2,332 of the
16,726 complaints filed about the RAM 1500
are about the electrical system —
100% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2019.
The backup camera malfunctions, and glitches real bad half the time, and it sometimes happens while im using it at night. I feel like that could potentially be dangerous, and from a little research I have found that there are some recalls for this problem, but my truck isnt listed when I check the NHTSA. database.
NHTSA complaint #11764054 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On September 14, 2026, my 2026 Ram 1500 Limited, with approximately 6,000 miles, caught fire while parked and unattended in my workplace parking lot. I had driven the vehicle approximately six minutes to work and parked it at approximately 1:30 PM. I did not notice any warning lights, warning messages, smoke, unusual smells, or other indications of a problem while driving or when I parked the vehicle. At approximately 2:25 PM, a coworker noticed smoke coming from the parked vehicle. He approached the vehicle and then ran inside to alert others. Workplace surveillance cameras captured the incident. Management reviewed the footage, which shows the truck sitting parked and unattended before smoke becomes visible, followed very quickly by visible flames. The fire developed very rapidly. The fire department responded and extinguished the fire, and a fire investigator responded to the scene. There was no collision, the vehicle was unoccupied, and thankfully there were no injuries. The cause of the fire and the component or system responsible are currently UNKNOWN. The vehicle is available for inspection. Because this is a 2026 vehicle with only approximately 6,000 miles that caught fire while parked and turned off shortly after being driven, we are concerned that a vehicle component or system may have malfunctioned and created a serious safety hazard.
NHTSA complaint #11764237 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The charging system does not charge the starting battery at times. On a 2 plus hour drive I got a low voltage warning from my dash camera. the dashcam has the feature to protect not running the battery to low. I was driving at highway speeds and the trucks onboard gauges showed the battery voltage at 12.5 volts. It should show between 13.8 to 14.1 with the engine running. If the battery were to have completely died the truck would have been disabled at speed. Dealer looked at it and charged the battery up. Said batter was good and saw no issues, but I have experienced it again after so they are wrong. Truck has less than 4000 miles on it.
NHTSA complaint #11763918 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
After driving through a heavy downpour, power steering cut out intermittently. The next day, it became full inoperable. Repair shop initially suggested letting the controls "dry out". When that was unsuccessful, the shop suggested taking it to a dealer, stating that the entire rack and pinion assembly needs to be replaced. I took it to a dealer, and they claimed the assembly failed, need to be replaced, and was on a 45-day minimum back order.
NHTSA complaint #11763564 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The ABS warning light,electronic stability/traction control warning light, and red Brake warning light are illuminated simultaneously on the instrument cluster. The combination of these warning lights concerns me because it appears to indicate a failure or malfunction involving the ABS/brake-control system. I am concerned that ABS, electronic stability control, and traction control functions may not operate properly during an emergency breaking or loss-of-traction event. I understand that owners of 2016 1500 vehicles have reported similar combinations of ABS, traction control ,and brake warning lights and have reported ABS-module failures. I am requesting that NHTSA document and investigate this condition as a potential safety defect affecting 2016 Ram 1500 vehicles. I would like this complaint associated with my VIN and mileagefor purposes of identifying any trend involving ABS-module or brake-system failures. I have photographs showing the warning lights illuminated on my vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11763501 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My truck all of sudden put up the ABS light, traction control light, emergency brake light and loss of cruise control. Had it test at an O'reilly and has a C-2200-49 ABS module failure internal module failure.
NHTSA complaint #11763212 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2025 Ram 1500. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V059000 (Exterior Lighting, Electrical System) and 26V495000 (Seat Belts); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The dealer was called several times, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was confirmed that the parts were on backorder. The contact had stopped using the functions or components that were under recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs.
NHTSA complaint #11763056 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2026 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V059000 (Exterior Lighting, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
NHTSA complaint #11763018 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On XXX, I leased a 2026 Ram 1500 truck from Enterprise Rent-A-Car ([XXX] branch) with a friend, both of us being young women. While traveling, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic electronic system failure. The truck’s central computer completely desynced from the key fob, locking two female occupants out and leaving us stranded and vulnerable in a remote area. It also began alerting about “ checking tire pressure system despite checking all tires. A passerby stopped (dangerous) and by offered a used AirTag battery, the red light in the fob was working before and after the battery change. It started once, we were forced to sleep in a running vehicle, afraid to turn it off. Eventually the tire pressure alert over rode the key fob alert so we reached a secure location and turned off and locked the truck. After breakfast we were completely locked out and stranded again. We tried a replacement NEW fob battery but still didn’t sync leaving us stranded AND locked out. Because Enterprise corporate actively alters manufacturer safety equipment by stripping the physical, manual emergency backup key blades out of the key fob housings, we had absolutely no physical mechanism to override the locked doors to seek shelter or access the cabin during this system failure.A subsequent VIN search on the official NHTSA database proved that this exact vehicle had an active, unresolved federal safety recall for software defects (NHTSA Recall Campaign #26V-531 / Manufacturer Recall #78D) issued on XXX. Enterprise held this vehicle in its active fleet and rented it to me eleven full days after the federal safety recall went live, violating federal laws governing rental fleet recall compliance. The specific software defect cited in the federal recall matches the exact electrical system crash that disabled our vehicle, locked out our security protocols, and put our physical safety at risk TWICE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11763022 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle developed a turn-signal malfunction in which the turn signal would not operate/cancel properly. An authorized Ram dealership inspected the vehicle and diagnosed a failed Steering Column Control Module (SCCM) that required replacement. The part was backordered for approximately four months. I was later advised to contact another authorized Ram dealership that had the part available, and I scheduled an appointment specifically to have the previously diagnosed SCCM issue repaired. After that appointment, I was advised by the service department that the issue had been fixed. Because I am a truck driver and can be away for four to five months at a time, I later discovered that the same turn-signal problem was still occurring. I contacted the dealership and reported that the problem had not been corrected. I was subsequently told I would need to pay approximately $150 for another diagnostic evaluation, which I declined because the problem had already been diagnosed and I had been told it was repaired. During a recent visit to the same dealership for a separate recall, I asked another service advisor to review the prior service visit. I was informed that their records did not show that the SCCM had been replaced or that the previously diagnosed problem had actually been repaired, despite my having been told at the earlier visit that it was fixed. The turn-signal malfunction remains a safety concern because other motorists may not receive an accurate indication of my intention to turn or change lanes, increasing the risk of a collision. The vehicle and the condition are available for inspection. I have retained service documentation concerning the original diagnosis and subsequent dealership visits.
NHTSA complaint #11762860 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
[XXX]. at about [XXX] I put the vehicle on Drive mode after releasing the electronic parking brake. Suddenly the vehicle engine stopped running all power was not available to include power windows and doors. I was trapped inside my vehicle for about 20 minutes. I made a call to the manufacture's roadside assistance at 8667264636 since the vehicle has only 3,000 miles on it. The script reading third world country support team was not very helpful. I managed to exit the vehicle through an open window after releasing the hood latch. My first troubleshooting procedure was to reboot the system by disconnecting the negative of the vehicle power pack, my next step was to confirm volage on the power pack. After I got confirmation that sufficient power was available and reconnected the negative side to the power pack, I used my key fob to unlock the vehicle. I got power to the dash and the 12" cluster screen but the push to start was still disabled. I called back the manufacture's roadside assistance once again only to be informed that I had to pay $200 for towing. I decided to disconnect the power pack once again this time for 30 minutes. Upon reconnecting it back again I was able to restart the vehicle and cautiously drove it to my home. I've noticed glitches since the last software update completed through my ISP as the system is designed to do so. Please investigate, this is a safety concern. People could get trapped for hours in inclement weather (heat) specially the ones with no technical/mechanical background. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11762728 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle has failed to start and left me stranded multiple times. The concerning thing here is, upon jumping the vehicle, there were no concerning lights just a single check engine light. I was driving directly to the dealer for a repair. All was fine for about 10 minutes. Then, I hit the brakes and all warning lights came up and the brakes STOPPED WORKING. The pedal was soft and going nearly to the floor. I very luckily avoided an accident and pulled over, then had the vehicle towed to the dealer. A week and a half later, when trying to start the truck it had another full electrical freakout and was towed to the dealer again.
NHTSA complaint #11762807 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The cylinder that deploys the side curtain on the back passenger side spontaneously blew up in my truck. The vehicle was not currently being operated or on at the time is was parked in the driveway and was completely off. There was no forced entry and no collision it just spontaneously exploded causing roof damage, electrical damage, ceiling damage and cab light damage. The vehicle is currently parked at the dealership and has been verified by dealership that it was a mechanical malfunction with the airbag cylinder. There was no warnings that I was aware of before it exploded since it was just sitting in the driveway but from the information that was given to me by the dealerships this was an issue that fell under the Takata Airbag recalls in 2021. The only warning lights is when you start it up the airbag check system light is on the dashboard. This issue has caused me to never want to put my family in that truck again because thank god none of us were in it when it happened but this could have happened to anyone and thankfully we were not driving down the road or even in the vehicle at all. This is a major safety issue.
NHTSA complaint #11762562 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Since the vehicle was brand new frequently, the transmitter loses communication with the key fob and you cannot start the vehicle. I have been stuck many times for hours trying to get it started. Took it to the dealer three times. They said there is no fix currently and that it's happening to a lot of customers.
NHTSA complaint #11762377 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the ABS, brake, and other unknown warning lights illuminated, and the messages "Traction Control Disengaged", "Shift Knob Required Servicing", "Cruise Control Disconnected", "Video Display Need Servicing," and other unknown messages were displayed. The steering wheel was firm and difficult to turn. The vehicle was turned off and failed to restart immediately. The contact stated that after several minutes, the vehicle restarted. Additionally, while driving with the cruise control feature activated, the feature deactivated inadvertently and the message "Traction Control Disconnected" was displayed. The fuel gauge on the instrument panel was moving erratically and then became inoperable. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road, turned off, and then restarted. The vehicle was then taken to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer four times and was diagnosed with an unknown communication error. During the first visit, the ABS module was replaced. During the second, third, and fourth visits, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure, but stated that there was a communication error. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
NHTSA complaint #11762091 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The ABS/brake warning lights illuminated on my 2017 Ram 1500. I have not noticed a difference in normal braking performance. Diagnostic testing identified codes C2200-49 related to an internal ABS module electronic failure and C0020-01, ABS pump motor control/general electrical failure. I was advised that the ABS module and/or hydraulic control unit may require replacement. I am concerned that the ABS system may not function properly when needed. I am also aware that certain 2017-2018 Ram 2500 and other heavy-duty Ram models have been recalled under NHTSA Campaign 24V-896 for HCU failure resulting in loss of ABS, stability control and traction control. I have found reports of similar ABS failures involving Ram 1500 vehicles, which are not included in that recall. I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA can evaluate whether this represents a broader safety defect.
NHTSA complaint #11761938 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The 48-Volt Belt-Driven Hybrid Starter Generator / Motor Generator Unit (MGU / eTorque Alternator) suffered a catastrophic failure on my vehicle at approximately [Insert Mileage, e.g., 140,000] miles. The failure occurred while traveling out of state away from home, causing a sudden loss of vehicle charging, dashboard electrical errors ("Battery Saver Mode"), and creating an imminent threat of an engine stall in live traffic. Due to widespread manufacturer part backorders exceeding tens of thousands of units, my vehicle was forced to sit at a dealership until I could pay thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for a component that Ram has actively removed from newer production vehicles due to its high failure rate. This is a severe, systemic durability and safety issue affecting thousands of trucks. I am requesting that NHTSA force FCA/Stellantis to issue a safety recall and establish a retroactive reimbursement program for all owners who paid out-of-pocket for MGU replacements. I possess the official out-of-state dealership invoice and proof of payment.
NHTSA complaint #11761964 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the instrument panel lights illuminated but the vehicle failed to start. The battery was replaced but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the RF Hub had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was 81,000.
NHTSA complaint #11761686 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2025 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the instrument panel went black. The contact stated that the failure had occurred during high outdoor temperatures. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.
NHTSA complaint #11761562 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2025 Ram 1500 equipped with the 3.0L High Output engine has experienced two separate incidents involving loss or severe reduction of electric power steering assist. The first incident occurred on August 23, 2026, while traveling at approximately 40 mph on a public roadway. The steering became extremely heavy, the odometer began flashing, and the check-engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to nearest Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram service department on August 24 and remained there until August 28. During that visit, the dealership determined that the main battery failed testing and replaced it. The auxiliary battery tested good. The dealership also completed RRT 25-143, RRT 25-237, and RRT 25-239, including several module inspections and software reprogramming procedures. The second incident occurred on August 29, 2026, less than approximately 36 hours after the vehicle was returned to me. At a speed of less than 10 mph, the check-engine light illuminated, the odometer began flashing, the engine shut off, and the vehicle again experienced loss/severe reduction of power steering assist. The vehicle was taken to the RAM dealership where it was purchased on August 31, 2026, for the recurring issue and is currently still at the dealership. At this time, I have not been provided a confirmed root cause or an estimated completion date. This is a significant safety concern because the loss of steering assist has now occurred twice within six days, including once at approximately 40 mph. The first repair did not resolve the condition, and the vehicle has spent the majority of that period in dealership service.
NHTSA complaint #11761705 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.