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

[BuckeyeKev]

Add me to the list. Brand new truck started on day one. Dealer has had the truck a full week. I do have park assist package. Will open a case with FCA to see if national support can help to resolve.

It's been 6 days now since I've had my truck back and I have had no recurrences of the Park/Drive issue, knock on wood. Seeing how I had the problem 6 times in the first 6 days, I'm tending to believe my problem was caused by the software.

I've never mentioned before but my build date was March 2019. My son bought a Ram the night after I did with a build date of August 2018 and he's never had the problem. Hopefully they get everybody's problem solved because it does seem to be random and not a common occurrence.

 

[Jasolution]

I experienced what appears to be the same issue as others here tonight within the first 100 miles after picking up my truck. Had it happened while the dealer was still open, I would have driven back there immediately.

This definitely is a serious safety issue and will end up causing serious injury or death, if it hasn't already. I can imagine a scenario where a parking valet experiences this in a busy drop off area and runs oer & kills people.

I was able to capture one of the experiences on video.

You'll see the truck lunges at about 1,000 RPMs (it's the point where my camera nearly falls out of my hand). I haven't found the magic formula yet to replicate it, but it has happened four times now. Like some other people, I have found if I shift into reverse and move ever so slightly and then shift into drive, the transmission engages right away.

This is a 2019 Limited with Level 1 group. I am not sure of software levels on this vehicle. From the sounds of this thread, it seems like FCA still does not have a definitive root cause identified or fix? This is definitely a disappointing first experience with this truck.

Jason

 

[Cerino2000]

Got mine back last week with new trans. Have to say customer service has been fantastic so kudos to them in that regard. I’ll try to remember later to post back if I ever had the problem again.

 

[hammer722]

Well.... it did happen again to me after the software update but the driving situation was different this time around (first time was flat ground with nothing around). I was backing in the driveway (incline). Put it in park. Got out and realized i needed to move further to my left (too close to the other car in the driveway). Got back in, put it in drive and nothing. Stuck in park. Didn't think of checking the parking break light until after the fact. Put it in reverse, back to park, then drive and all good.

 

[BigHorn-SV]

Took a jacked-up video of my truck's ongoing intermittent transmission failure and posted it online.

Evidently my spoken word isn't good enough, but this video fortunately did get the attention of the FCA US Customer Care Factory Tech who during my last visit to the dealership failed to diagnose the problem or authorize a "flight recorder" for my truck because the dealer could not (as has always been the case) replicate this issue while it was again at the dealership.

So now that I have the their collective attention, I am taking my truck back in to the dealership again next week for visit number seven (7) to try and resolve this ongoing safety issue. Are you listening FCA? I have taken my all new 2019 RAM 1500 truck that you manufactured to your dealership for your Local and Corporate technicians to resolve its ongoing safety issue six (6) times so far, but it has yet to be repaired!

 

[AJO]

I had the same issue where when shifting from park to drive the truck will not have any response to throttle at first and then lurch forward. This is a safety issue! The first time it happened I almost hit my wife. It happened to me twice once at ~320 miles on 7/9/19 and then again at ~356 miles on 7/10/19. I took my truck to dealer on 7/11/19 and they did a software update. "TCM TSB#21-002-19". Part # 68360085AM. It has not happen again, yet, but when I drove home and put truck into reverse the parking sensor brake engaged even though I was about 15 feet from the nearest car. Another potential issue to keep an eye on. Also, the latch on my center console was broken since the day the truck was delivered. Dealership had to order the part and will replace in 7-10 days. Not off to a good start. I expect more from a new vehicle. I plan to open a case with FCA.

 

[BigHorn-SV]

Truck back from dealership visit #7 today and was told problem has been resolved. (As FYI, I do have a active case open with FCA US Customer Care for this specific problem with my truck.)

Here is what happened during this visit:
FCA Technical Support Adviser interacted with my RAM Dealership Technician who performed following: "was instructed to perform 25 Park to Drive engagements at a 15% decline and record any and all hanging up of park pawl assembly. No failure occurred during instruct test. Recontacted tech support for any further test and to report test results. Performed park pawl machining process per tech support instructions. Retested disengagement and engagement of park pawl assembly. Park pawl is now working properly at this time."

What I understand from Service Manager is that the "machining" operation was the "25 Park to Drive engagements at a 15% decline". So basically, the Tech was putting wear on my truck's park pawl by not using the e-brake when parking on the 15% incline. Seemingly too tight is the tolerance between park pawl and its mating gear in my truck's transmission.

Fingers crossed, but dealership Service Manager seemed confident that we might have resolved the problem this time. I know, wishy-washy, but better than what I was hearing after my six (6) previous visits to the dealership.

I do have a 1,000 mile road trip planned soon and will advise in this Forum Thread of any future occurrences of this specific problem with my truck's transmission.

 

[BuckeyeKev]

Truck back from dealership visit #7 today and was told problem has been resolved. (As FYI, I do have a active case open with FCA US Customer Care for this specific problem with my truck.)

Here is what happened during this visit:
FCA Technical Support Adviser interacted with my RAM Dealership Technician who performed following: "was instructed to perform 25 Park to Drive engagements at a 15% decline and record any and all hanging up of park pawl assembly. No failure occurred during instruct test. Recontacted tech support for any further test and to report test results. Performed park pawl machining process per tech support instructions. Retested disengagement and engagement of park pawl assembly. Park pawl is now working properly at this time."

What I understand from Service Manager is that the "machining" operation was the "25 Park to Drive engagements at a 15% decline". So basically, the Tech was putting wear on my truck's park pawl by not using the e-brake when parking on the 15% incline. Seemingly too tight is the tolerance between park pawl and its mating gear in my truck's transmission.

Fingers crossed, but dealership Service Manager seemed confident that we might have resolved the problem this time. I know, wishy-washy, but better than what I was hearing after my six (6) previous visits to the dealership.

I do have a 1,000 mile road trip planned soon and will advise in this Forum Thread of any future occurrences of this specific problem with my truck's transmission.

Very interesting. I thought this was the problem from the beginning with my truck but was told no by the dealership.

It's been 3 weeks since they updated the park assist module on my truck and I've had absolutely no problems since. So whether the software update or the wear on the pawl from everyday use solved the problem, I'll probably never know. I know I'm glad they never had to replace the transmission.

 

[retho78]

I have a noticed a slight RPM surge when shifting from P to D or R. This happens during cold starts or when engine is slightly warm. Is this normal and I haven't noticed any shift issues while driving?

 

[BigHorn-SV]

No further occurrences of this problem in over 2,000 miles. Dare I say it? This problem has been resolved. Thank you FCA for sticking with it and finding the solution.

 

[Titan1709]

Thanks much everyone!! I am now at the dealer as I type this response. They are checking tranny fluid and then going to dig into the software and look deeper. They are currently clueless too. lol

My truck also does it usually going from forward to reverse and the emergency brake languages, the only way I found to work is to turn the truck off for a few minutes and then restart it, I was stuck in a car wash for about 30 minutes one day.

 

[NDanecker]

My truck did this a few times when new (few hundred miles). Now that the truck has some miles on it (8k) and multiple shifts from P to D to P (etc) I don't remember the last time it did this. No software updates were done. No mechanical changes were made. I am wondering about one theory of the parking pawl in the transmission having a sharp burr/edge when new which held the transmission in P, and now has worn down over time not causing the hang-up anymore.

Just a theory but a sound one I feel.

 

[hammer722]

Mine has done it twice. First time was during my overnight test drive....went through with the purchase knowing this issue was out there. Happened a second time with about 1,000 miles on it in the drive way. Did the "put back in park, then reverse, then drive" work around and all good. Just past the 5,000 miles mark and hasn't happened since.

 

[VinnyRam]

My truck did this a few times when new (few hundred miles). Now that the truck has some miles on it (8k) and multiple shifts from P to D to P (etc) I don't remember the last time it did this. No software updates were done. No mechanical changes were made. I am wondering about one theory of the parking pawl in the transmission having a sharp burr/edge when new which held the transmission in P, and now has worn down over time not causing the hang-up anymore.

Just a theory but a sound one I feel.

Same here.....

 

[Icc2784]

I am curious about your issue. When this happens from P to D, will your truck roll like in neutral and rev up or does it seem like it is locked liked the brake is applied.

Leaving work the other day my truck went into drive, but drove sluggish. When trying to put it in reverse it did not engage. It went from reverse to drive automatically. Took it to the shop the next morning they said they needed to replace the valve body. Part is in back order. So that say something. After replacement still didn’t register with computer or something. They have re-ordered a new valve body again. Now waiting on arrival. So a one week fix now turned into two. Hopefully, that is it. This is obviously a problem across the bored. 2019 ram 1500

 

[2019Ram64]

I have personally had that issue. I’m a tech and we have installed a new valve body from mopar in the 8p75 ( trans you have ) and the Tcm or trans computer attached to the valve body was dead. This has happened twice. The controller simple doesn’t work or talk. So like what they had to do for you we had to order another one. Didn’t matter to me got paid twice on those jobs since the work is done twice and the problem was a defective part.

 

[Cerino2000]

Here’s your 1 year update and I’m hoping I’m not jinxing myself but my tranny has performed flawlessly since they replaced it and somehow it’s now got 20k miles on it.

 

[19 North]

I just bought a 19 Ram 1500 with a build date of 1/19. Having the same problem. I’ve sent a link to this page to the dealer,hopefully with the information posted here they will be able to fix it with minimum downtime.