Two problems related to check engine light on have been reported for the 2004 Dodge Ram 2500. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
I own a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel with a automatic transmission. This occurred on two occasions the first was on Saturday 1/31/2015 and the second on Monday 2/2/2015. I had just pulled out of my shop when the engine suddenly accelerated at extreme high speed, I slammed on the brakes immediately however as one can imagine the response time and/or the capacity of the braking system was limited due to the high torque of the engine. Non-the-less I was fortunate not to have any other vehicle in my vicinity. This same scenario occur two more time on my way home which is about 4 miles from my shop. The check engine light came on at the time of the first occurrence. I let the truck sit for a couple days, however needed to plow out from a large snowstorm. Upon restarting the truck, the check engine light was off and everything was back to normal. Things changed approximately a half hour into plowing when the sudden acceleration occurred once again and this time within inches of ending up in the drainage ditch at the end of my driveway. It occurred two more times as I was completing the plowing. Also, out of the blue it would idle down with no response when I depressed the accelerator, then after a moment or two it would respond. During the idle the voltage meter would drop to just about zero. I did find some references to the apps (accelerator pedal position sensor) on the web, however when I checked in with my local dealer they stated that they had no recall notice on this. After experiencing this, there is no doubt in my mind that this is quite a serious matter and should be looked into. This situation could easily cause injury or death. I have forty years of driving experience and have never encountered anything of this sort before. I will be taking the vehicle to the dealership, however I feel quite strongly that this should be covered under a recall.
I was driving my 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 5. 9 diesel truck to work during rush hour morning traffic at approximately 25 mph when the check engine light came on and a few seconds later the truck suddenly accelerated on its own to about 3500rpms. The roads were iced over from a previous snow storm. Due to the sudden acceleration on the ice, the rear tires broke traction and started sliding sideways before I could react to the sudden acceleration. I immediately applied the brakes with no results. Truck continued to slide sideways into the oncoming lane of traffic when as sudden as the acceleration happened, the rpms dropped down to an idle and I was able to get the truck under control. Luckily, there were no other vehicles in the oncoming lane. Dealership has truck now and is telling me the fault code indicates a bad acceleration pedal position sensor. If there would have been any vehicles in the oncoming lane of traffic at the time the truck accelerated on its own, it would have absolutely caused an accident and could have killed someone. I have never felt so panicked when the truck took off on its own. I cannot describe the feeling of helplessness I felt when this happened. If it hasn't happened already, this will certainly, at some point cause a tragic accident with the loss of life if not addressed immediately. I have read several online blogs where this seems to be an issue in other 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 5. 9 diesel trucks. These trucks need to be recalled immediately and parts re-designed to not allow a sudden increase in acceleration.