Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Malfunction of electronic stability control while in 4x4 driving in heavy snow. Almost hit a light pole, could have caused significant harm. Unknown. No. No precursors. Hit a pot hole while on the on ramp unloading the suspension and the truck started to yaw clockwise. Applied throttle to have front end pull truck straight. ESC applied brakes and chopped power inducing a significant yaw rate counterclockwise driving the rear of the truck into the hard snow bank perpendicular to vehicle travel. Another excessive clockwise yaw occurred at this time. NO throttle control and brakes unresponsive. 1. Had the driver been allowed to retain throttle control upon initial yaw this was easily recoverable. 2. Anti-lock brakes, needed to be disabled so the truck could slide across the snow and not into the ditch when the second clockwise yaw started. 3. This caused minor body damage to the vehicle.
While driving the Vehicle at 9:30pm on 7/22/22 the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own at a very fast rate after I sped up to yield over into another lane coming off the highway. There was luckily no vehicles ahead of me and I was on a straight away or else I would've hit someone. I pressed the brakes down but they wouldn't bring the vehicle to a stop. I placed the transmission in neutral and it slowed down but soon as I put it back in drive it accelerated again. I went through this cycle 4 times then finally I gained control of the vehicle again. I have read online the dealer says it's user error or floor mats. That was not the case at all. My floor mats are stock and have taps keeping them secure. This situation was very dangerous and if it happens again it could cause serious injury to me or someone else.
Warning light came on suddenly. Vehicle lost power. Smoking out of the tail pipe. Very dangerous for other drivers. Took the vehicle to a mechanic, said I have problems with the lifters, and need to replace the engine. I don't know why Chrysler doesn't issue a recall for this issue, it seems to happen often. Thank you very much.
The vehicle is making a loud clicking noise coming from the engine area. . it gets louder when accelerating. It is unknown to me if it could be manifold issues or camshaft issues. It feels unsafe to drive.
After coming to a stop at a stop sign, with my foot on the brake, the engine startined revving very high and I had to maintain my foot on the brake.to not plow into traffic. I switched truck into neutral and park a few times which caused lurching a little as the truck was still revving high and I had to keep brake pressure. I eventually turned off motor. When I turned it back on it did same thing. Turned off again and it went away. During this time the engine indicator with the 'exclamation point' was lit. I was then able to drive. This happened again a couple months later with same situation. I took it to the Dodge dealer where I bought it. They had it for 2 weeks trying to replicate the problem which did not happen. They eventually decided it was my accelerator pedal position sensor and replaced that (of course not covered under warranty). …
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 Ram 1500. The vehicle failed to respond at an intersection when accelerator pedal was depressed was almost involved in a collision while attempting to make a turn at a traffic light the complainant believes the PCM software needs to be updated/flashed the contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under manufacturer's recall campaign number: v08 however, since the repair was performed the contact has noticed a hesitation in vehicle response when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to arrigo Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram west palm beach located at 6500 okeechobee blvd, west palm beach, fl 33411, [phone], to be diagnosed. The mechanic was unable to retrieve. The contact was also informed that there was currently no updated software for the engine control module. The vehicle was not repaired. …
Upon selecting transmission "d" option instrument panel indicated "6", drove to barn for horse feed. Needing to back up to fence, to disperse feed, transmisson selection of "r" was necessary. Using the brake pedal to regulate speed and no usage of accelerator pedal (as automatic transmisson vehicles will generally motivate when gear selection is initiated) "sudden acceleration" occurred causing damage to tailgate which was down. Brake pedal was pressed and vehicle was stopped. With brake pedal depressed transmisson selection "d" was initiated, in order to investigate damage, and once again with brake pedal used to regulate speed and no usage of accelerator pedal "sudden acceleration" was again encountered. Brake pedal was again depressed which stopped vehicle. No further occurrances were encountered that day. Weather was sunny and cool, high 40's, with dry conditions.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Ram 1500. While driving 20 MPH, the vehicle accelerated without warning. The contact stated that the check engine and electronic throttle control (lightning bolt warning symbol) indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. Simultaneously, the vehicle accelerated rapidly. The contact depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. Sterling heights Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram (40111 van dyke avenue, sterling heights, michigan 48310, [phone]) was made aware of the failures and stated that the accelerator pedal assembly needed to be replaced and that an electrical failure occurred. The accelerator pedal assembly was replaced, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Ram 1500. While driving approximately 60 MPH and attempting to pass another vehicle, the accelerator pedal traveled all the way to the floorboard when depressed. The vehicle remained at the same speed and would not slow down when the brake pedal was depressed. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact stated that the same failure occurred on May 7, 2018. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.
Throttle was not responding two times. The engine was running in park, shifted into gear to proceed forward pulled forward a few feet, stopped and tried to go on forward but no response. I told the dealer but they said there was nothing showing on the computer! Glad it was not a busy intersection or there could have been a wreck. I wonder if that would show up on the computer? I was just pulling out of the car wash, thankfully there were no cars coming as I had to turn of the engine and restart it for the throttle to reconnect!!!
Acceleration complaints in other Ram 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2012 Dodge Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2012 Dodge Ram 1500, 4% of the model year's 698 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2012 Dodge Ram 1500, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 36,000 miles, and 40% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.