2021 RAM 2500 Recalls, Complaints & Safety

Vehicle caught fire while engine was running, vehicle idling. Vehicle is a total loss. Prior NHTSA complaints regarding these vehicles causing fire from electrical components under the hood. Unknown if fire was due to electrical or leaking fuel issues under the hood. Major safety risk to occupants, especially children in car seats. Fire became out of control and burned the interior of the vehicle to bare metal. There were no injuries in this incident. This report being submitted by Law Enforcement on owners behalf. Full report from Law Enforcement included in this complaint.

Fire

Vehicle caught fire while engine was running, vehicle idling. Vehicle is a total loss. Prior NHTSA complaints regarding these vehicles causing fire from electrical components under the hood. Unknown if fire was due to electrical or leaking fuel issues under the hood. Major safety risk to occupants, especially children in car seats. Fire became out of control and burned the interior of the vehicle to bare metal. There were no injuries in this incident. This report being submitted by Law Enforcement on owners behalf. Full report from Law Enforcement included in this complaint.

Fire

Vehicle caught fire while engine was running, vehicle idling. Vehicle is a total loss. Prior NHTSA complaints regarding these vehicles causing fire from electrical components under the hood. Unknown if fire was due to electrical or leaking fuel issues under the hood. Major safety risk to occupants, especially children in car seats. Fire became out of control and burned the interior of the vehicle to bare metal. There were no injuries in this incident. This report being submitted by Law Enforcement on owners behalf. Full report from Law Enforcement included in this complaint.

Fire

Ram is refusing to repair and item on my truck egr cooler is cracked, leaking and burning coolant. They have recalled every year model but mine. All have same issue, all have same part and part number. Dealership suggested I contact NTSB to see if I could get it recalled. It is said to cause ifres in some trucks

Front right wheel detached while driving on the highway - going about 45mph due to snow on roadway. We are glad no one was injured. All the lugs had come off the wheel. Now need wheel and rim replacement, and new hub assembly and lugs. It will be repaired at the dealer where we bought the vehicle new, Ed Tomko in Avon, OH. The service dept there has looked at it and gave the diagnosis. No warning indicators. Reporting because we saw a similar issue as recall for different lines of the same year Ram trucks. Wondering if the 2500 is also in that situation.

The rear right seat belt became stuck and would not release, trapping my [XXX] son. Although the buckle was unlatched, he was entangled in the seat belt, and the retraction system would not loosen. The vehicle was stationary at the time of the incident. Due to the inability to safely release the seat belt, emergency services were contacted. Police and fire department personnel responded to the scene and conducted an assessment. Based on their evaluation, they determined that the safest and most appropriate course of action was to cut the seat belt in order to free my son. This type of malfunction has never occurred previously with this vehicle. At no point before or during the incident were any warning lights, alerts, or messages displayed indicating a restraint system fault. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The lifters failed at 64,000 miles they where replaced under warranty. but now the lifters are making noise again with 71,000 miles since replaced. it’s a bad design that could be fixed permanently with the right parts! No warning lights just failure.

I am reporting a serious safety issue with my 2021 Ram 2500 (VIN: [XXX] ). The truck has experienced three separate transmission failures within a few months. Each time the transmission was replaced, the vehicle failed again shortly afterward. At one point, the dealership returned the truck to me without transmission fluid, causing additional internal damage and creating an extreme safety risk. I have also had steering issues since the truck was new, which continue today despite multiple service attempts. Shortly after purchase, the truck developed severe mold and water intrusion after the roof stop lamp was removed or stolen while the vehicle was at the dealership for service. This caused water to leak into the interior and contaminate the carpet. The dealership replaced the carpet but the issues continued. The repeated transmission failures, steering defects, and water intrusion have made this truck unsafe to drive. The vehicle has lost significant value, and the dealership and manufacturer have been unable to correct the defects after numerous attempts. I am requesting an NHTSA investigation into these issues, including: •Repeated transmission failures •Ongoing steering defects •Improper repair practices •Water intrusion and mold exposure •Dealer negligence These failures represent a serious safety hazard to both myself and others on the road. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My vehicle was repaired for a known recall related to the tailgate unlatching issue. NHTSA ID Number: 22V904000 This repair was completed, and then my tailgate continued to open unexpectedly. I have taken it back to the dealership after damage was caused to my tailgate when it fell while I was driving. They have denied my claim and continue to advise that it was repaired when, in fact, I have still been experiencing issues with it. I would like to have my tailgate damage repaired and realgind properly.

After starting the vehicle, fire smell came into the cab. After exiting the vehicle smoke was coming from the engine. The engine caught on fire and car was totaled within 10 minutes.

Fire

Leather dash is delaminating and shrinking starting at the defrost vents. This appears to impact the passenger airbag deployment. Chrysler/Stellantis is aware of the issue, but considers the dash to be an accessory and refuses to correct if not under warranty.

The Transmision went out at 80k miles leaving me stranded. They did correct the issue. However, thought that I would report this because I was in traffic causing and almost wrecked

Been driving over 2 months and zero issues. On a Thursday headed to store and transmission would not get out of first gear.made it to a shop 1.5 miles away and they said transmission was gone.

TRANSMISSON MAKES A WHINING NOISE WHEN SHIFTING GEARS WHEN EXCELERATING. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE LOCAL RAM DEALERSHIP 4X NOW. FCA DID APPROVE A SMALL TRANSMISSION PART REPAIR, BUT UNFORTUNALTY IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM.

I have a seized brake caliper that is a direct result of a faulty brake hose. The brakes were looked at by a brake specialist business and I was told the brake hoses had to be replaced as well as the calipers, rotors and pads on the front. I took it to the Lake City, Florida dealer looking for a recall after reading online that some 2021 Ram 2500 trucks had brake hose recalls. They told me there was no recall on my particular truck for brake issues. However, when they quoted me there price and reason they needed to repair is that it had a seized brake caliper and all components are now no good. They also told me the brake hoses need to be replaced due to the passenger side brake hose having collapsed internally but they want me to pay $3500 to repair. This issue is a direct result of a faulty brake hose that they said collapsed. There are other trucks that have recalls for the same failure. Why is mine not covered under a recall with the safety issue that has developed? I need these parts covered as well as all the parts that have to be replaced due to the faulty hose. Please let me know what to do.

Backup camera fails to activate when vehicle is put in reverse gear

Tailgate was repaired in February 2025 for issue under 22V-904 and then after the repairs were completed my tailgate dropped again resulting in damage to my tailgate.

Crash

Imminent lifter failure. Has a very loud tick. This is a very common and almost always catastrophic failure. This is on the 6.7L Cummins engine

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 2500. The contact stated that the vehicle was plugged in charging for about 15 minutes and unoccupied when it suddenly caught fire. The contact noticed smoke emerging from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated before the failure. There were no reported injuries. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The contact mentioned that the fire spread to the home causing damage. There was no police report filed, crash, or air bag deployment. The vehicle was previously taken to the local dealer for NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V060000 (Electrical System) on December 20, 2024. The vehicle remained at the scene of the fire. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired as of yet. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

Fire

Steering wheel started to make a snap noise when being turn either to the left or right. Didn't happen every turn but would come and go and became more frequent. Took to dealer for diagnosis and they said it's the same noise the 1500s have when the clock spring failed or broke. He tried to see if we had that recall since it was on some 1500s and some 2500s but ours wasnt so we had to pay out of pocket.

The engine has had camshaft and lifter failure multiple times. The dealership has replaced the camshaft and lifters twice already , and now they have failed a 3rd time which has lead to metal in oil lubrication system. This has caused further damage to the engine crankshaft bearings, in my case the engine was still running with a tapping/knocking noise. However, this can result in engine locking up and causing vehicle to no longer operate. In the event of engine failure this heavy duty truck will have no power steering or power brakes, leading to a high likely hood of collision. This issue is widespread for all 2019+ RAM 2500 with the 6.7L Cummins engine. Ram has done nothing to address the faulty parts , and continue to replace with same flawed parts, and not correctly addressing the damage done to the engine after a lifter failure. Ram HD 2500,3500,4500,5500 are still being sold currently with these faulty parts.

Heater quit working on driver side only. Still heats on passenger side. Took it into an ASE mechanic and they said they have seen multiple RAM trucks with this same problem. It isn't the heater or heater core. It is the Cooling system - gaskets failed, and coolant sprays across intake.

The engine cam and lifters are bad. Engine started knocking with only 30,000 miles. Had to have lifters and cam replaced

August of 2023 I took my truck in for a check engine light. The dealership diagnosed it and said my def tank senor is turning on the check engine light. They repaired it, when I picked up the truck they told me that "it was burnt out" and replaced the part. Now 14 months later it's having the same issue. Wondering if other ram 2500 owners are having this same issue and if it is a repetitive issue. The repair cost me over $963.00 dollars.

Transmission sometime do not go in gear

The integrated brake controller fails to provide braking to my travel trailer when attempting to stop. Multiple times this has pushed my truck into an intersection. There are no warning lights or failure messages. The brake controller is configured correctly as the issue has only been occurring the past few months and it was working as intended prior.

The passenger side seat belt retractor failed on this truck a couple of months ago. We had the parts replaced by the local dealer and did not think anything about it until our second truck also had the same issue and seriously hurt my mother. Report number 11597310. As the same part failed on two different trucks in a short period of time, we googled the issue and found lots of other RAM truck owners complaining of the same issue. We called RAM and they said there is no recall for the issue and there was nothing they would do. If this part fails, causing the retractor to lock and continue to "rachet" down on the passenger is could cause serious harm to people. My mother was hurt and we had to force the emergency release at the base of the seatbelt to get her out. If a person is alone in the vehicle when this part fails there is no way they could escape and it could cause a fatality.

Passenger side seatbelt locked in place and would not release. It continued to retract but would not release. We had to use the emergency release mechanism at the base to get the passenger free from the seatbelt. This was super scary. The seatbelt is in perfect condition, the truck has never been in an accident or had any other issues. It has been perfectly maintained. We took the vehicle into the closest dealer and they stated that it was a known issue and charged us $200 to replace a solenoid part. We googled the issue and found thousands of people that had the same issue. We called Chrysler Ram at 800-853-1403 and they said there wasn't a recall for this truck specifically, but it was very similar to several other recalls for seatbelts for the same year and model of truck; however there was nothing that they could do to help.

The leather dash cover is peeling/ separating from the dash panel. The way it is peeling I don’t believe the passenger airbag will deploy properly. There are seams that should split when the airbag deploys, but I think with the leather pealing it will just push the cover up and direct the airbag in the wrong direction.

When placing the truck in first gear to control speeds on steep declines both on and off road the vehicle's RPMS will climb significantly and the truck will accelerate abruptly under it's own power until it reaches 21-25mph. At which point the RPM's come down and truck begins to slow as expected. Once truck reaches a speed of 11mph the RPM's begin to climb again and the truck accelerates(Not due to gravity, but accelerates under it's own power) aggressively. It will continue to do this pattern until you either reach flat ground or switch gears. Safety is at risk due to uncontrolled descent down steep mountain passes. Constantly having to apply breaks to prevent the truck from going off the road. This safety liability is exacerbated when towing a trailer. I have reported the issue to the dealer multiple times with their claim that the vehicle is behaving as expected. I have not experienced this with any other vehicle. This is not common vehicle behavior. No warning Lamps, Messages or Other symptoms. Reproducible on any hill with steep enough descent.

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V835000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owned a 2021 Ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving 55-60 MPH, the vehicle crashed into a cow, causing the front bumpers to bend 2 ft. inward. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained bruises on the left arm, on the shoulder, on the chest, on the right elbow and on the right knee. The contact did not seek medical assistance. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was awaiting to be totaled. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,500.

Crash

While driving in stop & go traffic traveling at speeds less than 15mph, when I stepped on the brake pedal to slow / stop my RAM, the brake pedal failed to activate the brakes and the vehicle continue in a forward motion causing my RAM to collide with the vehicle traveling in front of me. After the collision, my RAM pushed the vehicle I hit into the center shoulder of the freeway. My RAM continued its forward motion (up an shallow grade) for another 1/4 mi. My constant stabbing and continual pressure failed to stop or slow my RAM. I eventually I brought my vehicle to a stop by depressing the "emergency brake pedal". While I was attempting to stop my RAM in appeared the throttle continued to deliver the engine power even though my right foot was on the brake pedal.

Crash

My 2021 Ram 2500 6.7 truck quit on me driving down the road. When I raised the hood I could smell burned wires and see smoke. Luckily, it was raining or I think my truck would have burned up. I noticed melted plastic and burned wires on the drivers side of the truck. This particular truck had an Electrical system recall and shows to have been completed. (Safety Recall 13A/NHTSA 23V-060) If this recall was completed, maybe something else needs to be checked out. The truck is currently at a dealership to be repaired, but I will still be scared of it catching on fire because the dealership cannot tell me why or how the fire started. 03

Fire

My 2021 Ram 2500 6.7 truck quit on me driving down the road. When I raised the hood I could smell burned wires and see smoke. Luckily, it was raining or I think my truck would have burned up. I noticed melted plastic and burned wires on the drivers side of the truck. This particular truck had an Electrical system recall and shows to have been completed. (Safety Recall 13A/NHTSA 23V-060) If this recall was completed, maybe something else needs to be checked out. The truck is currently at a dealership to be repaired, but I will still be scared of it catching on fire because the dealership cannot tell me why or how the fire started. 03

Fire

My 2021 Ram 2500 6.7 truck quit on me driving down the road. When I raised the hood I could smell burned wires and see smoke. Luckily, it was raining or I think my truck would have burned up. I noticed melted plastic and burned wires on the drivers side of the truck. This particular truck had an Electrical system recall and shows to have been completed. (Safety Recall 13A/NHTSA 23V-060) If this recall was completed, maybe something else needs to be checked out. The truck is currently at a dealership to be repaired, but I will still be scared of it catching on fire because the dealership cannot tell me why or how the fire started. 03

Fire

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, on several occasions, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the ECM needed to be updated. The ECM was updated but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 37,510.

3 months ago at around 23,000 miles, my truck had a P0302 Cylinder 2 misfire code, dealership “reset” the vehicle and code didn’t return. 3 weeks ago, cylinder 2 started having a loud tapping noise after the vehicle was fully warmed up. Vehicle has been at the dealership for 1 week with zero communication from the dealership or from the RAM caseworker. No rental car has been offered.

I have multiple safety recalls on my vehicle. I contacted the local dealership about 8 months ago and they said I was added to their waiting list. I hadn't heard anything so I contacted them today and they said it would be another 6 months. I then contacted FCA Recall Assistance Center as noted on the recall and they said they couldn't do anything since I was already on a waiting list. I'm find in unacceptable that it takes almost two years to get an "IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL" resolved.

The rear camera displayed in the 12” display goes full blast bright when reverse is selected at night. It blows out your night vision and makes it extremely difficult to see outside the vehicle via the mirrors. There is no dimming option available. The problem has been reported to FCA via “ram cares” and there has been no resolution over the last year.

I have been on a waiting list for more than 6 months at Christopher’s dodge world in golden Colorado for completion of mandatory safety recalls on my vehicle. The parts are available and these critical safety recalls have not been performed. I receive automated messages from FCA informing me that these recalls are required yet never have received a call from the dealer to actually schedule them. I have been told the parts are unavailable when I call and that I am deep down a waiting list and “I will be contacted when my number comes up”. I have contacted “ram cares” via automotive forums and they are no help either. The recalls keep piling up on vehicle vin [XXX] They are a fire risk and safety risk and FCA acknowledges this yet over a year and a half later my vehicle has never been able to be seen for completion of these required recalls. The recalls currently incomplete are: Z20 ZA3 ZB8 13A INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The rear camera displayed in the 12” display goes full blast bright when reverse is selected at night. It blows out your night vision and makes it extremely difficult to see outside the vehicle via the mirrors. There is no dimming option available. The problem has been reported to FCA via “ram cares” and there has been no resolution over the last year.

I have attempted to get 2 recalls that require parts completed at my local Ram dealer who has called me both times saying that the parts were in, and they were ready to schedule the appointment to complete the recalls. The first appointment was on September 25th, 2023, and when the vehicle was checked in, I was informed they had no parts to complete 2 of the 3 recalls that existed at that time. They completed the recall that required no parts and said I was put back on the list for the ones that required parts with no answer of why the parts were not available (I had been put on the list for the parts in June). I received another call in the middle of November that the parts were in and scheduled an appointment for the 18th of December. I called the dealer today to confirm (11th of December) the parts were in fact available and was told they were not because I did not answer my phone, to of which I replied I already had an appointment scheduled for those parts. The only remedy the dealer offered was to be placed back on the parts list for the third time. I then called FCA's recall center twice and was told both times my only remedy was to get back on the parts list again for parts they said was readily available or try another dealer. The grid heater relay has already had 2 previous recalls completed and I have been trying to not park near structures following the recall directions for a long time now until this gets resolved.

I recently bought this truck used from a Ford dealership. The next day when I was taking my wife for a short drive. I noticed the engine light was on the dash display. I the same time the truck started accelerating Like it was on cruise control and returning to a higher speed. The cruse control was not set when I tried to access the cruse control I would get the message that it was unavailable at this time. I had to stop the truck and turn the truck off. When I restarted the engine light was still on, but the acceleration stopped. I drove to the dealership to see if they had any information or recalls but by the time, I got there the engine light was off and their computer did not tell them anything. This has now happened two times. The dealership says I must bring the Truck in while this is happening. for them to get a reading. This is not my primary vehicle, and I don't drive it all the time and it is 45 minutes from any dealership. The uncontrolled acieration is a safety issue. The problem has not been reproduced Dealer thay had no idea what was happening. The warning lamp engine and the cruse control not available message., I am wondering if anyone else has had the problem?