Ram Owners Stranded at The Pumps
Owners of Ram trucks are finding themselves stuck at the gas pump and it is not because the Ram has better than average fuel tank capacity (which it does not.) Nor is it related to the 10 recalls for the 2019 model that we reported in a recent blog post.
Ram owners have had pumping problems for years, particularly in California where Enhanced Vapor Recovery (EVR) regulations forced changes to gas pumps by April 2009. Some owners said that it took them 45 minutes to fill their tank; some said a notch on the gas nozzle (often hidden by a vapor recovery hood) got stuck in the truck filler neck; and others complained that pumping would shut off and have to be restarted repeatedly to fill the tank. FCA (the parent company of Ram Trucks) issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) in 2017 for complaints of “hard to fill” or “premature shut off” which advised removing the canister line and recirculation line, or completely replacing the tank.
However, the overriding and most frustrating complaint at the pumps for Ram owners began with the 2015 model Ram. Since 2015, Ram owners, particularly in California, are reporting that the gas nozzle gets firmly stuck in the fuel filler neck. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website and Ram owner online forums are filled with complaints of unsuspecting owners who have spent hours stuck at the gas station trying to remove the gas nozzle from their truck, sometimes eventually resorting to calling emergency services for help. Owners report that dealerships and even gas station attendants are aware of this problem with the Ram, yet FCA has not issued any recalls or TSBs. In addition to the gas nozzle getting stuck, owners have complained that the automatic shut off is triggered repeatedly while fueling so that the tank can only be filled in spurts, and that gas spills when the gas nozzle is withdrawn.
So what happened in 2015? According to a class action filed in a California court this month, the fuel filler neck of the Ram truck was redesigned in 2015 to sit at a much steeper angle. The new neck is not compatible with many gas nozzles, especially in California, and causes the gas nozzle to get stuck. Some owners have been able to fix this problem by replacing the existing fuel filler neck on their truck (Part 68400788AA) with a less angled neck (Part 68448220AA) at their own expense, however FCA has not offered any repairs, notified owners, or even changed the design of this incompatible fuel filler neck on newer models. Instead, they are leaving their consumers stranded at the pump or facing expensive repairs, and now they must face the legal consequences of their actions.
Ram truck owners have rights under lemon laws, and at Timothy Abeel & Associates we help to enforce these rights. For our clients, we are working to have their defective Ram truck bought back, any expenses reimbursed, and all of their attorney fees paid. If you are experiencing problems with your Ram truck and would like to find out more about your rights under lemon laws, contact us by phone or via our website for a free case review.