What breaks most · 2007 to 2026 model years
Ram 3500 problems by year
Owners have filed 2,326 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ram 3500 across model years 2007 to 2026. Three years stand out: 2018 for brakes complaints, 2017 for brakes complaints and 2014 for steering complaints. The quietest years are 2009, 2008 and 2007.
- Years to check closely: 2018, 2017, 2014
- Fewest complaints: 2009, 2008, 2007
- Complaints on file
- 23262007 to 2026, all trims
- Worst year
- 2018797 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 7647 fires · 49 injuries · 2 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 37kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 157Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (3) | |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | Steering (3) | |
| 3 | 0 | 2 | Suspension (1) | |
| 114 | 3 | 18 | Steering (37) | |
| 202 | 9 | 17 | Steering (41) | |
| 136 | 3 | 16 | Powertrain and transmission (32) | |
| 134 | 12 | 16 | Steering (29) | |
| 308 | 9 | 13 | Brakes (142) | |
| 797 | 15 | 11 | Brakes (498) | |
| 134 | 10 | 14 | Fuel System, Diesel (27) | |
| 114 | 6 | 11 | Fuel system (32) | |
| 62 | 0 | 9 | Electrical system (17) | |
| 188 | 4 | 12 | Powertrain and transmission (114) | |
| 17 | 0 | 5 | Exterior lighting (3) | |
| 41 | 4 | 2 | Brakes (10) | |
| 41 | 0 | 5 | Electrical system (27) | |
| 25 | 1 | 4 | Electrical system (17) |
What fails on the 2018 Ram 3500
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 62% |
498 | 5 | Shop brakes parts for the 2018 Ram 3500 |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 18% |
140 | 4 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2018 Ram 3500 |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 17% |
136 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2018 Ram 3500 |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 13% |
107 | 0 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2018 Ram 3500 |
| Forward collision systemRadar and camera sensors | 8% |
60 | 0 | Shop forward collision system parts for the 2018 Ram 3500 |
| Unknown or other | 4% |
35 | 2 | — |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 4% |
34 | 3 | Shop steering parts for the 2018 Ram 3500 |
| Wheels | 3% |
24 | 2 | — |
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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I still haven’t heard anything about how to get help on this. I have a truck with recall I haven’t been able to drive and it basically sits in my garage since 2023. I’m trying to get help, this is an unresolved complaint the manufacturer isn’t helping me. OID 11688292 previously filed.
-
While driving loss of abs/traction control. Loss of cruise control. Audible distraction ding while driving with warning messages.
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Drag link fix, spot welded, now it costs more to have them cut welds and alignment ft end at consumers expense, this was a recall fix that costs the consumer i think this should be on manufacturer, and not the consumer
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 3500 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2018, 2017, 2014 carry the most filings on the Ram 3500. The 2018 alone has 797 complaints, led by brakes.
What is the most common Ram 3500 problem?
On the 2018 model year, the most-reported component is brakes with 498 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Ram 3500 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Ram 3500 complaints that include mileage is about 37,000 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.