NHTSA Complaint #11384619 — 2014 RAM 1500

AFTER RETURNING HOME FROM A BRIEF TRIP APPROXIMATELY 20 MI I CAME HOME, I THEN LEFT MY HOUSE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 3 MI WHEN I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION, AS I STARTED TO GO THROUGH THE INTERSECTION MY TRUCK SUDDENLY DIED I WAS ABLE TO COAST THROUGH THE INTERSECTION, WITH NO POWER STEERING AND NO ASSISTED POWER BRAKES, USING A LOT OF FORCE I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE TRUCK TO A COMPLETE STOP, ON THE EDGE OF A BUSY ROAD WHILE I WAITED FOR HELP TO ARRIVE. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP, THEY TOLD ME A PART THAT WAS CALLED A TONE WHEEL HAD FAILED. AFTER DOING A BIT OF ONLINE SEARCHING I SEE THAT THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM AMONGST THESE RAM ECO-DIESELS. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I FIND THAT CERTAIN ECO-DIESELS RANGING FROM 2014 TO 2018 WERE BEING RECALLED FOR THIS PART BUT MY PARTICULAR 2014 IS NOT INCLUDED THE PART IS A WHEEL THAT A SENSOR LOOKS AT AND TIMES THE FUEL SYSTEM WITH THE OTHER ENGINE COMPONENTS FOR COMBUSTION WHEN THIS SENSOR DOESN'T SEE THE WHEEL IT DOES NOT KNOW WHERE THE REST OF THE ENGINE IS IN ITS CYCLE CAUSING IT TO SHUT OFF IMMEDIATELY GIVING IT NO POWER TO PROPEL ITSELF TO A SAFE SPOT. THE RECALL W58 AS IT'S KNOWN IN FCA RAM TRUCKS SHOULD FIX THIS ISSUE WITH A SIMPLE PROGRAM CHANGE WHEREAS THE DEALER WANTS TO REPLACE THE PART WITH A EXACT REPLACEMENT WHICH WILL LIKELY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM THE NEXT TIME WE MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY. MY FEAR IS THAT IF MY WIFE OR MY TEEN AGE SON WOULD BE DRIVING IT, THEY MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE STRENGTH TO STEER IT AND STOP IN A SAFE PLACE I BELIEVE I WAS LUCKY. AS I UNDERSTAND IT THE RECALL IS A SIMPLE PROGRAM CHANGE AND ELIMINATES THE DEFECTIVE TONE WHEEL SYSTEM IN QUESTION . I BELIEVE THE RECALL SHOULD APPLY TO MY TRUCK AND PROVES THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS SYSTEM.