10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
77,111 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2004 Dodge Ram 2500 engine problems

engine problem

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2004 Dodge Ram 2500 Owner Comments

problem #19

Apr 032004

Ram 2500

  • 3,200 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I bought this truck brand new and never been abused but back on 4/03/2004 my truck gauges would flicker and go to zero and then go back all in a millisecond. This has happened since I have owned it. It keeps doing it to this day. You could be driving the truck at low speed and high speeds when it does it the germlin dash shake. It happens so fast that I can't get a picture of it. I have taken it to the dealer nurmious times and they said there's nothing wrong with it. But yet you look at all the Dodge forums and everyone that's owns a 2003 to 2005 Dodge Ram cummins 2500 or 3500 this has happened to them. What happens if the gauges cause the truck to shut down at a high rate of speed? I have looked over all the recalls and think a investagation should be done on this. I currently only have 106,000 miles on my 2004! Dodge Ram 2500. Like I said this has gone on since April of 2004 and to this day still does it. Like I said I have taken it to the dealer nurmious times and they said nothing is wrong and no they say they can fix it for a large amount of money since it's not covered under warranty.

- Lovelock, NV, USA

problem #18

Aug 012017

Ram 2500

  • 195,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500. While operating the vehicle, both the high beam and low beam headlights would not illuminate. Also, the rear driver's side window would not operate due to damaged electrical wires located in the driver side door panel. The contact indicated that the wires became damaged by opening and closing the doors. In addition, while at a stop light, the vehicle momentarily experienced unintended acceleration. The cause of the failures was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer (jerry wood Dodge in salisbury, nc) and the manufacturer were notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 195,000.

- Gold Hill, NC, USA

problem #17

Mar 082017

Ram 2500

  • 141,044 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500. While attempting to make a U-turn, the vehicle lost acceleration. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road, turned the vehicle off, waited a few minutes, and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle operated normally. The check engine warning indicator illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle suddenly accelerated while at a traffic light. The dealer diagnosed that the throttle position sensor needed replacement. The contact also stated that the vehicle was repaired four times for the same failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired again. The approximate failure mileage was 141,044.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #16

Mar 012017

Ram 2500

  • 125,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Driving at any time any conditions turning or strait roads the ect light comes on. When this happens you loose all control of the vehicle steering and brakes included. The rpms will jump up high then drop so low the truck will die or idle really rough. Rameys can't fix it local service stations can't fix I've almost wrecked several times bc of this I've had a new throttle body installed no fix 150$ then a new bell crank assembly 400$ still no fix I've searched and called everyone who might have an idea Dodge should look into this because it's not a rare thing from what I see online.

- Bluefield, VA, USA

problem #15

Oct 222016

Ram 2500 6-cyl Diesel

  • Automatic transmission
  • 200,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500. While the vehicle was in park, the gears independently shifted into reverse at a high rate of speed. As a result the contact crashed into two vehicles and the rear bumper was damaged. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic for further diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000. Updated 05/31/17 consumer stated vehicle was running but in park mode. On a level street at the end of a culdesac. Vehicle slipped out of park and accelerated backwards into 2 other vehicles. Found out recall was done for this problem between 2004 and 2005. I don't believe this vehicle was ever recalled. Updated 6/28/18

- Milton-Freewater, OR, USA

problem #14

Feb 022015

Ram 2500

  • 225,000 miles
I own a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel with a automatic transmission. This occurred on two occasions the first was on Saturday 1/31/2015 and the second on Monday 2/2/2015. I had just pulled out of my shop when the engine suddenly accelerated at extreme high speed, I slammed on the brakes immediately however as one can imagine the response time and/or the capacity of the braking system was limited due to the high torque of the engine. Non-the-less I was fortunate not to have any other vehicle in my vicinity. This same scenario occur two more time on my way home which is about 4 miles from my shop. The check engine light came on at the time of the first occurrence. I let the truck sit for a couple days, however needed to plow out from a large snowstorm. Upon restarting the truck, the check engine light was off and everything was back to normal. Things changed approximately a half hour into plowing when the sudden acceleration occurred once again and this time within inches of ending up in the drainage ditch at the end of my driveway. It occurred two more times as I was completing the plowing. Also, out of the blue it would idle down with no response when I depressed the accelerator, then after a moment or two it would respond. During the idle the voltage meter would drop to just about zero. I did find some references to the apps (accelerator pedal position sensor) on the web, however when I checked in with my local dealer they stated that they had no recall notice on this. After experiencing this, there is no doubt in my mind that this is quite a serious matter and should be looked into. This situation could easily cause injury or death. I have forty years of driving experience and have never encountered anything of this sort before. I will be taking the vehicle to the dealership, however I feel quite strongly that this should be covered under a recall.

- Marlow, NH, USA

problem #13

Feb 032013

Ram 2500

  • 128,300 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

10 minutes after start up I began to travel in drive gear of automatic transmission. Upon acceleration the pedal was dead, I.e. no power. The engine was running fine. After the truck decelerated to about 10 mph the pedal was back and working. This happened again after about 20 seconds. This behavior continued for 30 minutes and stopped. It was colder that morning (10 degrees F). The pedal also had run away acceleration at times before the pedal went dead. I thought it was fuel related but that doesn't explain the run away acceleration. I believe it an electrical problem with the apps system? very scary though. I hope it doesn't die crossing and intersection.

- Frederick, CO, USA

problem #12

May 042011

Ram 2500

  • 104,857 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph the electronic throttle control went into limp mode and the warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was stopped and shut off. Upon restart, the vehicle operated as normal. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on several occasions where it was repaired. The failure continued. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 104,857 and the current mileage was 105,909.

- Adairsville, GA, USA

problem #11

Jan 152011

Ram 2500

  • 33,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500. While parked on a cold day, the engine suddenly revved when the contact shifted into reverse with his foot on the brake. The wheels also spun on the gravel. The engine continued revving so the contact shifted into neutral. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The failure mileage was 33,000 and the current mileage was 33,400.

- Pasadena, MD, USA

problem #10

Oct 302010

Ram 2500 4WD 6-cyl Diesel

  • Automatic transmission
  • 103,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact stated that the cruise control was activated and when he attempted to slow down, the vehicle did not respond in a timely manner. When it did slow down and the contact tried to accelerate, the vehicle would not pick up speed. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer but the dealer did not inspect the vehicle. The contact called the manufacturer and was awaiting a response. The vehicle had not been repaired. The current mileage was approximately 104,000. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000. Updated 5/24/11 updated 06/13/11

- Cortland, NY, USA

problem #9

Mar 232010

Ram 2500

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram. The contact stated that while driving 20 miles per hour, the vehicle accelerated. The failure previously occurred during rainy weather conditions. The accelerator pedal was not the cause of failure since no pressure was applied to the accelerator pedal. The police were contacted due to the property damage and a report was filed. The contact stated that the vehicle was involved in an crash in 2005 when the brakes did not engage. The contact had not spoken with the manufacturer. The vehicle was under investigation with the insurance company. The vehicle will be towed to the dealer for assessment. The current and failure mileages were not available.

- Port Saint Joe, FL, USA

problem #8

Jun 082009

Ram 2500

  • miles
Our 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 spontaneously caught on fire last night while parked in the driveway. We had not driven it for two days, the keys were not in the ignition, no one was near it...it just went up in flames. My husband could not put the fire out so we called 911 and the fire department finally got the fire put out. The truck is totaled, just a charred metal frame at this point. Had the vehicle been parked in the garage, we would be dead.

- Park City, UT, USA

problem #7

Feb 022009

Ram 2500

  • miles
The driver owns a 2004 Dodge Ram. While driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle began accelerating and slowed down on its own without the brake pedal being depressed. The vehicle was driven to the dealer for diagnostic testing and they stated that the accelerator pedal position sensor was defective. The vehicle has not been repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The current mileage was 75,705 and the failure mileage was unavailable.

- Mauldin, NC, USA

problem #6

Feb 212008

Ram 2500 4WD 6-cyl Diesel

  • Automatic transmission
  • 50,100 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500. While driving 30 mph, the warning lights illuminated and the accelerator pedal extended to the floor. The contact was unable to avoid running a red light. The dealer stated that the computer needed to be reset. The failure recurred and the dealer stated that the throttle sensor needed to be replaced at the cost of $450. The failure mileage was 50,100 and current mileage was 50,114. Updated 04/23/08. After the dealer replaced a part, the consumer still experienced the same problem. The dealer then told the consumer there may be a short in the wiring harness under the dash that goes to the cruise control and the dash would need to be taken apart to fix the wiring. Updated

- Plattsburg , NY, USA

problem #5

Feb 132007

Ram 2500 4WD 6-cyl Diesel

  • Manual transmission
  • 75,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Dodge 2500 pickup. While driving 30 mph the vehicle accelerated on its own. The check engine light came on. The contact was able to maintain control of the vehicle. The failure occurred 3-4 times before the contact was able to park the vehicle. The dealer/manufacturer diagnosed the vehicle as needing a new throttle control sensor. The contact replaced the throttle control sensor. The current and failure mileage were 75000. Updated 05/12/08

- Oneonta, NY, USA

problem #4

Apr 282006

Ram 2500 4WD 6-cyl Diesel

  • Automatic transmission
  • 38,800 miles
: the contact stated the vehicle continues to accelerate without the accelerator pedal being depressed. The cruise control has never been activated. The dealership is unable to determine the problem.

- Rifle, CO, USA

problem #3

Mar 162006

Ram 2500 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 42,000 miles
: the contact stated while the brake pedal was applied, the brakes pulsate. The dealership turned the rotors when this occurred. The rotors must be turned every 6,000-10,000 miles. Also, after starting the vehicle and putting it into gear, the vehicle surged forward. The brake pedal was applied and the vehicle was put into neutral, but the engine continued to rev. The vehicle was put into park and turned off, upon turning the vehicle on; a lightning bolt was on the dashboard. The engine continued to rev and the vehicle was turned off. When the vehicle was restarted it operated properly. The dealership was unable to determine any codes on the computer, but determined the warning light meant something triggered the throttle. The vehicle surged a second time.

- Greenfield, IN, USA

problem #2

Dec 132004

Ram 2500 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
The contact stated while driving the vehicle it stalled intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealership multiple times. However, the dealership was not been able to duplicate the problem. The manufacturer has been contacted.

- Portland , OR, USA

problem #1

Oct 112004

Ram 2500 4WD 8-cyl

  • 800 miles
The electronic throttle control light keeps coming on the truck has been in for service and the only thing they do is reset the computer and before I get home it comes back on. This makes the truck stall and affects the brakes.

- Little Falls, NY, USA

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