2012 Dodge Ram 3500 Brakes Problems

While pulling a trailer, integrated trailer brake controller stopped working and disabled the trailer brakes. All trailer lights worked, just no brakes. Showed red warning in dash and "CF" on brake controller after failure. No warning before failure. Checked connections and tested with another trailer. Even with no trailer, warning is on and trailer brakes are not functional. Created hazard to driver and other motorists by spontaneous loss of brakes. Online forums indicate this is not an isolated incident. More recently, now the trailer running lights have failed. Brake and turn signal lights work, but no running lights. No police report of inspections. Not yet repaired. Available for inspection.

NHTSA ID

11420194

Incident

Feb 16, 2021

THE INTEGRATED BRAKE CONTROLLER IS INTERMITTENT AT BEST. I PURCHASED A TRAILER AND IT HOOKED UP FINE. WORKED FINE TOWING UNTIL I DISCONNECTED THE TRAILER AND SEVEN PIN CONNECTOR. NOW THE CONTROLLER TELLS ME THERE IS NO TRAILER ON THE CONTROLLER AND THE DASH ALERTS. UPON PULLING THE TRAILER AGAIN THE CONTROLLER TELLS ME I'M NOT TOWING WHEN I AM. ??

NHTSA ID

11388248

Incident

Jan 10, 2021

Mileage

5,000 mi

WHILE IN MOTION MY FOOT BRAKE DOES NOT SEND ENOUGH VOLTAGE TO THE ELECTRIC BRAKES ON MY TOY HAULER 5TH WHEEL TRAILER. I HAVE TO USE THE HAND BRAKE LEVER TO SAFELY STOP THE TRAILER.. WHILE STOPPED MY FOOT BRAKE SENDS 3.4 VOLTS TO THE TRAILER WHILE THE HAND BRAKE SENDS 12 VOLTS (THE GAIN IS TURNED TO ITS HIGHEST). WITH THE IGNITION OFF, THE BRAKE LIGHTS ON THE TRUCK TO DO NOT ACTIVATE WITH THE FOOT BRAKE PEDAL. MY LOCAL RAM DEALER DOES NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, NOR HAVE THEY HEARD FROM CHRYSLER. THE APPOINTMENT WIT THE RAM DEALER WAS ON JULY 10, 2019.

NHTSA ID

11233161

Incident

Jul 10, 2019

Mileage

105,000 mi

BRAKE TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK RECALL, NHTSA RECALL #17V-821, RECALL DATE 01/04/2018. I HAVE CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP-SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS AND I AM BEING TOLD PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME FOR SAID RECALL.

NHTSA ID

11232708

Incident

Jan 4, 2018

WHEN STEPPING ON THE BRAKES WHILE PULLING MY 40 FT TOY HAULER POWER IS NOT BEING SUPPLIED TO THE ELECTRIC BRAKES. IF THE ELECTRIC BRAKES ARE APPLIED BY HAND THEN POWER IS SUPPLIED. ALSO, THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO DO NOT COME ON ON THE TRUCK WHEN THE FOOT BRAKE IS APPLIED UNLESS THE ENGINE IS RUNNING. THIS TRUCK HAS THE FACTORY INSTALLED INTEGRATED BRAKE CONTROLLER. THE FUSE FOR FEEDING POWER TO THE TRAILER BRAKE IS GOOD.

NHTSA ID

11221785

Incident

Jun 15, 2019

Mileage

107,000 mi

WIN MODULES AND/OR IGNITION SWITCH RANDOMLY TURNS ENGINE OFF AND ALL ELECTRONICS INCLUDING TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLS. VEHICLE LOSS OF POWER BRAKES AND POWER STEERING. LOSS OF TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLS. I WAS DRIVING PULLING A 10,000LBS. TRAILER AND TRUCK WAS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. GLAD I WASN'T DRIVING AROUND PEDESTRIANS, AND NO TRAFFIC, OR DRIVING INTO A CITY RUSH HOUR LIKE I USUALLY AM. NOW I DON'T PULL A TRAILER ANYMORE WITH THIS TRUCK BECAUSE I'M SCARED OF SMASHING SOMEONE OR SOMETHING. A LOT OF PEOPLE USE THESE TRUCKS AS COMMERCIAL VEHICLES AND TOWING AND THIS NEEDS ADDRESSES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED. *DT*JB *DT*JB

NHTSA ID

11183861

Incident

Nov 16, 2018

Mileage

195,000 mi

HISSING NOISE COMING FROM HYDROBOOST AREA. WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN STOPPED WITH ENGINE RUNNING THERE IS A HISSING NOISE UNDER THE DASH. DEPRESSING THE BRAKES, THE NOISE QUIETS. WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL, THE NOISE QUIETS. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION THE NOISE IS COMING FROM THE HYDROBOOST AREA.

NHTSA ID

11051367

Incident

Nov 17, 2017

Mileage

96,000 mi

THE OEM TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLER WILL SHOW A "TRAILER BRAKES DISCONNECTED", "CHECK TRAILER BRAKES" THIS IS A RANDOM MESSAGE AND CHECKING THE WIRING SHOWS NO PROBLEMS. THE DEALERS APPEAR TO BE CLUELESS ABOUT THE ISSUE AND BLAME THE OWNERS TRAILER. THE WARNING ON THE DASH DISPLAY AND ON THE OEM TRAILER BRAKE WILL DISPLAY AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT BRAKE APPLICATION. THERE ARE REPEATED POSTS ON THE VARIOUS INTERNET FORUMS WITH NO CORRECTION AVAILABLE, AND SINCE IT IS A INTERMITTENT PROBLEM, VERY HARD TO DIAGNOSE.

NHTSA ID

10883526

Incident

Jun 29, 2016

Mileage

22,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WATER BUILT UP IN THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT. THE FAILURE OCCURRED EACH TIME IT RAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR GASKET LIGHT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WATER DAMAGE AFFECTED THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,000.

NHTSA ID

10839501

Incident

Jan 2, 2013

Mileage

3,000 mi

MY DRIVER WAS TRAVELING AT 80 MPH IN CRUISE CONTROL WHEN HE STARTED TO NOTICE A VIBRATION FROM THE TRUCK THAT WAS SHAKING THE MIRRORS. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE OUT OF CRUISE CONTROL AND STARTED TO DECELERATE. AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH A LARGE BANG WAS HEARD FROM BENEATH THE VEHICLE AND THE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK WAS LIFTED OFF OF THE PAVEMENT. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BE TURNED SLIGHTLY SIDEWAYS WHEN IT CAME BACK DOWN INTO CONTACT WITH THE PAVEMENT WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH! THANKFULLY MY DRIVER WAS ABLE TO CORRECT THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT BUT WHEN HE PUSHED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL IT WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. HE WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND EVENTUALLY BRING IT TO A STOP. PARTS FROM THE TRUCK HAD BEEN STREWN DOWN THE INTERSTATE OVER APPROXIMATELY 200 YDS. THERE WAS A VEHICLE TRAVELING BEHIND MY DRIVER AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT BUT LUCKILY THEY WERE FAR ENOUGH BEHIND THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTIONS TO AVOID ANY FLYING DEBRIS. THANKFULLY THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR AFTER INCIDENT ACCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED THOUGH I WOULD ATTRIBUTE THIS TO THE ALERT AND RESPONSIVE DRIVING OF BOTH MY DRIVER AND THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE BEHIND HIM. HAD THERE BEEN A VEHICLE DIRECTLY BEHIND OR TO THE SIDE OF HIM THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR ACCIDENT POSSIBLY RESULTING IN INJURIES OR DEATH. THIS VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DODGE RAM DEALER WHERE WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE FRONT DRIVE SHAFT WAS THE PART THAT FAILED. WE WERE INFORMED BY DEALER PERSONNEL THAT THIS DRIVE SHAFT HAS A JOINT THAT IS NON-SERVICEABLE NOR EASILY INSPECTED AND THAT THIS WAS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. OTHER PARTS THAT WERE EFFECTED WERE THE TRANSFER CASE (THE CASE WAS BROKEN IN TWO PIECES AND THE INTERNALS WERE BLOWN OUT), TRANSMISSION CRACKED BEYOND REPAIR, BRAKE LINES HAD BEEN SEVERED, FUEL LINES HAD BEEN SEVERED AND A HOLE WAS PUNCHED THROUGH THE CAB BOTTOM INTO THE PASSENGER AREA. *TR

NHTSA ID

10652823

Incident

Oct 15, 2014

Mileage

124,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE RAM 3500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V154000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

10628039

Incident

Jan 6, 2014

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY 97 CLOSE TO PRINCE GEORGE, CANADA,I HEARD A LOUD SCRATCHING SOUND WHICH I THOUGHT TO BE WORN OUT BRAKE PADS. IT WAS SUNDAY EVENING AND ALL DEALERS WHERE CLOSED. WHEN I CALLED THE DODGE DEALERSHIP NEXT MORNING(I SPENT THE NIGHT IN TOWN) THEY COULD NOT ASSIST ME BECAUSE THEY WERE BOOKED. SO I WENT TO A GARAGE WHO COULD TAKE ME IN. I WAS TOLD THE BRAKE PADS WHERE NOT TO BAD BUT THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS RIPPED OUT OF THE CASING AT THE CENTRE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. I CALLED THE CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID I HAD TO WAIT TILL THEY COULD LOOK AT IT NEXT DAY(DAY 2). AND EVEN IF IT WOULD TAKE ANOTHER DAY. I THEN TOLD THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP TO FIX IT UP SINCE I HAD TO LITTLE KIDS ALREADY WAITING TO GET HOME. CHRYSLER SAID THEY WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ME THAT I FOLLOW THEIR GUIDELINES OR THEY WOULD NOT GIVE BACK ANY MONEY. THERE I AM WITH A $85000 VEHICLE AND AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR $4000 AND THEY WOULD REFUSE TO HELP ME RATHER LET ME AND MY FAMILY WAIT FOR TWO DAYS. ANOTHER ISSUE IS A RECALL THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FIXED AT THE FRONT END BUT THEY HAVE ACCORDING TO MY CHRYSLER DEALER BEEN ABLE TO GET THE PARTS IN. BY NOW BOTH FRONT BALL JOINTS ARE LOOSE AND THE FRONT END IS SHAKEN EVEN HERE THEY HAD NO ANSWER FOR THE 14 MONTH DELAY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10621491

Incident

Aug 10, 2014

Mileage

74,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING SOUTH HAULING A HORSE TRAILER ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY, MY TRUCK WOULD HIT A SLIGHT BUMP OR RIDGE IN THE ROAD AND START VIOLENTLY SHAKING. THE ONLY REMEDY IS TO SLOW TO A STOP. THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES VIOLENTLY, IT IS HARD TO STEER, THE BRAKES CAN'T SLOW LIKE NORMAL. IT IS A DANGEROUS NOT ONLY TO OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE, BUT TO OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ROAD. THIS VEHICLE IS A HAZARD TO EVERYONE!!!! *TR

NHTSA ID

10605934

Incident

Jun 20, 2014

Mileage

69,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE BRAKES OVERHEATED AND ALL FOUR BRAKE CALIPERS CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKES WERE NEWLY INSTALLED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE CALIPERS AND BRAKE LINES WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10552759

Incident

Nov 13, 2013

Mileage

67,000 mi

2012 DODGE RAM 3500 LARAMIE. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE CONTROLLER *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED A DEALER HELPED HIM INSTALL A UNIVERSAL BRAKE CONTROLLER, BUT IT DID NOT WORK CORRECTLY. THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS ABLE TO USE IT, WITH THE HAND CONTROL, BUT NOT THE FOOT CONTROL. THE BRAKES WOULD BECOME VERY HOT FROM TRYING TO STOP THE EQUIPMENT TRAILER WITHOUT THE BRAKE CONTROLLER WORKING PROPERLY. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE BRAKES OVERHEATED, IT DAMAGED OTHER COMPONENTS. ALSO, THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD GO OUT AT RANDOM TIMES WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL EMITTING FROM THE VEHICLE. *JB THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW WIRING HARNESS AND NEW AXLES. UPDATED 08/14/12

NHTSA ID

10466087

Incident

Jul 2, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 DODGE RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH AND ATTEMPTING A TURN, THE BRAKES SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY STATED THAT THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE BRAKE CONTROL MODULE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 400,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 600,000.

NHTSA ID

10460518

Incident

Feb 14, 2012

Mileage

400,000 mi