Ram 2500 sudden acceleration problems

Filed Aug 10, 2026 · Brakes · VA

The contact owns a 2017 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the ABS warning light illuminated and the messages "Service ABS” and “Service Traction Control" were displayed. The contact added that while the cruise control was activated, the vehicle lunged forward while decelerating and the cruise control inadvertently deactivated. The contact stated that while driving over a bump in the roadway, the failure reoccurred, and the ABS warning light was flickering on and off with an audible chime. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Jan 13, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · MA

While driving, the truck began to violently shake when downshifting. As I was exiting the highway and braking, the shaking intensified, and the truck stalled while I was traveling around 30 MPH, causing a complete power loss. To avoid a collision, I veered off the ramp and ended up scraping a road sign, which caused damage to the bed above the right fender, the road sign was intact and there was no damage to the sign. When I attempted to restart the truck and placed it in drive, it accelerated on its own. Applying the brakes only made it accelerate further, causing the truck to lunge forward uncontrollably. I managed to slow it down by putting it in neutral, regaining full brake control. I was able to get the truck to my driveway, but as soon as I turned into the driveway, it stalled again. I had to repeat this process to make it home as I didn't have cell service and was unable to call for a tow. This issue is extremely concerning, a complete power loss while driving, especially one that forces you off the road to avoid an accident, poses a grave safety hazard. My life and safety were jeopardized due to this malfunction.

Filed Aug 12, 2024 · Transmission · MI

4.10 Axle Ratio has manufacturing defect. Pinion bearing spins in differential housing causing miss-alignment between pinion and ring gear. Resulting in vibration, noise, binding at low RPM and slamming sensation with sudden acceleration. Full rear end lock up possible. Providing dangerous situation, especially when using as tow vehicle. Truck reported has 3rd (third) axle housing installed, with defects already present requiring another replacement.

Filed Apr 25, 2023 · Transmission · VA

The transmission feels like it is shifting hard. When you come to a stop and it downshifts from 2nd to 1st sometimes it transfers all the power into 1st gear hard and makes the truck lunge forward as you almost come to a stop. You have to keep your foot firmly planted on the brake as you never know when it’s going to happen. I have the truck for 1.5 years and it’s happened to me about 10 times, very intermittent. I have had the truck in for service x3 times and they could not replicate the issue. There was another the federal safety agency I suspect had the same issue as me the ID# is 11502531. This person described almost the same issue, and our VIN almost match, and both vehicles were manufactured about the same time in the same location.

Filed Apr 19, 2023 · Transmission · CA

Randomly (maybe twice a month) when I am stopped at a light (vehicle in drive with brake on) my truck will suddenly surge forward. The dash will say "Shift to park to start", but the truck is already started and running with brake only on. It would be possible to hit someone or something if the brake isn't fully down. I have notified the dealership and they state "NO PROBLEM FOUND AT THIS TIME" when I had it in for service. They are saying I would need to leave my vehicle with them so they can try and replicate it. Being this does not always happen, my vehicle could be with them for a long period of time and not sure how they would replicate it without driving it all day for days/weeks on end. I have had this issue for over a year. I just took my vehicle in for a 30,000 mile service which included a throttle body service. This particular service has not remedied the issue (if it were something to do with that).

Filed Oct 7, 2022 · Transmission · 123,000 miles · TN · crash

The contact’s son-In-Law owns a 2017 Ram 2500. The contact stated while her daughter was putting her grandchildren in the vehicle, her 2-year-old grandson, who was briefly left in an unknown front seat with the doors closed, pushed the gear shifter into drive (D) and the vehicle accelerated without applying the brakes. The vehicle crashed into a trailer filled with tools located 20-30 ft. away. The vehicle then crashed into the corner of a storage building and stopped. There were no injuries sustained. The air bags did not deploy. There was no police report filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the Brake Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI) had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V100000 (Power Train). The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under the recall in 2018; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.

Filed Mar 14, 2022 · Transmission · 72,000 miles · WY · crash · 1 injury

The contact owns a 2016 Ram 2500. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and running, she opened the front driver's side door and stepped on the running board with her body between the front driver's side door and the vehicle frame. The vehicle lunged forward independently, turned to the left and crashed into the front end of the passenger's side of the unoccupied vehicle parked next to it. The contact became trapped between the two vehicles and pinned between the driver's side door and the frame of her vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was squeezing continuously as if it had shifted into drive. The contact attempted to honk the horn by extending the keys on her left arm but was unsuccessful and started screaming for help. Two individuals arrived at the scene but could not unlock the door and were unable to break the front passenger's side window to unlock the door in order to extract the contact. The contact squeezed her body and reached out the unlock button on the driver's side door, and she unlocked the door. One of the individual got inside the vehicle, shifted into reverse and reversed slowly in order to release and extract the contact. The vehicle was parked. The contact was then extracted but was knocked unconscious. The contact was airlifted to the hospital where she was informed that she had sustained six broken ribs, damaged clavicle required surgery, damaged lungs due to squeezing, squeezed organs to one side of her abdomen, bruises on both glutes and bruised hips. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the local collision center. The collision center informed the contact that the driver's side frame of the vehicle she was squeezed against was dented, which showed the severity of the squeezing. The local Chrysler dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

Filed Sep 18, 2019 · Acceleration, Brakes · 300 miles · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 2019 ram 2500. While driving 65 MPH, the rpms increased and the engine revved. The contact released the accelerator pedal and manually shifted the gears in order to return to the correct reading. In addition, the computer system that controlled the radio and camera would glitch and hesitated to change views. Also, while driving approximately 40 MPH in an intersection, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, despite depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the ignition and check engine warning indicators illuminated. The contact was able to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road and shifted into park; however, the vehicle continued to rev as if the accelerator pedal were depressed. When the contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, all the warning indicators illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to crown motors (located at 555 cypress ave, redding, ca 96001, 888‑755‑5922) where it was diagnosed that the egr valve closed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. While driving 45 MPH uphill, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road where it came to a rolling stop. The contact stated that the accelerator and brake pedals failed. The contact had the vehicle towed to the same dealer to be diagnosed, but no codes were found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures and provided case number: 64570388. The approximate failure mileage was 300.

Filed Feb 11, 2018 · Acceleration · 44,794 miles · KS

This report follows the federal safety agency report 11051041 of unintended acceleration in the same 2015 ram 2500 truck (11/4/17). On 2/10/18, the 2nd and 3rd episodes occurred. After a hard acceration to 70 MPH, the truck did not slow in response to braking. The engine continued to rev. After two applications of the brakes, I pushed the transmission into neutral and hit the hazard flashers. Even in neutral and with the brakes applied, the engine continued to rev, but the truck slowed very gradually. I eased to the side of the road, and pushed it into park. The engine continued to rev. Engaged the emergency brake, and turned the truck off. While trying to regain control, slow the truck and get it off of the road, a message flashed twice. I believe the message was--service electronic throttle. But I am not sure. The messages literally blinked on and off, and I was struggling with the truck. The first episode of unintended acceleration in this truck was terrifying. This episode felt much more dangerous. If I had not read extensively about the problem of unintended acceleration and strategies for regaining control of the vehicle, the outcome could have been much worse. And, my husband and I had practiced strategies for regaining control while driving to other places and when the truck was operating normally. After parking I called my husband. He came to the location. The truck was turned off for ten minutes. We switched trucks. He got into the ram and started it. The engine was again revving. He turned the truck off and restarted it. The engine started normally. He then took the truck to an auto supply store to pull the codes. There was nothing. The truck was driven home. It is permanently parked and is dangerous to drive. Accidents have only been avoided because we live in a rural area with sparse population and traffic, coupled with wide roads.

Filed Nov 28, 2017 · Acceleration · 42,000 miles · KS

On november 4, 2017 at about 10:30 am after hard acceleration to 70 MPH on an open four lane highway in clear weather, and application of brakes, the truck re-accelerated on its own with no pressure on the fuel pedal. Upon application of the brakes, the truck slowed but when pressure removed from the brakes, the truck re-accelerated. It took three separate applications of the brakes, before the unintended acceleration stopped, and the truck was again under control. The truck was taken later that day to a local auto parts store, and the codes scanned. There was no indication of anything amiss. The following week the truck was taken to the dealership where it was purchased. They again scanned the codes, which revealed no malfunctions. The mechanics test drove the truck trying to replicate the sudden unintended acceleration but were unable to do so.