10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
5 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
25,518 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2013 Ram 1500:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #10

Oct 012014

1500 4WD 8-cyl

  • 12,212 miles
While driving my trucks dash will go blank, the vehicle shuts off and then resets. The last time this occurred, when the vehicle reset the throttle came back on wide open and almost caused a loss of control. I reacted by manually shutting down the vehicle and coming to a rest on the shoulder of the road. Once I restarted the vehicle all was ok. I was only a mile form the Dodge dealer and returned it to them for a diagnosis. Again, nothing found. This has happened several times (dash resetting while driving approximately 10 times in the last 2 months) but only once has it came back on full throttle. I have been to the dealership three times for the dash resetting just to have them tell me they cannot duplicate the incident. This is a valid safety issue and needs to be addressed. After reviewing the Dodge Ram forums, I notice several people with the same issue.

- Adolphus, KY, USA

problem #9

Jun 042014

1500 8-cyl

  • miles
The issues have been with the truck's cruise control. Initially it would shut off when the '+' button was pressed 2X rapidly or would not operate at all. It would resume functioning when I would pull over and restart the truck. The issues however has escalated to a serious safety issues. On the morning of 7/28/2014, the cruise control would not shut off or disarm. I could cancel and/or press the brake pedal to slow down, but the system would not disarm or turn off. A visit to the dealer verified the issue and a 2014 model was taken for a test drive and it did not replicate same issue. Having the cruise control unexpectedly disengage or have it not disarm is a serious traffic and safety hazard. The exact same behavior is documented in this youtube video and is not an unknown occurrence to the manufacturer. Https://www.youtube.com/watch?V=afc4Y2grqzo.

- Rensselaer, NY, USA

problem #8

Oct 232013

1500 8-cyl

  • 1,000 miles
When traveling with the cruise control on, set or not, some times when pressing the resume button, the cruise control shuts off completely. Requiring you to get your foot on the gas fast. This can be a problem when navigating traffic, and using the cruise to bump up the speed a couple on mph, and instead you just lost some, and the guy behind you thinks you are a jerk for pulling in the passing lane and slowing down. That is if he notices and don't run in to you first. Or you settle back into traffic hit the resume, take your foot off the pedal, and then realize you are slowing down very fast. I don't know how often this has happened but I would guess over 100 time so far. At first I thought I was inadvertently hitting the off button, then I saw my thumb was now where near the off button when it happened. It has been doing this from new.

- Oconto, WI, USA

problem #7

May 232014

1500 8-cyl

  • 14,000 miles
I was sitting in my truck in front of a convenience store for 20-30 minutes with the engine running while I caught up my texts and calls. When I got ready to leave I put my foot on the brake and put the vehicle in reverse. I glanced my mirrors and looked over my right shoulder and started to ease my foot off of the brake as I've done many times in the past. The next thing I know, I'm moving forward as if I had stomped on the accelerator and I crashed through the framing and glass of the store front. As I was penetrating the structure of the store I tried to put the vehicle into park and I was pushing on the brakes. Then the truck reverses and I realize I'm headed towards the gas pump and possibly other customers. All this time I was pushing on the brake and I would let off and hold them again. The engine was revving at what sounded to be the maximum then it would drop for just a bit and rev again. When I was headed for the gas pumps after leaving the building I pulled the vehicle shifter down to drive because it wouldn't go into park and I was in such a state of panic I hadn't thought to turn off the ignition. I was holding on for dear life to the steering wheel and letting go of it just didn't occur to me. After putting the vehicle into drive and running into the building for the second time, the engine dropped back to an idle and I put it into reverse and slowly backed out of the damaged storefront, put the truck into park and shut it off.I thought about it after it was over and even if I had inadvertently placed the truck into drive, letting my foot off of the gas pedal would have allowed the truck to merely bump into the concrete stopping block stopping it, it felt like the truck had a mind of its own.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #6

Feb 112014

1500 8-cyl

  • 10,000 miles
While accelerating the throttle goes all the way to the floor and accelerates on its own. It sticks, and will not slow down the only way to stop the vehicle is to turn it off or take out of gear which revs the motor.

- Pikeville, NC, USA

problem #5

Oct 212013

1500 8-cyl

  • 9,312 miles
After coming to slower speeds (45 mph) from highways speeds (75) my vehicle was driving by itself without my foot on the gas. This has happened multiple times and it keeps a constant speed of 35 mph. The furthest I have driven like this is 2.5 miles.

- Waynesboro , GA, USA

problem #4

Mar 092014

1500

  • 14,000 miles
After a weekend of camping I loaded up the truck and was on my way home doing approx 45-55 mph. I stop at a red light and as soon as I get a green I proceed to accelerate except I have no acceleration. I looked down and see "service throttle control". my vehicle has now entered limp mode leaving me to drive 120 miles home on the interstate at 15-25 mph with very limited acceleration if any. Also 3 weeks before this I had sparatic acceleration at stoplights almost as if my truck wanted to jump into the back seat of the car ahead of me. I did not think too much of this as it only happened a hand full a time and thought it to be fuel in the lines but now that ive done my research I nkow this to be the issue. This is a very unsafe condition and needs answers.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #3

Dec 302013

1500 8-cyl

  • 10,821 miles
I was returning home from a short trip on the interstate and I had just made a turn on the street we live on when I heard a ding sound. My wife and I noticed that there was a message on the display that showed, "service electronic throttle control". it stayed on only a second and disappeared. I didn't really notice any effect to the driving capability, but this is the first time that message has appeared and I notice that there are two similar complaints posted here about the same message. I think I'll go to the dealership and at least let them know about it and see what they do. I had been using my cruise control on the way back from my trip which I normally do use and I note that in at least one of the other complaints the person was using theirs too. At the time of the message I wasn't using cruise but like I said, I had been.

- Oklahoma City, OK, USA

problem #2

Aug 262013

1500 8-cyl

  • 11,000 miles
On August 26th I was traveling in my truck at about 58mph with the cruise control on. As I entered a 45mph speed zone I tapped the brake pedal to disengage the cruise. The truck maintained speed so I pressed the brake pedal many times with the truck not slowing down. I then had to hit the brakes quite hard to slow down. While doing this I noticed a message come up on the info screen which read service electronic throttle control. After stopping I checked to see if something like a floormat was pressing on the accelerator pedal, which there was not. This same situation happened again on August 30th. I contacted South lake motors, the local Ram dealer to schedule an appointment for Sept. 4. I took my truck in and they found a code in the computer, but could not find anything wrong. In the following 2 weeks the same thing happened two more times as I tried to slow down from a speed of between 55 and 60mph, except I did not have the cruise on. They looked it over again on Sept 19 and decided to put a new accelerator pedal in it on Sept. 20th. The next day it stuck again as I tried to slow for a truck turning in front of me, almost causing me to rear end that vehicle. Sept 27th I took it back in and they still could not find anything wrong. On Oct 7 I once again dropped my truck off at the dealer and they kept it for 5 days trying to duplicate the issue. They could not find the problem. On Oct 13 while traveling at 45mph I let off the accelerator pedal and the truck maintained speed, I had to slam on the brakes to slow it down to negotiate a corner without wrecking. This has happened two time since then. On Oct 21st I took it back to the dealer and they installed a data recorder to record the events.the mechanic and other dealership employees have told me this truck is not safe to drive. I have called Chrysler daily telling them this vehicle is unsafe.

- Ladysmith, WI, USA

problem #1

Jul 012013

1500

  • 7,000 miles
Check engine light, lightning bolt light and service electronic throttle control error message comes on approximately 40-50 miles after refueling. Truck goes into limp mode then clears itself after starting 4 or 5 times over the period of a day or two. Dealer can't locate the problem. Has happened 4 times now. Dealer has updated software, replaced gas tank, replaced gas cap, and replaced tps. Same issue is still happening.

- Fort Myers, FL, USA