2003 Dodge Ram 3500 Driver assistance Problems

CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTION - 2003 DODGE RAM 3500, CUMMINS DIESEL, MANUAL TRANS. SEPT 15TH, 2008, 9AM I LEFT MY HOME AT 3:30 AM ON MY WAY TO DENVER FOR WORK. I USED THE CRUISE CONTROL THROUGH THE TOWN OF GLENWOOD SPRINGS AT 55-60 MPH OR SO, THEN MADE MY WAY INTO THE GLENWOOD CANYON AT JUST BEFORE 4:45 AM, WHICH HAS A POSTED SPEED OF 50 MPH. THERE WAS A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN THE FIRST TUNNEL IN THE CANYON, SO I TAPPED THE BRAKE AND SLOWED TO ABOUT 40 MPH, IN 6TH GEAR. AS I EXCITED THE CONSTRUCTION AREA, I HIT THE 'RESUME' BUTTON FOR THE CRUISE AND THE TRUCK BEGAN TO ACCELERATE (APPROX 4:47 AM). SOON I WAS GOING OVER 70 MPH AND ACCELERATING AT FULL THROTTLE. I TAPPED THE BRAKE AND THE CRUISE DID NOT TURN OFF... I HIT THE BRAKE AGAIN, HARDER THIS TIME IN CASE I DIDN'T USE ENOUGH PRESSURE THE FIRST TIME. AGAIN, NOTHING. AT THIS POINT THE TRUCK IS RUNNING AT 80+ MPH AND I'M COMING UP ON A SEMI IN THE SLOW LANE, SAME LANE THAT I'M IN. I HAD TO SWERVE AROUND THE TRACTOR-TRAILER, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME ATTEMPTING TO SHUT THE CRUISE CONTROL OFF, BACK ON AND OFF AGAIN, TRYING TO STOP THE TRUCK. AS I GET PAST THE TRACTOR-TRAILER I'M RUNNING WELL OVER 80 MPH AND I'M STARTING TO PANIC. I START PUMPING THE BRAKES OVER AND OVER, ATTEMPTING TO CONTROL THE TRUCKS SPEED AROUND ONE OF THE CANYON CORNERS. AFTER 30 SECONDS THE TRUCK STOPPED IT'S FULL-THROTTLE ATTACK. I EXITED THE CANYON AND KEPT DRIVING FOR ANOTHER 10 MINUTES OR SO, THEN PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AT 2000 RPM. I DROVE TO THE NEXT EXIT AND PARKED. EVENTUALLY THE RPM'S DROPPED TO 1500 AND I SHUT IT OFF. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THAT TRUCK AT ALL. MY WIFE DRIVES THE TRUCK MORE OFTEN THAN I DO, IT REALLY SCARES ME TO THINK IF SHE WERE DRIVING WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THIS ISSUE WAS REPORTED TO CHRYSLER ON THE 15TH OF SEPT, 2008. CHRYSLER CASE# 17902313 TRUCKS THERE WAS A REQUIRED UPDATE ON THE ECM WHICH WAS DONE AND CURRENTLY NO RECALLS ON THIS VIN#. *TR

NHTSA ID

10242523

Incident

Sep 15, 2008

Mileage

101,000 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE GOING OVER A HILL AT 5 MPH THE VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF GEAR AND ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED.

NHTSA ID

10159112

Incident

May 15, 2006

Mileage

68,000 mi

WHEN TOWING WITH THE VEHICLE IT DOES NOT RESPOND WHEN PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. HAVE TO PULLOVER LET TRUCK REST FOR ABOUT 5 TO 10 MINUTES BEFORE TRUCK WILL MOVE WHEN GAS PEDAL IS PRESSED. *NM

NHTSA ID

10158363

Incident

Apr 3, 2006

Mileage

68,000 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE IS INITIALLY STARTED, THERE IS A HESITATION WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. THIS IS INTERMITTENT AND THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE A PROBLEM. THE COMPUTER HAS BEEN CHECKED FOR CODES AND THE WIRING WAS CHECKED.

NHTSA ID

10157439

Incident

May 12, 2006

Mileage

74,000 mi

WHILE APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AND MOVED ON ITS OWN. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10097675

Incident

Oct 25, 2004

THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD IN EVERY GEAR EXCEPT IN NEUTRAL WHEN DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH WHEN STARTING THE ENGINE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CLUTCH, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK THE TRANSMISSION WAS HARD TO SHIFT, THE CLUTCH CONTROL WAS DEFECTIVE DUE TO THE SLAVE CYLINDER BLEEDING BACK INTO THE MASTER CYLINDER. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LURCH UNEXPECTEDLY. *SC

NHTSA ID

10092798

Incident

Sep 15, 2004

Mileage

20,000 mi

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED VEHICLE FAILS TO ACCELERATE AND STAYS IN THE IDLE POSITION. WHEN THIS OCCURS THE CONSUMER COASTS VEHICLE FORWARD FOR A FEW SECONDS THAN RESTARTS THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP. *AK

NHTSA ID

10056088

Mileage

10 mi

WHEN ACCELERATING AT VARIOUS SPEED VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE, CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO CONSUMER. DEALER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10037630

Incident

Aug 16, 2003