Owners have filed 2,215 complaints on the RAM 3500, covering 2013–2026. The system named most often is Service Brakes (649 reports). Worst years by volume: 2018, 2017, 2014; cleanest: 2023, 2026, 2025. 71 reports describe a crash, 47 a fire, 2 a death. On average the car was 3.7 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on RAM 3500
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 2,215 3500 complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Service Brakes 649 Read
The contact owns a 2022 Ram 3500. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH the ABS (Anti Lock Brake System) warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that as he slowed to exit the highway he depressed the brake pedal which went to the floorboard. The contact stated that he had no brakes and was…
Red hydraulic fluid in brake system cause brake failure, which cause me to cause minor damage to a brake line. Dealer has had vehicle for over 2 months, claim vehicle doesn't qualify for recall that states similar issues as v98 which is for 2019 dodge ram 3500s , also says parts are on restrictions do to recall and…
Truck wouldn't stop antilock brakes did not work. Been trying to get 68347098ab and 68143491ab for the last 3 years from ram but been on backorder for that long. Was going down gravel road and trying to stop but wouldn't one wheel locked up and truck went into ditch smashing fender and hood
Electrical System 300 Read
Hello, I am formally documenting a serious safety incident involving my recently purchased 2026 Dodge Ram 3500 Tradesman 6.7L dually, purchased from Towbin Dodge in [XXX] , on May 9, 2026. On May 13, 2026—only five days after purchase—we were operating the truck for our dumpster business while towing a GN trailer…
On 9 September, while driving, I got an emergency dashboard notice that stated Throttle System Malfunction contact dealer. It went out and then another immediately flashed that stated Exhaust System Malfunction contact dealer. The vehicle lost power within seconds after the second notice. I coasted to a stop on the…
The vehicle had been parked in the street for several hours. I started the vehicle in order to back it into my driveway for the night and then turned it off (total run time for the operation was most likely under a minute from the time the engine was started until it was shut down). The temperature was relatively cool…
Power Train 287 Read
The transmission spontaneously slipped out of park and went into reverse. My safety was close to critically impacted. When it began to roll on its own, I was scooped by the driver door and dragged several yards until the truck impacted another vehicle and came to a stop. I very likely could have been killed. If anyone…
The transmission’s light came on saying that it was heated. I parked as soon as possible and that’s when the flames were coming out of the hood. I did burned my hands trying to put out the fire with 3 fire extinguishers. I did not want my truck to burn. Now, the dealer is trying to say that they can’t get a conclusion…
The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and the engine was turned off, the gear shifter shifted into the drive position when the contact's minor [XXX] child entered the vehicle to retrieve an item using the steering wheel and gear shifter to enter, causing the vehicle to…
Steering 199 Read
Brakes went out and steering which caused loss of control of vehicle
The contact's employer owns a 2019 RAM 3500. The contact stated that while an employee was driving at approximately 35 MPH, the steering wheel became inoperable, the vehicle went off-road and crashed into a tree, swiping the passenger's side mirror, the front passenger's hubcap, and the bed of the vehicle. The vehicle…
The contact owned a 2018 ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving 5 mph while on a mountain side, within seconds the vehicle tumbled down off the cliff into trees which stopped the vehicle from going down 8 feet into a river. The contact felt that there was a failure with the steering wheel. The driver and…
Engine 108 Read
The contact owned a 2024 RAM 3500. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and idling on the driveway, it caught on fire in the engine compartment. The vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. The origin of the fire was unknown. The entire engine compartment was…
The contact filed the complaint on behalf of the customer, who was the owner of a 2021 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while the owner was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle caught on fire. No warning lights were illuminated. The owner informed the contact that the fire came from the engine bay. The fire…
Truck caught fire in engine compartment. I had just gotten on the freeway and reached 70mph when I could see smoke coming from the engine. Pulled over and it quickly became engulfed in flames. State farm claim 28-18q6-12r elizabeth anderson, claim specialist, 844-292-8615x2539126712
Vehicle Speed Control 99 Read
I was hauling a 15,000 lb fifth wheel with the cruise control set at about 45mph coming up to the light on hwy. 35 and hwy. 20 intersection northbound in indiana. I tapped my foot on the break to shut my cruise control off like I normally do and put my foot on the throttle to control the acceleration to the light. I…
The vehicle had a sudden acceleration problem and the driver ended up in a big crash. The driver is in the hospital with many injuries. The vehicle was taken to the dealer before, at the beginning of March, because the check engine light was on and the throttle control light on and the truck didn't shift properly and…
Vehicle sends cluster warnings about Auto Emergency Braking unavailable/inoperable, Electronic Stability Control needs service, Antilock Brake System needs service, Parksense Unavailable, and ultimately the Check Engine indicator illuminates after restarting the vehicle. An error code also is present in the computer,…
Wheels 85 Read
Rear outside tire blew out at 25mph on a off ramp truck only has 4900 miles on it, caused a loss of control and load roll over and severe damage to my new truck!
I bought 2017 ram 3500 in january 2017 as a new car. After 1300 ml I bought after market wheels and tires from discount tire. They did installed them and checked them after. Car drow almost four thousand ml did not have any problems at all. Last weekend front passenger side wheel came off while traveling at 80 miles…
The Government Owned Vehicle (GOV) was traveling North on 31E in Nashville, when truck shuttered then truck passenger side wheel fell off. Tire/wheel pinned to truck and caught fire. Drive pulled truck off to side of roadway and called 911
Suspension 72 Read
Front differential locked up without notice on highway at highway speed and almost lost control of my vehicle. Due to the front different locking up, the front driveshaft broke but did not come completely off right away and almost came through the floor of my vehicle. The floor where the drivers feet rest right…
Nov 11 2015 my truck flipped during a left hand turn while pulling a 3 car hauler with 2 cars on trailer I was about 25000lbs gross plus or minus 1000lbs. I was on my way to truck stop for fuel when accident happened. My truck has an automatic transmission and the month before was having shifting issues on level…
Ton of warning lights can on like abs, traction control and some other sensors. When put in Drive the D flashed and try k would not move. Put back in park would not recognize it was in park and would not shut off. The only way to shut off the truck with disconnect both batteries and pull the fuse for the fuel pump
3500 years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Electrical System | 1 | — | |
| 2025 | Electrical System | — | — | |
| 2024 | Air Bags | 4 | 1 | |
| 2023 | Electrical System | — | — | |
| 2022 | Air Bags | 4 | 4 | |
| 2021 | Electrical System | — | 4 | |
| 2020 | Air Bags | 5 | 6 | |
| 2019 | Air Bags | 9 | 5 | |
| 2018 | Air Bags | 15 | 2 | |
| 2017 | Air Bags | 8 | 1 | |
| 2016 | Air Bags | 12 | 5 | |
| 2015 | Air Bags | 2 | 5 | |
| 2014 | Air Bags | 8 | 7 | |
| 2013 | Air Bags | 3 | 7 |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 1,197 |
| Average complaints per series | 1.9 |
| Worst single series | 17 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 3.7 years |
A model average of 1.9 hides a worst series at 17. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the 3500?
By complaint volume, 2018, 2017, 2014 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which 3500 years are the cleanest?
2023, 2026, 2025 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the RAM 3500 have?
2,215 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2013–2026. Of those, 71 describe a crash and 47 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.