2013 RAM 1500 Complaints

I PURCHASED A NEW 2013 RAM 1500 IN NOVEMBER OF 2013. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 2,500 MILES I STARTED EXPERIENCING A STRONG (PROPANE / PETROLEUM TYPE OF SMELL) ODOR COMING THROUGH THE VENTS AND OUTSIDE THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK. THIS HAS CAUSED ME (AND MY FAMILY) TO EXPERIENCE HEADACHES AND NAUSEA AFTER DRIVING / RIDING IN THE VEHICLE. MY DEALERSHIP CONTACTED STAR FOR A SOLUTION, BUT STAR DID NOT RESPOND. FINALLY THE DEALERSHIP INSTRUCTED ME TO BRING IT IN TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER. THE DEALERSHIP FLUSHED THE COOLANT SYSTEM NUMEROUS TIMES AND INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN / SMELLED ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE, AND THAT TWO OF THEIR TECHNICIANS ACQUIRED HEADACHES FROM THE SMELL. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THE SMELL WAS DEFINITELY COMING FROM THE COOLING SYSTEM, BUT DIDN'T NOT WHAT IT WAS OR WHAT WAS CAUSING IT. UNFORTUNATELY IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT THE COOLANT FLUSH RESOLVED THE ISSUE AS IT STILL SMELLS. SUBSEQUENTLY, I CONTACTED RAM CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM TO THEM. THEY CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP TO CONFIRM AND PROVIDED ME WITH A CASE NUMBER. THEY INFORMED ME THAT SOMEONE WOULD CONTACT ME WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS.MY MAIN CONCERN IS RELATED TO THE TOXICITY OF THIS SMELL. WHAT IS CAUSING IT AND ARE THE VAPORS HARMFUL? IF THIS SMELL IS CAUSING HEADACHES AND NAUSEA, WHAT TYPE OF SHORT OR POTENTIALLY LONG-TERM HEALTH EFFECTS DOES THIS PRESENT? MEANWHILE, I?M STILL DRIVING THE TRUCK BECAUSE I HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO DRIVE. MY SECONDARY CONCERN IS RELATED TO THE DISPOSITION OF THE TRUCK. CAN RAM FIX IT SATISFACTORILY AND WHEN WILL IT BE RESOLVED. AGAIN, I?M STILL DRIVING THE TRUCK. *TR

HEADLIGHTS (STANDARD) ARE INADEQUATE. CAN NOT SEE WITH LOW BEAMS UNLESS IT IS TOTALLY BLACK OUT AND THERE ARE NOT ANY OTHER SOURCES OF LIGHT CLOSE. THE ONLY WAY I KNOW MY LIGHTS ARE ON WHEN IN TOWN IS BECAUSE OF THE GREEN LIGHT ON DASH. I CAME UP UPON ANOTHER TRUCK RECENTLY THAT WAS GOING SLOWER THAN I WAS AND HE HAD HIS BLINKERS GOING BECAUSE HE COULD NOT SEE WITH HIS LIGHTS EITHER (I PULLED INTO GAS STATION BEHIND HIM AND ASKED). IT WAS ANOTHER RAM 1500. THEY ARE SO UNDERPOWERED SOMEONE IS GONNA BE IN AN ACCIDENT. ALREADY TOOK IT TO DEALER FOR READJUSTMENT, DID NOT HELP. *TR

ONE DAY I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AND WHEN I TURNED THE SHIFT KNOB ON MY 8-SPEED AUTO TRANSMISSION V-6 FROM "REVERSE" TO "DRIVE" THE GEAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE. WHEN I APPLIED MY FOOT TO THE ACCELERATOR THE RPM'S INCREASED AS IF I WERE IN NEUTRAL. DURING THIS OCCURRENCE THE "D" ON THE SHIFT KNOB WAS BLINKING. AFTER TURNING THE KNOB BACK TO PARK AND THEN BACK TO DRIVE THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGED AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL AWAY AND DRIVE NORMALLY. ON A DIFFERENT DAY ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER I NOTICED THAT WHILE IN "DRIVE" AND TRAVELING BETWEEN 15MPH AND 30MPH MY TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO BE IN THE WRONG GEAR. I WOULD APPLY THE ACCELERATOR AND THE RPM'S WOULD INCREASE UPWARDS TO 2500 - 3500RPMS WHICH SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING AT SUCH LOW SPEEDS. MY TRUCK THEN BEGAN TO SHUTTER AS IT WAS TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT GEAR. THIS TRUCK IS A 2013 WITH LESS THAN 1000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE READ A SIMILAR POST ON THIS NHTSA WEBSITE ABOUT THIS SAME VEHICLE. I HAVE ALSO READ AN ARTICLE POSTED ON MOTORTREND.COM THAT REFERENCES A TRANSMISSION RECALL FOR VARIOUS 2013 CHRYSLER VEHICLES' INCLUDING THE RAM 1500 WITH 8-SPEED AUTOMATICS AND A SIX-CYLINDER ENGINE. STRANGELY, WHEN I LOOK UP RECALL NOTICES FOR THIS VEHICLE THERE IS NO RECALL ALERT FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS BACKING OUT OF PARKING SPACE AT THE BANK. WIPERS CAME ON AND ALL GAUGES STARTED FLASHING. SHUT TRUCK OFF AND WOULD NOT RESTART. I VIDEOED IT. I HAD TAKEN IT IN TO DEALER ON 2/15/14 FOR SERVICE AND TOLD THE MANAGER THAT I HAD 2 OCCASIONS WHERE MY GAUGES HAD FLASHED AND WENT COMPLETELY DARK AND I RESTARTED IT AND THEY CAME BACK ON. FIRST PROBLEMS NOTED WERE AROUND 5K MILES, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IT AND TOOK IT TO VACUUM IT OUT AT THE CARWASH. AFTER SHE WAS FINISHED, SHE STARTED IT AND WENT TO PUT IT INTO GEAR AND IT WOULD NOT GO. HOWEVER THIS TIME IT WAS HAULED OFF ON A ROLL BACK COMPLETELY DEAD. SPENT A LOT ON MONEY ON BIG RED AND IT MAKES ME SICK TO KNOW THERE ARE ISSUES NO ONE INFORMED ME OF. *TR

01/08/14. UPON START UP IT WAS STUCK IN 4TH GEAR. WOULD NOT COME OUT OF 4TH GEAR. IT SET AN ENGINE LIGHT. DEALER DID A "FLASH UPDATE" ON 01/09/14. WAS FINE UNTIL 02/11/14 AND DID IT AGAIN,(WOULD NOT COME OUT OF 4TH GEAR). THIS TIME, SHUTTING IT OFF AND RESTARTING IT (TWICE) RESET IT AND IT CAME OUT OF 4TH GEAR. *TR

TL - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 DODGE RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, HE ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGED THE BRAKES BUT THE CALIPERS LOCKED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO GO INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE CALIPERS, ROTORS, BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED. THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,260 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 19,790. PM

DRIVING VEHICLE ON PAVED ROADWAY TRAVELING APPX 30 MPH. VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES. WITNESS SAID FLAMES SHOT OUT BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE FROM UNDER THE BODY. LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE WAS AROUND THE VEHICLE AS I PULLED OFF THE ROAD. A QUICK GLANCE AT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SHOWED EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL AND NO WARNING LIGHTS. SMOKE IN CAB AND FLAMES CAME UP THROUGH THE DASH AS I EXITED THE VEHICLE. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE INTERIOR INCLUDING THE WINDSHIELD BUSTING OUT FROM THE HEAT. TOOK FIRE DEPARTMENT 3 ATTEMPTS TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES. AFTER FLOODING THE INTERIOR AND DASH CAVITY (THROUGH THE HOLE BURNED THROUGH THE DASH) OF THE VEHICLE 2 TIMES, THE FIRE CONTINUED. AT THAT TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND FLOODED THE INTERIOR AND DASH AREA A 3RD TIME WHICH FINALLY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE ONLY INJURY WAS SMOKE INHALATION AND RESULTING SORE THROAT SUFFERED BY ME, THE ONLY OCCUPANT OF THE VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE WAS LESS THAN 6 MONTHS OLD AND I HAD NO PRIOR PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER (NYLE MAXWELL DODGE, AUSTIN TX) ON THE MORNING OF THE FIRE (12/19/2013) AND WHILE CHRYSLER HAS ACKNOWLEDGED LIABILITY THEY HAVE NOT SETTLE WITH ME ON MY LOSS AS OF THIS DATE (01/23/2014). THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED A COMPLETE LOSS BY BOTH MY INSURANCE COMPANY INVESTIGATOR (STATE FARM) AND THE CHRYSLER INVESTIGATOR. *TR

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. *TR

VEHICLE DIDN'T START, WE WERE STRANDED MILES FROM HOME IT SHOWED "WRONG KEY FOB" ON THE SCREEN, STEERING & TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP, TOWED TO NEAREST DEALER THEY REPROGRAMMED THE ORIGINAL KEY IT DIDN'T WORK, PROGRAMMED A NEW KEY DIDN'T WORK EITHER ORDERED RECEIVER MODULE DIDN'T WORK EITHER, PROGRAMMED A THIRD KEY & SOMEHOW STARTED. REPAIR WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. SEARCHED ON THE INTERNET & FOUND MULTIPLE CASES, SOME SAY THAT THEY HAD SAME PROBLEM IN MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. WE WERE NOT IN DANGER AT ANY TIME, BUT IF THIS INCIDENT OCCURS UNDER COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS OR IN AN UNSAFE LOCATION THE STORY COULD BE VERY DIFFERENT. *TR

WHEN USING THE HEATER OR AIR CONDITIONER A TOXIC SMELL FILLS THE CAB CAUSING METALLIC TASTE AND OCCUPANTS TO HAVE A HEADACHE. THE FACTORY SAYS THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAVE EVEN APPLIED A STAR CASE NUMBER [XXX] WITH A RELEASE DATE OF 10/24/2013. THEY SAY THAT THE ISSUE IS BOTHERSOME BUT HAS NO EFFECT ON DURABILITY OR LONGEVITY OF THE COOLING SYSTEM. THIS IS NOT MY CONCERN. MY CONCERN IS, THIS TOXIC SMELL CAUSING LONG TERM HEALTH PROBLEMS OR CANCER? I HAVE READ MANY FORUMS ON THE SUBJECT SOME DATING BACK TO MARCH 2013. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR