RAM 1500 Lawsuit Alleges Control Module Defects Can Cause Dangerous Stalling, Misfires, Power Loss

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges that certain 2025 RAM 1500 trucks equipped with 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged Hurricane engines suffer from an engine control module (ECM) and/or powertrain control module (PCM) defect that can cause a vehicle to stall, hesitate, misfire or lose power during normal operation. 

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The 53-page lawsuit against FCA US alleges that the ECM and/or PCM problems yield “persistent diagnostic trouble codes, check engine illumination, drivability issues, loss of engine power, loss of power brakes, and repeated repair attempts” that fail to fix the defect. The case stresses that sudden stalling poses a danger to drivers, occupants and others sharing the road with an affected RAM 1500. 

“A vehicle that unpredictably loses propulsion is not fit for its ordinary purpose of safe and reliable transportation,” the suit states. 

The filing alleges that FCA US has long been aware of the module defect yet has not disclosed the problem to buyers and lessees. Per the case, the automaker has also been “unable or unwilling” to adequately fix the issue, with repair attempts usually involving software updates, module reprogramming, sensor replacements or temporary recalibrations, among other measures. 

“Some consumers have reportedly brought their Class Vehicles in for service as many as eight times for attempted repairs of the Defect but have yet to receive an adequate repair,” the complaint says. 

According to the class action lawsuit, the defect plaguing the RAM 1500 models at issue stems from improper calibration, programming and/or integration within the ECM/PCM system and its interaction with the engine sensors and turbocharger control components. Per the case, improper calibration or sensor integration can cause “erroneous fault code generation, unstable combustion control, improper boost management, and unexpected transitions into reduced-power or shutdown modes.” 

Drivers have reported rough-running engines, hesitation under acceleration, misfires, loss of power and “drivability instability,” with the most severe cases involving unexpected stalling, engine shut-offs or “limp mode,” sometimes at highway speeds, the suit relays. 

The lawsuit says that the nature of the ECM/PCM defect, namely its location within the engine control architecture and related software strategies, prevents the issue from being addressed by ordinary repair techniques and instead necessitates “fundamental correction of the underlying control logic and system integration.”

According to the complaint, the automaker has failed to disclose the ECM/PCM defect despite its apparent knowledge of the problem from pre-production testing, dealer service records, trouble code analysis and customer complaints. Additionally, the suit says that 2022 RAM 1500 trucks have been the subject of more than 100 complaints submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from drivers reporting engine shut-offs and other ECM/PCM-related issues, prompting the NHTSA to open an investigation into that RAM vehicle model. 

The 2025 RAM 1500 uses substantially similar software to the 2022 model, the case alleges. 

“As a consequence of Defendant’s actions and inaction, Class Vehicle owners have been deprived of the benefit of their bargain, lost full use of their Class Vehicles, incurred lost time and out-of-pocket costs,” the suit summarizes. “The Class Vehicles have also suffered a diminution in value due to the Defect.” 

The RAM 1500 class action lawsuit looks to cover all individuals and entities in the United States who are current or former owners and/or lessees of a 2025 RAM 1500 equipped with a 3.0-liter Hurricane engine. 

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