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 2013 Ram 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving and slowing down to 45 mph going through Corrigan, TX on 59. The truck all the sudden accelerated pulling to the left, then all of a sudden slammed to the right and went over a curb. I had no steering control and my foot was all the way down on the brakes to try and stop. I'm lucky it didn't happen 20 min before when 75mph was speed limit. The a frame broke, Ball joints, broke rack and pinion, cracked the weld that holds the a frame to the truck, and I'm not sure what else is broken yet. My rim and tire both need to be replaced. The aluminum broke straight across. This should not have happened and could have gotten me and others killed. I am getting the truck taken to dodge to find out what all broke and how much it is going to cost. I should not have to pay for this. This should never happen and it put me and everyone around me in danger. …
Failure of all steering wheel controls. with random cruise control suddenly activating ...transmission gear control self activation (will drop into lower gear causing driver to fly forward and vehicle behind to take evasive action). radio changes channels by itself. i found info that lead me to believe it was a clock spring issue. was taken to dealer. they diagnosed it as a steering wheel harness that had all the wires pulled out of the plug..800 to repair a 20 dollar wire harness... next drive after repair. buttons all worked again but radio still changing channels..cruise intermittent..gear dropping by itself still..almost rear ended again..back to dealer just to get told they could not do anything for a couple weeks..they are lucky this was not in inter on ice.... original symptoms could not change the display..stuck on tire pressure screen.. no phone control. no radio control. …
ABS light would come on when driving periodically on and off. for a few months it felt like brakes were locking up, Steering was very difficult and hard like the steering wheel was locked making it difficult to turn the steering wheel. dashboard components would periodically turn off and restart. when driving it would make a grinding noiselike the brakes were locked, this would occur with the abs light on and off. the major incident when driving on the freeway. the speedometer completely failed, the digital and needle both were not working. the abs light and warning came on, i pulled over because the speedometer was not working at all, but i was able to drive. the abs warning kept beeping. i was able to pull off of the highway into a parking lot, and the truck shut off and locked. unable to restart the truck at all.
My ABS, Traction Control, and BRAKES light illuminated while driving. I used an OBD2 scanner to check for any alarms or issues and found out my ABS Control Module has an internal fault. The part has been discontinued and the replacement is on backorder for more than a year. The only fix I have been able to find is using third party repair or out having a refurbished part from anonymous sellers online with no guarantee of it working. This issue impacts the anti-lock braking system, the stability control, and cruise control functionality of my vehicle.
All at once I have an ABS , Brake, Traction Control on instrument panel illuminated.Service Trailer Brake diagnostic message. Will not set cruise. 06/03/24. Am not driving for fear of failure and presently cannot afford diagnostic repairs. Just turned 100,000 miles and is not used for daily uses. Cannot believe a failure of this magnitude happened with very low mileage
I was driving on Monday Nov. 14th. and I was at a complete stop and started to turn left. As I was accelerating and turning left... the steering wheel locked up and I could not turn the wheel left or right. I got home safely, and I looked online and noticed there is a current recall identical or very similar to what happened to me. The Recall number is VB9
My abs control computer has failed. No abs/esc or cruise control. Dodge says the controller is on engineering hold and will not be available until March of 2024 at the earliest. This has been out since May. It is a safety issue that I need repaired. I cannot believe it has taken so long to get the part.
Reduced braking efficiency, loss of speedometer, loss of cruise control, brake light stays on when not depressing the pedal, electric power steering assist not functioning. Check engine light on, abs light on, traction control light on.
I pulled into the driveway behind 2 parked cars. I stopped and put my truck in park and when I took my foot off the brake the truck revved up and went forward, I stepped on the brake to stop the truck, but the brakes failed to stop the truck from running into the 2 cars. As I kept pressing the brake the truck's engine was revving and the tires were burning rubber, I kept pressing the brake and the truck would not stop it was out of control. The truck rammed into both cars pushing one of them into the side of the neighbor's yard. All this happened while the truck was in park. I pulled back to reverse so I could get off the car and when I took my foot off the brake the truck continued revving this time going in reverse, again I kept pressing the brake, but the truck would not stop it was out of control. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle shifted out of park and crashed into another vehicle without warning. The vehicle was not parked on an incline. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was damaged, but still driveable. The contact called fresno Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram at [phone] (located at 6162 n blackstone ave, fresno, ca 93710) and was informed that there was no recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and sent an inspector to investigate the failure. The contact was not provided a report of the investigation. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. 'parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 U.S.c. 552(b)(6).'
Acceleration complaints in other 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2013 Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2013 Ram 1500, 3% of the model year's 1,279 complaints. The component named most often is cruise control (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Ram 1500 acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2013 Ram 1500, though it has 11 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 2013 Ram 1500 acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 25,000 miles, and 55% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 1 fire 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.