Symptom explainer · every vehicle on the site
ABS light on
Most reported: 2018 Ram 2500 with 2,055 reports. Across the 161 model years on this site with at least five, owners filed 6,199.
- 6,199owner reports
- 161model years affected
- 48,000median miles
- 165involved a crash
- 26involved a fire
This is the narrower sheet inside brake problems for the anti-lock brake (ABS) warning light. What separates it from the wider brake sheet is that most owners here aren't describing worn pads or grinding. They're describing a light, and often a list of features that quit along with it.
Part of Brake Problems, which counts 31,994 reports.
Which cars report it most · By model · When it happens · What it is and what to do
The 25 vehicles with the most reports
Each row is one model year. The bar is its count of ABS light on reports; the share is how much of that car's complaint file this problem takes up. Bigger sellers draw more reports, so read the share alongside the count. Red dots mark crashes and fires in these reports; amber marks a recall on the same system.
- 12018 Ram 250020 crashes1 firerecall2,05579% of its complaints42k mi
- 22018 Ram 35007 crashesrecall57672% of its complaints39k mi
- 32017 Ram 25006 crashesrecall44063% of its complaints46k mi
- 42016 Ram 15006 crashes1 fire23916% of its complaints85k mi
- 52017 Ram 35002 crashesrecall15450% of its complaints40k mi
- 62014 Ram 15002 crashes1418% of its complaints102k mi
- 72015 Ram 15004 crashes1 fire1279% of its complaints64k mi
- 82015 Jeep Wrangler3 crashes11925% of its complaints50k mi
- 92024 Hyundai Palisade6 crashes11430% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 102016 Jeep Wrangler1 crash1 fire10823% of its complaints65k mi
- 112014 Honda Accord1 crash1 fire839% of its complaints80k mi
- 12748% of its complaints88k mi
- 132014 Jeep Wrangler2 crashes5910% of its complaints62k mi
- 142015 Dodge Journey2 crashes5911% of its complaints63k mi
- 155723% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 165531% of its complaints5k mi
- 172019 Ram 15004 crashesrecall483% of its complaints57k mi
- 182015 Toyota Prius1 crash4628% of its complaints150k mi
- 192014 Toyota Prius1 crash4424% of its complaints129k mi
- 202014 Dodge Journey2 crashes4211% of its complaints99k mi
- 212023 Hyundai Palisade2 crashesrecall3910% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 222019 Jeep Grand Cherokee2 crashes1 firerecall3710% of its complaints70k mi
- 23366% of its complaints70k mi
- 24365% of its complaints64k mi
- 252019 Chevrolet Silverado 15003 crashesrecall313% of its complaints13k mi
Where it dominates the complaint file
Model years with at least 25 reports, ranked by the share of all their complaints that describe ABS light on. That takes most of the sales-volume effect out (small sellers still swing more).
- 12018 Ram 250020 crashes1 firerecall2,05579% of its complaints42k mi
- 22018 Ram 35007 crashesrecall57672% of its complaints39k mi
- 32017 Ram 25006 crashesrecall44063% of its complaints46k mi
- 42017 Ram 35002 crashesrecall15450% of its complaints40k mi
- 55531% of its complaints5k mi
- 62024 Hyundai Palisade6 crashes11430% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 72015 Toyota Prius1 crash4628% of its complaints150k mi
- 82015 Jeep Wrangler3 crashes11925% of its complaints50k mi
- 92015 Nissan Leafrecall2725% of its complaints35k mi
- 102014 Toyota Prius1 crash4424% of its complaints129k mi
By model, every year together
The 12 models with the most reports. Each chip is a model year; the darker chip is its worst year.
- Ram 25002,529
- Ram 3500760
- Ram 1500709
- Honda Accord147
When it happens
2,422 of the 6,199 reports state a mileage. The middle half fall between 25,121 and 80,000 miles; the median is 48,000. Each column is a 20,000-mile band.
Reports by model year
Every report of ABS light on, grouped by the model year of the car. 165 involved a crash and 26 a fire. 74 people were hurt.
What owners describe
Share of the 6,199 reports that use each phrase. One report can use several.
What got replaced
Reports that name the part, across every vehicle.
What it is and what to do
The anti-lock system keeps the wheels from locking and the tires from losing grip in slippery conditions. Firestone explains that the ABS light has its own reasons for coming on, from an electrical fault to a broken or dirty wheel speed sensor, and that when a sensor isn't working the anti-lock system won't work properly either. Normal braking is a separate system, but traction and stability control share the ABS hardware, which is why about four in ten complaints here also mention traction control.
This sheet has an unusual shape. About 6,200 complaints describe the ABS light, and roughly half come from just three vehicle years: the 2018 Ram 2500, the 2018 Ram 3500 and the 2017 Ram 2500. NHTSA's investigation PE22-012 found why. It received over 2,500 complaints about ABS or hydraulic control unit lights on 2017 and 2018 Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks, more than half of them intermittent, many with cruise, traction or stability control trouble too, and traced it to swelling brushes in the ABS pump motor. The recall that followed, 24V-896, replaces the hydraulic control unit or its motor. The one in five complaints here mentioning a back order or waiting for parts fits that story.
A shop will run a diagnostic test to find what set the light, per Firestone, then check the wheel speed sensors and wiring before the module and pump. Tell them whether the light is steady or comes and goes, which other lights came with it, and whether the pedal or stopping felt different.
With the light on, drive as if the anti-lock and stability systems are off, since they may be. Leave more room in rain and snow. Check NHTSA's recall lookup before paying for a module, and report it during the warranty; the FTC says a defect reported in that window must be fixed even if coverage ends before the repair.
Sources
- Why is my brake light on? (ABS warning), Firestone Complete Auto Care
- NHTSA investigation PE22-012, loss of brake performance, 2017 to 2018 Ram 2500 and 3500 (NHTSA investigation file)
- NHTSA recall 24V-896, Ram hydraulic control unit
- Check for recalls, NHTSA
- Warranties, FTC Consumer Advice
- Complaint counts, mileages and phrase shares: NHTSA complaint files as tallied on this site
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints on the 1,040 vehicle model years that have a page here, grouped by the word patterns described on the method page. A vehicle needs five matching reports to be counted in this ranking. Checked Sep 27, 2026. All problem explainers.