NHTSA Complaint #10286925 — 2008 DODGE RAM 2500

ON MY 2008 DODGE RAM 2500 DIESEL PICKUP TRUCK SOMETIMES WHEN YOU ACCELERATE, THERE IS LITTLE TO NO RESPONSE EXCEPT BLACK SMOKE BILLOWING FROM THE EXHAUST. YOU HAVE TO PRESS THE ACCELERATOR COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR TO GET ANY RESPONSE, AND THEN IT WILL ONLY DO MAYBE 5-10 MPH. MAXIMUM. THIS HAPPENS AT RANDOM TIMES, AND THERE SEEMS TO BE NO WAY TO PREDICT WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. IT HAPPENS FROM A STOPPED POSITION, AS WELL AS ACCELERATING TO PASS A VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IN THE CASE OF HIGHWAY (PASSING A VEHICLE) SPEED, THE ENGINE WILL LOSE POWER, BUT WILL NOT COMPLETELY QUIT. IN EITHER CASE, YOU MUST PULL OVER, TURN OFF THE VEHICLE, AND RESTART IT FOR IT TO PERFORM NORMALLY. THIS PROBLEM FIRST BEGAN IN LATE JULY, 2009. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS ON AUGUST 14TH. 2009. ACCORDING TO THE WORK ORDER (INVOICE), THEY REPLACED A PARTICULATE FILTER, AND DID A TURBO TEST. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON ABOUT 3.5 MILES AFTER I LEFT THE DEALER, AND THE TRUCK WAS BILLOWING HEAVY BLACK SMOKE. WHEN I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE SAME REPAIR, I WAS TOLD THEY WERE GOING TO DO THE SAME THING. A NEW FILTER, AND A TURBO TEST. THEY DID NOT HAVE A FILTER IN STOCK, SO THEY DID NOT MAKE ANY REPAIRS, AND THEY TOLD ME THEY DID NOT EXPECT THIS TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM ANYWAY, AS IT HAD NO AFFECT THE LAST TIME THEY DID IT. THE LATEST INCIDENT OCCURRED ON OCTOBER 8, 2009. *TR