Battery Cable Problems of Dodge Ram 3500

On three different occasions, the tipm has failed on this truck. The first time the vehicle was under warranty. Second one happened in 2013. The third time in Dec of 2015. All three times the motor quit in heavy traffic and the dashboard went off. The tipm box then started smoking. I disconnected the battery cables. On the third occasion, I was delayed by heavy traffic in getting to the battery cables. The truck was on a steep grade. The horn started honking, wipers and windshield sprayer activated, and then the vehicle tried to start itself and move forward. If I had been under the hood, I would have been run over. Also, this truck was pulling a trailer on a mountain pass with no power steering, brakes, or trailer brakes due to this problem and made this extremely dangerous.

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I was turning onto another street I smelled electrical smoke. Truck started to run rough then stalled. Electrical smoke filled the cab. Everything that was electrical turned on and was either flashing blinking or running. I put truck in neutral and pulled the ignition key. The starter engaged on its own. I had to pull battery cables off to kill power to the truck by hand no tools. The tipm module burned internally. If my wife had been driving the truck would have burned. If the truck was in gear it would have taken off by itself.

My 2007 Dodge Ram 3500 suddenly lost all electrical and engine power when slowing for a red light on us27 4lane at somerset, ky. I was towing a equipment trailer and was able to steer around traffic and get stopped on shoulder. I notice smoke and smell of burnt plastic from under hood as soon as I got stopped. I was able to jerk the battery cable off with pliers and put fire out at fuse box next to battery. I had truck towed to somerset Dodge dealer who replaced the tipm module (under hood fuse block) . When I picked up truck next the next day I asked why did it burn with no fuses blown? I was told they found nothing else wrong with truck, I may need to check my trailer. This would not expain the fuse not blown. I purchased truck new in 2007 and use it towing cattle or farm equipment with never a fuse blown in truck in 49,000 miles or 5 years. This is a problem that dealer service advisor could not explain and there was no recall related to fuse block. I checked both my trailers and found no problems, which if there had been thats what fuses are for. I feel my dealer has done all they can but I am not satisfied with the failure of this fuse block. The incident on sept. 24, 2012 would have had a different end had I been in in left lane behind traffic at 55mph and towing five ton with limited braking on truck and none on trailer due to them being electric, also had it been night and the loss of headlights could have made steering around traffic impossible. The fact that this has been reported by other drivers/owners to this somerset dealership makes me think there is a need for Dodge to address this problem.

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The contact owns a 2008 Dodge Ram 3500. No occupants were in the vehicle nor the key in the ignition when the vehicle started on its own and crashed into the garage. The bumper of the vehicle was badly damaged. He turned the battery cables off in order to stop the engine from running. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they are repairing the engine but not the bumper. He was told to call the insurance company to repair the bumper. The failure mileage was 20,000. Updated 02/24/10. The truck was in 1st gear and the vehicle was not parked on an incline. Updated 09/02/jb.