Ram
Ram 3500 years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2017, 2018 and 2022. Best years: 2023.
The 2017, 2018 and 2022 Ram 3500 draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 312 complaints (31 for each year on the road), 2018 has 803 complaints (89 for each year on the road) and 2022 has 189 complaints (38 for each year on the road), against a median of 15 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2018 is brake wear (664 reports).
- 2,040complaints
- 53recall campaigns
- 9model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2017
Most reported: brake wear (192 reports, median 40,000 miles) and wheels (27 reports, median 17,199 miles).
2018
Most reported: brake wear (664 reports, median 39,015 miles) and driver assist (91 reports, median 34,000 miles).
2022
Most reported: transmission failure (51 reports, median 9,800 miles) and transmission shudder (27 reports, median 9,300 miles).
Best years
2023
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2018 alone holds 803 of the 2,040 complaints across the 9 model years with a page here (39%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Brake wear leads in 4 of the 9 model years and has the most reports overall, 946. Pooled across the years, half of the 381 owners who gave a mileage for brake wear were under about 37,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 5% of Ram 3500 complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2016, 16 of its 134 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 5 of the 9 model years where owners report brake wear have a recall on the same system: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2023 at 487 and have dropped every year since, to 199 in 2025. So far in 2026, 207 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: MercurySable99, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fourth generation (DS/DJ Heavy Duty)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 187 | 14 | 17 | Suspension noise, struts or alignment (34) | 46,000 |
| 2015 | 136 | 11 | 16 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (24) | 29,400 |
| 2016 | 134 | 12 | 16 | Wheel bearing, tires or wheels (25) | 28,300 |
| 2017 avoid | 312 | 31 | 13 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (192) | 32,600 |
| 2018 avoid | 803 | 89 | 11 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (664) | 37,000 |
Photo: Elise240SX, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fifth generation (DT Heavy Duty)
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2021 (62), 2023 (17), 2024 (44), 2025 (42).
Year by year
2026 Ram 3500
27 owner complaints so far; too new to call. Most reported: brake wear (11 reports). 1 report involved a crash. 4 recalls, including 26V-225 on the electrical system and 26V-059 on the exterior lighting.
2022 Ram 3500 avoid
189 owner complaints, 38 for each year on the road (2.6 times the model median). Most reported: transmission failure (51 reports, median 9,800 miles), transmission shudder (27 reports, median 9,300 miles) and stalling (24 reports, median 16,900 miles). 4 reports involved a crash and 7 people were hurt. 12 recalls, including 22V-835 on the transmission and drivetrain and 25V-765 on the airbags.
2020 Ram 3500
116 owner complaints, 17 for each year on the road (1.1 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (23 reports, median 25,700 miles), fuel pump (23 reports, median 25,700 miles) and diesel fuel system (23 reports, median 25,700 miles). 6 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. 11 recalls, including 22V-835 on the transmission and drivetrain and 21V-880 on the fuel system.
2019 Ram 3500
136 owner complaints, 17 for each year on the road (1.2 times the model median). Most reported: diesel fuel system (27 reports), stalling (22 reports, median 63,000 miles) and wheels (16 reports, median 27,000 miles). 11 reports involved a crash and 8 people were hurt. 14 recalls, including 21V-880 on the fuel system and 19V-498 on the fuel system.
2018 Ram 3500 avoid
803 owner complaints, 89 for each year on the road (6.1 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (664 reports, median 39,015 miles), driver assist (91 reports, median 34,000 miles) and wheels (34 reports, median 13,253 miles). 15 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. 11 recalls, including 24V-896 on the brakes and 25V-592 on the airbags.
2017 Ram 3500 avoid
312 owner complaints, 31 for each year on the road (2.1 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (192 reports, median 40,000 miles), wheels (27 reports, median 17,199 miles) and driver assist (22 reports). 9 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 13 recalls, including 24V-896 on the brakes and 25V-010 on the airbags.
2016 Ram 3500
134 owner complaints, 12 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: wheels (25 reports, median 20,000 miles), brake wear (12 reports) and suspension (10 reports). 12 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. 16 recalls, including 21V-398 on the wheels and 17V-499 on the wheels.
2015 Ram 3500
136 owner complaints, 11 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (24 reports, median 16,000 miles), suspension (16 reports, median 41,000 miles) and wheels (16 reports, median 28,000 miles). 3 reports involved a crash and 1 person was hurt. 16 recalls, including 21V-632 on the airbags and 21V-398 on the wheels.
2014 Ram 3500
187 owner complaints, 14 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: suspension (34 reports, median 29,300 miles), wheels (23 reports, median 74,000 miles) and brake wear (15 reports, median 37,000 miles). 8 reports involved a crash and 9 people were hurt. 17 recalls, including 21V-398 on the wheels and 19V-347 on the latches and locks.
Recalls that cover several model years
Incorrect information in the Service and Owner's Manuals may cause the flanged lug nuts to be over-tightened, which could result in a broken wheel stud and possible wheel separation.
The outboard steering linkage jam nut may loosen, allowing one end of the drag link to separate.
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.
Improper installation and machining of the original equipment steering knuckle may weaken the joint between the steering drag link and knuckle.
These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging.
A list of the affected trailer models is available at: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17V824-0103.pdf.
Questions
What Ram 3500 years should you avoid?
The 2017, 2018 and 2022 Ram 3500 draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 312 complaints (31 for each year on the road), 2018 has 803 complaints (89 for each year on the road) and 2022 has 189 complaints (38 for each year on the road), against a median of 15 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2018 is brake wear (664 reports).
What are the best years for the Ram 3500?
The 2023 draws the fewest complaints for its age: 17, or 4 for each year on the road. Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Ram 3500?
Brake wear, with 946 reports across the 9 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2026.
How many recalls does the Ram 3500 have?
53 recall campaigns cover the Ram 3500 model years 2014 to 2026 on this site. The widest, 21V-398 on the wheels, covers 7 model years.
How many Ram 3500 complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
5% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2016 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for brake wear on the Ram 3500?
On 5 of the 9 model years where owners report it: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022.