NHTSA Complaint #10851512 — 2011 DODGE RAM 1500

WHILE DRIVING ON A 2 LANE ROAD AT 50 MPH APPROX SPEED, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES BECAME EXTREMELY STIFF, BUT I WAS ABLE TO MUSCLE TRUCK TO SHOULDER. AFTER STOPPING, I PUT IT IN PARK, THE KEY WAS STILL IN ON POSITION; TURNED KEY AND ENGINE STARTED. I HAVE OWNED THIS TRUCK FOR 45 DAYS AND THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE AT TOTALLY RANDOM TIMES. I AM VERY FORTUNATE I WAS ON A ROAD WITHOUT MUCH TRAFFIC. HAD I BEEN IN A STEERING, PASSING OR OTHER SITUATION, I COULD HAVE BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT I LEARNED FROM INTERNET THAT THIS IS A FREQUENT COMPLAINT OF RAM OWNERS AND OTHER CHRYSLER PRODUCT VEHICLE OWNERS, AND THAT A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR CERTAIN CHRYSLER VEHICLES ALREADY. THE FAULTY PART WAS THE TIPM MODULE. THERE IS ALSO A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN PROCESS INVOLVING OTHER CHRYSLER VEHICLES NOT YET RECALLED, INCLUDING THE MODEL I OWN. I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER, AND THEY COULD NOT POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE CAUSE. THEY WOULD NOT AGREE TO REPLACE TIPM EVEN THOUGH I'M UNDER WARRANTY, BUT INSTEAD WANTED TO DO SOFTWARE UPDATES ON SEVERAL "MODULES" AND SAID IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN, I SHOULD BRING IT BACK. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!!! I CALLED RAM CUSTOMER CARE AND EXPLAINED THAT THE VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS AND THAT I CANNOT ACCEPT A SOFTWARE UPDATE IN THE HOPE IT FIXES IT GIVEN THE TIPM HISTORY OF THESE VEHICLES. THEY ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO DIAGNOSTIC "CODES" PRESENT, SO THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE TIPM. THEY THEN ADMITTED THAT A FAULTY TIPM WOULD NOT PRODUCE ANY CODES, BUT AGAIN SAID THEY NEEDED TO RULE OUT A SOFTWARE ISSUE FIRST BY TRIAL AND ERROR AND REFUSED TO REPLACE THE TIPM EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO WAY TO DIAGNOSE IF IT WAS FAULTY. MY SON IS DRIVING THIS TRUCK TO COLLEGE, AND I AM NOT ABOUT TO RISK HIM BEING KILLED IN THIS VEHICLE SO I WAS FORCED TO PAY $1,350 FOR A NEW TIPM. RAM NEEDS TO RECALL THESE IMMEDIATELY.