Half of all complaints arrive by 3 years of age, so 61.4% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Service Brakes, with 15 complaints, typically at 5.7 years.
RAM 4500 years to avoid — and the best ones
| Model year | Per run | Complaints | Runs | Enough history? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3 | 3 | too new | |
| 2020 | 4 | 4 | yes | |
| 2019 | 5 | 4 | yes | |
| 2018 | 9 | 9 | yes | |
| 2017 | 5 | 5 | yes | |
| 2015 | 7 | 7 | yes | |
| 2014 | 7 | 7 | yes |
Among the 6 RAM 4500 years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2019, 2014, 2015; the three worth hunting are 2020, 2018, 2017.
When it starts to break
| Age at failure | Complaints | Running total | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 years | 11.4% | covered | |
| 1 year | 25% | covered | |
| 2 years | 38.6% | covered | |
| 3 years | 50% | you pay | |
| 4 years | 52.3% | you pay | |
| 5 years | 70.5% | you pay | |
| 6 years | 86.4% | you pay | |
| 7 years | 88.6% | you pay | |
| 8 years | 97.7% | you pay | |
| 9 years | 100% | you pay |
Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 38.6% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 61.4% 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 41% of the complaints here.
What actually fails — and at what age
On the RAM 4500, the early trouble is Engine and Power Train — reported at around 3.9 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Service Brakes at 5.7 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.
| System | Complaints | Typical age | Crash | Fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 5.7 yrs | 1 | 1 | |
| Engine | 3.9 yrs | — | 1 | |
| Power Train | 1.8 yrs | 2 | 1 | |
| Hydraulic | 6.7 yrs | — | — | |
| Unknown Or Other | 4.3 yrs | — | 1 | |
| Steering | 2.3 yrs | 1 | 1 | |
| Wheels | 3.5 yrs | 1 | 1 | |
| Suspension | 2.3 yrs | 1 | 1 |
Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.
- Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
- Exact value for that car, adjusted for its mileage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Alerts if a recall lands on a car in your garage
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
Is the RAM 4500 reliable?
By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 1.02 against 3.73 for the average car.
Which 4500 years should you avoid?
By complaints per production run, 2019, 2014, 2015. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2020, 2018, 2017. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.
When do 4500 problems usually start?
Half of all complaints arrive by 3 years of age. The most reported system is Service Brakes, typically at 5.7 years, followed by Engine.
Will the warranty cover 4500 problems?
Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 38.6% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 41% of the complaints here.
Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.