2004 Dodge RAM 1500: sudden loss of power

Filed Sep 12, 2025 · Engine · FL

Driving on freeway , lost power Cruise control automatically shut off yellow light shape of a motor came on ; on the upper left side of the dashboard, had to pull over on side of freeway. Able to restart after a little bit. Another time sitting at traffic light shuts off , same light again . Another time had to wait from 11 pm to 3 am before it started and had called a tow truck.. THE RECALL IT FALLS UNDER IS #20V475000 CRANKSHAFT SENSOR , called and filed claim defect # is11686607 . Please Reply

Filed Sep 11, 2025 · Engine · 312,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal and stalled. In addition, the vehicle vibrated before losing power. The vehicle stalled at an intersection. The contact was stopped for hours, and the vehicle failed to restart. After six hours, the tow truck arrived, and the contact restarted the vehicle. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the yellow warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact's brother, a mechanic, inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the crankshaft position sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 20V475000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 312,000.

Filed Oct 5, 2020 · Engine · 201,732 miles · OH

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 dodge ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving and braking in traffic, the vehicle stalled and loss power steering and braking functions. The contact stated that extra effort was needed to depress the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and also to maneuver the steering wheel. The vehicle was restarted and operated for approximately fifteen minutes before the failure recurred. Buckeye chrysler jeep dodge ram (278 mansfield ave, shelby, oh 44875, (419) 347-5222) was contacted and stated that there was no recall on the vehicle and since there was no warning light they were unable to provide any assistance. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 201,732.

Filed Feb 10, 2020 · 150,000 miles · MA

While driving, idling or coming to a stop with foot on the brake, the truck will lose power and shut off without warning. It happens constantly so it's not a reliable vehicle to drive to work or anywhere else. I have 2 kids that drive in the vehicle as well as a travel trailer that's pulled and it's unacceptable to happen. I've replaced parts I thought would fix it several times on several different occasions. It's shut off while turning onto a street or into a business so I'm just sitting in the middle of the road with cars driving towards me. It seems like a waiting game before an accident happens. I don't understand why there is no recall on this. There's forums with tons of people that this has happened to and people spend thousands of dollars to troubleshoot with the issue being unfixed. Also, this wasn't one incident. It happens constantly.

Filed Oct 3, 2017 · Engine, Fuel system · 174,656 miles · NC

Engine stalls at all speeds on an interstate while going 75 MPH with no control of steering due to lost of power steering or brakes. Sometimes it will restart of sometimes it doesn't right away but after about thirty minutes it will restart. This is also true of parking lots and city streets. With no codes or engine check light to refer to.

Filed Nov 3, 2015 · Steering, Transmission · 100,000 miles · ND

While driving down the road the left front headlight would give out at random times brought to dealer and was diagnosed as fcm (later found out by another mechanic that it was a loose connector at the tipm issue was also the same exact thing on our work truck a 2004 dodge ram 3500 dually). The main safety issue is with the power rack and pinion, it has given out twice on the road in heavy traffic, the fix the first time was a complete replacement of the power rack and pinion system. The second time, the replacement of inner tie rod seals. Another computer issue was brought in for loss of power to whole truck at random times, cruise control failing, power surges. Unit replaced twice in one year to correct the problem.

Filed Aug 2, 2015 · Engine · 98,000 miles · FL

While drivng 55 MPH the vehicle just died out I had to coast over to the side of the road. The truck lost all power. Once I stopped the truck, I put in park and turned off the igninition, I was able to continue driving. The dashboard light showing a symbol of a lightening bolt, after researching I see some comments of it being a wire harness or tranny loose wiring, had truck looked at several times and wires were checked, but the truck still dies out. This has happened 5 times since 2013 always while dring more than 3 hours. I no longer take the truck on long trips, it is a very dangerous problem, I was thankful I was able to pull over on shoulder evrytime.

Filed Jul 15, 2015 · Body · PR

2004 dodge ram. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle mechanical and dealership service department repair issues. *smd the consumer stated he experienced a non-constant shake or tremble and self-braking, with a loss of power and the inability to be controlled, both when hauling horses and without any tow. The dealer was unable to duplicate the problem.

Filed Apr 2, 2015 · Brakes, Engine · 172,000 miles · UT · crash

As I was driving on the freeway at 70 MPH, I heard a loud "smack!" before the engine stalled and I lost power steering and power brakes. Luckily, I'm pretty strong and was able to pull off to the shoulder. The engine would start but not turn over with 4 or 5 attempts. It started on the fifth or sixth try but would not idle. I was finally able to get it to start and on my way to the mechanic, I could tell something was broken in the engine. After inspecting the engine and looking into it, it's been determined that a valve spring broke and sent the valve through the piston and into the cylinder, effectively ceasing the engine while the vehicle traveled at freeway speeds.

Filed Feb 23, 2015 · Transmission · 140,838 miles · OH

On my way to work when I heard a pop, lost all power and saw my drive shaft on the ground behind me. I had to pull over and had no way to keep the truck from rolling away. I had to remain inside my vehicle until help arrived. This is definitely a safety issue. I am lucky I didn't completely lose control when it happened and that I wasn't hit when I had to sit on the side of the highway inside my broken down truck. I see there are multiple incidents similar involving my year truck, yet dodge has only recalled the 2005 model. My truck was manufactured december 30, 2003.

Filed Jan 15, 2015 · Acceleration, Engine · 198,000 miles · CA

While coming to a stop, the truck lost all power and stalled. I immediately restarted the truck and proceeded to the next intersection, and it lost power and stalled again while braking to a full stop. I was able to make it two miles closer to my home, came to a stop and the engine revved up slightly, and then idled low to the point where I thought it was going to stall again. I got it home and had it towed to my mechanic. The truck was checked out, the truck did not stall after repeated testing for the next week. I picked it up, got a quarter mile down the road and it lost power and stalled again. I immediately returned it to the mechanic and, again, the truck did not duplicate the stalling, but the mechanic did see it rev up when coming to a stop. The mechanic replaced the idle positioning sensor and I picked up my truck only for it to stall on my way home. My mechanic has had my truck more than I have over the last two months and the problem remains undiagnosed. After basic research on dodge forums, this is a problem that many other people are dealing with and nothing has been done to address this issue. This is a major safety issue considering that the truck loses power and stalls without warning in the middle of turns and coming to a stop. Please help resolve this issue before it costs someone their life. I am not the only person having this problem.

Filed Dec 21, 2014 · Engine · 129,000 miles · OK

I was driving and my 2004 dodge ram 1500 4x4 sputtered and died without warning. I was in the left lane, and it was all I could do to pull it to the right side of the road as it lost power. I was headed uphill, so I was able to safely put it in neutral and let it roll back because I was blocking an entrance ramp to the interstate. It was 5 pm and I was westbound, so people had difficulty seeing my hazard lights while looking into the sun. It was scary! With regular maintenance and garage kept, this truck broke an engine valve spring. When this happens, the engine fails immediately because there is no longer compression in that cylinder. I was lucky, the spring held in place and did not allow the valve to drop into the cylinder, which would have been catastrophic and irreparable. After research, I found dodge knows about this problem in the 2004 hemi engine. In fact, they redesigned the valve springs in the 2005 models. Several sites & blogs showed owners with the same problem, but dodge never started a campaign or issued a recall. I contacted chrysler (dodge) and they refuse to assist or acknowledge the problem. If this had occurred on a busy interstate, I could have been involved in a serious accident. When the engine failed, I lost power steering and any ability to maneuver the vehicle. If needed, I have all documentation, and I also have the broken valve spring in my possession.