2021 Ram 1500 Complaints

STEERING — Filed 01/25/2026

Purchase vehicle new and report issue with steering vibration and wandering feel after purchasing on multiple occasions when having the vehicle serviced by dealership. No issues found was the response each time, but condition continued. Front tire wear indicated something wasn't right. Replaced tires with OEM Goodyear tires even though symptoms persisted. While traveling this past winter in inclement weather vehicle lost traction while crossing a bridge as safe speed. Manage to correct but ended up in the guardrail. Report issue to Stellantis/RAM who investigate and reported no issues. Vehicle was repaired by dealer body and repair shop. Upon pickup vehicle was not drivable due to "Wobble of Death". Shop determined it was a bad wheel. Vehicle drove okay but front-end vibration returned. Spoke with shop manager and stated tires has flat spots. Truck was parked for service a long time. Purchase a new set of tires, Michelins thinking it may be the brand that was issue. Condition persists with vibration wear showing tires already,

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — Filed 02/03/2026

[XXX] Fire occurred while driving [XXX] my Ram 2021 and it was like a mini blast with a lot of sparks as I saw in a rear-view mirror.  Everything went out on the dashboard and the car stopped at the Top of Wolf Creek Pass [XXX] . I got out of the car and saw a small fire burning under the car. The fire under the car went out on its own. The very shape of the hole (perfectly round) in my muffler indicates an explosion that occurred simultaneously.  Also, the fused edges of the round hole indicate a high temperature during this explosion and fire. I disagree that this fair damage [XXX] my Ram 2021 3.0 ecodiesel [XXX] is considered from Progressive insurance as simple "wear and tear." estimate only $1669,78. Garber Collision Pontiac repaired the Ram 2021 by 04.24.2026 and replaced the damaged wiring harness ($1161 self-pay) as required by Progressive. After this repair, the Ram 2021 was unable to move and was delivered to the Tucson Ram dealer on 05/04/2026. The dealer did not indicate the root cause of the damage in the estimate. The car was also returned to me by the dealer. When I asked the dealer on 05.12.2026 to indicate the root cause of the damage, the dealer replied that he was not aware of such a similar damage and indicated that the warranty on the car has expired and there are no open recalls. But The dealer's initial assessment from 05.13.2026 (estimates $9325.25) indicates the fire was caused by a failure of the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) cooler, which is a known issue (similar to recall VB1/19V-757) where the cooler cracks, leaks coolant, and causes a fire in the intake manifold. This is a component failure resulting in an explosion/fire, not typical wear.    I need a diagnostic report that specifically mentions the EGR cooler failure as the source of the fire. I give my full consent for Ram Manufacturing to send an independent inspector to me for Ram 2021 3.0 Ecodisel INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 01/20/2026

While driving, a deer entered the roadway. I applied the brakes to avoid hitting the deer and lost traction due to icy road conditions. The vehicle spun out and struck a utility pole. I later became aware of an open recall involving the ABS and/or electronic stability control (ESC) system for this vehicle. There were no warning lights, messages, or alerts before or after the incident. The vehicle did not maintain stability as expected during braking on ice. I am unsure whether the ABS/ESC system functioned properly at the time of the incident. The crash resulted in vehicle damage and property damage. To my knowledge, the vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. After crash, airbags did not deploy no fluids leaked no warning lights ever came on dash before or after crash

AIR BAGS — Filed 02/13/2026

My husband went down into a 15 ft embankment fully in the air side bags deployed driver and passenger did not

AIR BAGS — Filed 01/03/2026

High impact vehicle accident, with major damage. Drivers airbag did not deploy.

AIR BAGS — Filed 11/30/2025

The contact owns a 2021 RAM 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 47 MPH, towards a four-way intersection, the vehicle coming off the road on the left side of the vehicle ran a stop causing another vehicle to collide with his vehicle. The contact stated that no air bags deployed. The contact stated that he sustained whiplash and bruises to the head. Medical attention was required via hospital. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was towed to an auto body center. The contact stated that a police report was filed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 49,000

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 07/04/2024

Change in acceleration since purchasing truck. Discovered recently the fuel pump was causing the problem. Also the air bag light comes on and warning of a safety issue.

AIR BAGS — Filed 08/27/2025

The contact owned a 2021 RAM 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, another vehicle collided with his vehicle on the front passenger side of the vehicle after running a red light. The driver's side air bags did deploy but failed to inflate. The contact stated that he sustained injuries to his right rib, left ankle, purple bruises from whiplash to his left leg, and a hand. He also suffered a concussion to the head which required medical Attention. The contact stated that a police report was filed. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The vehicle was totaled by Allstate to Co Parts. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000..

AIR BAGS — Filed 08/27/2025

Driving when a drunk driver ran a red light hitting me

AIR BAGS — Filed 07/16/2025

Vehicle Info: 2021 Dodge Ram 1500 Big Horn VIN: [XXX] Date of Incident: [XXX] Location: Exit ramp of [XXX] and [XXX] Problem Description: On [XXX], I was involved in a front-end collision with a tree while driving approximately 50 mph in my 2021 Dodge Ram 1500 Big Horn. The impact caused significant damage to the front of the vehicle, and around the vehicle, yet none of the airbags deployed. I experienced back and neck pain as a result of the crash. I believe this may indicate a failure or defect in the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS), crash sensors, or airbag control module. Injuries: Back pain and neck pain Thank you for your attention to this matter. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

STEERING — Filed 05/22/2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 5 to 10 MPH, the power steering became inoperable and crashed into a pole. The vehicle was restarted, and he continued to drive. While driving the next day, the failure recurred. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries, fire, airbag deployment or police reports filed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed as a steering gear internal failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who opened a case and referred him to the local dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 37,800.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 05/25/2025

Recall Statement – Fuel Overflow and Injury Incident Involving 2021 Dodge Ram 1500 I am reporting a recurring and hazardous issue with the fuel system on my 2021 Dodge Ram 1500. March 30, 2025: While refueling at a local gas station, the tank overflowed by approximately 3 gallons once it reached full capacity. I initially believed the problem was due to a faulty pump and notified a station attendant to clean the spill. May 2, 2025: At a different gas station, while refueling the same vehicle, a small amount of fuel again overflowed unexpectedly. This raised concerns, as it occurred under different fueling conditions. May 25, 2025: While refueling at the same station used on May 2nd, approximately 5 gallons of gasoline overflowed from the tank. As I attempted to remove the nozzle, I slipped on the spilled fuel and fell onto the concrete, injuring my right leg. At this point, it became clear that the issue was not isolated to specific gas station pumps, but rather a defect in the vehicle’s fuel system. This ongoing issue poses a significant safety risk. Beyond the environmental hazard, I could have sustained a serious head injury or worse during the fall. I am convinced there is a malfunction in the fuel system of my vehicle, and I strongly believe this warrants immediate investigation and a potential recall. This matter is unacceptable and must be addressed to prevent further harm to myself or others.

AIR BAGS — Filed 05/09/2025

I am writing to formally report a serious safety concern involving my partner’s 2021 Dodge Ram Bighorn, which was involved in a collision on May 9, 2025. The vehicle was severely damaged and deemed a total loss, yet none of the airbags deployed at the time of the crash. This incident raises significant questions about the safety and reliability of the airbag system in this vehicle. Given the severity of the impact, it is our belief that the airbags should have deployed in accordance with the vehicle’s safety design. Thankfully, my partner survived, but had the circumstances been slightly different, the consequences could have been far more serious.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS — Filed 01/20/2025

My truck caught fire after I got a service airbag system alert on my dashboard

ENGINE — Filed 01/01/2025

The truck went on fire after 15 min parking on [XXX]. Dodge did an initial inspection and could find nothing. I am glad we moved out of the vehicle with my pregnant wife and a 2-year-old toddler. I seriously feel there is some issue with the 2021 RAM 1500 TRX. I lost the truck as it went into flames to ashes. Please do the needful. Kind Regards, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

STEERING,POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 11/29/2024

The contact owns a 2021 RAM 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the traction contract warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering and the service brakes did not function as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. In addition, the steering was inoperable and very hard to steer. The contact stated that snow was on the ground and due to the failure, the contact's vehicle crashed into a concrete curve. The contact stated that when the vehicle crashed into the concrete curve, the service brakes and the steering were independently reset. The vehicle was damaged on the front driver's side rim, however, the vehicle was undrivable. The vehicle was being towed to the local tow yard. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. No injuries were sustained. A Police report was filed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V653000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,327. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

STRUCTURE,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES — Filed 03/03/2024

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the front hood latch suddenly failed causing the front hood to erroneously open and make contact with the front windshield. During the incident, the glass windshield shattered causing shards of glass to enter the cabin of the vehicle. Both the front driver and front passenger sustained small lacerations from the shards of glass making contact. No medical treatment was required. The front windshield frame and the roof of the vehicle were also damaged. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,200.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE — Filed 10/18/2023

On October 18, 2023, my son was driving the RAM 1500 on the Southern State. While changing lanes to exit, he advised the the engine turned off; was not able to break and hit another vehicle. The vehicle was deemed a total loss and would like this to be investigated by Chrysler. This could have caused my son's death.

BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 09/09/2023

Using the self parking feature, the vehicle had controlled itself, with my intervention when prompted. It had backed up perpendicular into the parking space, miscalculated the parking job and smashed the side mirror into a nearby trucks mirror. It had then began to speed up to what felt like about 15 or 20 mph, with no time to react or brake, and smashed into the concrete pole behind us. The automatic braking failed to react, the vehicle failed to recognize the objects behind us, and miscalculated the parking distance from other vehicles. After the rear of the truck has been severely damaged, it did not throw any errors or codes. It simply acts as if nothing happened. It never prompted me to stop, or switch gears. It had sped up on its own to a dangerous speed. It had a mind of its own. Dangerous and unsafe.

STEERING,SUSPENSION,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) — Filed 01/17/2023

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the contact noticed that the wheel became stiff and was unable to turn. The contact attempted to pull over but crashed into the side of the road. The air bags did not deploy. The contact was unaware of how fast they were driving at the time of the crash. The contact sustained a shoulder and neck injury from the seatbelt. Physical therapy and MRI medical treatment were needed for the injury. No police report was filed. The vehicle displayed warning messages for power steering wheel unavailable suspension system unavailable and electronic stability control unavailable. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The dealer was not able to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired as of yet. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and sent a Team to inspect the vehicle but the failure was not detected. The failure mileage was 36,000.

STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 04/11/2023

I had issues with the electrical systems on various occasions. There were times when the vehicle shut down in middle of driving while other times some functions such as keyless entry or auto braking didn't work. I took the vehicle to the dealership on 3 separate occasions and they said that they could not recreate the issues but rewired the system. I still had issues and was told that as long as the engine light is not blinking it is safe to drive. On 4/11/2023 while driving full speed on the highway, the electrical system stopped and i lost brakes and steering. This caused me to crash into the car in front of me. In addition, the auto braking did not engage and the airbags did not deploy

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 10/19/2021

I purchased a 2021 Ram TRX in Nov of 2021. The tailgate had opened on its own several times over 9 months until Nov 2022. I complained to dealer during oil changes and they said it was my fault and blamed me for not shutting it hard enough or hitting release button in my pocket. I had 8 instances of the tailgate coming open. One I had my cargo load calm out onto highway. Two I had my golf clubs fall out onto highway. Three I had my tailgate hit my boat trailer jack. I went to an independent shop to determine if they could help some dealer never even recorded my complaints or requests. On inspection we found the strikers severely out of alignment and adjusted them to fix issue. We recorded videos and photos of the alignment prior to adjustment and after. In Dec 2022, Ram issued a recall for this exact issue. They then inspected my vehicle and noted the adjustments we made and the facts it was out of alignment prior. Marks could be easily seen where it was factory installed and where we adjusted to remediate. Stellantis and Ram are now denying all liability for my losses and damages prior to the recall since I repaired outside of Ram despite their refusal to repair after several losses incurred.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — Filed 02/06/2023

Once again for the about 100th time our 2021 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel cuts off and when I means cuts off everything is off. No warning of any sort. Was going about 50mph and just completely shutdown on 880 Southbound in SF Bay Area. Truck has 52k miles is maintained and no codes no nothing. I had my children in the vehicle at the time of incident. We slowly pulled the shoulder with the help of rig driver slowing down to make sure no one hit us. It’s ridiculous that the current recalls aren’t as important and hazardous as trucks shutting off yet here we are cause it’s never duplicated while at the dealer. Is the FCA going to wait till someone or folks lives are taken cause of this very HAZARDOUS/SAFETY ISSUE?!

AIR BAGS — Filed 11/22/2022

The airbags failed to deploy with an offset front end collision going 42 mph. My husband was in an accident and now has a brain injury. The airbags did not go off. The vehicle has been inspected by the body shop but no one will tell me why the airbags did not go off. I have called the manufacturer, a dealership, the body shop, my insurance company everyone just passes the buck to each other and I’m going in circles. They are fixing the truck now and it needs a new frame along with thousands of dollars in damage. No one can tell me whether it is safe to drive my family in at this point We have been through a ton of trauma because of my husbands injury and this just adds to it. There were no warning lamps or symptoms prior to the accident. I first emailed Ram and they said the would need to inspect it. Then I heard nothing so I called and talked to a customer service representative who said my insurance company would contact them and I was told by my insurance co that I needed to contact the manufacturer. Then I was hung up on

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 09/09/2022

I was driving my new 2021 dodge ram 1500 classic and smoke started to come out from under the hood so I pulled over bc I thought it was overheating and then it caught on fire whilst I was still in it I immediately dialed 911 and by the time they arrived my whole truck was on fire from front to back the truck got totaled and I currently don’t know where it is this happened in September of 2022 and the dealership that sold me the truck are refusing to do anything as it was still under warranty.