2011 Dodge Ram 5500

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect.  During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications.  The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal, firing commands (i.e., when to deploy the airbag(s) and/or pretensioners), and fault information (e.g., diagnostic trouble codes). In September 2016, FCA announced recall 16V-668 for certain model year (MY) 2010 to 2014 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products manufactured with the subject ZF-TRW ACU.  In this recall, FCA discussed an EOS condition that resulted in a failure of the subject DS84 ASIC, which caused air bag non-deployment.  FCA noted that the defect condition had only been observed in vehicles equipped with sensor harnessing routed across the front of the vehicle.  Other FCA vehicles that also used the subject ACU, but were not equipped with cross-car harnessing, had not experienced EOS failures, despite similar time in service. During the course of this investigation, ODI sent two separate Information Request (IR) letters to six vehicle manufactures (including FCA, Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Toyota) and one IR letter to ZF-TRW.  These IR letters resulted in ODI receiving comprehensive data from these manufacturers and suppliers. Studies of this data found that the DS84 ASIC does not have sufficient protection against negative electrical transients or electrical overstress (“EOS”) that can be generated in certain severe crashes.  An electrical transient occurs when the electrical power supplied to a circuit changes momentarily over a short duration of time.   In these severe crash cases, the crash sensors and other powered wiring can be damaged and short circuited so as to create a negative electrical transient of sufficient intensity and duration (that are outside the vehicle manufacturer's specification) to damage the ASIC before the restraint device deployment signal is received by the SRS ECU.  This damaged signal can lead to incomplete or nondeployment of the air bags and/or pretensioners.  Airbag non-deployment and/or lack of pretensioner operation can increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash.A total of 8 fatalities and 14 injuries were associated with known EOS events. The common element in all investigated manufacturers vehicles is the SRS ECU containing a DS84 ASIC manufactured by ZF-TRW.  The risk associated with the ASIC is equally shared among all OEMS involved in the investigation.  The actual real-world risk can be mitigated by other factors which were assessed by ODI during this investigation. The first mitigating factor involves protections built into the ACU design which protect the DS84 ASIC from damage.  There are multiple strategies and levels of protection employed by different OEMs that provide effective EOS mitigation.  The two most common strategies at the ACU level are circuit protection diodes on the remote senor signal lines, and current limiting resistors that protect critical components. The second mitigating factor is found at the vehicle level and involves the location and routing of the wires leading from the crash sensors to the SRS ECU.  If the wires are well protected in a crash and are not routed with other power wires carrying large currents, the risk for an EOS event is significantly reduced or eliminated. These design specific factors combine to produce a spectrum of risk for the vehicles equipped with ACUs using the DS84 ASIC.  Given the many of years of field exposure, it is possible to divide the subject population into two groups; vehicles which have experienced EOS events, and vehicles which have not experienced EOS field events. Four of the six OEMs involved in this investigation have experienced EOS field events on at least one of their models equipped with a DS84 ASIC.  All vehicle models (including the Toyota models identified in the Failure Report Summary of the opening resume for this investigation) with field events have been recalled.  In an abundance of caution, ODI kept this investigation open five years to monitor field performance and did not identify any field events on vehicles not included in existing safety recalls. Given the spectrum of risk identified in this investigation and that all vehicles with a demonstrated unreasonable risk have been recalled, ODI is closing this investigation. ODI is closing this investigation with the following manufacturer safety recalls: 16V-668, 18E-043, 18V-137, 18V-363, and 20V-024.  With the recall actions taken by the subject vehicle and equipment manufacturers, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exists on other model or model year vehicles outside of the recall scopes. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 RAM 5500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V821000 (POWER TRAIN) MONTHS AGO. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT SUPPLIED THE PART TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER (JEFF WYLER EASTGATE AUTO MALL, 513-752-3447) WAS CALLED AND COULD NOT DETERMINE WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE TO SCHEDULE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

NHTSA ID

11080830

Incident

Sep 1, 2017

THE METAL STEM THAT IS CONNECTED TO THE PLASTIC HOUSING ACTS AS A GUIDE FOR THE SPRINGING ACTION OF THE SENDER. AS THE FUEL PUMP HEATED UP, INDICATED BY THE BLACK AREA ON THE FUEL SENDER, IT HEATED THE METAL TUBE AND BURNED A HOLE THROUGH THE TANK. THIS CAUSED A LEAK IN THE FUEL TANK AND A SPILL OF FUEL IN EXCESS OF 25 GALLONS AT A GAS STATION.

NHTSA ID

11030505

Incident

Sep 1, 2017

DIESEL EXHAUST FLUID (DEF) SYSTEM FAILURE. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITH WARNING TO HAVE SERVICED OR VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AFTER XX MILES. WAS DEF SYSTEM, PIPE, INJECTOR, AND SENSORS.

NHTSA ID

10983231

Incident

Apr 14, 2017

Mileage

77,093 mi

-CONTROL MODULES REQUIRE UPDATES (ECM AND TCM) WHICH YOU HAVE TO PAY $120.00 FOR THE UPDATES. IT MAY CAUSE DRIVABILITY ISSUES. -INTAKE TUBE CLAMPS NEED REPLACING WHICH YOU CAN'T BUY THE CLAMP YOU HAVE TO PURCHASE THE INTAKE HOSE FOR $379.92.

NHTSA ID

10855080

Incident

Mar 29, 2016

Mileage

11,913 mi

WHILE DRIVING, AT RANDOM, A WARNING WILL DISPLAY STATING THE FOLLOWING: "SERVICE DEF SYSTEM. ENGINE WILL NOT START AT 200 MILES. SEE DEALER" THIS HAS HAPPENED 10 OR MORE TIMES SINCE WE PURCHASED THE TRUCK. WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH ANOTHER 2011 DODGE RAM 5500 WHICH WE PURCHASED WITH THIS ONE. WHEN WE BRING IT TO THE DEALER, THEY CANT GIVE AN EXACT REASON WHY THIS KEEPS OCCURRING. THEY ONCE TOLD ME "ITS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS GOING 65 MPH ON THE HIGH WAY WHILE TOWING A VEHICLE." THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON IN THIS VEHICLE SINCE THE MONTH WE PURCHASED IT. THE DEALERSHIP HAS A HARD TIME SHUTTING IT OFF & KEEPING IT OFF. THIS SYSTEM LOCK-DOWN OF OUR RAM TOW TRUCK'S IS UNPREDICTABLE, AND A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR OUR BUSINESS & NEEDS TO BE PROPERLY ADDRESSED AND FIXED.

NHTSA ID

10826107

Incident

Feb 13, 2016

Mileage

103,782 mi

THIS VEHICLE IS ON THE BUY BACK PROGRAM. CHRYSLERS 3RD PARTY TOOK SEVERAL MONTHS TO FILE THE PAPERWORK WITH A PRELIMINARY OFFER OF 35 THOUSAND DOLLARS ON THE BUY BACK. AT THE TIME THEY GUARANTEED THAT PRICE AND THAT IT COULD NOT BE LOWERED. NOW THEY ARE COMING BACK AND OFFERING 24K FOR THE SAME VEHICLE AND ARE REFUSING TO SPEAK TO US UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES UNLESS WE DECLINE THE OFFER OR ACCEPT THE OFFER. FCA AND IMPARTIAL SERVICES IS REFUSING TO RE-PURCHASE OR REPAIR OUR VEHICLE THAT IS PART OF THE 13V-527 CAMPAIGN. WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING WITH THEM NON STOP SINCE OCTOBER OF 2015 AND THEY ARE STILL REFUSING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO REACH NHTSA AND EVEN YOU GUYS ARE REFUSING TO ASSIST. SO WE STILL HAVE A BROKEN TRUCK IN OUR DRIVEWAY THAT FCA WILL NOT FIX!!!!!!!!..UPDATED 01/20/16 *BF

NHTSA ID

10818262

Incident

Jan 5, 2016

2011 DODGE RAM 5500. ATTORNEY REPRESENTING CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE FIRE AND DIESEL FUEL HEATER ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR RECALL NOTICE. *SMD

NHTSA ID

10720913

Incident

Nov 1, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 DODGE RAM 5500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE NEAR THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. IT WAS UNKNOWN IF A POLICE AND A FIRE REPORT WERE FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 14V635000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL) AND 13V527000 (STEERING); HOWEVER, THE RECALL NOTICES WERE RECEIVED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10715922

Incident

Feb 23, 2013

Trac-Rite Operation Diagnosis, Chatter, Shudder, Moving From A Stop And Turning

BEARING - CRANKSHAFT THRUST and KIT

BEARING - CRANKSHAFT THRUST and KIT

Verify Reman part number availability. Order the "R" part number for all orders: Warranty, Mopar, customer pay and service contract. Order "68" part number for New unsold units only.

LAMP - DOME

LAMP - DOME