NHTSA Complaint #10091117 — 2003 DODGE RAM 2500

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE FROM WILSON MOTORS IN CORVALLIS, OR ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2002. APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS LATER, I BEGAN HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE VEHICLE LOOSING POWER WHEN SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS ON 5/20/03, 7/16/03 AND 8/1/03. ON THE LAST VISIT THE COMPUTER WAS FLASHED ACCORDING TO TSB 18-005-03, WHICH SEEMED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, UNTIL RECENTLY: ON 7/5/04 I ENCOUNTERED A SIGNIFICANT POWER LOSS WHILE CLIMBING THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE (WHILE TOWING A 6,500 POUND TRAVEL TRAILER) AND WAS UNABLE TO CONTINUE MY CLIMB OF THE 6,000 FEET, 6% GRADE. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE BY CAREFULLY MOVING INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE TO RE-START THE VEHICLE AS TO RESET THE COMPUTER. ON 7/12/04 WILSON MOTORS WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. I THEN CONTACTED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHO INDICATED THEY CANNOT FIX THE PROBLEM UNLESS THE DEALER CAN RE-CREATE THE PROBLEM. I FEEL THIS ISSUE CREATES A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. *JB