Verified government source

NHTSA complaint #11448674

This page summarizes an official U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration owner complaint. Use the verification links below to confirm the record directly with NHTSA.

Vehicle

2020 RAM 2500

Manufacturer

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)

Components

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Dates

Incident: 01/21/2022
Filed: 01/24/2022

Owner complaint summary

On 1/21/2022 I was driving from Grand Junction CO, to my home in Broomfield CO. Halfway through the 250 mile trip, I received a warning 'Low DEF'. I looked at my DEF tank gauge as soon as I got the message - it read 1/4 tank. A couple minutes pass and another message displays - Service Diesel Exhaust System - See Dealer and my truck immediately loses power and dies when i'm in the fast lane - Eastbound I-70 to Denver. I pulled into the slow lane and finally off the side of the interstate. I did not go into limp mode, never received the countdown message '250 Miles Until Limp Mode', and the truck would not start once I was on the side of the interstate. It died just West of Vail Colorado. The weather was approx 25 degrees and snowing. I then contacted CFA Roadside Assistance, which came with my purchase. After speaking with a representative, I was told a tow truck was on the way. I was then told I needed to get a Taxi to pick me up on the interstate, because I wouldn't be allowed to ride with the tow driver to safety. The tow never came. I called CFA a second time, 4 hours later and spoke with a second representative that told me the tow had been canceled. I was never notified of the tow cancelation and was told CFA would arrange for a second tow. They never arranged a second tow, and still haven't reached out to check on my condition. I'm going to reiterate, I was left in freezing, snowing conditions in the Rocky Mountaints with no way to start my truck and no assistance from the Roadside assistance program I've paid for w/the vehicle purchase. In a desperate attempt I returned to my vehicle with DEF fluid hoping adding additional DEF would allow me to start the vehicle. My safety was put at risk trying to fill the DEF tank on a blind interstate curve, in snow and icy conditions, with semi's passing two feet away. I was not able to restart the truck after adding DEF. Now my truck as at RAM Silverthorne, and they won't look at it until 2/17/2022.

This is an owner complaint filed with NHTSA (ODI #11448674). It is not automatically an official recall, investigation outcome, or manufacturer admission unless the complaint text itself describes one.

Official record ID (ODI): 11448674. This page is the human-readable source link used across afterwarranty. The raw JSON link proxies NHTSA's public API for machine verification; prefer this page when reading the complaint.