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Acceleration & cruise control

2011 Ram 1500 Acceleration problems

Owners have filed 19 complaints about the 2011 Ram 1500's acceleration & cruise control with NHTSA - 3% of all its complaints, most recently on August 11, 2025. They describe 3 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries. Unintended acceleration, surging, throttle problems and cruise or adaptive cruise faults.

Complaints
19
Recalls
0
Crashes
3
Fires
0
Injuries
2
Deaths
0

Acceleration complaints

Electrical systemAcceleration & cruise controlFuel system

Driving my vehicle throughout December of 2024 and the vehicle would die and power back up, vehicle would run intermittently and fail to continue operating while driving to and from work. Vehicle intermittently stalling during driving would cause "Near Miss" accidents on the road. Potentially endangering myself as the operator and other operators on the road due to a "no start" issue and unsafe operating condition in the electrical system of the vehicle. I thought it was a bad battery so I replaced it with a brand...

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new battery from the auto parts store While I struggled to have this matter resolved before leaving for Army Active Duty. I arranged to have the vehicle turned into a Chrysler, Dodge, Ram dealer to have a diagnostic done on the vehicle. on June 6th according to their technicians report, it shows my TIPM is bad. and needed to be replaced. The dealer failed to acknowledge this was a recall issue and would not cover the repair cost since the vehicle was out of warranty due to mileage and age. when their our hundreds of models being turned in for the same issue nationwide.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Vehicle speed control · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11679997
Electrical systemAcceleration & cruise controlFuel system

The vehicle's fuel pump continues to run even when the vehicle is turned off causing the overheating of electrical wiring and draining the battery, it's a serious issue and a fire hazard that will set the fuel tank on fire, I filed a complaint back in June and no action has been taken.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Vehicle speed control · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11493614
SteeringTransmission & drivetrainAcceleration & cruise control

Currently has a hazardous malfunction that is putting myself and my passengers at risk. In the span of 2 months, I have had the steering wheel completely "lock" up while in drive on normal driving conditions (sunny and clear, not too bright, not too windy or wet at all, no fog) when performing a right turn at appropriate turn speeds. You would be unable to maneuver the vehicle out of harm's way when the wheel tenses and locks up completely like this. My first encounter with this issue was turning on a right lane...

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with your own protected lane at the posted speed limit for the turn. It completely locked up on me and I eased my foot forcibly onto the brake so that I could avoid braking too hard and causing the tires to spin out or worse, hitting the pole that is directly 200 feet away (approximate speed was 35mpn and brake reaction time was 2 seconds, accounting for initial notice of the sudden tension and loss of complete control of the truck's steering.). The second encounter occurred within a 2 month span, this time carefully approaching a street intersection. I fortunately realized what was occurring and tried to move far right and out of harm's way but I could only maintain my appropriate lane. At first I could not take out the key or turn it on or off. It was still in drive to my realization. I put it into park and was able to turn the truck back on and continue my way to work. However, I could only be paranoid that this could occur to me under more severe or worse conditions like rain or fog. What if this malfunction were to occur to me if I was on a very elevated highway or had someone tailing me at that very instance?

Filed Incident Steering · Power train · Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 11302894
SteeringAirbagsAcceleration & cruise controlCrash1 injury

Takata recall I stop at stop sign made a right turn the truck went in high speed on its own down hill oncoming traffic was coming up in my lane I brake hard as I could trying to avoid head on collision. The car hits me pushes the truck into a light pole to my right. The airbags did not even deploy. I could have been srious hurt are a passenger. These trucks are very dangerous. In motion

Filed Incident Steering · Air bags · Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 11176444
SteeringAcceleration & cruise controlCrash1 injury

Takata recall my truck switch into high speed gear speeded up may have caused a crash sterring became hard to control in motion on a city street

Filed Incident Steering · Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 11175133
Acceleration & cruise controlEngine & cooling

Engine started misfiring in the no.1 Cylinder and violently shaking, vehicle then lost power to the engine nearly causing me to be rear ended. Took it to the repair shop and defective lifters and camshaft were found, with only 85k miles this should not happen. Did research and this is a very common issue for the 5.7 Engines, definitely needs investigated.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed control · EngineNHTSA 11171033
Electrical systemAcceleration & cruise controlBrakesCrash

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ram 1500. While the vehicle was stopped at a stop sign, the vehicle accelerated without warning to approximately 100 mph. The contact attempted to apply the brakes, but the brakes failed. The contact turned the ignition off and the interior lights turned off; however, the vehicle failed to stop. The contact shifted into neutral and the vehicle ran off the road. The vehicle came to a complete stop. The contact attempted to start the vehicle and the engine revved even though the ignition...

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was turned off. Prior to the failure, the vehicle came to a rolling stop when it was placed in park. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed that there was no failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact was not injured and a police report was not filed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered to sell the contact a new vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Vehicle speed control · Service brakesNHTSA 10838497
Acceleration & cruise control

2011 Dodge ram 1500 acceleration issues accelerate to very high speed and will not release, put in neutral and pump brakes many times to get to release, gets accelerating at times and will not release happened 4 times returning home with girl friend 12/26/15. *Js

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10817120
Electrical systemLightsAcceleration & cruise control

Headlights are not normal brightness (compared to any other vehicle I have ever driven) and ineffective for night driving. Cruise control works and disconnects at will. Horn signals at will without notice and even when vehicle is off with keys removed. Causes great and frightening reaction of this driver as well as those around me.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Exterior lighting · Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10786909
Electrical systemAcceleration & cruise control

The vehicle's tipm system stopped worked and the vehicle failed to start. It was repaired and this issue has plagued other chysler products. Chrysler refused to offer assistance in the repair.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10749367
Electrical systemAcceleration & cruise controlEngine & cooling

While driving my pickup truck at a speed of 30-35 mph, the power turned off and the speed decreased at a fast rate. Luckily, I was able to pull into a business to turn my ignition to "off" and turn my vehicle back on. I did not have access to any electrical equipment in my vehicle. This has happened four times in the last 2 months.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Vehicle speed control · EngineNHTSA 10744156
Acceleration & cruise controlEngine & cooling

While parking, the trk accelerated and almost hit 3 cars before stopping w brakes slammed to the floor. We are on vacation are 7 hrs from home! *Tr

Filed Incident Vehicle speed control · EngineNHTSA 10666983
Electrical systemAcceleration & cruise control

While starting from a stop if you momentarily hold your foot on the brake and accelerate. When you release the brake the car begins forward then all warning lights come on and car shuts down from 1 to 10 seconds. If you are pulling into a busy road where you might momentarily spin the engine up in order to have better response you are left stuck out in the road in traffic. Also happens if you are towing on an incline and you spin up engine before releasing foot brake. You would do this in order to not roll back....

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They said the code says you should not drive with 2 feat. I don't think it should happen they say it's normal. Very dangerous. Have brought the car in multiple times since this has occurred. *Tr

Filed Incident Electrical system · Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10566113
Acceleration & cruise control

I was backing out of my garage, moving very slow (because of our outside cats) with very slight pressure on accelerator, just enough to start to move the truck backwards down the incline out of my garage. Immediately, the engine revved and started racing. The truck picked up speed dramatically and I slammed my right foot down on the brake pedal, not sure what was happening. The brakes howled and vibrated, totally failing to stop the truck. I lifted my foot and then reapplied both feet to the brake without...

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thinking. Brake went all the way to the floor and truck slowed very little, engine still revving. I then pulled the handle to the emergency brake and applied it to stop the truck. The engine was still speeding up and I put it in park, immediately turning the key to kill the truck. I didn't think to look at the rpms, but they had to be high. I got out and checked to see if anything was interfering with the gas pedal. Nothing was, my mat that I've had in it for 2 years lays far to the left of it. The gas and brake pedal seemed to be in normal position. I am taking the truck to the dealership after work today to see what can be done. I am very concerned about the safety issue involved here and the randomness of this. It was like the truck had a mind of its own and just tried to take off. After reading everything online about this happening to so many other people, I'm not sure I can continue to drive this truck. I bought it new with 19 miles on it. Something is very wrong with the dodge trucks considering the number of people who have experienced this. *Tr

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10562099
Acceleration & cruise controlEngine & cooling

After a couple repairs on same problem, I was driving to go shopping when etc bolt light and engine light came on again. I was letting off gas to slow down so I could try shutting truck off to reset computer so I could get it to dealer. When I let off gas the truck was accelerating on its own so I held brake down and let up on brake to inch forward to get all the way off road when it accelerated on its own like it was floored. I stopped and put it in park. In park the engine was racing at 3000 rpm. This is a...

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dangerous faulty system.I had taken it to dealer and they reset it saying when they called factory they were told to reset it. If it happens again may be wire harness. I have taken time to file these complaints as I feel this is a deadly issue. These trucks have children riding in them and in other cars that may collide with them. Please research the wireless drive on the dodge ram 2011. *Tr

Filed Incident Vehicle speed control · EngineNHTSA 10543752
Acceleration & cruise controlEngine & cooling

After having the gas pedal replaced a few months later, now 4/11/2013 the etc bolt light and engine light came on again at city speeds as I slowed for traffic , when I let off the brake the truck speed up very fast without ever using cruise control or touching the gas. I almost ran a red light, had to smash the brake down holding steering wheel tight to stop the truck after turning key off. I then restarted it I put it in drive. When I let off brake the truck took off like heck, almost like it was floored on its...

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own. The car dealer called the for advice on this ongoing problem. They then replaced the throttle body. I do not believe it is the dealers fault, I believe it is a defect in the wireless drive that needs to be addressed by builder and recalled. *Tr

Filed Incident Vehicle speed control · EngineNHTSA 10543751
Acceleration & cruise controlEngine & cooling

I have had previous problems before this with engine and etc bolt light on dash, causing the truck to go in limp mode. I was told it was the throttle body and that the truck had to be reset. On sept 21/2012 the etc bolt light and engine light came on in city driving conditions. When I slowed down for traffic using the brake I let off the brake and before I could do anything the truck raced off on its own almost causing a accident without ever touching the gas, the cruise control was not on. I turned off key and...

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dangerously coasted to the side of road. I turned off the truck and re started the truck. At this point I had only engine light so I took it to dealer. They replaced gas pedal and reset it. The truck always scared me after this. I feel that this is a great danger with the new wireless drive system.This needs to be looked at buy the builder of this truck. *Tr

Filed Incident Vehicle speed control · EngineNHTSA 10543748
Acceleration & cruise control

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 dodge ram. The contact stated while reversing out of a parking lot, the vehicle abnormally accelerated. The contact shifted to park and shut off the engine. The failure however, persisted once the vehicle was restarted. The contact was able to drive the vehicle home without incident. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection or possible repair. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and current mileage was 5,100. Updated 07/19/12*lj the consumer stated as of july...

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6, 2012, the vehicle was still in the shop. The throttle sensor, pedal, main computer and wiring were replaced. However, the vehicle continued to accelerate without applying the accelerator pedal. Updated 07/23/12

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10462616
Transmission & drivetrainAcceleration & cruise control

2011 Dodge ram 1500 . Consumer states dealer refused repairs under warranty *tgw the consumer stated the vehicle would not shift out of park, upon start up. Also, the vehicle rolled while the truck was in park and the vehicle accelerated up to 100 mph. The consumer had to put the gear in neutral in order to stop the vehicle. The consumer stated the vehicle was still running, even though he turned the ignition off. *Jb

Filed Incident Power train · Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10453080

Ram 1500 acceleration complaints by year

1500 acceleration problems, every year

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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