KnownCarProblems2018 Ram 2500 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 2,605 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Ram 2500, most often about the brakes (90% of complaints, typically around 59,000 miles). It is the most complained-about 2500 model year since 2000 and has 9 recalls.
Most common 2018 Ram 2500 problems
Brakes
2,344 complaints · 90%Half of these problems showed up before 59,000 miles. Parts named most often: antilock, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip.
Service electronic braking system and service ABS braking system messages with accompanying chimes occur every 2-3 seconds while driving. This turns off the traction control and ABS as well as the speed control. Diagnosis reveals ABS control module and hydraulic brake control unit needs to be replaced. Vehicle only…
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the braking system malfunctioned causing the brake pedal to extend to the floorboard while depressed, and the vehicle would not immediately stop. During the failure, the parking brake was used to slow the vehicle. The vehicle…
Electrical
476 complaints · 18%Half of these problems showed up before 37,000 miles. Parts named most often: integrated trailer brake control, body control module, 12v/24v/48v battery, instrument cluster/panel.
Consistant flashing up "service electronic braking system" and "service antilock braking system" while driving. Dealer has attempted to repair replacing ABS module and hcu, bled and recalibrated the braking system. Issue returns after few thousand miles. Online forums show a lot of other owners of this truck with the…
Sporadically vehicle will not start. Dashboard lights flashing, display toggles through warnings, idle needle and speedometer needle moving while parked, vehicle not on. This has happened several times. Local dodge dealer is currently on 3rd visit to repair.
Speed control
342 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 51,000 miles. Parts named most often: cruise control.
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the ABS and traction control warning lights activated along with an audible alarm. The contact stated that during the failure, the cruise control feature was inoperable. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local…
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, there was a bell-sounding alert coming from the vehicle and several unknown warning lights illuminated. The messages traction control, ESC, and cruise control offline were displayed. The contact received notification of…
Driver assistance
226 complaints · 9%Parts named most often: automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, warnings, blind spot detection.
There is a service the electronic braking system. There is only 13,900 miles on the vehicle. I have seen forums that this a major issue that keeps happening.
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed with cruise control activated, the vehicle experienced a loss of traction control and brake performance. The cruise control then inadvertently deactivated. The service electronic brake system message was displayed, and several…
Other or unspecified
103 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 1,000 miles.
When putting in reverse the backup camera display goes multi color blur.this was about 20k then corrected itself when put in reverses the next time. Didn't think much about it. Now at 42 k its doing it more often. Took it to the dealer and frank at vacaville dodge tells me its out of warranty, when I had already seen…
Sirius xm travel link constantly pushes notifications to the radio screen which makes the driver tale their eyes off of the road to clear the notification. Sirius xm adds the service to vehicles at no charge without the consent of the consumer to accept or deny the service and takes away the ability for you to request…
Steering
87 complaints · 3%Half of these problems showed up before 22,000 miles. Parts named most often: linkages, critical fasteners.
I am having issues with my drag link loosening while driving. A recall was issued however the solution to mitigate this is welding the jam nuts. This does not allow me to realign the truck properly. I have attempted to contact fca dozens of times and have promised a case manager would call me back to rectify this but…
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated that the rearview camera screen turned black when the vehicle was placed in reverse. There were no warning indicators illuminated; however, "error" would display occasionally on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to autonation chrysler dodge jeep (7740 ne…
Transmission
75 complaints · 3%Half of these problems showed up before 30,000 miles. Parts named most often: driveline.
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired at the dealer under NHTSA campaign number: 20v036000 (power train) however, the failure occurred after the recall was repaired. The transmission shifter would not shift to drive after the vehicle was parked. The transmission shifter…
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into 4WD low. The traction control and ABS warning lights were illuminated. The contact was concerned about the safety while driving the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v896000 (service brakes…
Engine
42 complaints · 2%Half of these problems showed up before 65,000 miles. Parts named most often: cooling system.
The contact owned a 2018 Ram 2500. The contact stated the vehicle was parked overnight on the street and unoccupied when a loud bang was heard and it was discovered that the vehicle had caught on fire. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The fire department and police…
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 2500. 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact…
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 2500 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.
Brakes: control unit/module
Risk: A loss of anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, or traction control can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the brake hcu, or replace the hcu motor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning january 9, 2025. Owners may contact fca customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Fca's number for this recall is c4b.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US, llc) is recalling certain 2017-2018 ram 2500 pickup, ram 3500 pickup, 3500 cab chassis, 4500 and 5500 cab chassis vehicles. The hydraulic control unit (hcu) may fail, which can cause the anti-lock brake (ABS), electronic stability control (ESC), and traction control systems to fail.
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.
Steering: connection
Risk: A drag link separation can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will check the steering linkage jam nut tightness, replacing the drag link assembly or welding the nut to the adjuster sleeve, free of charge. The recall began march 22, 2019. Owners may contact chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is v06.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US llc) is recalling certain 2013-2018 ram 3500 and 2014-2018 ram 3500 chassis cab and ram 2500 vehicles. The outboard steering linkage jam nut may loosen, allowing one end of the drag link to separate.
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: 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.
Equipment
Risk: If the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury in the event of a fire.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners instructing them to contact kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began february 14, 2018. Owners may contact chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403 or kidde customer service service toll-free at 1-855-262-3540, or online at www.kidde.com and click on "product safety recall" for more information. Chrysler's number for this recall is t82.
Full defect summary
Chrysler (fca US llc) is recalling various dodge, chrysler, and ram vehicles equipped with kidde plastic-handle or push button 'pindicator' fire extinguishers. A list of the affected trailer models is available at: https://static.NHTSA.gov/odi/rcl/2017/rmisc-17v824-0103.pdf. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.NHTSA.gov/odi/rcl/2017/rmisc-17e062-5427.pdf
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
Loss of brake performance
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened this investigation on november 28, 2022, after receiving 134 reports from consumers alleging an intermittent or permanent loss of braking performance in certain 2017-2018 ram 2500-3500 pickup trucks manufactured by fiat chrysler automobiles (fca). The alleged failures continued to occur at a steady rate across both models, at all speeds, with limited detectability.â consumers complained that the anti-lock braking system (ABS) warning light illuminated on their vehicles.â the ABS module works in conjunction with the hydraulic control unit (hcu), an electromechanical device that controls hydraulic pressure to the individual wheel brake assemblie
Steering loss due to linkage separation
Summary
On december 17, 2018, NHTSA's office of defects investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation pe18016 to investigate alleged drag link failures in the steering system on model year (my) 2015 and 2016 ram 2500 trucks manufactured by fca US, llc (fca). â the drag link failures were found to be due to a safety defect with the steering linkage where the drag link adjustable connector (used to adjust the steering system), held in position by two opposing jam nuts, can loosen.â â the loosening of this part can lead to wear and deterioration of the threads and eventual separation of the drag link, causing loss of steering.â during the course of pe18016, it was found that two styles of drag link
Steering loss due to linkage separation
Summary
On december 17, 2018, NHTSA's office of defects investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation (pe) 18-016 to investigate the steering system on model year (my) 2015 and 2016 ram 2500 manufactured by fca US, llc (fca). Four complaints were received alleging separation of the drag link, a steering linkage that connects between the right front steering knuckle and the pitman arm on the steering box output shaft. The failures were found to be at a threaded coupler within the drag link used for adjusting the length of the linkage during routine maintenance (alignment) of the steering system.once separation occurs, turning the steering wheel has no effect, and there is no way for the driver to
Questions about the 2018 Ram 2500
- What are the most common problems with the 2018 Ram 2500?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: brakes (2,344 complaints, typically around 59,000 miles); electrical (476 complaints, typically around 37,000 miles); speed control (342 complaints, typically around 51,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2018 Ram 2500 have?
- 9 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 2500?
- It is the most complained-about 2500 model year since 2000, with 2,605 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.