NHTSA Complaint #10907338 — 2015 RAM 1500

EVENT: ON SEPTEMBER 7TH AT APPROXIMATELY 07:16PM MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING ON HWY 380 AT MILEPOST 44 IN A REMOTE PART OF NEW MEXICO BETWEEN ROSWELL AND SAN ANTONIO. OUR SPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH. WE HAD BEEN TRAVELING FOR 6 DAYS AND APPROXIMATELY 2000 MILES BETWEEN VANCOUVER, WA AND THE LOCATION THE ENGINE FAILED. THE ENGINE ON MY 2015 RAM ECODIESEL BEGAN MAKING A GROANING SOUND. NO WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED ON MY DASH AND WITHIN MINUTES THE SOUND BECAME LOUDER AND THE ENGINE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY. FINALLY, THERE WAS A LOUD "BANG" AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER. AGAIN, NO WARNING LIGHTS AND NO INDICATION OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING. ONCE THE CAR ROLLED TO A STOP A "LOW OIL PRESSURE" LIGHT FINALLY APPEARED ON THE PANEL. THE TRUCK WAS INOPERABLE AND CAME TO A REST IMPEDING TRAFFIC.I PULLED THE OIL DIPSTICK AND TOOK THREE READINGS AND THE OIL RESERVOIR WAS FULL. WE PUSHED THE UCONNECT "ASSIST" BUTTON AND A TOW TRUCK WAS SUMMONED. WE WERE TOWED TO SIERRA BLANCA RAM DEALERSHIP IN RUIDOSO, NEW MEXICO. AFTER THE DEALERSHIP INSPECTED THE ENGINE THEY DISCOVERED THE NUMBER 5 CYLINDER HAD EXPLODED AND CRACKED THE ENGINE BLOCK IN THE PROCESS. THE MECHANIC TOLD US THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP CALLED CHRYSLER WARRANTY AND AS OF 09.17.16 WE STILL HAVE NO ANSWER FROM CHRYSLER ON WHETHER THEY WILL APPROVE A NEW ENGINE. THE MECHANIC HAS TOLD ME SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PAST WEEK THAT CHRYSLER WILL NOT APPROVE REPLACEMENT OF A NEW ENGINE UNTIL SEVERAL MORE "PICTURES AND DOCUMENTATION" CAN BE SUBMITTED. THIS, DESPITE THE DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDATION THAT WE NEED A FULL ENGINE REPLACEMENT IMMEDIATELY AND THERE IS NO OTHER OPTION THAN A FULL ENGINE REPLACEMENT.