2021 Ram 3500 Engine Problems

Your vehicle caught fire in the engine bay while driving, with no warning lights appearing beforehand. The fire department extinguished the fire, and no one was injured, but the vehicle was totaled and towed away. Your vehicle had a pending recall notification related to the electrical system, and the fire occurred the day after transmission service was completed at approximately 99,000 miles.

Your 2021 RAM 3500's Cummins 6.7L diesel engine has experienced failure of the hydraulic lifters and camshaft, causing a loud ticking noise and engine malfunction that makes the vehicle undriveable. This issue has been confirmed by your RAM dealership and appears to affect multiple 2019-2025 model year trucks with the same engine. The repair will likely require replacement of the hydraulic lifters and camshaft components, along with related engine work to restore proper operation.

Your engine's hydraulic roller lifters have failed. Hydraulic lifters are small components that help your engine valves open and close smoothly. When they fail, you may notice rough idling, decreased performance, or unusual noise from the engine. Fixing this will likely require replacing the failed lifters and possibly related gaskets and seals.

You received recall notices for your 2021 Ram 3500 regarding back-over prevention and engine cooling issues, but the required parts weren't available at your dealer. You're concerned that the manufacturer has taken longer than reasonable to provide the parts needed to complete these recalls. No actual failure or safety incident has occurred with your vehicle.

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 3500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine temperature gauge became extremely elevated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and an independent mechanic briefly inspected the vehicle and informed the contact to refill the coolant reservoir. The contact refilled the reservoir and after driving for approximately thirteen minutes, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the EGR cooler and EGR valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure with Emissions Recall: VB6 (Diesel Engine Calibration); however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

There exist a defect which is common through multiple years with RAM that have the Cummins 6.7L diesel engine. The problem is the heater bolt in intake system. When this fails it falls into intake and proceeds into piston which requires engine rebuild. Unfortunately the same part is put back in causing repeat. Solution Banks Monster Ram Intake system. Many, many owners over years have experienced loss of vehicle in both new and older models. Engine lock up can cause loss of steering and worse on highways.

Catastrophic lifter failure. Was able to safely deliver vehicle to dealership service department. If not handled properly, engine failure could occur while driving and hurt/kill someone.

See attached document from complainant