What breaks most · 2013 to 2025 model years
Ram 5500 problems by year
Owners have filed 153 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ram 5500 across model years 2013 to 2025. Three years stand out: 2018 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints, 2022 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2017 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2013, 2020 and 2014.
- Years to check closely: 2018, 2022, 2017
- Fewest complaints: 2013, 2020, 2014
- Complaints on file
- 1532013 to 2025, all trims
- Worst year
- 201837 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 911 fires · 12 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 82kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 82Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 9 | Powertrain and transmission (2) | |
| 11 | 2 | 10 | Steering (3) | |
| 13 | 0 | 8 | Engine (5) | |
| 17 | 2 | 7 | Wheels (6) | |
| 19 | 0 | 7 | Powertrain and transmission (8) | |
| 37 | 1 | 8 | Brakes (hydraulic) (12) | |
| 12 | 0 | 10 | Fuel system (3) | |
| 8 | 1 | 10 | Seat belts (2) | |
| 4 | 1 | 5 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 26 | 1 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (21) | |
| 2 | 1 | 4 | Air bags (1) |
What fails on the 2018 Ram 5500
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 32% |
12 | 0 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 32% |
12 | 0 | Shop all brakes parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Wheels | 14% |
5 | 0 | — |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 11% |
4 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 11% |
4 | 0 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 5% |
2 | 1 | — |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 5% |
2 | 0 | Shop all suspension parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 5% |
2 | 0 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
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.
-
Abs/Hcs module failed causing intermittent braking issues along with intermittent warning light. Had to replace both the pump and module to resolve the issue. Over $1500 in repair.
-
The transmission failed at approximately 3000 miles. Reverse was the only gear to function properly. The truck has been at the dealership for over 2 months and they have not fixed it yet.
-
ABS Pump Faulty and needed replacement at 10, 866 miles in 2022 when vehicle was just 5 years old. Cost at this time was $1459. Now just 2 years later and only 3000 additional miles ABS Pump is again faulty and unable to replace but no module is available at this time.
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 5500 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2018, 2022, 2017 carry the most filings on the Ram 5500. The 2018 alone has 37 complaints, led by brakes (hydraulic).
What is the most common Ram 5500 problem?
On the 2018 model year, the most-reported component is brakes (hydraulic) with 12 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Ram 5500 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Ram 5500 complaints that include mileage is about 82,000 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.