Transmission won't go into reverse at times, auto shifting back to park before check engine light comes on. Vehicle initially started with hard shifts at low speeds about 25 mph. Issue progressed to the point where vehicle has to be put into reverse. Otherwise vehicle would not shift at the same point about 25 mph and would be stuck in the low gear until vehicle is shut off and restarted then put into reverse before proceeding. The issue has continued to grow where shifting into reverse causes the vehicle to noticeably lurch back with a very heavy thunk before putting it into drive. Reverse takes time engaging. However the issue will persist and it will not go into reverse before Auto shifting to park and the check engine light comes on. Vehicle would drive for a little while before the transmission would stop shifting and go into limp mode where I wouldn't be able to drive over 30 miles per hour without very high RPMs. During some of those times the vehicle would take a long time before the transmission would engage and shift which would cause the vehicle to jerk abruptly forward. And at times back tires have lost traction. Recently the vehicles transmission has disengaged entirely while driving. At times it'll be 40 mph where it will disengage or in one case about 15 mph as I was making a turn and in the intersection it disengaged. First time the vehicle went to a dealership. They were unable to replicate the problem and that was approximately 30,000 mi on the odometer. The second time it went in with the issue it was diagnosed as being a service bulletin which was then updated and issue remained. The third time it was brought in there was a code that showed that the clutch gear ratio was incorrect. Mechanics have said the vehicle needs a new transmission and this has been a known issue with the 8-speed 8 HP75 by ZF transmissions. Transmission has also surged and lunged while braking at various points. While completely stopped, vehicle has lurched forward.
2019 Ram 1500 transmission complaints
Page 2 of 8: complaints 11 to 40 of 207, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and hauling a 500 lb. trailer, the vehicle hesitated and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, a bearing made an abnormal grinding sound. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, opened the hood, and noticed dust on top of the eTorque Motor Generator Unit (MGU). The contact was able to restart the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the Motor Generator Unit (MGU) had failed. The dealer informed the contact that continuous driving of the vehicle had caused the tensioner to overextend due to the loss of power by the MGU and bearing. The contact was informed that parts to repair the vehicle were on backorder. The vehicle remained with the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and filed a claim. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
The contact owns a 2019 RAM 1500. The contact stated that when his spouse started the vehicle during cold weather conditions, the engine was turned on, revved high, and the gear shift from park (P) to drive (D) inadvertently without the brake pedal being depressed. The contact stated that the vehicle jolted off and crashed into the door of a business. The contact's spouse sustained a head injury but did not receive medical attention. A police report was filed, but the info was not readily available at this time. The vehicle was taken to the spouse's residence and parked. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
SEE FULL COMPLAINT NOTES IN ATTACHED PDF; SUMMARY HERE (you do not provide sufficient space to provide all info you request) I own a 2019 Ram 1500 4WD Limited (not eTorque). On multiple occasions, the vehicle has unexpectedly shifted out of Drive into Neutral while driving. When this occurs, a warning chime dings and a message on display directs me to âShift to Parkâ. The vehicle immediately loses forward power (because it has shifted itself to Neutral), until I come to a complete stop, shift to Park, and then shift back to Drive to move forward. Usually the engine stays on, but on at least one occasion the engine turned off and I had to restart. This has happened at least five times total, including three times within the past month. The events have occurred while decelerating to a stop, braking but not stopping, and accelerating from a slow down. Each time, I experienced a sudden and unexpected loss of propulsion, requiring me to stop the vehicle in traffic, shift fully into Park, and then reselect Drive before the vehicle would move again. These incidents have occurred in active traffic situations and have placed me and others at risk of a collision due to the sudden loss of power (SEE DETAILS IN PDF). I previously brought the vehicle to a dealer for this issue after it had just occurred (~1 year ago, before the recent increase in frequency); however, the dealer stated that the vehicle did not throw a code, or no code was stored. They could not replicate the problem and no repair was made. There are at least 55 the federal safety agency complaints filed that appear the same as my issue; none appear to have been resolved by dealers or RAM. This appears to be a systemic safety defect involving the powertrain and electronic shifting system. The unexpected loss of propulsion in traffic presents a serious risk of injury or death. I am submitting this complaint due to the ongoing and unresolved safety concern. I am scared to drive my family in my vehicle until it is known to be fixed.
have a 2019 Ram four-door. I had it for about 6 months when I got this alert for the first time. I was coming to a stop light, and the truck dings at me, gives me the error code "Shift to P then Desired Gear" and shifts itself into neutral. Once I come to a stop, I can then put it back into Drive and continue driving. This only happened once then so I let it slide at a quirk. Fast forward to now. The error code comes up at least 4 times per week, sometimes multiple times in a day. Always happens when I'm coming to a stop. I do notice that the truck seems to shift very hard when accelerating from a full stop or slowing to stop. This has almost got me killed twice now. I have taken to dodge multiple times with no resolution. Please help
Right front axle seized in front differential both axle splines worn and identical needs replacement. No parts available.
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated that after stopping at a red traffic light, the vehicle hesitated and failed to accelerate as intended while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated that another driver was behind and assisted the contact, and the contact noticed that the parking brake was unintendedly activated. No warning light was illuminated. Upon further inspection, the contact noticed the transmission had unexpectedly shifted from drive(D) to park(P). The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed; however, the failure was not identified. The vehicle was also taken to two other local dealers; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired because the VIN was not under recall. Prior to the failure, the contact stated that occasionally, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would independently shift into lower gears. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
My 2019 RAM 1500 diesel (built 12/12/2019 is included in Recall 23V‑411 for tone wheel delamination. My tone wheel has failed (confirmed by technician). Stellantis provides free tone wheel replacement under Recall 73A for 2014 and 2016 models but excludes 2015/2017/2018/2019 models despite having the identical defect from the same supplier. I received only Recall 66A (software) which did not prevent failure. Stellantis now wants me to pay $3,037 to replace the defective part they replace free in other model years. This discriminatory recall remedy is inadequate and unjust.
During normal driving when coming to a stop the vehicle will hard downshift to neutral for no apparent reason. It will also hard shift to 1st like it’s lagging hard from 2nd or deciding if it wants to shift to neutral. It will happen at random times, in the middle of a turn, middle of an intersection. And is a serious concern
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a whining sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that later, while driving the vehicle, there was a clucking sound coming from the vehicle, and the vehicle lost power to the rear axle. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic, who examined the vehicle. After removing the rear axle casing, the mechanic discovered metal shavings and bearings inside the rear axle casing. The contact was advised that the rear axle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact indicated that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V556000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 84,000.
Car shut off while driving without warnings.
Alternator with etorgue has gone out leaving the truck stranded and no parts are available. I order one on the 23rd of June 2025 it is now September 9th 2025. There is no update and part is still showing back ordered.
Issue started with a "service shifter" warning at just shy of 3,000 miles, in January of 2019, and upon speaking to the dealership, they advised to shut off the truck and restart which cleared the "service shifter" warning. They said it was a glitch and that should remedy the issue. This issue became more frequent later (after manufacturers warranty ran out) It started leaving me stranded, sometimes for hours around 45,000 miles. Later, I suffered a multisystem failure and warnings that the truck was not in park, the shifter would not turn, truck would not start, and multiple other warnings. We were able to replace the battery which we thought had fixed the issue, but two weeks later it has done it again, and this time the battery disconnection for a period of days has not fixed the issue. I still owe two years on this truck and it has been a lemon. I have taken it to two dealerships, neither can fix my issue. I have done countless hours of research to address the issue. I am paying payments and do not have anything to drive. I need help with this issue. I have maintained the vehicle and have only put close to 60,000 miles on the truck. There is no logical reason I should be dealing with this many major issues that even the dealership can not seem to remedy. With such low miles and at only 7 years old, these issues should not be considered "routine maintenance" at the point in the truck's life. I believe this issue needs to be investigated, as I know many RAM owners who are facing the same issues that I am having, with no answers as of yet. I have been watching for recalls or statements from RAM, but nothing yet. Thank you for your time and careful considerations. I look forward to seeing a solution to my issues. Until then, I'll be stranded in Virginia, paying for transportation that can't be fixed.
Mgu failed and has been on backorder for months
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle jerked violently and downshifted unintendedly. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated, and the gear shift indicator and speedometer were malfunctioning. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact stated that the failure had recurred while driving at various speeds, and the vehicle stalled on several occasions. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to be restarted after 5-15 minutes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with loose wires. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that while his son was driving 65 MPH, the failure recurred, and the vehicle shut off. The contact's son was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact’s son was unable to remove the ignition key when the vehicle shut off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 16,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently shifted from drive(D) to park(P) independently. After shifting back to drive(D), the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular failure. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 60 MPH the messages "Service Air Bag System", "Service Electric Stability Control", "Service Trailer Brake System", "Service Park Brake", "Service Anti-Lock Brake System" and "Service Power Steering" were displayed and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that soon after, the transmission failed to shift into gears as intended, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact also stated that while driving and making turns the transmission will slip into neutral(N) upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stopped the vehicle, shifted to park(P), shifted back to drive(D) and drove to the residence. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Electric Harness and RF Hub had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage approximately 154,000.
Motor Generator Unit failed at 89,000 miles. Three dealerships that I spoke with having waiting lists of customers for this repair. Backlog on part is up to four months. It is evident that this is specifically problematic to the models equipped with the 5.7-liter V8 Hemi MDS VVT eTorque Engine. Federal warranty expires at 80,000/ 8 years. Based upon the number of vehicles effected and specific to eTorque engines, seems like a recall (or reimbursement) is warranted in this case.
The dangerous behavior occurs only when the truck is in four-wheel-drive. Two behaviors: One:Low range. Ascending up a steep dirt road without warning truck shifted into neutral and got stuck there. Shifting into reverse drive or park did not take it out of neutral. The steering and brakes worked. The four-wheel-drive, low and four-wheel-drive high indicatorlights were blinking simultaneously. This behavior persisted after turning the truck off and on again. I had to back down a switchback dirt road. Eventually, I thought to disconnect the battery and reconnect it which corrected the behavior and put the truck back to normal. I no longer use this truck in four-wheel-drive low. I am having the truck looked at by a second dealer service department to try to diagnose this problem. 2: the second abnormal, behavior occurs in four-wheel-drive low, first gear heading downhill using the engine compression for braking. The truck will without warning shift into 2 Wheel Dr. high range, and the four-wheel-drive, low and four-wheel-drive high indicator lights blink simultaneously. This behavior is corrected by turning the engine off and then on again.
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission independently shifted into park. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed power train control module. The contact was informed that the power train control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was previously taken to several unknown dealers on several occasions due to the persistent failure. The contact stated that on one occasion the vehicle needed to be towed to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000. The VIN was not available.
My 2019 RAM 1500 Big Horn/Longhorn 3.6L V6 (VIN: [XXX] ) experienced a sudden and catastrophic engine failure without warning while driving. The vehicle shut off unexpectedly on the highway and would not restart. There were no prior dashboard warning lights, low oil pressure indicators, or error messages before the incident. A full diagnostic revealed severe mechanical failure in cylinder 1, including piston-to-valve contact and 40% leak-down with compression at 50 psi. This damage rendered the engine inoperable and required a complete replacement. Prior to the failure: The vehicle was regularly maintained using synthetic oil, following the manufacturer's recommended intervals (between 6,500–10,000 miles). The oil life indicator was followed, and the truck was never low on oil or pressure. A Customer Satisfaction Notification for PCM (Powertrain Control Module) reprogramming was never completed due to the dealer’s system being down on two separate service visits. Despite following proper maintenance and attempting to comply with the manufacturer’s recall-like notice, the engine failure occurred without any warning or indication. The dealership and warranty provider have attempted to deny responsibility, blaming maintenance intervals without proof that it caused the failure. This is a serious safety concern as the engine shut down at highway speed, placing me and others at risk. I am requesting the federal safety agency investigate this issue and whether PCM logic, a known defect, or improper diagnostics at the dealership contributed to the failure. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Truck was stopped. Then as I started pressing on the gas pedal, there was a warning sound. The gear selector knob rotated on its own from D to P and the message on the screen said to start / stop the vehicle to put it back in gear D. This put myself and my family at risk of a car accident as we were merging onto an expressway. This happened while the truck was starting to accelerate. This is the second time this happens.
The vehicle will require that you shift it into park when slowing causing you to have to stop the vehicle place it in park then back into gear. This has happened regularly since about 20,000 miles on the vehicle, most often occurs in warmer weather months and it randomly occurs but at least weekly. This is a known issue among many Ram owners as noted in the online chats and forums. Pulling into traffic can be an issue.
The star connector on the CAN C BUS will start to have communication problems with the all the systems on that star connector approximately after about 15 to 20 min after driving. Systems that were constantly going in and out were the front and rear parking sense, ABS and traction would go out. Service shifter message, caused the transmission to up shift while driving at a constant speed. After getting a check engine light, I hooked up my code reader and had a code for the park sense control module. I proceeded to replace that module and was unable to get the code to go away. Upon further investigation, I found a history code for the CAN C BUS PERFORMANCE code and researched on this topic in the forums with other owners of the same truck and looked for any maintenance for this topic as well. These owners would have the same problem that my truck was having and the dealerships were unable to pin point the malfunction of all these systems. I did find video of an owner that had the same problem as my truck and he was able to pin point the problem down to the star connectors. The star connector would slowly over time while the vehicle was on would slowly take on more power then it was supposed to and overload the star connector. Upon learning about the star connectors, I learned how to replace them and after I replaced the star connectors for the exterior and interior components of the vehicle, everything went back to normal. I do still have the star connectors that were taken out incase I wanted to get them tested for the same issue the other guy found out
While driving the freeway at 70 mph, the truck flashed a message to service shifter. Windshield wipers starting going on their own, all messages popped up on dashboard, and the vehicle started gradually slowing down posing a safety issue. Speedometer was going from 0-50 mph back and forth and steering wheel was hard to maneuver. I was able to get off the freeway and into the frontage safely. However, turning the vehicle was a hassle and even more so when I tried to drive in to a parking lot to get to a safer area since the truck wouldn’t respond to the gas pedal nor would the steering wheel cooperate. If I wanted to turn it left it jerked on its own to the right. Vehicle shut off on its own and wouldn’t power back on after that. Tow truck had to be called and was told this was a cause of rfh by rear window(shortage caused by leak on third brake light) this happened after it being repaired. Truck was in shop for over two weeks. Today I’m being told it is the rack and pinion system causing this shortage and issue. Awaiting repair quote for that
While driving down a curving mountain highway above 70 mph, the gauge cluster displayed “shift to park” or “shift to drive” I don’t recall exactly. The transmission then downshifted dramatically, perhaps into 3rd gear, then the motor shut off.Thankfully, I successfully merged through heavy traffic to the narrow shoulder but the truck would not restart. After over 30 minutes of attempts (fuel tank above half)I called a tow truck. My family climbed up the hill to get a safe distance from the road. It was cold and dark and things could have gone much worse. Ram owners on internet forums have described this exact problem many times and it’s clear that this is a wide spread safety issue. This is the second time the truck had lost power while driving in the same manner. The first time the dealer could not replicate the issue while it was under warranty and returned it to service. No I’m out of warranty, need a new transmission at largely my own expense and there are zero available in the country. The dealer has my truck for an “indefinite” time period.
I purchased a 2019 Ram 1500 in November and have since been unable to pass state inspection due to several issues with the vehicle. I have contacted the dealership three times to request repairs, but they have repeatedly told me there is nothing they can do. I reached out to the Massachusetts Lemon Law, and they advised me to contact a lawyer immediately. The problems preventing my vehicle from passing inspection include excessive play in the bushing of the right front upper control arm, excessive play in the ball joint of the right front lower control arm, issues with both front struts, and excessive wear on the stub shafts of the front differential assembly, necessitating a front axle replacement since a kit is unavailable. Additionally, both front axle shafts need attention, and I require four-wheel spacers to prevent tire rubbing, as well as four fender flares. Within the first 30 days of purchase, I informed the dealership about the truck's tires not passing inspection. They acknowledged the tires were worn but claimed they still passed. When alignment issues arose due to bad ball joints, the dealership insisted the ball joints were up to spec. Unsatisfied, I sought a second opinion from another Dodge dealership, which confirmed the ball joints were faulty and identified additional issues with the front axles, struts, control arms, and front differential assembly. I provided this information to the original dealership, seeking repairs, but was again told there was nothing they could do. I have documented all my communications with the dealership and their responses. At the time of purchase, I received a powertrain warranty through Zurich that covers the front axles and front differential assembly. However, the dealership did not provide an inspection report or certification of the vehicle's condition when I bought it.
The MGU for the hybrid system of the etorque of them truck failed. The bearing inside of it has started to grind and there is very little replacements available to consumers for repair. The dealership, Fernley Ram, located in Fernley Nevada stated that there is only 210 parts available in all of the US. Im reading in different forums that there are thousands of consumers waiting months (4-6 on the high end) for the part to be available. The part failing can cause power loss to vehicle while driving and thankfully it failed when I was arriving home today. Just wanted to bring this up so it can be known and hopefully a remedy can be figured out.
Ram Rebel suffers from “Service Shifter” warning frequently; occasionally pits itself into neutral and requires to be put into park; front and rear park assist seem to be associated with this fault as well as it disables and enables randomly. Major electrical issue with shifter/transmission issues and parking sensors.
electric controller is failing causing the power system to fail
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