2017 RAM 1500 Complaints

RAM ENGINE FAILURE May 7, 2023 SUBJECT: Engine failure RAM 2017 ECO Diesel TO: whom it may concern: Tuesday April 25, 2023 while driving to Riverside California with my wife, daughter and two grandchildren in my 2017 ECO diesel, it began to overheat leading to my engine oil pressure immediately dropping to zero. The loss in performance and lack of drivability forced me to hastily veer off highway 91, on to Adams Street/Auto Center Drive. I immediately pulled to the side of the road and shut off my truck’s engine. After the panic subsided I called Redlands Dodge Redland and was redirected to MOSS BROS. Riverside, California. The history regarding my purchase of RAM eco diesel: I’m a 100% disabled Vietnam Veteran who utilizes a service trained mobility dog. This was the primary reason for the purchase a RAM full size pickup truck that is licensed with military disability veteran plates and equipped with K-9 support equipment. See attached photos. I suffer from severe neural back injuries requiring both lower back and leg prosthesis. My service dog is the only way I’m able to be mobile and not bed ridden. My RAM truck is my chosen vehicle to allow me some resemblance of a normal life. At 73 year old, I depend on my RAM truck. Today I’m confronted with multiple recalls and premature engine failure on this truck which had been waiting for over a year to have corrections made to critical equipment defects which could result in fire, loss of vehicle control and possible vehicle crash endangering my life and the lives of my family. My RAM case number is GOOD-WILL # 86043416, The contact stated the first case appears to have gone unresolved and speaking with another specialist/mechanic from FCA would inspect my vehicle's engine and authorize it's repair/replacement.

The contact owns a 2017 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while attempting to refuel, the fuel nozzle would continuously shut off prematurely. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the fuel pump check valve had malfunctioned, and the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 55,200.

While driving power steering failure happens randomly at any speed or on turns. No indicator light shows on dashboard calling out an issue. I am concerned loss of power steering will cause an accident causing bodily harm or death.

The contact owns a 2017 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V406000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The low oil and fuel pressure warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that as a result of the failure, the vehicle swerved as the contact maneuvered the vehicle to safely avoid a crash. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact the stated that he requested that additional diagnostic tests be performed on the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 64,322. The contact stated that the manufacturer has yet to state whether or not if they will reimburse for the replacements. No repairs have been made.

The contact owns a 2017 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V406000 (Fuel System/Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The minute the gas hand gets below Full the gas hand goes to Empty and then goes back to Full over and over while driving On the dash it flashes “Fuel Level Sensor Failure” and it will do this til I fill the tank full. It shows recall letters to be mail in August 2023 can I get a copy of the letter please

The plastic fan exploded and cut through the transmission lines causing the truck to stop moving and thousands of dollars in damage. While towing a 6500lb trailer, the fan was spinning at a high rate of speed when the plastic failed and broke apart in the engine bay causing damage to the paint, heat shield, and transmission lines. It was unknown that this occurred until the vehicle started to hesitate with the gas pedal until it no longer would drive. The vehicle and trailer were towed to Brandon Dodge on Broadway in Littleton Colorado where the service associate then told me the driver caused the fan to break!? Seems very unlikely that you could run over something that could fit up into the engine area and go into a high rate fan that blows into the engine bay and anything that did fit into that small opening would damage a fan so badly that all blades would break off. This issue had to be resolved by my insurance company as the warranty on the vehicle said they wouldn't fix it due to the service man's comments. The transmission had to be dropped and checked for damage and pan replaced, hoses replaced and new fan, which looks a different color/type to me was installed. The fan has been in the shop at 46k miles for noise and they replaced only the clutch.

This is my second Ram truck with this issue. My first truck was a 2014 1500 Big Horn and now I own a 2017 1500 Sport. The 2014 was in the shop 3 times for a manifold bolt breakage and the 2017 has been in the shop 2 times now for a manifold bolt break. This issue causes an annoying engine ticking sound that gets louder over time and causes a serious health risk to the passengers of the vehicle. Even the newly designed bolts that Mopar has been using still break. This has been ongoing for many years with the Hemi engines and should have a repair that will not fail by now.

The contact owns a 2017 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V406000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at various speeds, the vehicle would jerk and hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they were informed that the vehicle could not be seen for a few weeks. The contact's husband drove the vehicle home and called the dealer the next day; he was instructed to bring in the vehicle for an inspection. While driving to the dealer at 35 MPH, her husband noticed black smoke emitting from the hood of the vehicle. As her husband pulled over and opened the hood, flames began to engulf the engine. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was initially towed to an independent mechanic and later to an independent body shop where it remained in their possession. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000. Vin tool confirms parts not yet available.

The contact owns a 2017 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering intermittently failed with the power steering warning symbol displayed on the instrument panel. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was instructed to take the vehicle to a dealer. The contact was informed that the manufacturer would reimburse for any repairs to the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective rack and pinion; however, there were no recalls on the vehicle. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.