FaultScore

2020 RAM 3500 fuel system problems

55 of the 155 complaints about the 2020 RAM 3500 are about the fuel system — 35% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 19,509 miles.

F

55

Complaints

1

Crashes

1

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Fuel/Propulsion System 32 58.2%
Fuel System, Diesel 20 36.4%
Fuel System, Gasoline 1 1.8%
Fuel Pump 1 1.8%
Mounting Plate/Flange 1 1.8%

Fuel & Propulsion across every RAM 3500 year

2013 20 12.4%
2014 22 13.7%
2019 50 31.1%
2020 55 34.2%
2022 14 8.7%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 38,000 miles Boerne, TX

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal ticking sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with high-pressure fuel pump failure, but the vehicle was not repaired at the time. The contact stated that upon pulling into a parking lot, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the high-pressure fuel pump had imploded, causing damage to the fuel system. The dealer related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel), and the vehicle was repaired; however, the contact later became aware that the dealer had replaced the high-pressure fuel pump with the same part. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic to be serviced, the mechanic informed the contact that the high-pressure fuel pump installed on the vehicle was not the recall part, but the same defective part. The mechanic recorded the high-pressure fuel pump and part number, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was confirmed that the recall part had not been installed on the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The contact stated that the dealer delayed performing the recall repair free of charge, which required the contact to pay for the replacement of the high-pressure fuel pump with the correct part. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer failed to complete the recall repair free of charge. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

NHTSA complaint #11686066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Ammon, ID

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Codes: P2002, P242F, P2463, P1451 Failures: DPF, Charge air cooler leak, PM sensors, EGR internally cracked, Catalytic Convertor, Pink tinged oil, strong diesel odor in oil - post failures. Erratic def gauge readings, unstable idling, clunking downshift when exhaust brake decelerates, warm up stumbling. Power reduced, see dealer (over and over and over and over). Limp Mode (5 MPH). Permanent ticks/taps from front left motor, front passenger wheel well, passenger side mid-truck. Extremely loose gear shifter plus an occasional “Vehicle Not in Part” message on the dash display. Manufacturers Service Center (local and ONLY Ram dealership) has reproduced the issue. Independent Diesel Mechanic shop also reproduced. Service center and Independent shop both inspected. The safety issues of a 5 MPH limp mode and risk of sudden engine stalls while driving in traffic, especially on an interstate should be fairly self explanatory… As is a constant “Power Reduced See Dealer” problem, when your truck is used to do what it’s designed to do… Tow large loads. As is an extremely loose gear shifter that doesn’t always properly register as “in Park”. The date listed below is simply the date of the very first occurrence. It’s not a representation of every date after. The most recent date was just last week.

NHTSA complaint #11644228 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Little Elm, TX

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11611006 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 150,000 miles Sugar Land, TX

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle was shaking and then lost motive power. The check engine warning light later illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel), 21V398000 (Wheels), and 22V904000 (Structure) were performed. However, the failure recurred. The vehicle was then towed to Gulfgate Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram (7250 Gulf Fwy, Houston, TX 77017), where it was diagnosed that the fuel line had failed, and the fuel injectors and fuel rail needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA complaint #11579254 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Dallas, TX

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11576643 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Jefferson, OR

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

While driving Down a paved roadway on 6/30/23 @ 5pm doing approximately 20 miles per hour the vehicle died and the dash lite up with every single message possible such as 4WD inactive, oil change due, fuel filter service required and etc. Attempted to restart the vehicle for about 25 minutes when another citizen noticed we were having issues with the vehicle so they stopped to assist us. The citizen towed my vehicle to location we were staying at for the weekend and upon arrival to the location I disconnected both battery terminals to allow the computer modules to drain/reset. After allowing the batteries to be disconnected for several hours I hooked them back up and tried starting the vehicle and was unsuccessful getting it to restart. I disconnected the batteries again for the night and returned the next morning to hook them up. after hooking the batteries back up, I was able to get the vehicle started and moved it around at the place we were staying at and allowed it remain running for about 20 minutes before I shut it off. Went and did other projects and about 5 hours later returned to the pickup to see to see if it would start since we were heading back the next morning and it started so I figured it would get us home on Sunday July 2nd. On July 2nd @ 11:30am started the pickup to leave and everything seemed normal. We drove about 5miles from the location we were staying at and were approaching an intersecting highway OR58. I proceeded out onto OR58 westbound and as we got about 1 mile down the road when the pickup died and every message was being displayed again. As we sat way off the shoulder of OR58 incident response pulled up behind us to make sure everything was ok. I told the incident responder that we were good and I was working on contacting RAM for a tow. About 15 minutes had passed and IR person walked away then the pickup started. I was able to drive the pickup about 2 more miles down the road when it died again and had to be towed.

NHTSA complaint #11531042 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Summerfield, FL

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

My check engine light went on, along with the DEF warning, early June 13th,2023. The DEF warning stated I had 150 miles to get the Track to a Dealer. After Dealer evaluation, I was told the truck had DEF contamination, from ,Diesel Fuel. I asked how this could happen? I was not given an explanation. To me this is a DEF Pump failure. The DEF Pump did not have enough PSI to inject DEF into the Diesel Fuel, so the Diesel Fuel back flowed into the DEF system. Additional facts, my Truck warranty expired 5/15/2023. My truck has less than 36,000 miles. I had the High Pressure Fuel pump, Recalled fixed in May 2023. I was told this repair did not lead to this issue. The Repair bill is over $3700 for this repair.

NHTSA complaint #11529554 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

American Falls, ID

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

My high pressure fuel pump went out while I was towing the 43 ft enclosed trailer causing the engine to shut down. I was able to get it home and onto a car hauling trailer took it to a dealership and confirmed the high pressure fuel pump was the culprit they informed me that they would not perform the safety recall because of a modification to the vehicle which has no bearing on the safety issues at hand I contacted FCA they encouraged me to take it to a different dealership which I did. I had to pay a tow truck to haul it to another dealership in which they told me they would do the recall however when they put my VIN number in their system my pickup had been blacklisted by the parent company Chrysler saying do not work on this vehicle for safety recalls. I at this point got quotes to have it done and it was extremely expensive to friend advised me to look into the law so I contacted a lawyer and they told me to file a complaint with NHTSA.

NHTSA complaint #11528487 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Rochester, WA

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11527985 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lake Havasu City, AZ

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22E069000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the contact was not satisfied with the kit designed to do the recall repair. The contact stated that the remedy reduced the fuel capacity of the fuel tank in order to address the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer did not offer a reasonable remedy for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11524498 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 30,000 miles Oak Ridge, NC

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The dealer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11514465 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tipp City, OH

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was notified of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the part was not yet available and would be emailed when to schedule an appointment for the repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11508888 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Winter Haven, FL

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

As of today, manufacturer/dealers have failed to comply with repairs based on national recalls. On several appointments, the parts are never received. Manufacturer and dealers are not complying with mandated recalls. Please take action!

NHTSA complaint #11500137 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Albuquerque, NM

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Y78 Recall. The recall for the CP4 pump has been issued. Ive been on the dealership waitlist since the recall became available.My truck began to have rough idling and surging which it never had before. I called the dealer to ask a timeframe for when the recall would be completed, they advised me that they were no longer receiving pumps for the recall and had not received any in a few months. The lady in service advised me if I was that concerned for pump failure to try and source a pump conversion kit myself and submit for reimbursement afterwards (which I did). I submitted copies of receipts from both the retailer I ordered from as well as credit card statements showing proof of purchase which FCA required per their email. However, FCA has denied my request for reimbursement of parts. I have been in communication with them via email trying to get a explanation of why I was denied. They stated that I do not meet criteria for reimbursement even though I have submitted all required documents that they ask for. They are unable to provide explanation aside from their automated generic response saying I do not meet criteria. I have tried calling their provided customer care number to speak to a representative but have been unable to talk to anyone other than an automated system.

NHTSA complaint #11498866 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 22,000 miles Slidell, LA

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated before accelerating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11497408 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

San Antonio, TX

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed an inspection test and informed the contact that the vehicle had failed the inspection. However, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that the dealer informed her that the manufacturer was shipping one part per week. The contact stated that she stopped driving the vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11491369 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hialeah, FL

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11476395 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Blanchard, OK

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the dealer had pushed back the date for the part to be the available. The manufacturer was contacted and made aware of the issue. The manufacturer informed the contact parts would be available by July 22, 2022. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA complaint #11473555 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Dallas, TX

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11470894 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Escondido, CA

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V398000 (Wheels) and 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11466986 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 5,900 miles Purcell, OK

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced hard starting and a loss of power while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the high-pressure fuel pump had failed and needed to be replaced; however, the part was not yet available. The failure mileage was 5,900. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11466197 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 13,300 miles Willits, CA

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owned a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact stated that the vehicle would surge whenever he depressed the accelerator pedal while driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel). The contact notified several unknown dealers of the failure. The dealers informed the contact that though the failure was associated to the recall, they could not assist as the manufacturer had not authorized them to repair the vehicle. The contact then inquired assistance with obtaining the parts for repair and the dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer did not authorize them to sell the parts for repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they would not assist as the vehicle was safe to drive. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact later sold the vehicle to an auction. The failure mileage was approximately 13,300.

NHTSA complaint #11464203 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Charlotte, NC

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

0N 4/4/2022 while traveling on interstate 64 E in WV ,towing an R V camper , no warning signals on the dash screen, my truck started losing power and went completely dead,just missed by a tractor trailer rear ending me, as I rolled off to the side of the road. Iwas towed to the nearest Dodge dealership. When I arrived at the dealership a mechanic came and open the hood, he found diesel leaking and a metal rod of the camshaft sitting on top of the engine, which he stated shot through the engine block. Warranty company doesn't want to tear down engine after I gave approval to investigate issue. This is my work truck and source of income. Four weeks later, I am not getting help from dealership that sold me the truck and warranty. Warranty company is trying to use loop hole to get out of paying. I found similar complaints, reported to the NHTSA, engines falling apart while driving down the road. I had to pay for my truck to tow from WV to Charlotte NC to my driveway. I have a case# with the Dodge Customer Care Department and they are just informing me that the truck has recalls, but parts are not avaible at this time.

NHTSA complaint #11463709 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hesperia, CA

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

While towing 5th wheel vehicle check engine light came on I was out of state in arizona vehicl then started to stall I canceled my trip checking all fluids headed back to California as I was nowhere near a dealership made a appointment at ram dealer when I got there light went out I talked with technician he said would have to leave it for 3 weeks before they could look at vehicle needless to say I took it home then in early Feb about 3 weeks after the first incident the check engine light came on again made appointment which was 3 weeks away just to check it in shop and a week before they even looked at the issue they found a cracked hose on inter cooler dealer stated vehicle ok well again on March 4 2022 vehicle again has check engine light on I took to auto store to check code same as before vehicle regeneration frequency it Regenerates ever 100 miles runs poorly uses excessive fuel hesitates when pedal depressed and long cranking time so now I have to be without a vehicle again

NHTSA complaint #11459840 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Sunnyvale, CA

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. UPDATE AS OF 6/24/22: Normandin Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, San Jose CA has put owner on a waiting list for parts. Service Director says that the manufacturer will only allow them to order one (1) parts kit for the Y78 / NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) recall once every 7 business days. The dealer says they have a waiting list of approximately 40 customers waiting for repair of this recall. Has told contact that it is expected to be several months before the Y78 recall can be fixed on the contact’s 2020 Ram 3500. Contact finds that this is unacceptable to have such an extreme delay in parts availability for the recall.

NHTSA complaint #11456371 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Jacksonville, TX

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

DEF reservoir got low and light came on indicating about 300 miles until truck goes into limp mode 5 MPH. Added 1 gallon of DEF and the guage showed to be in the safe zone. The computer system never registered that fluid was added and truck went into limp mode on the way home. When in limp mode you are unable to move vehicle off the roadway in a safe manner or even drive on any roadway without major risk of getting hit. Truck has to be towed to a dealership to have the computer reset. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. Ironic that first responder and government vehicles with this same engine ect are omitted from the limp mode function due to safety concerns but not the general public.

NHTSA complaint #11447679 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 24,000 miles Forest Park, GA

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

The contact owns a 2020 RAM 3500. The contact stated while her husband was making a right turn, the vehicle began to stall. The contact stated do not turn off the vehicle until arriving at destination warning message was illuminated. The driver was able to continue driving under 15 MPH until arriving at a local dealer. The local dealer was unable to duplicate or diagnose the cause of the failure. The contact was informed that a specialist was needed to diagnose the vehicle. The contact stated that the dealer called back 2 days later and stated that some unknown cables needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the same failure. The contact stated that the failure had been experienced a third time. The VIN was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) and 21V398000 (Wheels). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.

NHTSA complaint #11445071 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Las Vegas, NV Crash

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

As I was preparing to travel for the holidays comíng up, I was traveling to Texas to see family. I was driving around 65 mph when suddenly the truck started jerking and slowing down when the gas pedal would not give it power. The car behind slammed the brakes and in order to avoid hitting me had to went the the side of the highway. Before coming to a complete stop the truck a 2020 ram 3500 shut off and will not come off. The tow truck was able to scan the truck and the codes are for low fuel pressure and fuel pump. This was a very scary situation because I’m with all my family and not only did I put them in danger by this truck failing with out a notice of any kind but also put others like the vehicle behind in danger because the truck failed. I have look up and this seems to be a common issue with all the “new ram trucks” not sure why there is no recall yet. Hoping this gets looked at and something can be done for the safety of others

NHTSA complaint #11440397 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

North Richland Hills, TX Fire

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I was on my way home from the local RAM Dealer last night, where I wanted to sell my truck (after inspecting it, they offered me $82K for it), when, spontaneously, my truck started to smoke from under the hood and literally burst into flames! I had to pull over and jump out to avoid being burned alive! I am so traumatized. I'm attempting to tow what's left of this truck to the dealer this morning. I hope FCA will take responsibility for this!

NHTSA complaint #11440305 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 25,700 miles Hillsboro, OR

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP:MOUNTING PLATE/FLANGE

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact stated while hauling his fifth-wheel travel trailer driving up a hill the vehicle lost all power. The contact stated he had to maneuver over several lanes of traffic to move off the road safely. The police department was contacted and had the vehicle towed. The tow truck driver had to unhitch the trailer from the contact's vehicle to tow the truck to a dealer. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with a fuel sensor failure. The fuel sensor was replaced. The vehicle failed to start and was diagnosed with a fuel injection pump failure which had imploded sending metal fragments throughout the whole fuel system and into the fuel tank. The entire fuel system including the fuel tank and all fuel parts needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the dealer informed him of a notice that was sent to the dealer by the manufacturer of a fuel pump failure. The contact stated that he researched the failure online and found NHTSA Action Number: PE21021 (Fuel System, Diesel). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 25,700. Replacement parts are same defective CP 4 injector pump that already failed and now metal shavings are contaminating fuel system leading to another implosion and possible accident or death FCA has no fix available making truck unsafe to operate. STELLANTIS, FCA and STAR are well aware of this CP 4 safety issue in 2019 and 2020 trucks.

NHTSA complaint #11438429 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2020 RAM 3500 problems

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