Ram ProMaster Lawsuit Claims Owners Paid For Two Gears They Can’t Use

The Ram ProMaster's Troubles Keep Piling Up

The Ram ProMaster is having a tough year. Fresh off a federal investigation by the NHTSA for power steering failures, the popular commercial van is now facing a complicated legal battle. FiatChrysler Automobiles, operating as Stellantis North America, has been hit with a proposed 38-page class action lawsuit. Plaintiffs allege the automaker misleadingly advertised the 2022 and 2023 Ram ProMaster vans as having a new nine-speed automatic transmission. In reality, the lawsuit claims that the vehicles have only seven usable gears.

Consumers naturally prefer higher gears for smoother acceleration, better fuel efficiency, and superior driving performance. More gears generally allow an engine to find the optimal ratio, operating at lower RPMs to reduce component stress and save gas. However, the lawsuit alleges Stellantis concealed a major catch. The new vans are simply too slow to ever activate the eighth or ninth gears. This leaves drivers with seven functional gears and two extra gears that serve absolutely no practical purpose.

A Marketing Issue, Not a Mechanical Defect

Ram recently faced another class action lawsuit over a serious fire risk in certain Ram 1500 trucks. This new ProMaster case is distinctly different. It does not point to a traditional mechanical defect. Instead, it highlights a conflict between how the vehicle is marketed and how its physical design dictates performance. The lawsuit argues the vans are simply too big and boxy to reach those top gears. The software never detects situations where engaging eighth or ninth gear is necessary in everyday driving, especially when fighting headwinds or climbing hills.

The complaint contends that this nine-speed transmission is functionally identical to the older six-speed versions. Even when the newer van engages seventh gear, the final drive ratio remains nearly identical to that of the older model in sixth gear. This perceived lack of improvement stings even more given the price. Buyers paid up to $6,070 more for these purportedly upgraded vans. Plaintiffs claim they would never have purchased the 2023 models, or would have paid significantly less, had they known the top two gears were effectively useless.

No Perfect Transmission

Automotive enthusiasts and commercial buyers alike know there is no such thing as the perfect transmission. Engineers are constantly balancing fuel economy targets against towing capacities and heavy payloads. However, automakers must be incredibly careful about how they market these sophisticated components to discerning buyers. Fleet managers track every penny and every mile per gallon. Selling a heavily advertised nine-speed transmission that practically functions as a seven-speed is a quick way to burn bridges with loyal commercial customers.

The physics of pushing a massive steel box through the air at highway speeds cannot be ignored by software. If an engine lacks the aerodynamic efficiency to maintain those tall overdrive gears, the transmission will simply refuse to shift into them. Stellantis may argue that the gears are mechanical and could engage under ideal conditions. Yet, the reality of everyday driving tells a different story. Trust is everything in the commercial vehicle space, and transparency about actual road performance should always override glossy marketing claims.

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