NHTSA Complaint #11620971 — 2024 RAM 3500

I was towing a 18000 lb fifth wheel rv about 45 mph when traffic made a panic stop in front of me. I couldn’t stop and had an accident. I later determined the brake controller on truck didn’t provide the 12 volts needed to get maximum braking from the fifth wheel brakes. I took it to the dealer and they confirmed that at slower speeds it doesn’t give maximum voltage. They contacted Ram engineer to find a fix but was informed that that it was operating as designed. This controller design was definitely the cause of this accident. I was only getting 8 volts for the trailer brakes. I contacted Cargo Brake ( manufacturer of trailer brake system) and they told me they have had many complaints from Ram owners about this problem. They recommended that I purchase an aftermarket controller which I did. It gives me maximum voltage for full braking from the fifth wheel at any speed. I should also state that my truck was new with only 2500 miles on it. I was not informed by the dealer or able to gain knowledge of this controller design anywhere in the Ram information provided in the owners manual. This is an extremely hazardous design not permitting maximum braking at slower speeds.