre 1970 vehicles. This is a real and tangible example of a 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 bighorn with unintended acceleration. This is unacceptable for any vehicle, but especially for a new, $46,000 vehicle. I am lucky that I did not hurt anyone or end up dead.
I was returning home from a short trip on the interstate and I had just made a turn on the street we live on when I heard a ding sound. My wife and I noticed that there was a message on the display that showed, "service electronic throttle control". It stayed on only a second and disappeared. I didn't really notice any effect to the driving capability, but this is the first time that message has appeared and I notice that there are two similar complaints posted here about the same message. I think I'll go to the dealership and at least let them know about it and see what they do. I had been using my cruise control on the way back from my trip which I normally do use and I note that in at least one of the other complaints the person was using theirs too. At the time of the message I wasn't using cruise but like I said, I had been.
On August 26th I was traveling in my truck at about 58mph with the cruise control on. As I entered a 45mph speed zone I tapped the brake pedal to disengage the cruise. The truck maintained speed so I pressed the brake pedal many times with the truck not slowing down. I then had to hit the brakes quite hard to slow down. While doing this I noticed a message come up on the info screen which read service electronic throttle control. After stopping I checked to see if something like a floormat was pressing on the accelerator pedal, which there was not. This same situation happened again on August 30th. I contacted south lake motors, the local ram dealer to schedule an appointment for sept. 4. I took my truck in and they found a code in the computer, but could not find anything wrong. In the following 2 weeks the same thing happened two more times as I tried to slow down from a speed of between 55 and 60mph, except I did not have the cruise on. They looked it over again on sept 19 and decided to put a new accelerator pedal in it on sept. 20th. The next day it stuck again as I tried to slow for a truck turning in front of me, almost causing me to rear end that vehicle. Sept 27th I took it back in and they still could not find anything wrong. On oct 7 I once again dropped my truck off at the dealer and they kept it for 5 days trying to duplicate the issue. They could not find the problem. On oct 13 while traveling at 45mph I let off the accelerator pedal and the truck maintained speed, I had to slam on the brakes to slow it down to negotiate a corner without wrecking. This has happened two time since then. On oct 21st I took it back to the dealer and they installed a data recorder to record the events. The mechanic and other dealership employees have told me this truck is not safe to drive. I have called Chrysler daily telling them this vehicle is unsafe.