6 complaints reported

2020 Ram 3500 ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
6
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Feb 2025

Codes: P2002, P242F, P2463, P1451 Failures: DPF, Charge air cooler leak, PM sensors, EGR internally cracked, Catalytic Convertor, Pink tinged oil, strong diesel odor in oil - post failures. Erratic def gauge readings, unstable idling, clunking downshift when exhaust brake decelerates, warm up stumbling. Power reduced, see dealer (over and over and over and over). Limp Mode (5 MPH). Permanent ticks/taps from front left motor, front passenger wheel well, passenger side mid-truck. Extremely loose gear shifter plus an occasional “Vehicle Not in Part” message on the dash display. Manufacturers Service Center (local and ONLY Ram dealership) has reproduced the issue. Independent Diesel Mechanic shop also reproduced. Service center and Independent shop both inspected. The safety issues of a 5 MPH limp mode and risk of sudden engine stalls while driving in traffic, especially on an interstate should be fairly self explanatory… As is a constant “Power Reduced See Dealer” problem, when your truck is used to do what it’s designed to do… Tow large loads. As is an extremely loose gear shifter that doesn’t always properly register as “in Park”. The date listed below is simply the date of the very first occurrence. It’s not a representation of every date after. The most recent date was just last week.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 RAM 3500, Manufacturer: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Incident: Apr 2023
Oct 2021

I was towing a light trailer (4000 lbs) on I-5 in Oregon on 10/22 when I slowed from ~58 mph to about 45 mph to allow a hasty SUV to merge from the right. When I tried to resume speed the truck seemed "stuck" at 45mph for quite some time. I gave it full throttle and it didn't accelerate. I tapped the brakes, turned off cruise control and it felt like there was no power at all, like it was freewheeling. Finally the motor 'caught' and it accelerated to highway speed. I looked for the problem online and believe this may be related to the CP4 fuel pump issues. Is it safe to continue driving or should I take the truck to a dealer or what? There is no recall yet and I hear the dealership people are telling owners that it is from bad fuel and not covering it! I only have 12128 miles on the truck, please advise!

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 RAM 3500, Manufacturer: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Incident: Oct 2021
Jul 2021

THE 2019 TO 2020 MODEL YEAR RAM 2500 HEAVY DUTY EQUIPPED WITH A 6.7L CUMMINS DIESEL ENGINE HAS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD CAUSE A STALL AND INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH. THE BOSCH CP4.2 FUEL INJECTION PUMP HAS A VERY HIGH RATE OF SUDDEN FAILURE LEADING TO IMMEDIATE STOPPAGE ON THE ENGINE AND ENGINE BRAKING SYSTEM. THE PUMP DESTROYS ITSELF AND TAKES OUT THE REST OF THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM LEADING TO REPAIRS IN THE $20,000 USD RANGE. FCA & RAM HAVE ATTEMPTED TO REVISE THE PUMP IN LATE (JULY) 2020 TO SOLVE THE ISSUE BUT THE FAILURES KEEP OCCURRING. FOR THE 2021 MODEL YEAR, FCA & RAM HAVE CHANGED THE PUMP ENTIRELY AND REVERTED BACK TO USING AN OLDER, SAFER, MORE RELIABLE DESIGN. NO PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS OF NEITHER THE PUMP REVISION IN 2020, NOR THE PUMP CHANGE IN 2021 HAVE BEEN MADE. THE ISSUE IS SO PREVALENT THAT THE REPLACEMENT PUMPS AND REPAIRS GENERALLY HAVE A 30-90 DAY WAIT PERIOD WHERE THE CUSTOMER IS WITHOUT THE PRIMARY VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM IS A SUBSTANTIATED SAFETY RISK. ACCORDING TO A TEXAS JUDGE IN A BOSCH CP4.2 LAWSUIT, WHEN ANOTHER AUTOMAKER, GM TRIED TO DISMISS THE CASE SAYING THE PUMP FAILURE IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, THE COURT RESPONDED: "THE WORST CASE SCENARIO OF A TRUCK SPONTANEOUSLY STALLING AT HIGH SPEEDS IS NOT A MERE INCONVENIENCE. NOR IS IT A MERE INCONVENIENCE TO SPEND BETWEEN $8,000 TO $20,000 ON REPAIRS TO MAKE THE TRUCKS FIT FOR THEIR ORDINARY PURPOSE. THE COURT REJECTS GM'S SUGGESTION THAT THE RISK OF SPONTANEOUS ENGINE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING IS NOT, AS A MATTER OF LAW, UNREASONABLY DANGEROUS, DEPRIVING THE VEHICLES OF FITNESS FOR THEIR PURPOSE OF TRANSPORTATION.". TOYOTA AGREES: "IF A VEHICLE STALL OCCURS WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS, THIS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH". FCA & RAM HAVE REMEDIED THE SITUATION FOR THE 2021 MODEL YEAR HOWEVER, THE 2019 AND 2020 OWNERS ARE STILL AT RISK. THE NHTSA NEEDS TO FORCE FCA TO RECALL THESE TRUCKS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 RAM 3500, Manufacturer: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Incident: Dec 2020
May 2021

THE 2019 TO 2020 MODEL YEAR RAM 2500 HEAVY DUTY EQUIPPED WITH A 6.7L CUMMINS DIESEL ENGINE HAS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD CAUSE A STALL AND INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH. THE BOSCH CP4.2 FUEL INJECTION PUMP HAS A VERY HIGH RATE OF SUDDEN FAILURE LEADING TO IMMEDIATE STOPPAGE ON THE ENGINE AND ENGINE BRAKING SYSTEM.THE PUMP DESTROYS ITSELF AND TAKES OUT THE REST OF THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM LEADING TO REPAIRS IN THE $15,000-20,000 USD RANGE. FCA & RAM HAVE ATTEMPTED TO REVISE THE PUMP IN LATE (JULY) 2020 TO SOLVE THE ISSUE BUT THE FAILURES KEEP OCCURRING. FOR THE 2021 MODEL YEAR, FCA & RAM HAVE SWITCHED BACK THE PUMP ENTIRELY AND REVERTED BACK TO USING AN OLDER, SAFER, MORE RELIABLE DESIGN CP3. NO PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS OF NEITHER THE PUMP REVISION IN 2020, NOR THE PUMP CHANGE IN 2021 HAVE BEEN MADE. THE ISSUE IS SO PREVALENT THAT THE REPLACEMENT PUMPS AND REPAIRS GENERALLY HAVE A 30-90 DAY WAIT PERIOD WHERE THE CUSTOMER IS WITHOUT THE PRIMARY VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM IS A SUBSTANTIATED SAFETY RISK. ACCORDING TO A TEXAS JUDGE IN A BOSCH CP4.2 LAWSUIT, WHEN ANOTHER AUTOMAKER, GM TRIED TO DISMISS THE CASE SAYING THE PUMP FAILURE IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, THE COURT RESPONDED: "THE WORST CASE SCENARIO OF A TRUCK SPONTANEOUSLY STALLING AT HIGH SPEEDS IS NOT A MERE INCONVENIENCE. NOR IS IT A MERE INCONVENIENCE TO SPEND BETWEEN $8,000 TO $20,000 ON REPAIRS TO MAKE THE TRUCKS FIT FOR THEIR ORDINARY PURPOSE. THE COURT REJECTS GM'S SUGGESTION THAT THE RISK OF SPONTANEOUS ENGINE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING IS NOT, AS A MATTER OF LAW, UNREASONABLY DANGEROUS, DEPRIVING THE VEHICLES OF FITNESS FOR THEIR PURPOSE OF TRANSPORTATION.". TOYOTA AGREES: "IF A VEHICLE STALL OCCURS WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS, THIS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH". FCA & RAM HAVE REMEDIED THE SITUATION FOR THE 2021 MODEL YEAR HOWEVER, THE 2019 AND 2020 OWNERS ARE STILL AT RISK.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 RAM 3500, Manufacturer: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Incident: Nov 2020
Feb 2021

My truck like all 2019-2020 trucks have the plagued CP4 pump that could fail without showing any symptoms. FCA has failed to step up and have ownership and integrity on this issue. I have asked multiple times to RAM Cares and all I have received is cookie cutter answers from them. I do not know if mine will be next to go or ever will go but FCA has a solution in the 2021 HD Ram trucks and that is the CP-ISB21 fuel pump which looks like the old reliable CP3 fuel pump. Companies out have a solution and that is the CP3 swap but it voids the warranty on the vehicle. The warranty is what is holding me back from having the CP3 pump swap done. Can you please pressure FCA to step up have integrity to replace the plagued CP4 fuel pump with the CP-ISB21 pump. I have challenged FCA on their integrity and ask them if they have it because of the cookie cutter answers I have received from them. I have even asked them to look up what integrity is and to follow the integrity example from the Naval Nuclear Power Program because that program is built on integrity. That program has safely steamed on Nuclear Power for over 60 years. Please again force FCA’s hand on this because this is unsat of them. Look at the forums online and you will see people posting their trucks that have a failed CP4 pump. With that failure FCA is just replacing it another CP4 pump. Also people’s HD rams are down for weeks up to months waiting on the repair. I have also talked to dealership service managers about this issue and they are stumped on why FCA has not issued a recall. Thank you.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 RAM 3500, Manufacturer: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Incident: Feb 2021
Jun 2020

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

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 RAM 3500, Manufacturer: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Incident: Nov 2020

Trend Over Time

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Quick Summary

The 2020 Ram 3500 has 6 ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.