2018 Ram 2500 · symptom sheet
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early
- 2335owner reports
- 44,000median miles
- $1,200median quote
- 25involved a crash
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
2335 of the 2,594 complaints on this car describe brake wear, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2018 2500.
Narrower sheets: ABS light on (2059 reports) · Brake warning light stays on (668 reports) · Brakes failed to stop the car (56 reports) · Brake pedal feels soft or spongy (39 reports)
Tick what matches of 2335 reports
Brake wear on other 2500 years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2026.
What this problem usually is
Brake reports cover a wide spread of symptoms. Grinding or squealing is common, and so is a pulsing pedal or a shake through the car when stopping. Others describe pads and rotors worn out long before they expected, a brake warning light, or a pedal that goes soft or sinks toward the floor. The most serious ones say the car didn't stop in time.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the ABS module (1960 reports), the pads and rotors (21 reports) and the caliper (5 reports).
Recalls and investigations
One recall on the brakes covers the 2018 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
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.
All 10 recalls on the 2018 Ram 2500, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
NHTSA investigations into the brakes on the 2500
Loss of brake performance. Closed mar 3, 2025.
What owners paid
175 of the 2335 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $785 to $1,656.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 26,400 and 69,500 miles, from the 845 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 5 service bulletins or notices for the 2018 Ram 2500 that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Trac-Rite Operation Diagnosis, Chatter, Shudder, Moving From A Stop And Turning
CEL (Check Engine Lamp) Illuminates, Recent PCM Replace or Flash Update Performed, Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) P057B Brake Pedal Position Sensor Circuit Performance, P1572 Brake Pedal Stuck, C0042-54 Brake Pedal Missing Calibration
HUB AND BEARING Brake, Front For issues with front wheel Hub/Bearing growling or humming noise, appearing to leak grease, or with excessive play, please contact FCA Redacted Content before replacing. If no response in 15 minutes, proceed with repair.
Customer may complain of a MIL lamp on. Upon further investigation there could be a fault code in the PCM for P1524 ? Oil Pressure Out of Range ? Camshaft Advance/Retard Disabled.
1 more on the 2018 Ram 2500 page.
What owners wrote
“Add me to the list of Ram owners with the "Service Electronic Braking System" and "Service Antilock Braking System" error codes, 2018 Ram has 30K miles, the dash lights up with these two errors then goes away, then comes back.”
Filed Sep 12, 2022 · 30,000 miles
“The abs pump and module have failed on my vehicle leaving it without abs, skid control and traction control. This is a very common issue and known by the dealers and manufacturer. This has affected tens of thousands of Ram trucks anywhere from 1 year old to 4 years old. But is only covered under warranty 3 years or 36k miles. It is my opinion this is a safety concern and should be recalled by the manufacturer.”
Filed Aug 29, 2022 · 36,000 miles
“2018 Ram 2500 with 41,900 miles. ABS and Traction lights started coming on. Had to have the hydraulic control unit replaced. Seems like a known issue and very unsafe to lose abs or traction control. Ram should take notice.”
Filed Jul 17, 2022 · 41,900 miles
“The hydraulic control unit for the ABS brakes failed at only 17000 miles. This is a known safety issue with these trucks.”
Filed Jul 5, 2022 · 17,000 miles
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 25 of 2335 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Adaptive cruise or lane keeping misbehaves 289 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 92 reports
- Multiple warning lights come on at once 47 reports
- Brakes on its own (automatic emergency braking) 42 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 33 reports