2022 RAM 1500 problems

POWER TRAIN

I own a 2022 Ram 1500 Limited 4x4 (5.7L HEMI eTorque, ZF 8-speed automatic), VIN [XXX], approximately 40,000 miles. For roughly two years, the transmission has produced a hard, jarring downshift and lurch during normal low-speed deceleration, consistently when slowing from ~20 mph to a stop. This occurs both when the engine is cold and fully warmed up, ruling out a cold-start explanation. It happens under normal city driving, not towing or aggressive driving. The jolt is forceful enough that passengers, including my spouse, are reluctant to ride in the vehicle. I brought the truck to an authorized Ram dealership (Greenway Dodge, Orlando, FL) and left it overnight. The service manager stated this was “normal” behavior and that his own vehicle did the same. When I noted it happens warm as well as cold, I was told nothing could be done. No diagnostic codes were pulled, no fluid inspected, and no TSBs checked during the visit. I later confirmed via NHTSA’s TSB lookup that a bulletin addressing rough downshifting on 5.7L eTorque Ram 1500 trucks (TSB 21-005-19 or superseding revisions) exists for this platform, and has NOT been applied to my VIN despite the dealership having full access to check. I’m filing this because: 1) the behavior involves unexpected, forceful lurching during low-speed deceleration that could startle a driver near intersections; 2) my dealership dismissed it without diagnostics or checking for applicable updates; 3) this appears to be a widely reported issue among other 2019-2022 Ram 1500 eTorque owners, suggesting a pattern rather than an isolated defect. I’m requesting NHTSA document this as part of its review of shift-quality/drivetrain behavior in eTorque-equipped Ram 1500 trucks of this model year INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11756038 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

Driving 70 mph on a 3 lane hwy. All the sudden it loses power, engine dies. Have barely any brakes or steering. No turn signals I don’t believe or brake lights. Have to swerve through traffic that doesn’t know what I’m doing to get to the side, if there is one. Dash light says “truck not in park”. This is the second time, it could have and almost killed me or someone else both times

NHTSA complaint #11756000 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2022 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle shut off unexpectedly and the electronic parking brake unintendedly engaged. The parking brake warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The driver was unable to disengage the parking brake, and the vehicle failed to restart immediately. The vehicle was restarted after several attempts and was driven to the destination. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to a dealer for a service appointment. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that there would be a charge for a diagnostic test and for the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Action Number: PE24018 (Electrical System, Hybrid Propulsion System, Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA complaint #11755893 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Driving 70 mph on a 3 lane hwy. All the sudden it loses power, engine dies. Have barely any brakes or steering. No turn signals I don’t believe or brake lights. Have to swerve through traffic that doesn’t know what I’m doing to get to the side, if there is one. Dash light says “truck not in park”. This is the second time, it could have and almost killed me or someone else both times

NHTSA complaint #11756000 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2022 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle shut off unexpectedly and the electronic parking brake unintendedly engaged. The parking brake warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The driver was unable to disengage the parking brake, and the vehicle failed to restart immediately. The vehicle was restarted after several attempts and was driven to the destination. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to a dealer for a service appointment. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that there would be a charge for a diagnostic test and for the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Action Number: PE24018 (Electrical System, Hybrid Propulsion System, Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA complaint #11755893 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2022 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle shut off unexpectedly and the electronic parking brake unintendedly engaged. The parking brake warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The driver was unable to disengage the parking brake, and the vehicle failed to restart immediately. The vehicle was restarted after several attempts and was driven to the destination. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to a dealer for a service appointment. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that there would be a charge for a diagnostic test and for the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Action Number: PE24018 (Electrical System, Hybrid Propulsion System, Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA complaint #11755893 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

Driving 70 mph on a 3 lane hwy. All the sudden it loses power, engine dies. Have barely any brakes or steering. No turn signals I don’t believe or brake lights. Have to swerve through traffic that doesn’t know what I’m doing to get to the side, if there is one. Dash light says “truck not in park”. This is the second time, it could have and almost killed me or someone else both times

NHTSA complaint #11756000 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

While accelerating the vehicle stalled and came to a complete stop. I was unable to leave the road way due to the vehicle stoping, shifting to park, setting the e brake. I then had to push start again and pull to the shoulder. The vehicle then indicated a battery warning light, and the voltage indicated the battery was below 12v. Upon returning home and restarting the vehicle all warning lights turned off and the battery voltage indicated no issues. This vehicle is on its 3rd 12v battery. It has gone to the dealer multiple times over the battery. It hesitates while accelerating but without expensive diagnostics I had no recourse.

NHTSA complaint #11755641 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

After truck has been sitting or several Upon start up and driving in the first 2-5 minutes the truck will stall and display shift to park on the screen. Once truck is shifted to park it will restart fine and work as it should. No engine codes or other symptoms. This has happened 8 times over the past 6 months. Shits off at low speeds making turns usually or coming to a stop. Has been to dealer and they are unable to duplicate or figure anything out.

NHTSA complaint #11755332 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The Ram uconnect system screen can go black, have glitches or be unresponsive. When this screen goes out the backup camera is no longer displayed.navigation is also no longer usable. When it goes out it is intermittent but can at anytime. Mine was out for an entire week then started working agian.

NHTSA complaint #11755347 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Twice now my engine has shut off while driving at low speeds under 25mph. When this happens my electric emergency brake engages. Dash tells me to shift to park. The first time this happened my truck was stuck in the middle of an intersection and I almost got hit several times because the truck wasn’t restarting or releasing the electric brake. Took about 7-8 try’s of getting it to start before it finally started then the truck still wouldn’t move because the electric brake wouldn’t disengage even when trying to manually disengage it. I had to turn vehicle off and back on again for the electric brake to manually release. The second time this happened I again was stuck in an intersection but was able to restart on the 2nd try and had to manually release the electric brake. The dealer has told me no codes no problem found the first time this happened. I’m bringing it back to them this weekend. I do not feel safe in this vehicle due to this happening! I feel like I have been lucky that nobody has crashed into me when this happens.

NHTSA complaint #11755355 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I purchased my 2022 Ram 1500 5.7L new. Since purchasing the vehicle, it has experienced multiple electrical system failures that occurred without warning. The infotainment screen stopped functioning, which also caused the backup camera to become inoperative. In addition, the horn no longer works, the air conditioning has failed, and the power windows will not operate. These failures appear to be related to the vehicle's electrical system and have significantly affected both the safety and usability of the truck. The loss of the backup camera reduces visibility while reversing, increasing the risk of a crash. The horn is an essential safety feature used to warn other drivers and pedestrians of potential hazards, and its failure creates an additional safety risk. The vehicle was purchased new and has experienced multiple critical electrical failures affecting several systems. I am submitting this complaint so the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) can investigate whether these electrical failures represent a safety-related defect affecting other 2022 Ram 1500 vehicles.

NHTSA complaint #11754949 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

I purchased my 2022 Ram 1500 5.7L new. Since purchasing the vehicle, it has experienced multiple electrical system failures that occurred without warning. The infotainment screen stopped functioning, which also caused the backup camera to become inoperative. In addition, the horn no longer works, the air conditioning has failed, and the power windows will not operate. These failures appear to be related to the vehicle's electrical system and have significantly affected both the safety and usability of the truck. The loss of the backup camera reduces visibility while reversing, increasing the risk of a crash. The horn is an essential safety feature used to warn other drivers and pedestrians of potential hazards, and its failure creates an additional safety risk. The vehicle was purchased new and has experienced multiple critical electrical failures affecting several systems. I am submitting this complaint so the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) can investigate whether these electrical failures represent a safety-related defect affecting other 2022 Ram 1500 vehicles.

NHTSA complaint #11754949 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

While driving, the front passenger side ball joint failed catastrophically. The wheel completely separated from the control arm and folded under the truck, causing the vehicle to drop hard onto the suspension and nearly lose control. I was extremely fortunate not to be involved in a crash or killed. Photos taken immediately after the failure show the wheel collapsed under the truck and the damaged suspension components (upper/lower control arm and ball joint area). This is a sudden, total failure of a critical steering/suspension part with no prior warning symptoms that I noticed.

NHTSA complaint #11752805 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

While driving, the front passenger side ball joint failed catastrophically. The wheel completely separated from the control arm and folded under the truck, causing the vehicle to drop hard onto the suspension and nearly lose control. I was extremely fortunate not to be involved in a crash or killed. Photos taken immediately after the failure show the wheel collapsed under the truck and the damaged suspension components (upper/lower control arm and ball joint area). This is a sudden, total failure of a critical steering/suspension part with no prior warning symptoms that I noticed.

NHTSA complaint #11752805 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

While driving, the front passenger side ball joint failed catastrophically. The wheel completely separated from the control arm and folded under the truck, causing the vehicle to drop hard onto the suspension and nearly lose control. I was extremely fortunate not to be involved in a crash or killed. Photos taken immediately after the failure show the wheel collapsed under the truck and the damaged suspension components (upper/lower control arm and ball joint area). This is a sudden, total failure of a critical steering/suspension part with no prior warning symptoms that I noticed.

NHTSA complaint #11752805 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

"I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding a recurring, dangerous safety violation in my 2022 Ram truck. The entire Uconnect infotainment screen completely blacks out, freezes, and enters an unexpected reboot cycle while the vehicle is in operation. This total system failure causes an intermittent, complete loss of the rearview backup camera, creating an immediate crash hazard and placing the vehicle in direct non-compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 111 (FMVSS 111). Furthermore, when the system crashes, it completely disables all cabin environment controls—preventing the use of the windshield defroster—and creates a severe, unpredictable distraction while driving in traffic until the system finishes recycling."

NHTSA complaint #11751134 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING

"I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding a recurring, dangerous safety violation in my 2022 Ram truck. The entire Uconnect infotainment screen completely blacks out, freezes, and enters an unexpected reboot cycle while the vehicle is in operation. This total system failure causes an intermittent, complete loss of the rearview backup camera, creating an immediate crash hazard and placing the vehicle in direct non-compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 111 (FMVSS 111). Furthermore, when the system crashes, it completely disables all cabin environment controls—preventing the use of the windshield defroster—and creates a severe, unpredictable distraction while driving in traffic until the system finishes recycling."

NHTSA complaint #11751134 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I purchased my Ram 1500 5.7 2022 new last year. The vehicle has experienced multiple electrical failures. The infotainment screen stopped working, causing the backup camera to become inoperative. The horn no longer functions, the air conditioning stopped working, and the power windows will not roll down. These failures occurred without warning. The loss of the backup camera and horn creates a significant safety concern because they are important safety features. I am reporting this issue so NHTSA can determine whether this represents a safety-related defect affecting other Ram 1500 vehicles.

NHTSA complaint #11750531 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS

I purchased my Ram 1500 5.7 2022 new last year. The vehicle has experienced multiple electrical failures. The infotainment screen stopped working, causing the backup camera to become inoperative. The horn no longer functions, the air conditioning stopped working, and the power windows will not roll down. These failures occurred without warning. The loss of the backup camera and horn creates a significant safety concern because they are important safety features. I am reporting this issue so NHTSA can determine whether this represents a safety-related defect affecting other Ram 1500 vehicles.

NHTSA complaint #11750531 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The engine intermittently stalls when I press the accelerator. When this happens, the vehicle loses power, the AutoPark/electronic parking brake engages, and the battery warning light appears. This has happened more than once and creates a serious risk of a collision or being stranded if it occurs in traffic. The vehicle is a 2022 Ram 1500 Rebel with the 5.7L eTorque system. The manufacturer’s records show customer satisfaction campaign Z49 as completed, but the stalling problem continues. The symptoms appear similar to those under NHTSA investigation PE24-018. The vehicle is available for inspection.

NHTSA complaint #11750463 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Two week Monday July 6, around 3:15pm while driving down on highway passing lane suddenly the vehicle start loosing speed and after few seconds I noticed that the engine stalled. No warning light or anything, the steering wheel turns to very heavy and the break pedal is really hard as well. Fortunately near by there was a U-turn lane for authorized vehicles only and I was able to merge to it and stop. After that I was able to start the vehicle immediately with no issues. Behind me there were at least 10 other cars trying to pass a line of semi trucks and I was lucky to nobody crash on my rear. I took the vehicle to the dealer, they run tests and tried to reproduce but no success. Besides the dealer no one checked anything due to there was no substantial damage or anything. Actually this was the second time that the vehicle engine stalled. First time was couple months back while my wife was driving in low speed trying to move out from a stopping light and the engine stalled.

NHTSA complaint #11750358 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The contact owns a 2022 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver’s side turn signal was intermittently inoperable. No warning light was illuminated. An unknown dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the headlight assembly needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

NHTSA complaint #11750307 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The engine intermittently stalls when I press the accelerator. When this happens, the vehicle loses power, the AutoPark/electronic parking brake engages, and the battery warning light appears. This has happened more than once and creates a serious risk of a collision or being stranded if it occurs in traffic. The vehicle is a 2022 Ram 1500 Rebel with the 5.7L eTorque system. The manufacturer’s records show customer satisfaction campaign Z49 as completed, but the stalling problem continues. The symptoms appear similar to those under NHTSA investigation PE24-018. The vehicle is available for inspection.

NHTSA complaint #11750463 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Two week Monday July 6, around 3:15pm while driving down on highway passing lane suddenly the vehicle start loosing speed and after few seconds I noticed that the engine stalled. No warning light or anything, the steering wheel turns to very heavy and the break pedal is really hard as well. Fortunately near by there was a U-turn lane for authorized vehicles only and I was able to merge to it and stop. After that I was able to start the vehicle immediately with no issues. Behind me there were at least 10 other cars trying to pass a line of semi trucks and I was lucky to nobody crash on my rear. I took the vehicle to the dealer, they run tests and tried to reproduce but no success. Besides the dealer no one checked anything due to there was no substantial damage or anything. Actually this was the second time that the vehicle engine stalled. First time was couple months back while my wife was driving in low speed trying to move out from a stopping light and the engine stalled.

NHTSA complaint #11750358 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.