KnownCarProblems2018 Ram 1500 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 665 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Ram 1500, most often about the electrical (24% of complaints, typically around 20,500 miles). It is 8th of 15 1500 model years by number of complaints and has 15 recalls.
Most common 2018 Ram 1500 problems
Electrical
159 complaints · 24%Half of these problems showed up before 20,500 miles. Parts named most often: 12v/24v/48v battery, alternator/generator/regulator, horn, instrument panel.
Drove the vehicle about 4 hours to pick up my daughter. Had the vehicle idling for a while as I waited for her arrive since she was running late. Put the car in drive and started to head home and the service shifter message came on. Then the transmission warning came on as well as a message with the brake system. The…
Gas gauge may indicate empty to full regardless of the amount of actual gas in tank. Mileage too empty as displayed on dash panel readout reads up too twice actual distance one can drive truck? If trip odometer and MPH displayed there in are displayed correctly? Using trip odometer miles driven and dash display miles…
Engine
153 complaints · 23%Half of these problems showed up before 49,500 miles. Parts named most often: exhaust system, engine.
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, a warning message on the instrument panel stated that the vehicle would no longer start within 14 miles. The vehicle was taken to st. Helens chrysler dodge jeep Ram (57895 columbia river hwy, warren…
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, there was an abnormal noise coming from the vehicle. The low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle, the vehicle was unable to be restarted. The vehicle was towed…
Fuel system
140 complaints · 21%Half of these problems showed up before 61,500 miles. Parts named most often: storage, delivery, fuel injection system.
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that when the fuel pump was on the high setting, fuel was spilling. While on the lower setting, an abnormal clicking sound was detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, who informed him about a diagnostic test. The…
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake, traction control, and ABS warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the ABS module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.…
Other or unspecified
92 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 20,000 miles.
Radio in vehicle freezes/locks up preventing use of the radio volume, climate controls and back up camera. Screen either locks up or turns blue while backing up, preventing utilization of the back up camera. This issue happens while the vehicle is stationary or in movement.
I own a 2018 ecodiesel and when my truck went in for an oil change they did an update called aem or v08 emissions update. After the update my truck no longer accelerates from a stop. It crawls at under 10mph extremely slow aprox. 90 seconds until the vehicle accelerates. This is extremely dangerous I have been in 3…
Steering
89 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 75,000 miles. Parts named most often: electric power assist system, rack and pinion.
Started off by having a tough spot once in a while turning my steering wheel. Now its total failure on and off. Not consistent, I can be going 20 ,ph and it works good, then my steering just fails. At 60 MPH it works great then all of a sudden it fails. Extremely dangerous. I have almost lost control 3 times. Called…
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated when he first started the vehicle he observed that a red steering wheel with an exclamation point was flashing on the instrument cluster. The contact stated that when he had shifted the vehicle into drive (d) and was turning the steering wheel to drive onto a street…
Transmission
60 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 24,000 miles. Parts named most often: driveline.
Driving home from work. Had used cruise control at 70mph on freeway, but had not used it in town. I was decelerating for a stop light, when it turned green. I was probably traveling 15-20mph when I began accelerating again. I heard a click, like a relay or solenoid and the vehicle began to accelerate as if I had hit…
While backing up the vehicle stopped, bells went off in vehicle, the p light on the shifter and dashboard began flashing, a message appeared in the dash message center stating to apply the parking brake. I shut the vehicle off but only could turn the key to accessory. The vehicle wouldn't shift to park. The vehicles…
Brakes
47 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 36,000 miles.
After turning from the highway feeder onto a small road, I knew a large bump in the road was coming up. Everyone who travels the road knows about it and how you need to slow down. After I made made the turn, I applied my brake in anticipation of the bump, however nothing happened. There wasn't any pressure. I tried…
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that occasionally while driving at undisclosed speeds, the ABS and traction control warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the cause of the failure was unidentified. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact…
Speed control
31 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 23,000 miles. Parts named most often: cruise control, accelerator pedal.
Driving home from work. Had used cruise control at 70mph on freeway, but had not used it in town. I was decelerating for a stop light, when it turned green. I was probably traveling 15-20mph when I began accelerating again. I heard a click, like a relay or solenoid and the vehicle began to accelerate as if I had hit…
Long lag between the time you step on the accelerator and the when the truck would respond. Created dangerous situation specially merging with fast moving traffic and moving from stop signs. Vehicle would go into limp mode without warning. It was deemed to a lemon and fca bought it back only to resell to someone else.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2018 Ram 1500 recalls
Air bags: inflator
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in sharp metal fragments striking occupants, resulting in injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace one or both side curtain air bags, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed september 25, 2025. Owners may contact fca customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Fca's numbers for this recall are 83c, 91c, and 92c. Vehicle identification numbers (vins) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning september 18, 2025.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US, llc) is recalling certain 2018 ram 1500, ram 2500, and ram 3500 vehicles. The right and left side curtain air bag inflators may rupture due to a manufacturing defect.
Air bags: inflator
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in sharp metal fragments striking occupants, resulting in injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace one or both side curtain air bags, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed february 13, 2025. Owners may contact fca customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Fca's numbers for this recall are 05c, 09c, and 10c.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US, llc) is recalling certain 2016-2019 ram 3500, ram 1500, 2016-2020 ram 2500, and 2016 ram 3500 cab chassis vehicles. The right and left side curtain air bag inflators may rupture due to a manufacturing defect.
Engine: engine and engine cooling
Risk: An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software to maintain vehicle propulsion, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed august 3, 2023. Some owner notification letters were mailed october 31, 2023. The remaining owner notification letters will be mailed at a future date, anticipated july 2024. Owners may contact fca US, llc customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Fca US, llc's number for this recall is 66a. This recall is an expansion of recall 20v-475.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US, llc) is recalling certain 2014-2019 ram 1500 and 2014-2020 jeep grand cherokee vehicles equipped with 3.0l diesel engines. The crankshaft position sensor tone wheel may delaminate, causing the engine to lose its ability to synchronize the fuel injector pulses and cam shaft timing, possibly resulting in an engine stall.
Fuel system: fuel pump
Risk: Fuel starvation may result in an unexpected loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the hpfp, and inspect and replace, if necessary, additional fuel system components, free of charge. Interim notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed july 21, 2022. Owner notification letters for were mailed for jeep grand cherokee owners starting january 11, 2024. Owner notification letters for ram 1500 owners were mailed march 7, 2024. Owners may contact fca US, llc customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Fca US, lls's number for this recall is z46.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US, llc) is recalling certain 2014-2020 jeep grand cherokee, and 2014-2019 ram 1500 vehicles equipped with 3.0l diesel engines. A high pressure fuel pump (hpfp) failure may introduce internal debris into the fuel system, potentially resulting in fuel starvation.
Air bags: inflator
Risk: A separated inflator end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape, resulting in the end cap or other components being propelled into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the sabic assemblies, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on october 4, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on may 26, 2022. Owners may contact fca US, llc customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Fca US, llc's number for this recall is y55.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US, llc) is recalling certain 2015-2020 ram 1500 classic, 2015-2016 ram 3500, and ram 2500 vehicles, and 2016 ram 3500 cab chassis with a gross vehicle weight rating less than 10,000 lbs. The side air bag inflatable curtain (sabic) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator, or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
Engine: diesel
Risk: An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Fca US will notify owners, and dealers will update the powertrain control module software to maintain vehicle propulsion by reading the camshaft position signal in the event that the crankshaft position signal is lost, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on may 13, 2021. Owners may contact fca US customer service at 1-800-853-2002. Fca US's number for this recall is w58.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US llc) is recalling certain 2014-2018 ram 1500 and 2014-2016 jeep grand cherokee vehicles equipped with 3.0l diesel engines. The crankshaft position sensor tone wheel may delaminate causing the engine to lose its ability to synchronize the fuel injector pulses and cam shaft timing, possibly resulting in an engine stall.
Engine: gas recirculation valve (egr valve)
Risk: Combustion in the intake manifold can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EGR cooler, free of charge. Dealers will also inspect and, as necessary, replace the intake manifold. The recall began april 16, 2020. Owners may contact chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is vb1.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US llc) is recalling certain 2014-2019 ram 1500 and 1500 classic pickup trucks equipped with 3.0l eco diesel engines. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler may crack and allow pre-heated vaporized coolant to enter the EGR system. This mixture may combust inside the intake manifold.
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: If the tailgate opens while the vehicle is being driven, cargo may fall out the vehicle and create a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will repair the tailgate latch, free of charge. The recall began may 23, 2019. Chrysler is expected to notify owners of the expanded population on october 18, 2019. Owners may contact fca US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Fca US's number for this recall is v44. Note: 2015-2017 my ram 1500 pickup trucks with truck beds other than 8 foot, are currently covered under NHTSA recall 18v-486 for this issue.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US llc) is recalling certain 2015-2017 ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks equipped with an 8 foot bed and a power locking tailgate. Chrysler is also recalling all 2013-2014 and 2018 ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks built before april 1, 2018 with a 6 or 8 foot bed and a power locking tailgate. On august 29, 2019 chrysler expanded the recall to include an additional 693,128 model year 2013-2014 ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks. The tailgate actuator limiter tab may fracture and cause the tailgate to unlatch and open while driving.
Transmission: driveshaft
Risk: A fractured rear driveshaft could detach from the vehicle and become a road hazard, or it may result in a loss of drive power, both of which can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Fca US will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began june 13, 2019. Owners may contact fca US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. The fca US recall number is v48.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US llc) is recalling certain 2018-2019 ram 1500 pickup trucks. The rear driveshaft may have an incomplete weld fusion between the tube and tube yoke, which may lead to weld cracking or the driveshaft fracturing.
Transmission: axle assembly
Risk: If the rear axle assembly fails, it can cause a loss of drive or the rear wheels may lock up. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear axle oil level. Rear axles with an insufficient amount of oil will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began september 26, 2018. Owners may contact chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is u88.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US llc) is recalling certain 2018-2019 ram 1500 trucks. The rear differential may have been insufficiently filled, possibly resulting in its failure.
Electrical: front underhood
Risk: A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began october 2, 2018. Owners may contact chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is u87.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US llc) is recalling certain 2018 jeep renegade, compass and grand cherokee, ram 1500 and promaster, fiat 500x, dodge journey, challenger, charger and durango and chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 jeep wrangler, dodge grand caravan and chrysler town and country vehicles and 2018-2019 jeep cherokee and 2018 chrysler pacifica and pacifica hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
Backup camera: camera
Risk: A loss of image in the rearview camera while backing up can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rearview mirror, free of charge. The recall began august 2, 2018. Owners may contact chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is u56.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US llc) is recalling certain 2018 dodge journey and ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 vehicles. The backup camera may experience a loss of image display while backing up. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 111, "rearview mirrors."
Electrical: software
Risk: If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began june 4, 2018. Owners may contact chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US llc) is recalling certain 2014-2018 dodge journey, charger and durango, ram 2500, 3500, 3500 cab chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 cab chassis and 5500 cab chassis, jeep cherokee and grand cherokee and chrysler 300, 2014-2019 ram 1500, 2015-2018 dodge challenger, 2015-2017 chrysler 200, 2016-2018 ram 3500 cab chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 chrysler pacifica and 2018 jeep wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
Transmission: automatic transmission
Risk: If the incorrect park lock rod is installed, the transmission may not shift into 'park' and keep the vehicle from moving, increasing the risk of unintended vehicle movement and the risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install the correct park lock rod, free of charge. The recall began june 28, 2018. Owners may contact chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is u43.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US llc) is recalling certain 2018 dodge charger, durango and challenger, jeep grand cherokee and wrangler, chrysler 300, and ram 1500 vehicles. An incorrect transmission park lock rod may have been installed in the transmission.
Transmission: automatic transmission
Risk: Being able to shift the transmission without pushing the brake pedal and/or without a key in the ignition can increase the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners and dealers will update the body control module software. Dealers will also test the btsi operation, replacing the solenoid as necessary. The recall began february 26, 2018. Owners may contact chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is u11.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US llc) is recalling certain 2017-2018 ram 1500, 2500, 3500, 3500 cab chassis, 4500 cab chassis, and 5500 cab chassis vehicles, all equipped with a column shifter. Pushing the brake pedal for prolonged periods when the vehicle is running and in park may cause the brake transmission shift interlock (btsi) pin to stick in the open position. With the pin in the open position, the transmission can be shifted out of park into any gear without pushing the brake pedal or having the key in the ignition.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Post recall remedy brake transmission shift interlock (btsi) failure
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) has received 14 vehicle owner questionnaire (voq) reports and 6 ewr death & injury (d&I) reports describing post recall remedy failures of the brake transmission shift interlock (btsi) system in certain model year (my) 2013-2018 ram pickup trucks.the subject vehicle models include 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks equipped with a column mounted shift lever.the failures of the btsi described in the voqs occurred on vehicles that had all previously been repaired under recall 17v-821 or 18v-100.both recalls address a potential condition which can cause the btsi locking pin to become stuck allowing the transmission to be shifted out of park without
High pressure fuel pump failure
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe21-021 on october 14, 2021, to investigate incidents alleging a stall/loss of motive power as a result of high-pressure fuel pump failures in certain model year (my) 2019-2020 ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 heavy duty trucks equipped with 6.7l cummins turbodiesel engines. During the investigation, odi sought to determine if the related defect allegation was limited in scope to the recalled population. After review of information request response materials from both fca and bmw, NHTSA determined that sufficient information to identify a comprehensive recall population could not be produced by fca and bmw.during the investigation fca filed rec
Questions about the 2018 Ram 1500
- What are the most common problems with the 2018 Ram 1500?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: electrical (159 complaints, typically around 20,500 miles); engine (153 complaints, typically around 49,500 miles); fuel system (140 complaints, typically around 61,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2018 Ram 1500 have?
- 15 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from September 11, 2025 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2018 a bad year for the Ram 1500?
- It is 8th of 15 1500 model years by number of complaints, with 665 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.