NHTSA Complaint #10552571 — 2009 DODGE RAM 2500

A FEW WEEKS AGO MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ADVANCE AUTO PARTS SAID AN ERROR CODE FOR THE TURBO CHARGER WAS PRESENT. I HAVE 43900 MILES ON THE ENGINE. DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS NOT CRITICAL AND I MADE AN APPT. BEFORE BRINGING IT BACK, A NEW CODE STATED DPF FILTER FULL 100%. BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE DPF NEEDED REGENERATION AND WOULD COST $150+. NEW TRUCKS GIVE WARNINGS OF 25%/50%/100% AND "CHANGE DRIVING HABITS". APPARENTLY DIESELS SHOULDN'T BE DRIVEN IN TOWN W/OVERDRIVE. INSTEAD WE NEED TO PULL HEAVY LOADS. THE ONLY OPTION: DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY IN 4TH GEAR TO BRING RPMS TO AT LEAST 2500 RPM EVERY SO OFTEN! PLUS, THE TURBO CHARGER APPARENTLY WAS CLOGGED BECAUSE I DON'T USE THE DIESEL AUTOMATIC DECELERATION BRAKE WHEN NOT PULLING A TRAILER. THE DEALER HAD TO ORDER SOME TYPE OF ADDITIVE TO CLEAN THE TURBO CHARGER AND THEY DID 3 CLEANINGS WITH 3 CANS OF CLEANER ON A MACHINE TO LET THE ENGINE RUN. THE MANAGER DIDN'T CHARGE ME TO DO THE CLEANING SINCE THEY WERE INTER-RELATED AND HAPPENED TOGETHER. OTHERWISE, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC CHARGE AND CLEANING CHARGE THAT TOOK TWO HOURS TO DO. I ASKED IF DODGE WAS PLANNING AN UPGRADE TO THE ONBOARD COMPUTER TO PROVIDE THOSE PRE-WARNINGS FOR THE DPF FILTER. THE SVC MGR SAID NO. WHY NOT? FROM ALL I READ, IF THE DPF FILTERS GETS TO 100% IT CAN DAMAGE THE SYSTEM. TO REPLACE THE DPF, IT AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST IN THE $5-6000! SO, THE ONLY OPTION IS TO PERIODICALLY HAVE THEM CHECK THE STATUS USING A DIAGNOSTIC AT A COST OF $95 BUT LIKELY, WOULD NOT SHOW ANYTHING UNTIL IT GETS TO 100% FULL. THIS IS RIDICULOUS SINCE THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO A PROGRAM UPGRADE TO WARN ABOUT THE DPF FILTER AS WELL AS THE TURBOCHARGER LEVELS OF SOOT. I BOUGHT THE TRUCK TO PULL AN RV AND ONLY PULL IT EVERY 6 MONTHS OR SO. WHY PAY $45,000 FOR A TRUCK IF YOU CAN'T DRIVE IT AROUND TOWN. *TR