2014 Ram 2500 Crew Cab Power Wagon 6.4l on 2040-cars

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Chrysler says its 8-speed transmissions will save 700 million gallons

Chrysler Group's TorqueFlite eight-speed transmission could be earning some serious green bragging rights if the company's projections are correct. The recently widely proliferated automatic gearbox, which is now in more than a million vehicles around the world, is poised to save drivers an estimated 700+ million gallons of fuel over the vehicles' lifetimes (an expected cost savings of $2.5 billion). In addition, Chrysler expects a reduction in CO2 emissions by more than six million metric tons. According to Chrysler, and depending on the vehicle, the TorqueFlite can improve fuel economy. The TorqueFlite autobox features particularly close ratios from fifth to eighth gear (see the press release below for the specific numbers), and uses low-viscosity fluid that doesn't need to be replaced. Transmission software adapts to the driving situation to optimize efficiency based on driver behavior, temperature, grade, stability control, and longitudinal and lateral acceleration. The TorqueFlite is capable of handling a variety of duties. As evidenced by the wide range of vehicles Chrysler Group has seen fit to equip with the eight-speed transmission, the TorqueFlite is capable of handling a variety of duties. Since its 2012 introduction, the TorqueFlite has gone from performing cog-swapping duties in Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 models equipped with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 to changing gears in vehicles such as the Pentastar- and Hemi-powered Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee and even the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. For the 2015 model year, the eight-speed is finding its way into even more vehicles with the addition of a third version. In addition to the American-made TorqueFlite 845RE and 8HP70, the new 8HP90 will be manufactured in Saarbrucken, Germany. The 8HP90 is designed for higher torque loads, making it ideal for high-performance vehicles like the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. The already-in-use 8HP70 will expand its duties to be used in 2015 Hemi models such as the Dodge Charger, Challenger, and Challenger SRT8. You can see the list of those benchmarks in Chrysler's press release below.

Ram adds 875,000 pickups to tailgate recall now totaling 2.4 million

DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler is adding more than 875,000 Ram pickup trucks worldwide to a series of recalls to fix tailgates that can open while the trucks are being driven. The expansion covers certain Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups from the 2013 through 2018 model years that have power locking tailgates. Affected 2015 through 2017 trucks have 8-foot beds, and the affected 2013, 2014 and 2018 trucks have beds of other sizes and were built before April 1, 2018. Fiat Chrysler says it's not aware of any injuries or accidents caused by the problem. The company recalled about 1.1 million trucks in the U.S. in 2018 for the same problem, and added 410,000 in May of 2019, for a total of more than 2.4 million. Most of the recalled trucks are in the U.S. and Canada. A tailgate tab can fracture and cause the tailgates to unlatch, increasing the risk of cargo spilling onto the road. Dealers will repair the tailgate latch. Owners of the latest batch of recalled trucks will get letters starting around Oct. 18 notifying them to take their trucks to a dealer for service. Fiat Chrysler says the recall expansions came because of reviews of customer data as it monitors vehicles in the field. The company says that all loose cargo in the bed should be secured before driving.

More Ram trucks recalled over tailgate issue

Almost a year ago Fiat Chrysler recalled roughly 1.6 million Ram trucks over an issue with the locking power tailgate. The actuator limiter tab for the power locking mechanism could fracture, which would permit the actuator's lock-rod control to move beyond its limits. That would pull the locking rods open, thereby allowing the tailgate to open at any time. The 2018 recall covered Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 pickups from the 2015 to 2017 model years, with the five-foot-seven and six-foot-four beds and the power locking tailgate option. Trucks with eight-foot beds, and those with manual-locking tailgates, were excluded. The trucks with eight-foot beds have been added to the recall as of earlier this month, putting 410,351 more trucks in the pool. According to Consumer Reports, Ram redesigned the locking assembly on the other two shorter bed sizes for trucks built after August 2, 2017, which was the end of the 2017 model year. But the eight-foot long-bed trucks didn't get the redesigned part until April 2, 2018 for some reason, making all eight-foot-bed pickups from the 2015 model year to April 1, 2018 part of the recall equation. FCA says it's not aware of any accidents or injuries because of the issue. The company plans to notify owners on June 28. The paperwork filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration doesn't advise owners to stop driving the trucks, but nor does it instruct owners on how to address the problem in the meantime. Sounds like bungee cords might be the go. The fix is estimated to take 30 minutes at the dealer and entails removing the tailgate cover and installing a stop block to prevent the locking actuator's pivot arm from traveling too far. FCA says it will reimburse owners for any other repairs made to address the problem. Meanwhile, owners can contact Fiat Chrysler Automobiles customer service at 800-853-1403, and refer to FCA's number for this recall, V44. The NHTSA campaign number is 19V-347. Last year's recall comes under FCA number U74, and NHTSA campaign number 18V-486. Ram's not alone on this field. The NHTSA continues to investigate the 2017 Ford Super Duty pickups for a similar issue.