What breaks most · 2008 to 2018 model years
Ram 3500 problems by year
Owners have filed 452 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ram 3500 across model years 2008 to 2018. One year stands out: 2014 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2009, 2008 and 2016.
- Years to check closely: 2014
- Fewest complaints: 2009, 2008, 2016
- Complaints on file
- 4522008 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 2014149 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 2411 fires · 15 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 24kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 94Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 1 | Steering (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | Suspension (1) | |
| 84 | 0 | 18 | Steering (27) | |
| 149 | 8 | 17 | Powertrain and transmission (35) | |
| 81 | 2 | 16 | Powertrain and transmission (20) | |
| 68 | 8 | 16 | Powertrain and transmission (14) | |
| 43 | 4 | 13 | Powertrain and transmission (11) | |
| 22 | 2 | 11 | Steering (5) |
What fails on the 2014 Ram 3500
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 23% |
35 | 1 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2014 Ram 3500 |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 20% |
30 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 2014 Ram 3500 |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 19% |
28 | 1 | Shop suspension parts for the 2014 Ram 3500 |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 15% |
23 | 1 | Shop engine parts for the 2014 Ram 3500 |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 13% |
19 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2014 Ram 3500 |
| Unknown or other | 9% |
14 | 0 | — |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 9% |
14 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2014 Ram 3500 |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 7% |
11 | 1 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2014 Ram 3500 |
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.
-
While driving the check engine light comes on and the transmission goes into low gear and into "limp mode". This issue has occurred multiple times and the dealership has charged me to try and correct this issue by installing a new fuse box or tipm board and reprogramming it. Still the issue is not fixed.
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 30, 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, 2014 carries the most filings on the Ram 3500. The 2014 alone has 149 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Ram 3500 problem?
On the 2014 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 35 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 24,000 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.