2017 RAM 1500 Shifted Out of Park. This is my story.

[1stHEMI]

Honestly, I really dont think it matters what form the shifter is in anymore. Its all bits/bytes and not mechanical, so it doesnt really matter how you implement it if the s/w is buggy.

I get it, but I wasn't referring to the type of shifter causing the problems, I was just stating that the rotary shifter seems problematic because of people accidentally shifting gears while adjusting the radio or temperature, because they're used to a lever instead of a knob, because it's easy to not rotate it completely to where you intended, etc....

 

[Black W900]

I have never had a problem with the rotary knob, It took me a couple of days to get used to it.
I probably wouldn't buy a truck with a shift lever now.
I like it.

 

[clay282]

In all honesty I did not write this post to get in a debate over lemon law and attorney fees. I wrote it to let others know of my story and hopefully get some constructive feedback and maybe find others who have experienced a similar situation. Most importantly my family was put in harms way due to a vechicle malfunctioning which could have caused serious injury’s and thankfully that wasn’t the case. My wife and son are still extremely shaken up by the incident and they are what matter to me most.

Not to belittle your situation but... your wife and son should be shaken up. People forget the basic fundamentals of an automobile. They are thousands of pounds of steel that can kill you without trying. A parked car means nothing. A weak parking brake, driver pulls out without looking, you walk into their blind spot, an automobile is not a toy. People do the same thing with animals. They forget dogs are dogs and then get upset because they get bit.

If mine had done that, I would still drive it. I would take it in and have it checked out and documented but I'd pay the deductible and have it and the house fixed. I would be very aware of my actions, but I wouldn't be so scared I wouldn't drive it. It has an emergency brake that I would be using. I'm naturally curious though and I want to know if the truck would do it again or if I may have made a mistake. No matter how cautious you are, we all make mistakes.

 

[bchap05]

I was doing yard work twice with my '15 QC SLT. A lot of getting in and out of the truck, no seatbelt, etc. Twice I have thought I flipped it to park, when it fact I flipped it to reverse. I would get in to drive to a different location and it just revved because it "AutoParked". The dial said reverse, but the EVIC had a message about shifting to park to reset.

Did the same thing backing on to a trailer. Was doing it myself so had to keep jumping in and out. Went to fast and left it in reverse, ran into trailer. Scratched bumper paint. I like the dial now though

 

[RBAT]

Anyone know if there is a weight/occupancy sensor in the drivers seat?

I wonder if they use that to determine if you left the vehicle...like you need to have the truck in drive, no form of brakes engaged and actually not in the drivers seat.

Seat occupancy is not a factor. I have been nearly ejected from the truck twice by auto park. Once I was moving the truck forward at a rolling pace with the door open to check a strange noise. (It turned out that a cardboard box had been blown under the truck and was dragging). The second time I was at my sister's house and decided I had parked slightly too close to the edge of the driveway. I got back in the truck and attempted to move it a few inches to the left with the door open and seatbelt off. In both cases I was in the driver's seat.

Build date for my truck is either April or May 2017. I will have to check again to verify.

 

[cbsmith]

I don’t get how there can be so many people who say they have forgotten to put it in Park when getting out of their vehicles. Regardless of what type of shifter is in a truck you always need to do something to put it in Park, whether it be move a column shifter, or console shifter, or dial shifter. There is always something that needs to be done. How people just all of a sudden forget they need to do something to put it in Park with the dial shifter is beyond me.

 

[ctdodge]

I don’t get how there can be so many people who say they have forgotten to put it in Park when getting out of their vehicles. Regardless of what type of shifter is in a truck you always need to do something to put it in Park, whether it be move a column shifter, or console shifter, or dial shifter. There is always something that needs to be done. How people just all of a sudden forget they need to do something to put it in Park with the dial shifter is beyond me.

I've said that before. If you're going to forget with the dial, you're going to forget with the lever. But because the dial is new, it's human nature to blame the dial for them forgetting!

 

[hoe...]

I think the problem here is that the dial shifter is not a direct connection and there can be quite a delay before the transmission physically goes into park.
If you are too quick to take your foot off the brake the transmission can still be in the process of shifting into park.
With a mechanical linkage, when you put it in park it's in park.

Sent from my BLA-L29 using Tapatalk

 

[Black W900]

I think the problem here is that the dial shifter is not a direct connection and there can be quite a delay before the transmission physically goes into park.
If you are too quick to take your foot off the brake the transmission can still be in the process of shifting into park.
With a mechanical linkage, when you put it in park it's in park.

Sent from my BLA-L29 using Tapatalk

I hate to break the news to you but, the levers have neen nothing more than big cumbersome electrical switches with no direct connection for quite a while.

 

[huntergreen]

In 1974 when learning to drive, my father stressed, always use the emergency brake when exiting the vehicle. Apractice I still follow.

 

[Jarhead57]

In 1974 when learning to drive, my father stressed, always use the emergency brake when exiting the vehicle. Apractice I still follow.

^^^ This is the FIRST thing I do when parking. I will never understand people not using it.

 

[indept]

Point here is going to something new. People are used to shifter levers or sticks. How do you think it would go if the replaced the steering wheel with a joy stick?

 

[indept]

I think the problem here is that the dial shifter is not a direct connection and there can be quite a delay before the transmission physically goes into park.
If you are too quick to take your foot off the brake the transmission can still be in the process of shifting into park.
With a mechanical linkage, when you put it in park it's in park.

Sent from my BLA-L29 using Tapatalk

I do note a lag when going from park to drive, so is that the electric shifter or the tranny hydraulics causing the delay?

 

[cbsmith]

I think the problem here is that the dial shifter is not a direct connection and there can be quite a delay before the transmission physically goes into park.
If you are too quick to take your foot off the brake the transmission can still be in the process of shifting into park.
With a mechanical linkage, when you put it in park it's in park.

Sent from my BLA-L29 using Tapatalk

I have never noticed a delay long enough to cause an issue like this.

And almost all auto transmissions now even with a column or console shifter are still electronic, very few have a mechanical connection like the old ones.

 

[Black W900]

Point here is going to something new. People are used to shifter levers or sticks. How do you think it would go if the replaced the steering wheel with a joy stick?

We handled the change from horse and buggy fairly well ( unless you're Amish) I think we'll survive the change from levers to knobs at least as well.

So many of the guys that hate the knob have mentioned that it doesn't feel manly enough...Which I think is absolutely hilarious!

 

[mohemipar]

Honestly, I really dont think it matters what form the shifter is in anymore. Its all bits/bytes and not mechanical, so it doesnt really matter how you implement it if the s/w is buggy.

Good point. Nothing we push or pull in any car any more is mechanical. Literally.

Computers say "oh, you would like to complete this action? Lemme think about that". Soon it will be Terminator ****! Lol

 

[clay282]

I didn't see anyone ask this but I'm curious... The OP STrooperHemi mentioned the truck got towed in and they checked it out. The dealer said it was fine and that makes me wonder what the black box recorded. Most people don't realize the typical new vehicle records 6+ minutes of data. I vaguely remember one of those auto review channels on Youtube talking about vehicle data recorders that save different types of information depending on what it's doing. i.e. a snapshot of maybe 2 minutes idling and the last 4 minutes in gear driving, couple minutes of driving at speed or any combination of... etc.

Have you asked your lawyer what the dealer pulled? That maybe why your not getting the time of day. The black box knows ALL.

 

[STrooperHemi]

I didn't see anyone ask this but I'm curious... The OP STrooperHemi mentioned the truck got towed in and they checked it out. The dealer said it was fine and that makes me wonder what the black box recorded. Most people don't realize the typical new vehicle records 6+ minutes of data. I vaguely remember one of those auto review channels on Youtube talking about vehicle data recorders that save different types of information depending on what it's doing. i.e. a snapshot of maybe 2 minutes idling and the last 4 minutes in gear driving, couple minutes of driving at speed or any combination of... etc.

Have you asked your lawyer what the dealer pulled? That maybe why your not getting the time of day. The black box knows ALL.

If you read the original post I mentioned what happened in detail. Dealer nor FCA has said anything about the diagnostics. From what I was told due to the nature of the incident the dealer was not allowed to touch the truck. Still haven’t seen any results from both diagnostics. Thank you

 

[2ndA732]

i feel for you OP. Would scare my wifey as well. Hoping FCA makes it right for you.

 

[huntergreen]

I didn't see anyone ask this but I'm curious... The OP STrooperHemi mentioned the truck got towed in and they checked it out. The dealer said it was fine and that makes me wonder what the black box recorded. Most people don't realize the typical new vehicle records 6+ minutes of data. I vaguely remember one of those auto review channels on Youtube talking about vehicle data recorders that save different types of information depending on what it's doing. i.e. a snapshot of maybe 2 minutes idling and the last 4 minutes in gear driving, couple minutes of driving at speed or any combination of... etc.

Have you asked your lawyer what the dealer pulled? That maybe why your not getting the time of day. The black box knows ALL.

Haven't considered black box data. Great post.