What 178 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Ram 2500 Crew Cab

DRIVER PERFORMED A PRE-USE WALK AROUND INSPECTION ON VEHICLE AND OBSERVED NO DAMAGE. DRIVER PROCEEDED ON TO DESTINATION. DRIVER MERGED ON TO HWY 70 EAST AND ACCELERATED TO THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT OF 75MPH AND SET THE CRUISE CONTROL. WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES AROUND THE DRIVER, ON OR AROUND MILE MARKER 184, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE A LOUD GRINDING SOUND AND VIOLENTLY VIBRATED. THE DRIVER PRESSED THE BREAK TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL AND LOOKED AT THE CENTER FLOORBOARD TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM WHEN ALL AT ONCE THE FLOORBOARD EXPLODED SENDING SHRAPNEL AND DEBRIS UPWARD. FLAMES WERE COMING UP FROM THE FLOORBOARD IMMEDIATELY FILLED THE CAB WITH SMOKE. AT THE SAME TIME AS THE EXPLOSION OCCURRED, BOTH THE DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. WITH THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND SMOKE FILLING THE CAB, THE DRIVER HAD ZERO VISIBILITY WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN MOTION. USING THE REMAINING VEHICLE MOMENTUM, THEY STEERED TO THE RIGHT TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE 90% OFF THE ROAD. THEY WERE UNABLE TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK OR REMOVE THE KEYS FROM THE IGNITION. THEY TURNED ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS AND EVACUATED THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE DISTANCE. FROM AFAR, THE DRIVER OBSERVED FLAMES DRIPPING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE AND WITH NO EXTINGUISHER THEY CONTACTED THE POLICE AT 678-1234 AND INFORMED THEM OF MY NAME AND THE INCIDENT?IN TURN THEY INSTRUCTED THE DRIVER TO DIAL 911. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES, THE WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE FIRE RESCUE ARRIVED AND SECURED THE SCENE RENDERING THE VEHICLE FIRE SAFE AND PUSHING IT OFF THE ROAD. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP.*DT*DT*DT*JB

NHTSA ODI 11290827

I WAS DRIVING IN THE FAST LANE WITH NO UNUSUAL NOISES OR VIBRATIONS. ALL OF MY GAUGES WERE NORMAL. ALL OF A SUDDEN, MY PICKUP TRUCK STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY, AND THERE WAS A CLANGING BANGING NOISE OR SENSATION. I IMMEDIATELY PUT MY BLINKER ON AND HEADED FOR THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. AS I ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN, IT FELT LIKE I WAS LOSING POWER, , THE TRUCK WAS STILL SHAKING SO I TIGHTLY GRASPED THE WHEEL AND CRANKED IT OVER TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROADWAY, OFF OF THE PAVEMENT ALTOGETHER. AS SOON AS I WAS ABLE TO STOP, I TURNED THE KEY OFF. THERE WAS ALREADY SMOKE RISING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT CORNER OF THE TRUCK, THEN FLAMES APPEARED. I GRABBED WHAT VALUABLES I COULD AND ESCAPED THE VEHICLE AND CALLED 911. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, MY PICKUP TRUCK, A 2013 DODGE RAM 2500 DIESEL WITH BARELY 130,000 MILES ON IT WAS TOTALLY GUTTED BY THE FIRE. MY FRONT DRIVE LINE, DRIVE SHAFT HAD BROKEN OFF OF THE AXLE OF THE PICKUP HITTING THE BRAKE LINE WHILE IT WAS BOUNCING AROUND, CAUSING IGNITION OF THE BRAKE FLUID. THE DRIVE LINE WAS FOUND IN THE CENTER OF THE FREEWAY. THE LEAKING BRAKE FLUID OR TRANSFER CASE FLUID WAS BURNING ON THE GROUND. THE FIRE GRADUALLY SPREAD THROUGH THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THEN THROUGH THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE CREW CAB PICKUP, DESTROYING IT.

NHTSA ODI 11195031

ON APRIL 21, 2018, I PULLED MY 2013 RAM 2500 4X4 OUT OF MY BARN TO GO SHOPPING. THERE WAS ABOUT 3 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND. I PUT THE TRUCK INTO PARK AND GOT OUT TO CLOSE THE BARN DOOR. AFTER ABOUT 2 STEPS AWAY FROM THE DRIVER'S DOOR, THE TRUCK STARTED TO ROLL. I TURNED AROUND A TRIED TO GET TO THE CONTROLS TO STOP THE TRUCK. I WAS KNOCKED DOWN BY THE TRUCK AND RUN OVER BY THE DRIVERS SIDE TIRE AND WHEEL. I SUSTAINED INJURIES TO MY LEFT LEG. I HAVE FOUND THE SHIFTER CAN INDICATE THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK WHEN IN FACT THE SHIFTER IS SITTING ON THE DETENT BETWEEN PARK AND REVERSE. I REPORTED THIS ISSUE TO FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOBILES (FCA). FCA ISSUED A RECALL OVER UNINTENDED ROLLING OF THEIR TRUCKS. FCA KNOWS THERE IS AN ISSUE YET THEY WANT TO SWEEP IT UNDER THE CARPET. I WOULD NOT FEEL RIGHT IF THIS SAFETY ISSUE IS NOT ADDRESS AS THE NEXT PERSON MAY NOT BE AS LUCKY AS I WAS IF THEIR TRUCK EXPERIENCES UNINTENDED ROLLING. I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR LOSS OF LIFE AND EXTENSIVE PROPERTY DAMAGE. A VIDEO OF THIS CAN BE FOUND ON YOUTUBE @ HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=E_NUGO1EMA4 I HAVE STILL PICTURES IF NEEDED.

NHTSA ODI 11120107

2013 RAM 2500 - ON JUNE 1, 2016 I WAS PLACING CAR SEATS INTO THE TRUCK. THE KEYS WERE IN MY POCKET AND NOT RUNNING. MY 3 YEAR SON WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT SEAT WHILE I SECURED THE CAR SEATS. MY SON GRABBED THE GEAR SHIFTER AND THE TRUCK WENT INTO GEAR ROLLING DOWN A 25' EMBANKMENT AND STRIKING A TREE AT THE BOTTOM. UPON A POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION, I FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SHIFTING INTO AND OUT OF PARK WITH NO KEY IN THE IGNITION AND WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE. THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO MY LOCAL DODGE DEALER AS THEY HAD CONDUCTED 2 SAFETY RECALLS IN THE WEEKS PREVIOUS, ONE OF WHICH INVOLVED WIRING IN THE STEERING COLUMN. I WAS INFORMED BY THE LOCAL DEALER THAT THE SHIFT INTERLOCK SYSTEM THAT IS DESIGNED TO KEEP A VEHICLE FROM GOING INTO GEAR WITHOUT THE BRAKE DEPRESSED HAD FAILED AND THAT THE RECALLS THEY HAD CONDUCTED DID NOT INVOLVE THE SHIFT INTERLOCK SYSTEM. I WAS ADVISED BY THE LOCAL DEALER TO CONTACT FIAT CHRYSLER (FCA). FCA SENT OUT A SAFETY INSPECTOR TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. ON 6-7-2016 MARIA PADEA WITH A 3RD PARTY INSPECTION FIRM HIRED BY FCA INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AT MY LOCAL DODGE DEALER. I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO BE PRESENT DURING THE INSPECTION. ON JUNE 15, 2016 I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FCA STATING "..WE ARE NOT LEAD TO BELIEVE THAT THE INCIDENT WAS DUE TO A MANUFACTURING RESPONSIBILITY" AND "...THEREFORE WE MUST RESPECTFULLY DECLINE ANY ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS INCIDENT. UPON RECEIVING THE LETTER, I CONTACTED FCA AND REQUESTED A COPY OF THE INSPECTION REPORT. I RECEIVED AN EMAIL ON 07-11-2016 STATING "THE INSPECTION REPORT AND DOCUMENTATION YOU HAVE REQUESTED ARE CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY. AS SUCH, WE ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE THEM. SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS ABOUT OUR HANDLING, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO ENGAGE YOUR OWN INVESTIGATOR TO LOOK INTO THE MATTER. THE INCIDENT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO MY INSURANCE CARRIER.

NHTSA ODI 10892194