NHTSA Complaint #11408015 — 2021 RAM 1500

THIS MODEL IS EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC SIDE STEPS. THE STEPS DEPLOY WHEN THEY WANT AND MOST OF THE TIME THEY DO NOT DEPLOY. THEY ALSO WHEN DEPLOYED AND AFTER EXITING THE VEHICLE AND LOCKING IT SOMETIMES WILL NOT STOW BACK UNDER THE VEHICLE. THEY ALSO WILL REMAIN DEPLOYED WHEN YOU ENTER THE VEHICLE AND WILL STOW WHEN YOU REACH THE SAFETY SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 5MPH BEFORE STOWING. I NOTICED THIS PROBLEM WITHIN A WEEK OF PURCHASING THE VEHICLE AND AS OF THIS DATE (4/13/21) HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE AT THE DEALERSHIP (HILL KELLY RAM, PENSACOLA, FL) SIX TIMES TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. I HAVE VIDEOED THE PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE REPLACED DOOR LATCHES, DOOR MODULES AND CONTROLLERS WITH NO FIX FOUND YET. THEY HAVE SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DISTRICT ENGINEER TO TRY AND TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY HAVE A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE AUTOMATIC STEPS. THE ONLY TEMPORARY FIX WE HAVE FOUND IS IF THE STEPS DO NOT DEPLOY TO CLOSE THE DOOR AND THEN IMMEDIATELY OPEN IT, THEN THE STEPS WILL DEPLOY. THIS PROBLEM IS AFFECTING BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT IS THE FRONT OR REAR DOOR THAT IS OPENED. IT WILL ALSO GIVE A WARNING OF THE SIDE STEPS OBSTRUCTED ON THE DRIVERS DASH DISPLAY.