NHTSA Complaint #11341134 — 2006 DODGE RAM 1500

ABOUT 2 1/2 YEARS AGO I WAS DRIVING MY TRUCK ON A STATE HIGHWAY TRAVELLING AROUND 55 TO 60 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY DIED. OF COURSE MY POWER STEERING NO LONGER WORKED BUT I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. THIS WAS A SCARY SITUATION THAT COULD HAVE TURNED OUT VERY BADLY. LUCKILY, I WAS IN A SPOT WHERE I COULD PULL OVER. THIS PARTICULAR HIGHWAY DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF SHOULDER AREA. I TURNED THE KEY OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON AND THE TRUCK STARTED BACK UP AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. THIS HAPPENED A COUPLE OF MORE TIMES WHEN I WAS TRAVELLING ON THE HIGHWAY AT HIGHER SPEEDS AND ALSO DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AT LOWER SPEEDS. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE CONNECTED A CODE READER AND BASED ON THE CODES IT WAS SHOWING HE CHANGED BOTH THE CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR AND THE CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO DIE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS ON 1/21/2018 ON THE SAME STATE HIGHWAY EXCEPT THAT THIS TIME IT DIDN'T WANT TO START BACK UP. I HAD IT TOWED TO A DIFFERENT MECHANIC AND HE RAN COMPRESSION TESTS THAT SHOWED VERY LITTLE COMPRESSION ON ONE SIDE OF THE ENGINE AND NO COMPRESSION ON THE OTHER SIDE. HE SAID HE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TELL ME WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT UNTIL HE OPENED THE ENGINE WHICH WOULD COST SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS AND THEN WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH AFTER THE PROBLEM WAS DETERMINED. I HAVE NOT HAD THE MONEY TO DO THAT SO IT HAS BEEN SITTING AT THE MECHANIC'S GARAGE FOR THE PAST 2 1/2 YEARS. EVERY OTHER MECHANIC I TALKED TO SAID THAT I SHOULD JUST GO AHEAD AND REPLACE THE ENGINE, WHICH I CANNOT AFFORD TO DO. THEY SAID 2006 WAS ONE OF THE WORST YEARS FOR THE DODGE RAM ENGINE. WHEN IT DIED IT WAS 11 YEARS OLD BUT HAD LESS THAN 110,000 MILES ON IT.