NHTSA Complaint #11209741 — 2017 RAM PROMASTER

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN ON A ROAD AT POSTED SPEED LIMITS AND THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING DOWNHILL THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WILL OFTEN DOWNSHIFT TWO GEARS CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVER REV UNCONTROLLABLY OFTEN TO 4000 REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE. FURTHERMORE, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT TO A HIGHER GEAR DURING THIS TIME UNLESS THE DRIVER ACCELERATES HARD WHILE ALREADY BEING IN A SITUATION OF OVER REVVING THE ENGINE. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WILL NOT RESPOND TO MANUALLY SELECTED GEAR SHIFTS DURING THESE "OVER REVVING" EVENTS. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WILL EVENTUALLY UP SHIFT AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS OF EXCESSIVE REVVING AND ENGINE SPEED WILL BECOME NORMAL AGAIN ONCE THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING ON A FLATTER ROADWAY. THESE "OVER REVVING" EVENTS CAN HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES TRAVELLING DOWN A LONG INCLINE AND ONLY HAPPEN WHILE GOING DOWNHILL. THESE "OVER REVVING" EVENTS, WHERE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION UNNECESSARILY DOWNSHIFT SEVERAL GEARS WHILE TRAVELING AT POSTED SPEED LIMITS ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THE VEHICLE AT TIMES HAS BECOME UNSTABLE DUE TO ENGINE BRAKING, ON ROADS WITH WINTRY AND WET ROAD CONDITIONS. SEVERAL DRIVERS OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR EVENTS.