2013 Ram 2500: complaints, problems and recalls

A FEW DAYS AFTER PURCHASING THE TRUCK I NOTICED ONE OF THE CEILING COURTESY / MAP LIGHTS WAS NOT WORKING AND THE NEXT TIME IT CAME ON IT WOULD BE ON AT HALF POWER. IT EITHER DOESN'T COME ON OR COMES ON AT HALF POWER. I VISITED THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES FOR THEM TO TRY AND LOCATE A NEW MAP LIGHT. THE DEALER AFTER SEVERAL TRIPS TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T FIND THE NEEDED PARTS AND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO TELL ME. I HAVE CONTACTED RAM CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMEROUS TIMES AS WELL AS THE BBB OVER THE PAST 6 MONTHS CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. RAM CUSTOMER…

Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10545095 at NHTSA ↗

I JUST PURCHASED THIS TRUCK LESS THAN 1 WEEK AGO; BRAND NEW. I WAS SLOWLY APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION (STOP SIGN) WITH VEHICLES IN FRONT OF ME; WAITING TO TURN. THE TRUCK SUDDENLY STARTED SURGING/LURCHING FORWARD FOR A PERIOD OF 5-10 SECONDS; NEARLY HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I PLACED THE TRUCK INTO NEUTRAL AND APPLIED THE BRAKES SO AS NOT TO HIT ANOTHER CAR AND PREVENT AND ACCIDENT. THE "ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL" MESSAGE CAME UP ON MY DASH DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, BUT SOON (30 SECONDS) WENT AWAY. I AM CONCERNED THIS WILL HAPPE…

Owner-reported narrative. 205 miles reported. Look up ODI 10556820 at NHTSA ↗

LEFT HOUSE DRIVING EAST ON 8200S WHEN APPROX 5200 W I LOST STEERING AND VEERED TO THE RIGHT, HITTING A STREET LIGHT AND SKIDDING ALONG A CONCRETE FENCE. I STOPPED, EXITED VEHICLE AND TWO MEN THAT WITNESSED COME UP AND SAID YOUR STEERING ARM BROKE, AT THE TIME I WAS IN SHOCK AND ATTRIBUTED THEM SAYING ARM BEING BROKE WAS RESULT OF ACCIDENT BUT THAT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE, I ASSUME THEY ALSO CALLED POLICE AS I NEVER MADE THE CALL AND OFFICER SHOWED UP ON SCENE. THE NEXT DAY I MET WITH AUTO BODY SHOP AND THEY WAS AS IN SHOCK A…

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10572743 at NHTSA ↗

WELL THE FIRST TIME I GOT DIESEL IT LEAKED ALL OVER THE GROUND SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER INFORMED ME IT IS DOING WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO. IT NEED FUEL SO I FILLED IT UP AGAIN AND DROVE WERE I NEEDED TO GO I LOOKED AND DIESEL WAS LEAKING ALL OVER THE REAR SPRING, BRAKES AND WHEEL SO I WENT BACK TO DEALER THEY GAVE ME A FUEL CAP AS THE 2013 DID NOT HAVE A FUEL CAP. THIS DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AS WHEN YOU FILL UP WITH FUEL IT PUTS 2 TO 5 CUPS OF FUEL ON THE GROUND! TO ME THIS IS SEVERAL HAZARDOUS / CONTAMINATION/ DANGERS IT IS A…

Owner-reported narrative. 400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10579558 at NHTSA ↗

BLUE TOOTH PHONE SYSTEM FAILED. RADIO WAS REPLACED. SIRIUS RADIO SIGNAL DROPS OUT, SHOWS :ACQUIRING SIGNAL:. WILL PLAY THEN DO IT AGAIN. DEALER, BRYANT CHRYSLER IS TRYING TO CONTACT CHRYSLER FOR A FIX. CHRYSLER ISN'T RESPONDING. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 8,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10587876 at NHTSA ↗

DURING NORMAL DRIVING WHEN TURNING OR CHANGING LANES AND TRYING TO ACCELERATE RAPIDLY TO MERGE INTO MOVING TRAFFIC, THE TRUCK WILL STOP RESPONDING VIA ACCELERATOR COMPLETELY. THE TRACTION CONTROL IS ON, BUT NOT ACTIVE DURING THIS EFFECT. BASICALLY ANYTIME I ACCELERATE RAPIDLY FROM A STOP THE TRUCK DOES NOT RESPOND AND LEAVES ME DEAD IN THE WATER. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 14,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10605759 at NHTSA ↗

THE ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED THROTTLE PEDAL HAS A SEVERE DELAY WHEN HAVING TO SUDDENLY LET OFF AT SPEED THEN THE NEED TO RE-APPLY THROTTLE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. THERE IS A DELAY IN UPWARDS OF 1 TO 2 SECONDS BEFORE THE TRUCK RESPONDS TO THROTTLE INPUT. THIS HAPPENS ON A REGULAR BASIS AND CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC OR MERGING ONTO A FREEWAY. I'VE BEEN CLOSE TO ACCIDENTS ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS DUE TO THE LACK OF THROTTLE RESPONSE CAUSED BY THIS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 13,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10605852 at NHTSA ↗

ON THE CUMMINS DIESEL 6.7 ENGINE, WHEN TRYING TO CHANGE LANES AND ACCELERATE THE TRUCK HAS A HUGE HESITATION, OR LAG, IN ACCELERATION. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO GO FROM THE SLOWER RIGHT HAND LANES AND MOVE OVER TO THE LEFT LANES. AFTER THE HESITATION IT ACCELERATES FINE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10609240 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2013-04-03 (April 3, 2013)

Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2013 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks manufactured January 7, 2013, through March 6, 2013. The engine cover may trap an excessive amount of heat under the cover.

Consequence: The excessive heat under the engine cover may result in an under hood fire.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the existing engine cover with one that is a different design, free of charge. An interim letter was mailed on May 31, 2013. A second letter was mailed to owners with instructions on how to obtain the free remedy on August 15, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N19.

Reported: 2013-06-04 (June 4, 2013)

Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2013 Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks manufactured September 9, 2012, through March 5, 2013 and equipped with optional premium tail lamps. In the affected vehicles, the turn signal indicator may not flash at a double rate to give a notification to the driver of a turn signal malfunction. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."

Consequence: Without a warning that the turn signal is malfunctioning, the driver would continue to use the vehicle, unaware that other drivers on the road are not being notified that the vehicle is turning, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Central Body Controller software, free of charge. The recall began June 27, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N35.

Reported: 2013-06-04 (June 4, 2013)

Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2013 Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks manufactured January 7, 2013, through February 28, 2013 and equipped with optional premium headlamps. The headlamp shutters may function improperly when in high-beam mode. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."

Consequence: Improper headlight shutter function during high beam use may reduce the drivers visibility and possibly blind oncoming traffic. Either condition may increase the risk of crash.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reconfigure the Central Body Controller, free of charge. The recall began July 30, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N33.

Reported: 2014-10-08 (October 8, 2014)

Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks manufactured March 27, 2009, to September 5, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the electrical connectors of the diesel fuel heater may overheat.

Consequence: If the connectors overheat, the fuel heater may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the harness side connector with a silver plated beryllium copper terminal service kit, and inspect the fuel heater for leaks, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. Chrysler issued interim notification to owners on December 8, 2014. The recall began on April 27, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P65.

Reported: 2015-07-22 (July 22, 2015)

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks manufactured January 18, 2011, to October 7, 2014, and equipped with the Electronic Vehicle Information Center option. The affected vehicles have a steering wheel wiring harness that may rub against the driver air bag module retainer spring.

Consequence: This abrasion may result in an electrical short that could cause driver's frontal air bag to unexpectedly deploy. Inadvertent deployment of the air bag may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, repair as necessary, and secure the steering wheel wiring harness. Additionally, protective caps will be added to the air bag retainer spring ends. These repairs will be done free of charge. The recall began on September 18, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R36.

Reported: 2015-07-22 (July 22, 2015)

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 trucks manufactured June 20, 2012, to January 26, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the side impact sensor calibrations may be overly sensitive, and as a result, the side air bag inflatable curtains and seat air bags may unexpectedly deploy and the seat belt pre-tensioners may activate.

Consequence: Air bags that unexpectedly deploy increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update the Occupant Restraint Control module calibration, free of charge. The recall began on September 8, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R23.

Reported: 2015-07-23 (July 23, 2015)

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500, 2015 Chrysler 200, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, and Dodge Challenger, 2014-2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Cherokee, and Dodge Durango, and 2013-2015 Dodge Viper vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with radios that have software vulnerabilities that can allow third-party access to certain networked vehicle control systems.

Consequence: Exploitation of the software vulnerability may result in unauthorized remote modification and control of certain vehicle systems, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify and mail affected owners a USB drive that includes a software update that eliminates the vulnerability, free of charge. Optionally, owners may download the update to their own USB drive from http://www.driveuconnect.com/software-update/ or take their vehicle to a Chrysler dealer for immediate installation. In an effort to mitigate the effects of this security vulnerability, Chrysler has had the wireless service provider close the open cellular connection to the vehicle that provided unauthorized access to the vehicle network. This measure may not have been implemented on all vehicles and does not address access by other means that will be remedied by the software update. The recall began on August 25, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R40.

Reported: 2016-10-13 (October 13, 2016)

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Dodge Charger Police vehicles, 2007-2013 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis, 2008-2013 RAM 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis, and 2013 RAM 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The affected vehicles have a 220 amp alternator that may suddenly fail.

Consequence: If the alternator fails, the vehicle may stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash. There is also the possibility that the alternator may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the alternator with a revised alternator, free of charge. The recall began on December 23, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S68.

Reported: 2017-05-09 (May 9, 2017)

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Ram 1500, Ram 2500, and 2014-2016 Ram 3500 vehicles. Certain driving conditions, such as driving off-road or debris striking the vehicle may cause the roll rate sensor to trigger a fault within the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC). If this fault occurs, the rollover side curtain air bag and the seat belt pretensioner will be disabled from deploying.

Consequence: If the rollover side curtain air bags and seat belt pretensioners are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a crash that necessitates activation of these safety systems.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update the ORC software, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T25.

Reported: 2017-08-10 (August 10, 2017)

Streetcar ORV LLC, dba American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) is recalling certain 2013-2017 RAM 2500 and 3500 heavy duty trucks, modified by AEV to be equipped with cast aluminum Katla 8.5" road wheels. The outer surface of the wheel may fracture, resulting in rapid air loss.

Consequence: If the wheel fractures, a loss of vehicle control can occur, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: AEV will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wheels with wheels of similar value, free of charge. The recall began on August 30, 2017. Owners may contact AEV customer service at 1-248-926-0256 extension 500.

Reported: 2017-09-12 (September 12, 2017)

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2013-2017 RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Cab Chassis, and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles, equipped with Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel engines that have Concentric-brand water pumps without a vent hole. These water pumps may leak coolant.

Consequence: The leaking water pump can increase the risk of an engine compartment fire.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water pumps, free of charge. The recall began February 26, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T51.

Reported: 2017-12-20 (December 20, 2017)

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ram 3500 Cab Chassis with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of less than 10,000 lbs, 2011-2017 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles, 2009-2017 Ram 1500 and 2010-2017 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks, all equipped with a column shifter. Pushing the brake pedal for prolonged periods when the vehicle is running and in PARK may cause the Brake Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI) pin to stick in the open position. With the pin in the open position, the transmission can be shifted out of PARK into any gear without pushing the brake pedal or having the key in the ignition.

Consequence: Being able to shift the transmission without pushing the brake pedal and/or without a key in the ignition can increase the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle software, inspect the BTSI, and, as necessary, replace it, free of charge. The recall began February 26, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T79.

Reported: 2017-12-21 (December 21, 2017)

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling various Dodge, Chrysler, and RAM vehicles equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. A list of the affected trailer models is available at: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17V824-0103.pdf. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf

Consequence: If the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury in the event of a fire.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners instructing them to contact Kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began February 14, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403 or Kidde customer service service toll-free at 1-855-262-3540, or online at www.kidde.com and click on "Product Safety Recall" for more information. Chrysler's number for this recall is T82.

Reported: 2019-05-09 (May 9, 2019)

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks equipped with an 8 foot bed and a power locking tailgate. Chrysler is also recalling all 2013-2014 and 2018 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks built before April 1, 2018 with a 6 or 8 foot bed and a power locking tailgate. On August 29, 2019 Chrysler expanded the recall to include an additional 693,128 model year 2013-2014 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks. The tailgate actuator limiter tab may fracture and cause the tailgate to unlatch and open while driving.

Consequence: If the tailgate opens while the vehicle is being driven, cargo may fall out the vehicle and create a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will repair the tailgate latch, free of charge. The recall began May 23, 2019. Chrysler is expected to notify owners of the expanded population on October 18, 2019. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US's number for this recall is V44. Note: 2015-2017 MY Ram 1500 pickup trucks with truck beds other than 8 foot, are currently covered under NHTSA recall 18V-486 for this issue.