NHTSA Complaint #10126388 — 2002 DODGE RAM 2500

I RECENTLY EXPERIENCED THIS WHILE I DRIVING WITH TRAILER IN TOW AND HAD LOSS OF POWER. BEING FOLLOWED BY TRAFFIC I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE UP THE HILL. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WHEN TURNING INTO TRAFFIC THE LOSS OF POWER AND UNABLE TO ACCELERATE HAS CAUSED OTHER DRIVERS TO PERFORM DRASTIC BRAKING AND MANEUVERING TO AVOID COLLISIONS. WHAT HAPPENS IS THE ENGINE DOES NOT RESPOND TO THE FUEL PEDAL INPUT. I HAVE CHECKED THE CODES ON THE DODGE RAM 2500 EQUIPPED WITH THE 5.9L CUMMINS TURBO DIESEL AND HAVE FOUND A P0216 CODE INDICATING THE BOSCH VP44 INJECTION PUMP IS NOT COMMUNICATING WITH THE ECM. THERE APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE VP44 COMPUTER TALKING WITH THE ECM. THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME THE "DEAD PEDAL" ISSUE OCCURRED. THIS FIRST STARTED AROUND 36000 MILES AFTER A LONG HIGHWAY TRIP COMING TO A STOP AFTER WHICH THE ENGINE STAYED AT IDLE AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. CURRENTLY IT HAS BECOME MORE CONSISTENT. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS OCCURS WHEN THE WEATHER CHANGES DRASTICALLY OR THE ENGINE HAS BEEN WORKED AND IS HOT. I AM STARTING TO BELIEVE THAT THE COMPUTER MOUNTED ON THE VP44 IS LOSING CONNECTIVITY DUE TO THE COMPUTERS SUSCEPTIBILITY TO EXTREME TEMPERATURES. I HAVE RESEARCHED FAILURES CONCERNING THE VP44 AND HAVE NOTED THAT ON THE CUMMINS ISB ENGINE THERE HAVE BEEN MANY FAILURES OF THIS INTEGRAL ENGINE COMPONENT. THIS ENGINE IS FOUND IN MANY OTHER APPLICATIONS SUCH AS SCHOOL BUSES, RV'S, AND LIGHT DUTY TRUCK APPLICATIONS. AFTER RESEARCHING THE MULTIPLE FAILURES THE MAJORITY OF THE FIXES FOR THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN TO REPLACE THE VP44 INJECTION PUMP. I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE SAID ISSUES AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO REMEDY THE FAULTY EQUIPMENT ON THIS ENGINE. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERN WHICH NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED DUE THE ENGINES APPLICATIONS IN SCHOOL BUSES, RV'S AND LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS. -REGARDS CHAD MCKINNEY