What breaks most · 2009 to 2026 model years
Ram 2500 problems by year
Owners have filed 5,073 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ram 2500 across model years 2009 to 2026. Three years stand out: 2018 for brakes complaints, 2017 for brakes complaints and 2014 for steering complaints. The quietest years are 2009, 2023 and 2024.
- Years to check closely: 2018, 2017, 2014
- Fewest complaints: 2009, 2023, 2024
- Complaints on file
- 50732009 to 2026, all trims
- Worst year
- 20182562 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 13659 fires · 78 injuries · 2 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 40kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 152Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0 | 1 | Steering (4) | |
| 178 | 7 | 16 | Engine (43) | |
| 341 | 13 | 16 | Steering (86) | |
| 214 | 13 | 15 | Powertrain and transmission (44) | |
| 258 | 15 | 14 | Powertrain and transmission (64) | |
| 688 | 12 | 12 | Brakes (406) | |
| 2562 | 37 | 10 | Brakes (1823) | |
| 192 | 8 | 12 | Fuel system (40) | |
| 163 | 5 | 10 | Fuel system (41) | |
| 105 | 6 | 8 | Electrical system (35) | |
| 179 | 9 | 12 | Electrical system (61) | |
| 48 | 4 | 8 | Engine (11) | |
| 56 | 7 | 5 | Brakes (12) | |
| 61 | 0 | 6 | Electrical system (37) | |
| 23 | 0 | 7 | Brakes (12) |
What fails on the 2018 Ram 2500
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 71% |
1823 | 14 | Shop brakes parts for the 2018 Ram 2500 |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 18% |
471 | 6 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2018 Ram 2500 |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 17% |
441 | 9 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2018 Ram 2500 |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 13% |
339 | 2 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2018 Ram 2500 |
| Forward collision systemRadar and camera sensors | 9% |
224 | 1 | Shop forward collision system parts for the 2018 Ram 2500 |
| Unknown or other | 4% |
103 | 2 | — |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 3% |
85 | 6 | Shop steering parts for the 2018 Ram 2500 |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 3% |
74 | 2 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2018 Ram 2500 |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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My ABS HCU unit is failing. Getting ABS warning lights and messages on my dash display to Service Electronic Braking System. I called dealer and they said they don't have a solution to fix this open recall. How long does it take and how long is the manufacturer allowed to let this go on? Thank you.
-
Vehicle needs the hydraulic control unit for the ABS to be replaced. Dealership has part needed but has it under a different part number than manufacturer and charges 1500 to replace.
-
Truck has around 67k miles. When preforming an oil change i checked the drag link knowing that some trucks are recalled. The outer jam but was loose. Called dealership and they said the recall was done. There are no indications that the recall was done. No marks or welds on the nuts as the recall states.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Ram 2500 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2018, 2017, 2014 carry the most filings on the Ram 2500. The 2018 alone has 2562 complaints, led by brakes.
What is the most common Ram 2500 problem?
On the 2018 model year, the most-reported component is brakes with 1823 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Ram 2500 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Ram 2500 complaints that include mileage is about 40,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.