Acceleration complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2 | 7% | 32,000 miles |
| 2008 | 1 | 4% | 3,000 miles |
| 2006 | 3 | 12% | 11,000 miles |
| 2004 | 5 | 9% | 105,000 miles |
| 2003 | 6 | 3% | 90,000 miles |
| 2002 | 7 | 2% | 40,000 miles |
| 2001 | 14 | 3% | 87,000 miles |
| 2000 | 4 | 3% | — |
| 1999 | 11 | 3% | 34,000 miles |
| 1998 | 27 | 5% | 69,000 miles |
| 1997 | 25 | 6% | 26,000 miles |
| 1996 | 31 | 5% | 78,000 miles |
| 1995 | 47 | 8% | 300,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
While accelerating to pass another vehicle, the cruise control locked into accelerate mode and could not be disengaged. Strong braking was necessary for several miles and even so the vehicle could not be held below 85 MPH. I pulled off into a weigh station and could not decelerate rapidly enough and had to put the transmission in neutral. The transmission would not disengage and the vehicle went into a spin on the pavement. Was able to shut down the engine, which apparently rebooted the computer controlling the cruise control and I was able to continue on.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Dodge Ram. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal would become stuck when depressed. The failure recurred twice. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 36,470 and the current mileage was 36,545.
Dt*: the contact stated while the brake pedal was applied, the brakes pulsate. The dealership turned the rotors when this occurred. The rotors must be turned every 6,000-10,000 miles. Also, after starting the vehicle and putting it into gear, the vehicle surged forward. The brake pedal was applied and the vehicle was put into neutral, but the engine continued to rev. The vehicle was put into park and turned off, upon turning the vehicle on; a lightning bolt was on the dashboard. The engine continued to rev and the vehicle was turned off. When the vehicle was restarted it operated properly. The dealership was unable to determine any codes on the computer, but determined the warning light meant something triggered the throttle. The vehicle surged a second time.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Dodge Ram. The contact stated that while driving 20 miles per hour, the vehicle accelerated. The failure previously occurred during rainy weather conditions. The accelerator pedal was not the cause of failure since no pressure was applied to the accelerator pedal. The police were contacted due to the property damage and a report was filed. The contact stated that the vehicle was involved in an crash in 2005 when the brakes did not engage. The contact had not spoken with the manufacturer. The vehicle was under investigation with the insurance company. The vehicle will be towed to the dealer for assessment. The current and failure mileages were not available.
While driving at different speeds over 30 and usually temps below 50, the engine light will come on and will immediately lose throttle. "dead pedal" sometimes the throttle will surge then drop off other times when slowing the trans (automatic) will start to chatter as if a manual,. I use a store purchased OBD computer to reset. Get codes 2121, 2123 sometimes 0700. This sometimes takes 2-3 times to reset. Very unsafe and dangerous. This has been happening for years, numerous times, usually in winter at highway speeds. Sometimes at intersection while accelerating. Have been looking for solution for years!! See many others on net with same problem. Why isn't this fixed by Dodge and or cummins. Again very unsafe!!
I have a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab with the 4.7 liter engine. It has approximately 94,000 miles on it. In the beginning of December (at about 90,000 miles), the throttle cable began sticking in cold weather (about 25f and below). My wife and I purchased the truck in September of 2003 when it had approximately 6,000 miles on it. I did not have any problems with the throttle cable until December of 2006. As the engine warmed up, the cable would stop sticking. On very cold mornings, even after the engine warmed up, the cable would start to stick while driving down the road. I would pull over to the side of the road and after a few minutes, the cable would free up. I replaced the throttle cable and have not had a problem with it since. I replaced the cable on 1/21/07. It has been very cold here lately and it has been working fine. …
When going slow this vehicle will at times shut off which causes you to loose the brakes and steering. The first time this occurred I was on a 360 degree turn exit ramp and was able to pop the clutch and get it going again. That time the dealership replaced the differental. It has happened again repeatedly causing me to almost run through a bar one time with my son in the truck. The next time I took it to the dealer they told me it was a problem with the computor and that Dodge was workeing to develop a program to solve the problem. 8 months later they have just come out with the program and I was just in an accident due to the truck shutting off and my not being able to control it and having no brakes or steering. It is in the shop today hopefully being fixed yet again
When engaging the cruise control it would intermittently cause the vehicle to shift and advance to a higher speed. Dealer was notified via phone. The dealer or a repair shop made no inspection at this time. The vehicle has accelerated suddenly a number of times in the past 3 years. The cruise control was recently fixed but that was because it didn't work at all.
Related recalls (3)
Vehicle speed control
Certain pickup trucks, equipped with cummins diesel engines and manual transmissions, May experience an elevated idle speed after extended cruise control use.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the software in the cummins engine controller. Owner notification began on March 10, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive…
Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks equipped with diesel engines only, the throttle linkage joints can corrode and cause the throttle to bind or stick.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rod ends and ball studs. Owner notification began July 29, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: pickup trucks equipped with diesel engines. The throttle cable could unravel (fray) or break resulting in loss of throttle control.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the throttle cable and upper bell crank lever. Owner notification began August 3, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not…
NHTSA investigations
Evaporative canister leakage
Fuel May leak from the evaporative canister after tank fill.
Frequently asked questions
Which Dodge Ram years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1995 (47), 1996 (31), 1998 (27), 1997 (25) and 2001 (14) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 8% of all complaints for the 1995.
Is there a recall for Dodge Ram acceleration problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 03V-033 (vehicle speed control, Feb 5, 2003); 02V-161 (vehicle speed control, Jun 14, 2002); 01V-037 (vehicle speed control, Feb 12, 2001). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Dodge Ram acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles; 57% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the cables (20 mentions), followed by the accelerator pedal (19).
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.