Ram 2500

Owners filed 5,156 complaints across 15 model years of the Ram 2500. The 2018 drew the most (2,607).

Model years15
Complaints5,156
Recalls153
Fires60
Deaths2

Which Ram 2500 years should you avoid?

Going by 5,156 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the Ram 2500 years to avoid are 2018 and 2017.

  • 20182,607 complaints, 13.9× a typical 2500 year, most often about the brakes.
  • 2017698 complaints, 3.7× a typical 2500 year, most often about the brakes.

Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026. Complaints take a few years to arrive, so a new model year looks better than it is.

How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →

Every Ram 2500 model year compared

Complaints per year
YearComplaintsRelative volumeRecallsFiresCrashesMost reportedStatus
2026Too new31
81—Service BrakesRoutine
2025Too new66
62—Electrical SystemRoutine
202459
527Service BrakesRoutine
202349
814EngineRoutine
2022181
1259Electrical SystemRoutine
2021109
886Electrical SystemRoutine
2020162
1045Fuel/Propulsion SystemRoutine
2019193
1298Fuel/Propulsion SystemRoutine
2018Avoid2,607
10539Service BrakesFatalities reported
2017Avoid698
12612Service BrakesAbove average
2016259
14316Power TrainFatalities reported
2015215
15313Power TrainAbove average
2014344
16413SteeringAbove average
2013178
1677EngineRoutine
20095
1——SteeringDo not drive

Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.