Vehicles transmission will default into 4th gear. At 75 MPH on the freeway, my truck began lurching and the RPM fluctuated then the transmission downshifted on its own and would not shift from 4th gear. I limped the truck to my destination, and contacted ram customer care who put me in touch with my local dealer. Still waiting on the appointment to have my transmission checked. Note that I could not manually shift the transmission up or down either. I was stuck in 4th gear, at 75mph.
Dodge RAM 2500 won't shift problems
20 of the 6,440 owner complaints about the Dodge RAM 2500 describe stuck in gear or won't shift, most of them for the 1996 model year.
- owner complaints
- 20
- worst model year
- 1996
- typical mileage
- 48,000
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20121
- 20081
- 20051
- 20043
- 20032
- 20014
- 20002
- 19992
- 19964
Often reported together
Transmission failure 3Pulling 2Stalling 2Knocking 2Wipers 1Windshield crack 1Steering lock-up 1
What owners say
Transmission does not want to shift from first to second without leaving off of the gas. Now it doesn't go into park just stays in reverse. Called repair shop and they said it happens a lot to dodge trucks. $3,000 to replace or repair.
2004 dodge ram 2500 has an unknown transmission problem. Shifts okay from cold start, but sporadically it will not shift into 2nd gear when engine is warm. Once the engine is warm, if the engine is turned off and then is restarted (such as a stop at a store, gas station, etc.), it goes into first gear okay, but then winds out and will not shift into 2nd gear. The only way to get it to shift again is to turn the engine off and then restart it. Then it will shift correctly. This is dangerous because many times when we pull out into traffic there is no place to safely pull to off the road to stop the engine. We have had to pray for red lights so we could shut off the engine off for a moment. We have had the governor pressure sensor replaced twice and have also replaced the transducer and the transmission solenoid and the problem remains.
I purchased the truck new but over the last several years the truck would go into limp mode or just stall while driving which makes it hard to control because you loose the power steering and brakes. Finally the computer went out, shop ordered a new one and the wipers were going on and off by them selves(has happened before), throwing codes..... The mechanic finally found that the connectors that plug into the computer are bad and loosing connection. This would possible explain the wipers coming on by them selves sometimes when you hit a bump, also the truck stalling. I jumped off the interstate a few months ago and the exit was a turn, when I let off of the accelerator the truck stalled and it was tough to keep it on the road.
It will not shift out of park and then after many tries it works fine. It does not happen everytime I start the truck.
On a 2008, 2500 ram diesel with a manual transmission, failed to engage in gear while towing. First time (june 2008) the transmission failed the vehicle had approx. 10,000 miles and would not shift to lower gears. I took it to dealer who said nothing was wrong. Truck is now at dealer with over 17000 miles and they say it now needs a new clutch. Yesterday while towing vehicle failed to downshift and every stop the truck had to be shut down to engage transmission. The vehicle also launches forward while the clutch is depressed after I get it in gear. I have less then 18000 miles on the truck and 15000 miles are highway miles a clutch should not fail without having something else wrong. I was with a friend of mine, who is a diesel tech. When the transmission failed to engage, he said he believed it was the hydraulic system failing to engage the clutch. Yesterday while making a left turn, in the middle of a intersection I had to shut the vehicle off and engage the transmission. I was lucky no cars were behind me and the light had changed to green for the cross traffic who had to wait until I turned the truck off to engage the gears and restart the truck.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 dodge ram 2500. While driving less than 60 MPH, the RPM's idled very highly. The vehicle would not shift into third and fourth gears and the automatic transmission failed. The dealer stated that there was a large amount of sludge and build-up inside the transmission. The contact was advised to have the transmission rebuilt, instead of replaced. The VIN was unavailable. The current and failure mileages were less than 48,000.
I have a 2004 dodge ram 2500 with the cummins and automatic transmission. The automatic selection indicator does not show the vehicle in park at least once a day when I drive it. I now this is a problem and have had recall #05v‑462 dcc #e17 done. This is a patch and does not address the problem of why my truck does not go into park. One of these days my 7000 pound truck is going to roll backwards and damage, injure or kill someone .
Just after the power train warrenty was up the trans started to slip. I check fluid. It was okay. Took it to the dealership and they rebuilt the trans at my cost of 2500. It still didn't shift right. The dealership told me it was fine. Last year I had to have the trans rebuilt again at 2500. It ran fine for exactly 12 months. The truck is currently in the shop again to have the trans rebuilt for the third time by a licenced facility. I had it fixed one time by a friend also. The trans shop will warrenty the labor this time but, they want over 1600 for parts. This truck was $40,000 and 2,500 per trans per year and the front end redone 3 times also. The engine is too heavy and powerful for the truck and trans. A fault by engineers at chrysler should not be a constant head ache for myself and my wallet. I have replaced nearly every part on this truck x 3. The only good thing about this truck is the motor and it's because it's a cummins.
Vehicle transmission will not shift without taking foot off accelerator to lower RPM. Dealer states internal seal failure and transmission needs rebuilding.
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 17V821000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift
- What is wrong
- On certain pickup trucks equipped with diesel engines and automatic transmissions, in an attempt to exit the vehicle quickly without shutting off the engine and removing the key, the driver may inadvertently leave the automatic transmission shift control in indicated reverse.
- Risk
- This error is an unintended action that may result in a lack of transmission park pawl engagement and possibly delayed rearward movement of the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Dealers will perform a software modification to equip these vehicles with an out-of-park alarm. Owners may contact daimlerchrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 05V462000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- On certain pickup trucks, the transfer case to transmission attaching fasteners may not be tightened correctly. This could cause the transmission adapter or transfer case housing to crack and leak fluid.
- Risk
- Continued operation can result in propeller shaft separation and damage to fuel system components, which could lead to a fuel leak. Fluid and/or fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can cause an underbody fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will retighten the transfer case to transmission fasteners. Owner notification began on december 22, 2003. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1‑800‑992‑1997.
Recall number 03V503000 · Recall details
Questions about the Dodge RAM 2500 won't shift
Which Dodge RAM 2500 years have stuck in gear or won't shift problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1996 (4 complaints), 2001 (4 complaints) and 2004 (3 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Dodge RAM 2500?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history