Shifter knob issues, 2019 RAM 1500, help- BRAND NEW

[fat trout]

Currently, it has happened about 7 times since Monday (so in five days of driving and I am about 220 miles on the ODO. When it happens, I just shift into R and then back to D, and it works fine. I agree, it doesn't feel/appear to be electrical, but mechanical, hence why a code wont appear. I have a case open with Ram, and they have already reached out and said we would follow up after my dealer visit on Wednesday 1/2/19. Looks like the only verified repair, is a new valve body (or in this case a transmission). Its not a big deal to me as long as shifting it into R and then back to D works.

When did it start happening ( miles)? I had it happen one time for sure @ <100 miles and not since. Im at 1500 miles and wondering if its a lroblem to come or if my solenoid just
stuck one time since it was new.

 

[Paulny]

Mine did this again today for the 3rd time. Just purchased my truck 2.5 weeks ago and just turned 400 miles. I had to have a transmission replaced on my first 2019 Rebel amongst many other issues which is why I traded and purchased this 2nd new ‘19. Now, it also has the same symptom my other ‘19 had. Historically, I’ve been a Toyota/Lexus guy and if I need another transmission for my 2nd consecutive ‘19, I will fly off the handle. I’m very close to being done with FCA. I ordered this truck and It was delivered with drain tubes not installed, clear coat paint defects in two separate locations, sunroof rattle, and now this slamming into gear problem...again. To think this truck stickered for $63500 and it seemingly has terrible build quality is unacceptable. Quality control at the Sterling Heights plant is suspect and I’m amazed how they are letting these trucks be delivered to the dealers. Sorry for the rant, but I’m beyond frustrated.

 

[Ghinesley]

When did it start happening ( miles)? I had it happen one time for sure @ <100 miles and not since. Im at 1500 miles and wondering if its a lroblem to come or if my solenoid just
stuck one time since it was new.

I test drove it last Saturday and it had 14 miles when I took it out. Made the deal and came back Sunday morning to take delivery. Had 25 miles when I left. Monday 12/24 it did it twice, before 70 miles, as of yesterday it had 270 miles and has done it 7 times. I don’t even stress about it, just rotate into R and back into D and it works itself out.

As far as comparing the brand to others, do some homework on the ZF 8 speed. It’s a fantastic transmission and used by many car makers. Don’t blame dodge for the transmission they didn’t build. I am in the car biz and work around Toyota too, and every car company has their set of issues. I am not brand particular, I am value driven and the ram is the best offering in my opinion for new trucks (just traded my 15 f150 for this ram and had a silverado before the ford), my ford had some quirks too, they are machines. I also own a 15 wrangler and it’s been very good to me, so I am not writing off mopar over one glitch on shifting. I also feel confident in my dealer’s concern for my happiness with the new truck, and want to give them a chance to figure it out. If it’s a new transmission, so be it. It’s all modular, I don’t know why someone would freak out over that if it fixes the problem.

 

[Ghinesley]

So good news and some concerning news. Today it did not have the symptoms it has had all week, but now when it has sat for an hour or more, the initial shift into D it jerks forward. The first time it did it this morning, fortunately I was far enough away from the object in front of me that I was able to get on the brakes. Second time I was anticipating it so I stayed on the brake the whole time. Good times. Definitely seems like things are getting less tolerable. Very eager to get it to the dealer on Wednesday.

 

[RC19]

Just picked up my new 19 . I Traded in my F150 for this truck.. I have Less then 300 miles on it and mine as well has done this 3 or 4 times already. Shift to D and it wont move . hit gas - nothing . Hit the gas a little harder and it slams into gear lunging forward. Needless to say, not happy about this. I'm already regretting my decision to go to RAM. I have a feeling this truck is going to be a huge pain in my butt.

 

[bravo1]

BernieZ.........On YouTube John Kelley ASE Tech instructor for FCA,GM,Ford from Weber State has a video explaining the ZF8hp that is the first generation of the transmission currently in the 2019 Ram 1500.2 things stuck out in my mind was that the temperature that the transmission oil level to be checked at range used to check the fluid level is critical and that it could easily be over serviced..The transmission valve body is a complete unit and is not serviceable....A solenoid located to the left of the valve body controls the park release, curious as to why owners are having to go into reverse then into drive to send a electrical signal from the controller to the TCM then to the Park solenoid to allow for D solenoid to move.I would not after the signal fails to engage drive push down on the throttle this would cause very serious damage to the transmission....As far as NTSHA case one just needs to report it and once so many have been verified, they will open a investigation.Ford only received 35 complaints before NTSHA acted with Ford on a recent recall.2 issue on the 5th generation come to mind as serious 1)Electronic steering module failure rates 2) ZF Transmission D issue..

 

[Bram2019]

He is correct by designation. Chrysler used what was an 8HP70 trans before. Now it is an 8HP75. DEsigned by ZF. Built by FCA and ZF. Which is slightly heavier duty stronger. The 70 series has a torque rating of 700Nm. The 75 series torque rating is 750Nm. Otherwise pretty much the same inside. Upgraded hard parts. The way it operates park is the same. What the issue with park is, I don't know. Probable machining issue. Maybe pressure issue. Hopefully FCA or ZF knows. By going from D to R, you are relieving tension on park pawl. Possible not enough pressure to park solenoid. All a guess from where I sit. let FCA figure it out.

 

[bravo1]

Concur BernieZ, on older model transmission design.I had a 2014 Ram 1500 before and had zero issue's with that ZF. At the time I sold it it had around 198,000 miles on it.Did the dealer recommend fluid/filter drop's.We had a 9800 travel trailer we tow around the country ran like a Swiss watch shifting patterns were a joy.Am surprise that this well design transmission is having issues

 

[Paulny]

So, took my truck to the dealer today to see if there were any TSB updates, and to also have the tranny fluid checked. No software updates available for my vin, and my fluid was perfect. So, my dealer called FCA and are awaiting to see what they want to do. Ironically, on the way back to work, I stopped at a gas station and when I was ready to leave I put it in Drive twice without anything engaging. I put it in reverse, and then back in drive and it went into gear. It appears that for the 2nd truck consecutively, I am going to be offered a new transmission in a truck I have owned less than 3 weeks and 400 miles. What are the chances of this happening to me twice in a row with two trucks?

 

[dutchman187]

So, took my truck to the dealer today to see if there were any TSB updates, and to also have the tranny fluid checked. No software updates available for my vin, and my fluid was perfect. So, my dealer called FCA and are awaiting to see what they want to do. Ironically, on the way back to work, I stopped at a gas station and when I was ready to leave I put it in Drive twice without anything engaging. I put it in reverse, and then back in drive and it went into gear. It appears that for the 2nd truck consecutively, I am going to be offered a new transmission in a truck I have owned less than 3 weeks and 400 miles. What are the chances of this happening to me twice in a row with two trucks?

There are enough people having this issue that FCA really needs to figure out the root cause. I've been fortunate to not have it again since that update I posted, but that clearly isn't a "universal fix."

 

[Luxy72462]

Having the same issue on my 19 Rebel. I’ve had it 3 weeks and have 500 miles on it. I’m at the dealer and they haven’t found anything it But i wanted to make sure it’s documented. I think this group should make a concerted effort to report this to the NHTSA. It’s an issue and won’t be long before something crappy happens.


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[Paulny]

Having the same issue on my 19 Rebel. I’ve had it 3 weeks and have 500 miles on it. I’m at the dealer and they haven’t found anything it But i wanted to make sure it’s documented. I think this group should make a concerted effort to report this to the NHTSA. It’s an issue and won’t be long before something crappy happens.


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Agreed! While any man made machine can/will have issues, this is unacceptable and potentially dangerous. I am hoping FCA is aware of this issue since @RamCares has chimed in several times. The fact that this happened to me with two consecutive '19 trucks is not only improbable, but very disappointing. As I have said before, I have mostly been a Toyota/Lexus guy throughout my life. And, I decided to give Ram a chance since the truck has the best interior of any 1/2 ton, and is aesthetically pleasing. However, the quality control and mechanical issues I have had with these two trucks far out way that of the Toyota products I have owned. It's obvious the quality control at the SHAP is non-existent due to the defects that we as customers are finding before we even take delivery. I am awaiting to hear from a "master mechanic" within FCA to decide how to move forward with my current truck. Based on how things transpired with my first truck, I feel confident they are going to offer a new replacement transmission again. This will undoubtedly be my last FCA product as new transmission replacements, paint defects, sunroof rattles, interior rattles, marijuana interior smell, and other issues are too numerous and unreasonable in my humble opinion.

 

[Ghinesley]

Agreed! While any man made machine can/will have issues, this is unacceptable and potentially dangerous. I am hoping FCA is aware of this issue since @RamCares has chimed in several times. The fact that this happened to me with two consecutive '19 trucks is not only improbable, but very disappointing. As I have said before, I have mostly been a Toyota/Lexus guy throughout my life. And, I decided to give Ram a chance since the truck has the best interior of any 1/2 ton, and is aesthetically pleasing. However, the quality control and mechanical issues I have had with these two trucks far out way that of the Toyota products I have owned. It's obvious the quality control at the SHAP is non-existent due to the defects that we as customers are finding before we even take delivery. I am awaiting to hear from a "master mechanic" within FCA to decide how to move forward with my current truck. Based on how things transpired with my first truck, I feel confident they are going to offer a new replacement transmission again. This will undoubtedly be my last FCA product as new transmission replacements, paint defects, sunroof rattles, interior rattles, marijuana interior smell, and other issues are too numerous and unreasonable in my humble opinion.

I can understand your frustration. I fortunately haven't experienced any of the quality control issues that you have outside the shifting into D issue. The marijuana smell I think is just the new materials off gassing. I may not be sensitive enough to the smell to let it bother me. I thoroughly like this Ram a lot, so I am willing to put up with the shifting thing until we can get a fix. I suspect from what I have read on here, that its going to be a new valve body (or transmission unit if they don't just don't do the valve body). I figure since the transmission works flawlessly in every other scenario than the intermittently going from P to D hangup, that the fluid level in mine is appropriate. They also advised me that I had the most recent software for my build.

I dropped my truck off this morning for the bed liner install, and they are going to have a tech check out my concerns. However, their transmission "specialist" isn't back til Monday, so I asked them to just hold the truck til then to have him look at it. RAM care has already followed up with my dealership on this, so it gives me comfort that they are interested and eager to work on a solution.

I have been around enough cars to know that I don't want another valve body/transmission put in if the part number is the same. I would rather wait for a revised part. But I guess I will wait and see what the recommendation is by my dealer.

 

[Paulny]

I can understand your frustration. I fortunately haven't experienced any of the quality control issues that you have outside the shifting into D issue. The marijuana smell I think is just the new materials off gassing. I may not be sensitive enough to the smell to let it bother me. I thoroughly like this Ram a lot, so I am willing to put up with the shifting thing until we can get a fix. I suspect from what I have read on here, that its going to be a new valve body (or transmission unit if they don't just don't do the valve body). I figure since the transmission works flawlessly in every other scenario than the intermittently going from P to D hangup, that the fluid level in mine is appropriate. They also advised me that I had the most recent software for my build.

I dropped my truck off this morning for the bed liner install, and they are going to have a tech check out my concerns. However, their transmission "specialist" isn't back til Monday, so I asked them to just hold the truck til then to have him look at it. RAM care has already followed up with my dealership on this, so it gives me comfort that they are interested and eager to work on a solution.

I have been around enough cars to know that I don't want another valve body/transmission put in if the part number is the same. I would rather wait for a revised part. But I guess I will wait and see what the recommendation is by my dealer.

I agree, receiving another valve body/transmission that is the same part number is likely useless. Then, when a fix is in place, will a replacement transmission with a new valve body be a new unit or rebuilt? Ultimately, the fact that we are having this conversation is disturbing, especially for me since it's happened to me twice in a row. I am a reasonable man and understand that **** happens. I mean, it's a machine with many moving parts and made partly by humans and the rest by robots. However, this issue coupled with all of the issues I have had with BOTH new trucks is very concerning. It just seems the build quality at the plant leaves something to be desired. I have no idea how my current truck made it out of the inspection process with the defects it has. Tragically, I now own a $64k truck and the feeling of the excitement that comes with ordering and owning a new truck is gone.

 

[Electrical]

Two trucks in a row? Mind blown.

 

[Ghinesley]

I agree, receiving another valve body/transmission that is the same part number is likely useless. Then, when a fix is in place, will a replacement transmission with a new valve body be a new unit or rebuilt? Ultimately, the fact that we are having this conversation is disturbing, especially for me since it's happened to me twice in a row. I am a reasonable man and understand that **** happens. I mean, it's a machine with many moving parts and made partly by humans and the rest by robots. However, this issue coupled with all of the issues I have had with BOTH new trucks is very concerning. It just seems the build quality at the plant leaves something to be desired. I have no idea how my current truck made it out of the inspection process with the defects it has. Tragically, I now own a $64k truck and the feeling of the excitement that comes with ordering hen owning a new truck is gone.

AGREED.....The fact that both of your trucks had issues, does not build confidence. My thought on the reason so many of us are experiencing this, is like it has been said in this thread, this valve body is a new version for the ZF 8 speed. So we are all the mules with the first gen out.....and someone has to experience these gremlins. I had issues with my F150, and my Silverado....I have had issues with my Tesla, my Rovers, my MINI Cooper....jeez...I think the only car I never had real issue with off the lot was a Mazda in the early 2000's.....but I was probably to young and ignorant to know what "didn't feel right." The issues I had in my Tesla run laps around what I would have with this Ram (three new drive units in 38k miles)....so I guess its perspective. I am trying to stay optimistic, but like you, the excitement of a new $64k truck, is wearing off quickly.

 

[Electrical]

http://www.wk2jeeps.com/pdf/8HP75_Data_sheeet.pdf

 

[bravo1]

BernieZ concurs as well as a tech life goes on.Just look at Space X the cost to go to Mars,and the reusable rocket booster....

 

[ponypride]

Is the trans always cold when this problem occur. I have 2,300 miles on my truck, but have never put it directly in drive. I always put in reverse first to back down the driveway or get out of parking spaces. Put it on the street and tried to go directly to drive. It was fine but the transmission was warm.

 

[Ghinesley]

Is the trans always cold when this problem occur. I have 2,300 miles on my truck, but have never put it directly in drive. I always put in reverse first to back down the driveway or get out of parking spaces. Put it on the street and tried to go directly to drive. It was fine but the transmission was warm.

Cold or warm. I back in when parking almost everywhere I go, so when I go, it’s P to D and sometimes it’s flawess and sometimes it doesn’t engage. I am just under 400 miles when I dropped it off at dealer this morning. Whenever I go from P to R then to D it’s never done it, only when P to D and it’s intermittent.