RAM 1500 Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age, so 77.4% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Steering, with 2,535 complaints, typically at 7.5 years.

RAM 1500 years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·RAM 1500 — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2021	2.91	676	232	too new
2020	3	625	208	yes
2019	3.84	1475	384	yes
2018	2.17	652	301	yes
2017	2.44	855	351	yes
2016	3.05	1526	500	yes
2015	2.94	1394	474	yes
2014	3.45	1699	493	yes
2013	3.21	1216	379	yes

ROWS 9·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Among the 4 RAM 1500 years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2019, 2014, 2016; the three worth hunting are 2015, 2016, 2014.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·RAM 1500 — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	727	7.3%	covered
1 year	781	15%	covered
2 years	758	22.6%	covered
3 years	1022	32.8%	you pay
4 years	1187	44.6%	you pay
5 years	1113	55.7%	you pay
6 years	907	64.8%	you pay
7 years	790	72.7%	you pay
8 years	695	79.6%	you pay
9 years	692	86.5%	you pay
10 years	619	92.7%	you pay
11 years	441	97.1%	you pay
12 years	215	99.2%	you pay
13 years	80	100%	you pay

ROWS 14·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 22.6% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 77.4% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 31% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the RAM 1500, the early trouble is Power Train and Unknown Or Other — reported at around 3.7 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Steering at 7.5 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·RAM 1500 — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Steering	2535	7.5 yrs	89	2
Engine	1935	4.3 yrs	23	96
Electrical System	1783	4.7 yrs	50	47
Power Train	1181	3.7 yrs	109	10
Service Brakes	1081	6.8 yrs	71	6
Unknown Or Other	1007	3.9 yrs	42	31
Fuel/propulsion System	955	5.2 yrs	15	21
Air Bags	508	3.9 yrs	218	4

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the 1500's vehicle class. Per production run, the Ford F-150 draws 2.5, the Dodge Ram 2.54 and the Chevrolet Silverado 3.05, against 3.06 for the 1500. That is the most complaints of the group.

FIG.05·RAM 1500 — rivals in the same class
Same class as the 1500	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Ford F-150	18,750	466	1981–2026
Dodge Ram	10,632	188	1994–2012
Chevrolet Silverado	15,453	445	1999–2026
GMC Sierra	6,907	419	1989–2026
Ford Ranger	8,575	280	1982–2026
Nissan Frontier	1,377	142	1998–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Everything on the RAM 1500

Recalls201 campaigns Fuel economy26 mpg best Common problems10,420 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build Used prices16,863 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car2013–2026

Frequently asked questions

Is the RAM 1500 reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 3.06 against 3.73 for the average car, and more than each of the 3 class rivals we compared.

Which 1500 years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2019, 2014, 2016. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2015, 2016, 2014. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do 1500 problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age. The most reported system is Steering, typically at 7.5 years, followed by Engine.

Will the warranty cover 1500 problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 22.6% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 31% of the complaints here.

Is the 1500 more reliable than the Ford F-150?

No: 3.06 complaints per production run for the 1500 against 2.5 for the Ford F-150.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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