Model record
Ram 1500 Years to Avoid: Reliability and Recalls
Every Ram 1500 model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2013 to 2025: how many complaints each year drew, the problem owners named most, and the recalls to check before you buy.
NHTSA owner complaintsChecked Oct 3, 202611,422 complaints13 model years
The Ram 1500 years with the most owner complaints are 2014, 2016 and 2019. Owners named the steering most for 2014 and 2016, and the electrical system for 2019.
It's a count of reports, not a failure rate, and the newest years have had less time on the road to collect them.
Most of the complaints fall in the 2013 to 2018 years of the truck Dodge called all-new for 2009, and they peak at 1,750 for 2014.
Ram 1500 complaints by model year
Every Ram 1500 model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2013 to 2025. Years with 2,000 or more complaints are dark; beside each bar is the system owners named most that year.
- 2013Steering49%1,263
- 2014Steering28%1,750
- 2015Steering23%1,436
- 2016Steering20%1,526
- 2017Steering25%865
- 2018Electrical system23%649
- 2019Electrical system25%1,463
- 2020Electrical system25%621
- 2021Engine41%667
- 2022Engine41%597
- 2023Electrical system32%193
- 2024Electrical system37%70
- 2025Electrical system50%322
Best Ram 1500 years by complaint count
Of the years with at least five years on the road, these drew the fewest owner complaints. Fewer reports is not a clean bill of health: check the recalls for the exact car, and remember 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 have had less time to collect complaints.
- 2020Electrical system · 14 recalls621
- 2018Electrical system · 15 recalls649
- 2021Engine · 15 recalls667
Most common Ram 1500 problems
The systems owners named most across all 13 model years, counted from each year's six most-named systems.
- SteeringNamed most in 5 of 13 years2,449
- EngineNamed most in 2 of 13 years2,336
- Electrical systemNamed most in 6 of 13 years2,181
- PowertrainNever the top system in a year1,372
- Braking systemNever the top system in a year962
Our guides for these problems
Check engine codes Ram 1500 owners name
The OBD-II codes owners wrote into their complaints for the 1500 years we have read in full (2014 and 2016), one count per complaint. None of these codes has a guide yet.
Ram 1500 years to avoid by generation
Dodge called the 2009 Ram all-new and Ram called the 2019 1500 all-new, while still selling the older truck as the 2019 Ram 1500 Classic; NHTSA's file does not separate the two, so the years fall into two groups. The file has the Ram 1500 from 2013.
2013–2018
The truck called all-new for 2009
2014 most complaints · steering
7,489 complaints · 6 model years
2019–2025
All-new for 2019, beside the 1500 Classic
2019 most complaints · electrical system
- 20191,463
- 2020621
- 2021667
- 2022597
- 2023193
- 202470
- 2025322
3,933 complaints · 7 model years
Ram 1500 recalls by year
Recall campaigns NHTSA lists for each model year, read Oct 3, 2026. A campaign that covers several years counts in each of them. Recall repairs are free at the dealer; check one car with its VIN.
- 2013Most often: powertrain12
- 2014Most often: engine and cooling17
- 2015Most often: engine and cooling18
- 2016Most often: powertrain17
- 2017Most often: engine and cooling13
- 2018Most often: powertrain15
- 2019Most often: airbag system30
- 2020Most often: airbag system14
- 2021Most often: backup camera15
- 2022Most often: backup camera16
- 2023Most often: backup camera11
- 2024Most often: airbag system6
- 2025Most often: exterior lighting8
Ram 1500 crash test ratings by year
NHTSA's overall star rating for each model year, with the frontal, side and rollover stars beside it.
- 2013Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 3–44/5
- 2014Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 3–44/5
- 2015Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 3–44/5
- 2016Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 3–44/5
- 2017Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 3–44/5
- 2018Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 3–44/5
- 2019Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44–5/5
- 2020Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44–5/5
- 2021Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44–5/5
- 2022Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 3–44–5/5
- 2023Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44–5/5
- 2024No overall rating—
- 2025No overall rating—
Federal investigations
NHTSA's defect office has opened 6 investigations into 6 problems that cover Ram 1500 model years from 2013 to 2025. An investigation looks into a possible defect; it is not a finding.
Common questions
What are the Ram 1500 years to avoid?
The years with the most owner complaints are 2014, 2016 and 2019. Treat them as the years to inspect hardest, not as a verdict on every car: run the VIN for open recalls and have the systems owners named checked before you buy.
What year is the most reliable Ram 1500?
Complaints can't name a most reliable year, because the file counts reports, not failures per car sold. Of the years with at least five years on the road, 2020 drew the fewest complaints: 621. Newer years have fewer still, but they have had less time to collect them.
What is the most common problem with the Ram 1500?
Across every year in the file, owners named the steering most, in 2,449 complaints, then the engine, in 2,336.
Which Ram 1500 years have the most recalls?
2019, 2015 and 2014, with 30, 18 and 17 recall campaigns.
What the complaint record can't tell you
Sources
Show all 4 sources
Counts by system and year cover vehicles with at least 10 complaints.