2018 Ram 3500 Complaints

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,SERVICE BRAKES, AIR — Filed 11/27/2024

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the ABS, cruise control, and ESC warning lights were illuminated. The cruise control failed to activate while the warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the remedy was not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue via email, and the contact received responses that the remedy was not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — Filed 01/01/2021

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact stated that the ABS warning light intermittently flashed on the instrument panel while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that an audible chime was sounded with the warning light illuminated and the ABS, traction control, and cruise control features became inoperable. The contact stated that the failure almost caused two crashes due to the lack of the ABS functionality. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The dealer was notified of the recall; however, the contact was informed that the part was on backorder. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but the contact was given the same information as the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC — Filed 09/21/2026

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 12/04/2024

Manufacturer Safety recall issued NHTSA #24V-896 Recall #C4B 2017-2018 RAM D2 DD DF DJ DP HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNI This has still not been remedied. We are having issues and can not get this fixed due to the fact the dealership does not have a solution to the problem.

SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 11/27/2024

Fiat Chrysler issued a safety recall in 2024. The FCA recall number is C4B the NHTSA recall number is 24V – 896. This recall was issued almost 2 years ago, but Fiat Chrysler has made little to no effort to make parts available. I’ve attempted to have this recall repaired four times, and I am attempting again today. The dealership and Fiat recall department tell me there are no parts available. Per Fiat Chrysler, they are rolling out parts in stages. They are still working on 4550 & 5500 class trucks, two years later. They are rolling out the recall regardless of whether a truck is experiencing alerts on their dashboard or truck problems. Trucks that aren’t experiencing problems are getting parts before trucks that are, if they are not part of the current rollout. For over a year now, I’ve had the ABS light on my dashboard illuminated, with no antilock brakes in my truck and the truck constantly makes chime sounds while driving. Burlington Ram, in Burlington County New Jersey, has confirmed my lights and chimes are due to the part being replaced in this recall. I’ve complained directly to Fiat Chrysler and requested they make parts available. Two years later, they still will not make a part available although some dealerships somehow sell the parts to people who want to pay cash for them. Two of my coworkers have done this because their vehicles are out of warranty and they don’t want to wait for the recall. Fiat Chrysler has the parts, but they are rolling them out in a fashion they want to and not by what danger the parts are causing. They are not prioritizing vehicles that currently have no antilock brakes and are experiencing problems because of this part. I was hoping you could help intervene and convince Fiat Chrysler that vehicles experiencing an issue should be prioritized & parts be made available. I’ve been extremely patient, but driving such an expensive heavy duty vehicle with a recall being ignored is unacceptable. Thank you for anything you can do.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC — Filed 09/16/2026

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to complete the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.

SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 06/06/2022

IN 2022 the HCU for the anti-lock brake system fails. On 06/06/2022 The HCU unit was replaced at a RAM deanship. By 2024 the system had failed again. Still there is no resolution solution offered by RAM. It is now 09/14/ 2026. The warning has been going on and off since 2024. Now, the warning light is on almost constantly. Our safety is at risk because while this is happening, the ABS system as well as the traction control system are not functioning. Yes, the RAM dealership in Petaluma CA. has verified that this problem exists.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC — Filed 08/01/2025

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact stated that the ABS and the HCU were inoperable while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that it was difficult to pull his trailer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired because parts were on backorder. The dealer informed the contact that the repair could be paid for out-of-pocket and that reimbursement. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC — Filed 03/01/2025

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds and hauling a trailer, the “Service ABS” message was displayed with an audible chime. The contact stated that the brake was depressed, the vehicle failed to respond as intended, and became difficult to slow down. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to depress the brake pedal. The contact stated that while the cruise control was engaged, the feature was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the hydraulic control unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to another dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the hydraulic control unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 05/28/2026

The contact owns a 2018 RAM 3500. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the contact noticed an abnormal cracking sound and smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact inspected and used a fire extinguisher to slow the smoke and electrical sparks down. The contact did not notice any fire. The fire department arrived and disconnected the electrical cables to prevent further damage. The contact stated that the vehicle was inoperable. In addition, the contact stated that the failure occurred while the contact was traveling on vacation. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact was informed that the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The vehicle was later towed to an RV service center. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.

SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 09/13/2025

This recall came out 1.5 years ago and there still is no remedy. At a car wash my truck wouldn’t stop and I slid into a concrete pole and damaged the fender and headlight. The corporate office told me, when I called, that currently there is nothing that they can do.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC — Filed 06/20/2025

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH while approaching a stop on a wet road, a nearby vehicle had merged into their lane; however, the vehicle failed to come to a stop while the brake pedal was depressed. The service brake and ABS warning lights illuminated. In addition, the vehicle had impacted the rear end of a nearby vehicle. No police report was filed. No injuries or medical attention were sought. The local dealer was contacted; however, parts were not available. The contact was concerned that the recall had no parts for approximately 3 years, and the recall was expanded to include his vehicle's VIN however, still no parts were made available for the recall remedy. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 07/14/2025

I had just merged onto the highway and was in the left lane that was ending ahead. As soon as I switched lanes traffic came to a stop. I slammed on the brakes and the truck came to a complete stop before impact. Then with my foot still on the brake pedal the truck lurched forward making impact with the vehicle in front of me. I believe that the defective brake HCU failure caused the ABS system to fail ultimately resulting in the accident. The only damage was to the front bumper. No airbags deployed and the accident was not reported. I would like Ram to replace my bumper since I have been driving with this problem for over a year and still no fix to the problem. It is a clear safety issue and had resulted in not being able to safely drive the truck.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC — Filed 09/29/2025

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss in automotive power and failed to respond as intended to the brake pedal being depressed. The ABS and Traction Control warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the failure caused the contact to lose control and crash into a ditch. No air bags were deployed. Medical attention was not sought and no injuries were sustained. No police report was filed. The vehicle failed to restart as intended and was towed to a local dealer. The local dealer replaced the PCM however, the parts to repair the ABS and HECU were not available. The contact stated that after repairs were made at several local dealers on several occasions, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

STEERING,STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 01/13/2025

Brakes went out and steering which caused loss of control of vehicle.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC — Filed 11/19/2024

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the remedy was not available. The contact stated while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the contact depressed the brake pedal however, the brakes failed to engage. As a result, the front center of the vehicle crashed into a tree. There was severe cosmetic damage. The Service Anti-Lock Brake System" message was displayed prior to the crash. No injuries were sustained. No police report was filed. A dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the parts were once again, not yet available for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken back to the place of residence. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 193,000. Parts Distribution Disconnect. 

SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 08/25/2024

Truck wouldn't stop antilock brakes did not work. Been trying to get 68347098ab and 68143491ab for the last 3 years from ram but been on backorder for that long. Was going down gravel road and trying to stop but wouldn't one wheel locked up and truck went into ditch smashing fender and hood.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 08/28/2003

The Anti-Lock Brake & Electronic Braking System error caused the internal Trailer Brake system to shut off trailer brakes just like it shuts off the cruise control when warnings come up on the dashboard. The incident happened Aug 28, 2023 while following my son and my wife in a vehicle ahead of me. I had to change lanes to try to avoid something that suddenly came across in front of my vehicle. I applied the brakes and then the trailer acted like it didn't have any brakes fell over & was totaled. If this was in traffic someone could have been killed. The "Check Anti-Lock Brake System" & "Check Electronic Brake System" warnings started coming up intermittently as I drove my RAM 3500 Diesel truck starting sometime around July 2023. I drove to the local RAM dealer and told them about the problem. They acted like they had never heard of this problem and proceeded to check the error code and then stated they had never heard of this error before. They said they would check with RAM engineering on what needed to be done. They then said there were other similar RAM trucks with the same issue & that the parts were on back order. I finally got an appointment for the dealer to check my truck after sending an email to the Service Supervisor. After they checked my truck on August 16, 2023 they said that my truck needed a new Anti-Lock Brake Control Module. I had seen that many others on the internet blogs had stated that both the Anti-Lock Brake Control Module and the Hydraulic Control Module (HCM) needed to be replaced. I was then told by the service person that the Anti-Lock Brake Control Module would not be available for months (until sometime in December) and the Hydraulic Control Module (HCU) had no date of availability. They also checked with the RAM technicians at the dealership about safety driving the truck and towing a trailer until the part came in. They told me that only the Anti-Lock Brakes may not work so it would be safe to continue to drive it and tow a trailer.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC — Filed 08/01/2023

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, a vehicle abruptly merged in front of him causing him to crash into the rear of that vehicle. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway and became aware that the brake pedal was difficult to depress. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired; however, the dealer was contacted by phone. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was a freeze on the repair due to parts not being available. The failure mileage was 9,800.

STEERING,WHEELS — Filed 07/07/2023

I was driving on the interstate highway. While driving at 60 mph towing a fifth wheel RV the front end shuddered for several seconds. Then the drivers side front wheel assembly broke off at the wheel studs. I was able to safely get to the breakdown lane. The drivers side front wheel assembly struck another vehicle traveling the oncoming lane. I was told that the vehicle that was struck was totaled. The police on scene documented the incident. The insurance representative has been notified and approved the repair. The collision repair facility documented. I also have pictures indicating broken front wheel studs.

AIR BAGS — Filed 04/08/2023

Frontal collision at 45 mph, totaled truck but airbags did not deploy. The insurance company sent the truck to the auction. My safety was at risk. Not that I am aware of, the insurance company has photos. Inspected by police and insurance adjuster. No symptoms of anything wrong with the vehicle.

AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 12/14/2021

9830-2021-10627 police report 12-14-2021 Head on collision with a 18 wheeler trailer. The air bags failed to deploy. My cousin survived. None of the air bags deployed. 2018 Dodge Ram 3500 Diesel dually.

STEERING — Filed 06/22/2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 RAM 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH WHILE ON A MOUNTAIN SIDE, WITHIN SECONDS THE VEHICLE TUMBLED DOWN OFF THE CLIFF INTO TREES WHICH STOPPED THE VEHICLE FROM GOING DOWN 8 FEET INTO A RIVER. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THERE WAS A FAILURE WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME INTO A STOP. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED LACERATION ON THE LEFT ELBOW, BRUISES AND LEFT SHOULDER INJURIES AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED BRUISES. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT RECEIVED DUE TO COSTS. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS UNAWARE IF ANY WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW LOT AND WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V021000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 03/29/2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 RAM 3500. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, IT AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND COLLIDED WITH A FENCE. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED REAR END DAMAGE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT SUFFERED MINOR INJURES THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300. *DT *DT*JB *DT *DT *DT *DT*JB WE RAN THE TESTS AS REQUESTED. WITH THE FIRST 2 TESTS, THE SHIFT LEVER WOULD NOT MOVE FROM PARK WITHOUT HAVING YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THE 3RD TEST DETERMINED THERE IS NO INDICATOR CHIME OR MESSAGE IF YOU LEAVE THE VEHICLE WITH IT RUNNING WHETHER THE PARKING BRAKE IS ON OR NOT. WE ALSO TESTED TO SEE WHAT THE TRUCK WOULD DO IF WE PUT IT IN NEUTRAL IN THE POSITION HE HAD THE TRUCK AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, IT IMMEDIATELY WENT FORWARD. LASTLY WE TESTED FOR THE IN BETWEEN PARK AND REVERSE PROBABILITY. WE FOUND THERE IS DEFINITELY A POSITION BETWEEN P AND R WHERE THE SHIFT LEVER WILL GO INTO AND YOU ARE ABLE TO EXIT THE TRUCK. NO INDICATOR/WARNING GIVEN AT THIS POINT BUT THE P WAS FLASHING. WHILE SITTING IN THE TRUCK AND IT BEING IN THIS IN BETWEEN POSITION THE TRUCK DID NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACK. SO IN THIS POSITION THE TRUCK ACTS AS IF IT'S IN PARK NOT NEUTRAL AS IT DOES NOT ROLL FORWARD. ALSO WHILE IN THIS IN BETWEEN POSITION YOU CAN DROP THE LEVER DOWN INTO REVERSE WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKE. AS YOU STATED, THERE IS NO WAY FOR US TO SAFELY CHECK TO SEE HOW LONG THE TRUCK WOULD STAY IN THIS IN BETWEEN POSITION ONCE LEAVING THE TRUCK. WE DO KNOW IT WILL STAY FOR SOME AMOUNT OF TIME AS WE TESTED THAT WITHOUT LEAVING THE TRUCK. THE LEVER DOES SLIDE DOWN INTO REVERSE VERY EASILY FROM THIS IN BETWEEN POSITION. SOME WITH A LEVEL TO SHOW THE SLOPE AND DAMAGES. *JB *DT *DT THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WERE NO MORE OCCURRENCES DUE TO THE FACT THEY ARE CONSCIENTIOUSLY USING THE PARKING BRAKE*TR *DT*DT 'PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *JB *JB

WHEELS — Filed 09/18/2018

REAR OUTSIDE TIRE BLEW OUT AT 25MPH ON A OFF RAMP TRUCK ONLY HAS 4900 MILES ON IT, CAUSED A LOSS OF CONTROL AND LOAD ROLL OVER AND SEVERE DAMAGE TO MY NEW TRUCK!