2021 Ram 3500 Complaints

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 05/16/2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, occasionally while activating the left turn signal to make a turn, the rear driver’s side turn signal failed to operate as intended. The message related to the brake light and turn signal was displayed on the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the rear driver’s side brake light failed to operate as intended while depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, while shifted into reverse(R), the reverse warning light fail to illuminate as intended. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign: 24V197000 (Electrical System, Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,BACK OVER PREVENTION — Filed 06/01/2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 3500 . The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the remedy parts were not yet available and were on backordered. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL — Filed 04/08/2026

The contact owns a 2021 RAM 3500. The contact stated that while driving at 40 mph, the vehicle stalled and could not be restarted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the entire fuel system needed to be replaced due to the high-pressure fuel pump exploding after metal shavings were found throughout the entire system. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,000.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,BACK OVER PREVENTION — Filed 03/25/2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); 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.

WHEELS — Filed 03/13/2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 3500. While the contact's husband was driving at 55 MPH, the driver's rear wheel detached. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while a pickup box trailer was hitched to the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was determined that the wheel bolts had detached. The contact was informed that the rear wheel studs had sheared off into the wheel hub. The contact was informed that the rear wheel studs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V398000 (Wheels); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 09/11/2024

Brake system is not functioning as designed. Rear axle braking is not being fully applied and is most noticeable and concerning during heavy haul usage. Vehicle has to be operated carefully and with an alternate braking method utilized to obtain adequate braking. The problem can be and has been reproduced and verified by dealer but not in writing. Dealer is not wanting to fully diagnose and/or commit to finding/acknowledging a fault. Manufacturer has been notified in writing and unresponsive. There are no messages displayed/stored. Disproportionate brake wear between front and rear axle braking is observed.

SUSPENSION,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 11/03/2025

Both front ball joints wore out at 20,000 miles The 3rd break light leaks into the cab at 26,000 miles & won't be warrantied even though there's an active recall for our same truck, same part just different model

TIRES — Filed 09/21/2025

I have had two tires separate in the past couple of months with less than 24000 miles and 5 years old. I filed a complaint with Nexen and they sent a partial payment for the first one but rejected the second claim that happened less than 500 miles of the first claim. They claim the tires are separated because of the low miles on the truck and it is not driven enough. Less than a year ago my brother had the same issue with the same tires and truck with similar mileage and was sent a check for 6 new tires. I have additional photos and photos of the other tire as well as emails with Nexen and XXX Sr. Quality Analyst [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — Filed 11/14/2025

While driving my truck I noticed my mpg gauge was showing 0 mpg. Then I realized my "miles to go" gauge was reading "low" even though I had plenty of fuel in the tank and my fuel gauge was showing 3/4 full. Even though I use my truck as a commercial vehicle, and drive coast to coast, I was luckily only a couple hours from home, so I kept driving to try to make it home. I did make it home, but during that time, my "check engine light came on along with my "low fuel warning" light. I also realized during that time that my odometer had stopped working. It wasn't showing any numbers at all. When I got home, I checked online to see if anyone else had heard of this problem, or how to fix it. That's when I realized just how common this problem is. Even though my truck is used in the US and my mileage is calculated in miles, the odometer is programmed to stop working at 1,000,000 kilometers, which is 621,369 miles. Who would know or expect this to happen? I called several independent garages, all of which refused to attempt to fix an odometer problem because of the legal implications. I then called several Ram dealers who all told me they had never heard of this and would have to call FCA for advice on how to fix it. After two days of waiting, my local dealer called me back and said they could give me an appt a week later to diagnose the problem with my truck. They said FCA knows about the problem, but to fix it, it has to have a new gauge cluster installed. Nobody I talked to was able to tell me if the truck was safe to drive or why Ram wasn't warning owners of this problem when their trucks reached such an odd number of miles. When they replace the odometer, it will start over again at 0 miles and a sticker in the door jamb stating that the odometer was replaced at 621,369 miles, as if anyone would think to look in the door jamb for this sticker. The reason so few other drivers are going through this problem is because they are buying an OBD reader and resetting it.

ENGINE — Filed 10/28/2025

The contact filed the complaint on behalf of the customer, who was the owner of a 2021 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while the owner was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle caught on fire. No warning lights were illuminated. The owner informed the contact that the fire came from the engine bay. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to a local tow yard. The vehicle was later towed to the independent mechanic. No injuries were sustained. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission was replaced by an independent mechanic. The failure occurred the following day after the vehicle was released by the independent mechanic. In addition, the owner of the vehicle had received a recall notification NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V060000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 08/18/2025

See attached document for complaint.

BACK OVER PREVENTION — Filed 08/12/2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera failed to display an image, compromising the back over prevention system. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V436000 (Back Over Prevention); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE — Filed 08/08/2025

Vehicle died in a busy intersection coming off the freeway. Light flashed that indicated it was an issue with the electronic throttle control. The safety of myself and others was put at risk due to the posted speed of the road and multiple lanes from 4 directions. I had to remain in my vehicle to make sure I was not hit by another vehicle and due to the vehicle issue, I was impeding traffic. Lithia Dodge of Grants Pass, OR stated they could not make an appt for the vehicle to get looked at for 2 weeks out, scheduled 8/22/25. Dealership seems to think this is not an issue with safety and this issue can occur while the vehicle is in motion which is a huge safety issue. No warning lights flashed before the first one indicating the vehicle would shut down/lose all power.

ENGINE — Filed 06/17/2025

Failure of hydraulic lifters and camshaft in Cummins 6.7 liter diesel engine of 2021 RAM 3500. Engine exhibited significant ticking noise and the engine does not work properly, putting the safety of driver and passengers in vehicle at risk. Vehicle is not driveable. This issue has been confirmed by the RAM dealership in Livingston, Montana. The 2021 RAM 3500 truck has been sitting at the RAM dealership for the past seven weeks awaiting parts and a fix that RAM trucks is still trying to figure out. Apparently, this has become a common problem with the RAM Cummins 6.7 liter diesels from model years 2019 through current 2025 models, including 2021. The RAM dealership in Livingston, Montana has five separate RAM Cummins 6.7 liter diesel trucks with the same issue awaiting parts and a fix from RAM.

TIRES — Filed 06/08/2025

Nexen Roadian HTX RH5 LT235 / 80 R 17. While driving down interstate and pulling a 21,000 lb GVWR fifth wheel trailer, the truck began vibrate. After stopping it appeared that the front passenger tire was out of round. This was confirmed after jacking up the vehicle. Suspect internal damage to the radials. The tire had a total of 16,600 miles on it. Tire had cold pressure of 80 psi and was just checked 4 days prior to the incident. Luckily, the issue was discovered prior to a catastrophic failure, so no damage or accident occured for this particular failure.

SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 05/03/2025

I powered on the truck. Upon ignition check engine light, along with ABS, 4WD, traction control came on. Lights for the forward collision and adaptive cruise control illuminated. ABS system in the truck is no longer functioning causing the brake pedal to pulsate and lose pressure. Dealer diagnosed the troubleshooting codes and determined the ABS and the HCU (Hydraulic Control Unit) need to be replaced.

TIRES — Filed 05/18/2025

Nexen LT235/80R17 2 blow out's and one tire failure. factory installed tires. I have had 2 blowouts on the right front of my Ram 3500. I had discount tire unmount and re mount my spare on the blown-out tire wheel (for appearance purpose) so my spare is now another brand, the spare Nexen that replaced the blow out also blew out within ~2000 miles. I took the vehicle to Walts Live Oak Ram to inspect the vehicle for a cause of 2 tires blowing in the same position on the vehicle, they also checked the alignment and found nothing. yesterday [XXX] pulling a trailer to Jacksonville I noticed about 50 miles into the trip a slight shudder in the steering wheel and I pressed on. On the return trip the shudder in the steering was substantially profound and the driver side view mirror was bouncing up and down, the passenger side was not, and my hands were getting numb, I slowed to 50 from 70mph and continued, the shuddering eased but was clearly still there. today I took the truck to discount tire Lake city Fla. and asked them to replace the Nexen as I felt it was failing from looking at the tire and running my hand along the tread it didnt feel normal and the tire was hot compared to the passenger side. I asked discount to spin the Nexen on the balancer and they did, it confirmed the tire was failing and was unable to be balanced. the new tire cured the problem. the truck today clocked 37k miles to give you some perspective on mileage and primary use is for towing trailers, 42' 5th wheel, 16' box or flatbed trailer. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 05/05/2025

2021 Dodge Ram drivers side A-pillar handle is detaching due to failing plastic clips

SEATS — Filed 04/03/2025

Driver power seat started moving forward on its own until it was all the way forward, would not move backwards with the button. It pinned my legs to the dash, preventing me from reaching the throttle or brake pedal

SEAT BELTS — Filed 02/05/2025

The rear driver’s side and rear center seat belts no longer latch. When sliding the belt into the recepticle it fails to “click” or connect. The belt pulls right back out. It does not work at all, it is reproducible every time. The dealer will charge a lot of money to say that they ran diagnostics to tell me what is obvious, so I have not brought it in yet. This is a serious safety risk since the law requires passengers to wear seat belts for safety reasons and this basic safety equipment fails. The vehicle is less than 4 years old and the rear belts have not been used all the time as there were not always passengers. Also, there is no damage to them. I would like it fixed asap and believe the equipment is faulty since two of the three rear belts have failed.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 02/01/2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 3500. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to drive forward or to reverse. The RPM was raised high, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced; however, the parts were on backorder. The failure recurred, and the vehicle was towed to the farm. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 01/27/2025

Left blinker does not cancel after left turn 60% of the time causing other vehicles to pull out in front of me almost causing accidents

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 07/23/2023

On [XXX] while I was driving in Reno Nevada with the truck without warning smoke started to come out of the hood, fluid was coming out from under truck, fire department came made sure fire was extinguished, vehicle towed to Dolan Dodge Ram Fiat in Reno Nevada. It was determined that the fire was caused but the recall issues, case was opened with Ram and as of today 5/13/2024 Ram has not repaired the truck and the dealership has told me that the Manufacturer has yet to respond or communicate with them. This coming July it will be one year since the incident, I have loss income, and I have continued to make payments to the bank on the truck, I contacted Ram directly where they had to open a new can but no resolution given. Per the dealer they tell me that they have the parts but they can't fix until the manufacturer tells them to fix. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — Filed 09/02/2021

Our vehicle was involved in a total loss fire from the engine compartment while driving. We were driving the unit and noticed smoke, when we were merging to pull of the road flames started coming up and we immediately exited the vehicle and had to run, because it started popping. We were lucky to escape unharmed physically, but the situation could have been much worse. There were no indications or lights warning of engine failure or fire. This occurred on September 2, 2021. At this point in time there were no recalls on the vehicle. When we contacted Stellantis to report the incident, they concluded their investigation they denied responsibility. A few months after the fact we received notice of the recall. To date we have not been reimbursed for the loss of the vehicle, our personal belongings in the vehicle, and the loss of income from no longer having the vehicle. Our insurance company, Stellantis, etc all inspected the unit related to the claim and confirmed the fire began in the engine compartment.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 03/05/2022

The transmission’s light came on saying that it was heated. I parked as soon as possible and that’s when the flames were coming out of the hood. I did burned my hands trying to put out the fire with 3 fire extinguishers. I did not want my truck to burn. Now, the dealer is trying to say that they can’t get a conclusion of what started the fire. The truck smells like burned transmission fluid. I sent pictures of the truck to the dealer. There is a recall in February 2020 with the same problem that I had with my 2021 Ram. Prior to this incident, the truck did not have any warnings or lights on.