What 297 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Ram 2500 Crew Cab

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY SLOW DOWN. ADDITIONALLY, THE POWER STEERING FAILED CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND OCCURRED WHILE THE RPM WAS BELOW 700 RPM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.*DT FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER BRAKING AND GOING ABOUT 20 MPH AFTER THE RPM'S DROP TO ABOUT 700.*JB

NHTSA ODI 11387896

INTEGRATED TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED AND WILL NOT READ ANY TRAILER WHEN CONNECTED. STATES 'TRAILER DISCONNECTED'

NHTSA ODI 11164131

WHILE MAKING A TURN AND APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL, COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING CAUSING VEHICLE TO CROSS CENTER LINE OF ROADWAY AND DRIVE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. BRAKE PEDAL ALSO EXTREMELY HARD TO PRESS (POSSIBLY LOSS OF POWER BRAKING AT THE SAME TIME). STEERING RETURNING TO NORMAL SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES TODAY, WITH SHUTTING THE VEHICLE OFF COMPLETELY BETWEEN OCCURRENCES OF THIS FAILURE.

NHTSA ODI 10872527

I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE FACTORY INSTALLED BRAKE CONTROLLER ON MY 2011 RAM 2500. THE CONTROLLER WILL NOT SEND ENOUGH POWER TO THE TRAILER TO STOP IT EVEN WITH THE BRAKE CONTROLLER SET TO THE MAX. I HAVE HAD THE TRAILER CHECKED AND TOWED IT WITH OTHER TRUCKS WITH NO PROBLEMS. I CONTACTED DODGE ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE NO PROBLEMS REPORTED. UPON CHECKING WITH A LOCAL DODGE DEALER I WAS ADVISED THAT OTHERS HAD THE SAME COMPLAINT. I ALSO FOUND A UPDATE FOR THE BRAKE CONTROLLER WHICH DIDNT HELP. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND DODGE WAS TOLD. I AM GOING TO HAVE TO PUT A AFTERMARKET CONTROLLER IN MY VEHICLE TO TOW THE TRAILER SAFELY. MY CONCERN IS SAFETY. WHY DID DODGE LIE ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH THE FACTORY BRAKE CONTROLLER AND DID CHANGE IT IN 2012 SO YOU HAVE MORE CONTROL AND WHY WERE THEY A UPDATE FOR THE BRAKE CONTROLLER THAT DODGE DIDNT TELL THE OWNERS. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT DODGE NEEDS TO FIX

NHTSA ODI 10849650

AUGUST 7, 2015, I WAS DRIVING MY 2011 DODGE 2500 4X4 CREW CAB DIESEL WITH 47265 MILES, DOWN A NARROW CANYON ROAD WITH A DROP OFF INTO A RIVER ON ONE SIDE NEAR MY HOME. I BEGAN A RIGHTHAND TURN AT ABOUT 20-25 MPH WHEN BOTH THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WENT OUT. I WAS PULLING WITH BOTH HANDS AND HAD BOTH FEET ON THE BREAK AND I WAS STILL HEADING STRAIGHT ACROSS THE CENTER LINE TOWARD ANOTHER CAR GOING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. I DO BELIEVE IT WAS A MIRACLE THAT BOTH VEHICLES DIDN'T END UP DOWN THE EMBANKMENT AND IN THE RIVER. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE TRUCK IN A TURNOUT PAST THE CURVE, I COULD NOT FIND ANY LEAKS OR ANYTHING BINDING IN THE STEERING. WHEN I RESTARTED THE TRUCK THE STEERING AND BRAKES WORKED FINE, SO I DROVE THE 1 1/2 MILES BACK HOME WHERE IT HAPPENED AGAIN TURNING INTO MY DRIVE WAY. THE DODGE DEALER STATED THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER FAILED AND THAT HAD CAUSED THE POWER STEERING PUMP TO FAIL AND IT WOULD COST CLOSE TO $2000.00 TO FIX. I TOLD THEM TO GO AND FIX IT, BUT MY LAWYER AND I WOULD BE HAVING A TALK WITH DODGE BECAUSE I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AND DODGE IS LUCKY THAT THEY ARE NOT OWNING 3 FATALITIES. THE STATED THAT THEY WOULD CALL THE FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE. THE DEALER CALLED BACK AND STATED IT WOULD ONLY B E $500.00 FOR "CUSTOMER PARTICIPATION OF GOODWILL CDED". I HAVE LOST ALL CONFIDENCE IN THE SAFETY OF THIS TRUCK AND WITH THIS ISSUE AND WAITING 5 MOS. FOR PARTS ON ONE RECALL AND 4 MONTHS ON ANOTHER. I CAN'T EVEN SELL IT BECAUSE I AM WAITING ON AN O2 SENSOR FOR 2 1/2 MOS. NOW. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS STEERING AND BRAKE ISSUE TO SEE IF IT IS AN ISOLATED PROBLEM OR SOMETHING ELSE BEFORE SOMEBODY DOES GET KILLED.

NHTSA ODI 10750306

THE BRAKES SKIP WHEN BEING APPLIED AT ANY SPEED. TOOK THE TRUCK TO GET SERVICED AT THE DODGE DEALER AND THE MECHANIC KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG BY THE DESCRIPTION I GAVE HIM. HE STATED HE NORMALLY GETS DODGE TRUCKS IN TWO THREE TIMES A WEEK FOR THE SAME ISSUE. BASICALLY, DODGE USED A SLEEVED BRAKE LINE AND THE INNER LINE IS SEPARATING FROM THE OUTER SLEEVE AND SLIDING INTO THE PUMP. HE STATED ALMOST A FOOT OF BRAKE LINE HAD SLIDE INTO MY PUMP. AT 37K MILES SOMETHING LIKE THIS SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 10744957

INTEGRATED TRAILER BRAKE DOES NOT BRAKE WITH TRAILER. THE TRUCK HAS TO DO ALL THE BRAKING FOR VEHICLE AND TRAILER CAUSING VERY UNSAFE TOWING. CHRYSLER IS NOT HELPFUL WITH ASSISTING MY LOCAL DEALER TO REMEDY THIS ISSUE EVEN AFTER I HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR THE UNIT TO BE FIXED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10633415

TRUCK SUDDENLY STARTED BOUNCING ALL OVER THE ROAD. FELT AS THOUGH ALL FOUR TIRES HAD SUDDENLY GONE FLAT. EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AND WENT INTO ONCOMING LANE SIDEWAYS. INSPECTION DID NOT SHOW ANY FAILED COMPONENT (TIRE, STEERING SYSTEM, ETC). CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOR A DAY, THEN WENT OFF. LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN, WITH NO INDICATION OF PROBLEM. LOSS OF CONTROL HAS HAPPENED THREE MORE TIMES SINCE FIRST OCCURRENCE. SIMILAR SPEEDS DURING EACH EVENT, WITH TWO DIFFERENT OPERATORS. SERIOUS DIFFICULTY RETAINING CONTROL TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND ROLL OVER/CRASH CONCERNS PRECLUDE ATTEMPTING TO DUPLICATE EVENT. DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN UNRESPONSIVE TO DATE. I WILL NEVER TRUST THE ONCOMING DODGE TRUCK UNTIL THIS IS ADDRESSED. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE. IT IS SAD. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10532402

WHEN GETTING OFF THE EXPRESSWAY RAMP THE BRAKES SEEMED WEAK, THEN I COULD NOT TURN THE WHEEL AND HAD TO ALMOST STOP. I HAD NO POWER ASSIST ON THE STEERING AT THIS POINT. ONCE THE WHEELS WERE STRAIGHT AGAIN IT SEEMED FINE. THE NEXT FEW TURNS HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS CAUSING ME TO ALMOST HIT OBJECTS AND OTHER CARS AS I COULD NOT TURN THE VEHICLE. I WAS NOT PULLING ANYTHING AT THE TIME. MY SON-IN-LAW HAD THE SAME ISSUE ON HIS SAME MAKE/MODEL/YEAR DODGE TRUCK AT ABOUT THE SAME MILEAGE LAST YEAR WHILE PULLING A 5TH WHEEL. HE TOOK IT IN AND THEY FLUSHED OUT THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM AS A FIX AND IT HAS NOT OCCURRED AGAIN....YET. PROBLEM COULD BE RELATED TO CONTAMINATION IN THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM WHICH WILL JAM VALVES, OR IT COULD BE IN ELECTRONICS MODULES. EITHER WAY ITS NOT GOOD, ESPECIALLY WHEN PULLING A LARGE 5TH WHEEL. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10495201

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 DODGE RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STOP INSTANTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED BUT HE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY DRIVING IT TO HIS HOUSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000.

NHTSA ODI 10483471