2013 RAM 3500 Complaints

2013 RAM 3500 QUAD CAB DUALLY - GENERAL AMERITRAC LT235/80R17, IN BETWEEN TREAD SURFACE IN THE GROVE THEY ALL STARTED TO SPLIT ALL (6 TIRES) AFFECTED. AMERICAS TIRE RECOMMENDED REMOVAL ASAP, IF I CONTINUED TO USE THEM ON THE VEHICLE IT WOULD LEAD TO TIRE FAILURE. HAVE PICTURES.

I RECEIVED IN LATE OCTOBER 2015 A LETTER FROM FCA (FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOBILES) REGARDING SAFETY RECALL R46/NHTSA 15V-541, WHICH STATES 2013 RAM 3500 TRUCKS MAY HAVE AN IMPROPERLY WELDED FRONT SUSPENSION TRACK BAR FRAME BRACKET, WHICH COULD SEPARATE WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING A HAZARDOUS SITUATION INCLUDING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. BEFORE I WENT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THIS REMEDIED, I EXPERIENCED AN INCIDENT WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, WHERE THE FRONT END SUDDENLY STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY AND I LOST ALMOST ALL STEERING CONTROL, NARROWLY AVOIDING HITTING A FREEWAY SIGN AND EVENTUALLY STOPPING IN A DITCH ON THE SIDE OF THE SHOULDER. THIS WAS ALL RECORDED BY A DASHCAM VIDEO. UPON IMMEDIATE INSPECTION UNDER THE TRUCK, THE TRACK BAR MOUNTS WERE SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME, WELDS WERE BROKEN, LEAVING THE TRACK BAR DANGLING (SEE ATTACHED). THE TRUCK WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSEST DEALER, AND UPON INITIAL INSPECTION THE DEALER ALSO STATED THIS APPEARED TO BE THE ISSUE THAT WAS UNDER RECALL, BUT THEY HAD NO REMEDY FROM FCA CORPORATE ON HOW TO FIX IT AS OF YET. FOR NEARLY A MONTH THE TRUCK SAT UNTOUCHED AT THE DEALER, UNSAFE TO DRIVE, UNTIL I WAS NOTIFIED ON 12/3/2015 THAT FCA WILL NOT HONOR HANDLING THIS RECALL PROBLEM BECAUSE I HAD MODIFIED THE TRUCK WITH A LIFT KIT. I SAY: THE LIFT KIT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE ACCELERATED THE FAILURE OF THE PART, BUT THE ULTIMATE REASON OF THIS SITUATION IS FCA'S POORLY MANUFACTURED PRODUCT IN WHICH A RECALL WAS REQUIRED, BUT ULTIMATELY NOT HONORED. THIS PROBLEM IS NOT AN ISSUE IN 2015 OR NEWER HEAVY DUTY RAMS, AS THE WELDING PROCESS IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. THEREFORE, FCA CLEARLY ACKNOWLEDGES THIS ISSUE BUT WHEN IT IS TIME ACT UPON THIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, THEY WOULD RATHER BLAME OTHERS. NOW I HAVE AN UNDRIVEABLE TRUCK THAT I DON'T KNOW HOW OR WHEN WILL BE FIXED.

DRIVING AT 70 MPH IT A HOLE IN ROAD HAD THE DEATH WOPPLE BAD HAD TO SLOW WAY DOWN TO GET IT TO STOP.

THE NEW DODGE RAM EQUIPPED WITH CUMMINS DIESEL EXPERIENCE A DEAD PEDAL, OR PEDAL DELAY WHEN PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL 3/4 TO FULL THROTTLE. THIS POSES A SERIOUS RISK WHEN NEEDING TO GET OUT OF THE WAY, OR MOVE THE VEHICLE UNDER EMERGENCY CIRCUMSTANCES. THIS HAPPENS UNDER ALL CONDITIONS: STOPPED, ROLLING, UNDER ACCELERATION ETC. IF YOU PUSH THE PEDAL TOO FAR THE TRUCK WILL NOT RESPOND TO OPERATOR COMMANDS AND WILL TAKE 1.5-2 SECONDS TO START PICKING UP SPEED. THIS IS A SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED. THERE IS NOT EXCUSE FOR A VEHICLE NOT RESPONDING TO DRIVER INPUT. MANUFACTURE CLAIMS "TURBO LAG", THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. YOU CAN BUILD TURBO BOOST, MONITORED ON THE VEHICLE GAUGE, THEN PRESS THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR, THE TRUCK WILL NOT RESPOND FOR 1.5 TO 2 SECONDS. PLEASE LOOK AT FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE CUMMINS FORUM BELOW, IT HAS NUMEROUS ARTICLES ABOUT THIS ISSUE. HERE AS A LINK TO JUST ONE OF THEM. HTTP://WWW.CUMMINSFORUM.COM/FORUM/2013-GENERAL-DISCUSSION/1836593-VERY-SLOW-THROTTLE-RESPONSE.HTML PLEASE, HELP FIX THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED DUE TO THE INABILITY TO MOVE THE VEHICLE OUT OF HARMS WAY. THIS TSB SOMEWHAT ADDRESSES THE PROBLEM, BUT ONLY FIXES IT PARTIALLY, NOT TO THE POINT THAT IT IS SAFE. TSB 18-041-15 I BELIEVE THE MANUFACTURE KNOWS THIS IS AN ISSUE, BUT IS NOT FIXING IT DUE TO EMISSIONS RELATED PROGRAMMING ON THE VEHICLE. THERE ARE AFTERMARKET SOLUTIONS TO THIS PROBLEM, HOWEVER THEY VOID THE MANUFACTURE WARRANTY, AND IM NOT WILLING TO LOSE MY WARRANTY ON A NEW VEHICLE. I WILL BE SUBMITTING ANOTHER ONE OF THESE FOR MY 2015 AS WELL, SINCE THEY BOTH HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. THANK YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 DODGE RAM 3500. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM AND HIGH BEAM HEAD LAMPS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM AND HIGH BEAM HEAD LAMPS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AGAIN WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT WIRING HARNESS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

I WAS WANTING TO KNOW WHY THE RAM 2013 AND THE 2014 ARE NOT ON THE BUY BACK PROGRAM. DUE TO MANUFACTURE RECALL R46, NHTSA RECALL 15V-541? I TOOK MY TRUCK IN TO HAVE ALL THE OTHER RECALLS FIXED ON IT BUT THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT FIX THIS DUE TO THERE WERE NO PARTS AVAILABLE AND THAT WE WOULD BE PUT ON A WAITING LIST AND DID NOT KNOW WHEN THE FIX WAS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE. SO DO WE JUST KEEP PUTTING OUR FAMILIES IN THESE VEHICLES AND KEEP DRIVING THEM IN HOPES NOTHING HAPPENS TO US?

WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 75 MPH AND YOU START CLIMBING A HILL OR GOING DOWN A HILL THE VEHICLE WILL START TO SHAKE AND VIBRATE AS IF SOMETHING IS NOT ALIGNED, I HAVE HAVE MY TRUCKS TIRES BALANCED ROTATED AND ALL ALIGNED AND THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. I TOOK IT WHEN AND DESCRIBED IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME IT MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE SERVICE LIGHT ON. THEY FIXED THE SERVICE LIGHT BUT THE SHAKING WHEN CLIMBING UP A HILL OR GOING DOWN A HILL IS STILL THERE.

OUR RAM 3500 SEEMS TO HAVE A WIRE CHAFING PROBLEM. ON 26 JUNE 2014 THE TRUCK LOCKED IN 4TH GEAR. ECM WAS REPLACED IN FAIRBANKS AT 16490 MILES. ON 18 JULY 2014 THE SAME THING HAPPENED AT 18481 MILES, THE DEALER IN SOLDOTNA AK FOUND A CHAFED WIRE IN THE WIRING LOOM. ON 29 JULY 2014, THE TRUCK COMPLETELY DIED, THE ECM FUSE WAS BLOWN. THE PCM WAS REPLACED. ON 26 JULY 2015, THE TRUCK COMPLETELY DIED AGAIN, ECM FUSE WAS BLOWN. MILEAGE WAS 31421. PRESTIGE DODGE IN LONGMONT CO REPLACED THE ECM AND THEN ON THE TEST DRIVE THE TRUCK LOCKED INTO 4TH GEAR. THEY THEN REPLACED A PORTION OF THE WIRING HARNESS TO CORRECT A CHAFED WIRE. I WAS RECENTLY NOTIFIED ABOUT ANOTHER WIRE CHAFING PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAGS. I MUST WONDER IF SOMEHOW THERE IS A WIRING LOOM PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL TRUCK. IN ALL 3 INCIDENTS IN 2014 WE WERE TOWING OUR TRAILER ON PAVED HIGHWAYS AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT BEING IN AN ACCIDENT. THE EVENT ON 26 JULY 2015 OCCURRED JUST AFTER WE HAD DROPPED OFF THE TRAILER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 DODGE RAM 3500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 14V635000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL) AND 15V541000 (STEERING); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIRS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

MY VEHICLE IS IN THE SHOP FOR A 5TH TIME FOR THE SAME ISSUE OF THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, MESSAGE SAID ERROR WITH DEF SYSTEM , CALL DEALER. THEN MESSAGE CAME UP AND SAID IN 200 MILES TRUCK WILL SHUT DOWN TO ONLY 5 MPH. THE DEALERSHIP AND NOW WARRANTY IS REFUSING TO FIX IT AGAIN BASING THEIR CASE ON "CONTAMINATED DEF" FLUID AS THE CAUSE. I WAS TOLD THIS IS AN ISSUE ON THESE TRUCKS AND TO FIX WOULD BE $1700 OUT OF POCKET EVEN THOUGH IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. ONCE THE DEF WAS CALLED "CONTAMINATED", EVERYONE STARTING CALLING ME ASKING FOR $ TO REPAIR THE SYSTEM SAYING IT WAS MY FAULT THE FLUID GOT CONTAMINATED. DISTANCE DRIVEN FROM DEF ERROR CODE 3 REPAIR AT THE DEALER TO DEF ERROR CODE 4, LESS THAN 100 MILES AND NO DEF FLUID WAS ADDED SINCE IT LEFT THE DEALER. THE PROBLEM IS RECURRING AND NO ONE WANTS TO FIX IT. TRUCK IS SITTING AT THE DEALER AND CANNOT BE DRIVEN DUE TO THE 200 MILE SHUT DOWN SAFETY ISSUE.