2021 Ram 3500 problems and recalls
Owners have filed 62 complaints on the 2021 Ram 3500, and NHTSA has issued 9 recalls. The most cited component is the Electrical System (17 complaints).
62
Complaints
9
Recalls
0
Crash reports
4
Fire reports
0
Injuries
52.4
Severity index
Severity index 52.4 Medium. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.
Ranked 55 of 92 by severity index among 2021 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 40% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2021 ranking.
Components cited in complaints
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 17 | 27.4% |
| POWER TRAIN | 11 | 17.7% |
| ENGINE | 10 | 16.1% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 9 | 14.5% |
| WHEELS | 7 | 11.3% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 6 | 9.7% |
| STRUCTURE | 5 | 8.1% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 4 | 6.5% |
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 9 |
| 2023 | 15 |
| 2024 | 11 |
| 2025 | 15 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 7 |
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 2.9x those in 2021 to 2022 (41 against 14).
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V798000 | 14/10/2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:RELAYS/SOLENOIDS | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Ram 3500, 2500 pickup trucks, and Ram 3500, 4500, and 5500 cab chassis vehicles equipped with Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel engines. An electrical short in the relay may cause a vehicle fire with the ignition on or off. |
| 21V925000 | 24/11/2021 | AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Ram 2500, Ram 3500, and 2021 Ram 1500 Classic pickup trucks. The side air bag inflatable curtain (SABIC) assemblies may have been manufactured with the incorrect amount of compressed gas, which can result in an improper air b |
| 21V398000 | 27/05/2021 | WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2012-2021 RAM 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Cab Chassis, and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles. 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 s |
| 21V163000 | 11/03/2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Ram 2500, 3500, and 3500, 4500, and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles equipped with a Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel engine. An electrical short may occur in the Solid State Intake Heater Grid Relay, which could result in a vehicle fire. |
| 22V140000 | 10/03/2022 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Ram 2500 and 2021-2022 Dodge Durango vehicles, and 2019-2022 3500 cab chassis with GVWR less than 10,000 lbs. The ABS control module software may prevent the electronic stability control (ESC) malfunction indicator light from |
| 22V835000 | 10/11/2022 | POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | FCA US, LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Ram 2500 and 2020-2022 Ram 3500 vehicles. A build-up of pressure and heat inside the transmission may result in a transmission fluid leak from the dipstick tube. |
| 22V904000 | 08/12/2022 | STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 pickup trucks. The tailgate may not latch properly due to misaligned tailgate strikers, which could result in the tailgate opening while driving. |
| 23V060000 | 09/02/2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:RELAYS/SOLENOIDS | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Ram 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis, and 4500, 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles equipped with a Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel engine. An electrical short may occur in the heater grid relay with the ignition on or off. |
| 25V765000 | 06/11/2025 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Ram 1500, Ram 2500, Ram 3500, Ram 4500, and Ram 5500 vehicles. The steering column control module may cause the driver's side air bag not to deploy as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of F |
Other Ram 3500 model years
Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 14 years side by side.
- 2013sev 79.9
- 2014sev 69.9
- 2015sev 47.0
- 2016sev 79.9
- 2017sev 29.2
- 2018sev 24.6
- 2019sev 83.3
- 2020sev 71.5
- 2022sev 54.5
- 2023sev 52.1
- 2024sev 81.5
- 2025sev 43.2
- 2026sev 52.0
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.