2017 RAM 3500 Complaints

I HAVE A RAM 3500 SINGLE REAR WHEEL TRUCK WITH INTEGRATED BRAKE CONTROLLER. IT WAS HOOKED UP TO MY 10,000# GVW 5TH WHEEL TRAILER THIS PAST WEEKEND AND NO MATTER HOW I SET THE CONTROLLER, FOR EITHER BRAKING STRENGTH OR TRAILER SELECTION TYPE, IT PROVIDES IMPERCEPTIBLE BRAKING TO THE TRAILER. IT NEARLY PUSHED ME RIGHT THROUGH AN INTERSECTION AT 25 MPH BECAUSE THERE WAS NO BRAKING. THIS OCCURRED ON A 35 MPH LEVEL GRADE AND I WAS SLOWED AT THE TIME FOR AN APPROACHING RED LIGHT. TRUCK IS RATED TO TOW MUCH MORE. I DISCONNECTED FACTORY UNIT AND PUT IN AN AFTERMARKET AND IT WORKED EXACTLY AS IT SHOULD, WHICH SHOULD RULE OUT BOTH THE TRAILER AND TRUCK WIRING AS IT USES THE SAME WITH JUST AN PLUG SWITCHED FROM INTERNAL BRAKE CONTROLLER TO AFTERMARKET.. I HAVE SEEN MANY POSTINGS ABOUT THIS ON THE INTERNET AND IT SEEMS FCA HAS A STAR CASE ON THIS AS WELL #S1508000014. I FEEL THIS CAN PUT ANY DRIVER IN A VERY BAD OR DEADLY SITUATION VERY QUICKLY. I HAD BOTH A 2010 AND A 2012 RAM 3500 TRUCKS WITH THE SAME CONTROLLER AND TOWING THE SAME TRAILERS AND THERE WERE NO ISSUES AT ALL. I WILL BE TAKING THIS TO A DEALER IN ABOUT 2 WEEKS FOR TESTING, BUT ALL POSTINGS I HAVE SEEN SHOW NO RESOLUTION FROM FCA ON THIS PROBLEM. I THINK IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THIS GETS REVIEWED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED BY THIS.

I WAS DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY AND ATTEMPTING TO MERGE TO THE RIGHT TO EXIT THE FREEWAY. WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR TO ACCELERATE AND MERGE INTO TRAFFIC, THE ENGINE HESITATED AND THERE WAS NO POWER AT ALL FOR 2-3 SECONDS. AFTER THAT SHORT PERIOD, THE ENGINE ACCELERATED AND I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MERGE. THIS SUDDEN FAILURE TO ACCELERATE WHEN MERGING IS A HAZARD BECAUSE WHILE WAITING FOR POWER FROM THE ENGINE ANOTHER CAR COULD CLOSE THE DISTANCE AND HIT ME DUE TO THE UNEXPECTED HESITATION.

VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A G56 MERCEDES 6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. WHEN IN 5TH GEAR THERE IS A CHATTER ORIGINATING FROM THE TRANSMISSION AMPLIFIED BY THE SHIFT LEVER. NOISE AND VIBRATION OCCURS AT ANY SPEED AND ANY LOAD (UNDER THE FIFTH WHEEL OR NOT) WHILE IN 5TH GEAR. GEARS 1 THRU 4 AND 6 ARE QUIET AS EXPECTED.

2017 RAM 3500 DUALLY 4X4 68RFE, FIRST TIME TRUCK WAS TAKEN OUT ON THE HIGHWAY OUT OF TOWN WHERE SPEED LIMIT WAS 75. TRUCK HAS A VERY PRONOUNCED SHAKE IN THE REAR. THIS IS FELT IN CAB OF THE TRUCK, BUT NOT THE STEERING WHEEL. PASSENGER SEAT SHAKES BACK AND FORTH. LIKE REAR IS OSCILLATING, AND A DRONING CAN BE HEARD. IT COMES AND GOES IN INTENSITY. HAPPENS ON ALL TYPES OF ROAD SURFACES. RAM FIELD ENGINEER, AND REGIONAL MANAGER SAY IT IS KNOWN ISSUE. TAKEN OTHER TRUCKS OUT WITH VERY MINOR VIBRATION, AND ALSO WITH NO VIBRATION. THIS WAS DONE WITH SERVICE MANAGER TO CONFIRM ISSUE. TIRES HAVE BEEN CHANGED OUT, DRIVE SHAFT CHANGED OUT WITH NO CHANGE. REGIONAL MANAGER SAYS TAKE TRUCK IT IS NORMAL. NO ADDITIONAL REPAIRS WILL BE MADE. TRUCK IS TWO MONTHS OLD AND HAS 1700 MILES AT THIS POINT. GOT TO PULL MY FIFTH WHEEL BUT VERY CONCERNED OF FAILURE ON THE ROAD THAT COULD BE CATASTROPHIC, SINCE UNKNOWN CAUSE IN DRIVELINE. VEHICLE HAD A STAR CASE, WITH NO RESOLUTION TO THE ISSUE.

WHILE BEGINNING TO PULL OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY, I NOTICED A VEHICLE THAT APPEARED TO BE COMING FASTER THAN EXPECTED, I LET OFF THE THROTTLE AND THEN MADE THE DECISION TO CONTINUE ENTERING THE HIGHWAY. WHEN I GOT BACK ON THE THROTTLE, THERE WAS AN APPROXIMATE 2 SECOND DELAY WHERE THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO THROTTLE RESPONSE. I AVERTED AN ACCIDENT BY MANAGING TO PULL OFF THE ROAD, BUT THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I HAD THE SAME ISSUE WITH MY 2013 RAM 3500 I HAD PREVIOUSLY. TO SUMMARIZE, I WOULD CALL THIS A "DEAD PEDAL" ISSUE. I CAN REPLICATE THIS SITUATION EVERY TIME BY ACCELERATING, LETTING OF THE ACCELERATOR, AND THEN GETTING BACK ON THE ACCELERATOR QUICKLY. AGAIN, THERE IS A ROUGHLY 2 SECOND TIME PERIOD WHERE THE ENGINE DOES NOT RESPOND WHATSOEVER.