2012 Dodge Ram 3500 problems
NHTSA has received 504 complaints about the 2012 Dodge Ram 3500, and 44% of them involve steering. Next are engine (9%) and electrical system (9%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 504 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Steering 44% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 6 and 13
- Injuries and deaths
- 5 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 47,000 miles 240 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 67 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 38 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 27 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 19 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 12 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 18 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 16 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 15 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 9 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 7 |
| 200k+ miles | 12 |
What the data shows
Of the 240 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 47,000 miles. For steering specifically, the median reported mileage is about 26,000 miles (73 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 6 complaints mention a crash; 13 complaints mention a fire; 5 injuries reported. Its complaints are less severe on average than those of 84% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2012 ranks 1st most-complained-about out of 20 model years of the Dodge Ram 3500 with enough data (415 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 8 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
On highway 174, approximately 20 miles nw of meridian, tx, the 2012 ram 3500 veered to the right and went off the road into a steep ditch. According to the state trooper's report, a witness was driving behind this truck and saw the passenger side dual wheels with axle attached come off of the truck and go across the road before the truck left the pavement. Two different employees of the wrecking yard where the truck was taken said it looks like the axle came apart.
2 days ago my vehicle was in a wreck. A car T-bone the truck on the passenger side, causing the axle to break and the wheel to deflate. The airbag did not deploy during this accident, even though the car was rammed into a pole. Causing Slight injury to the driver.
Highway driving mostly. Going through tires. Tires keep getting chopped. We haul heavy loads and worry the vehicle is not safe for the type of business we do. But we can't get rid of it because of all this recall. The previous owner had part of the recall addressed but we still feel the vehicle is not safe. We see signs of wear and damage that should not be. Like the chopped tires.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 ram 3500. While driving down a hill at 65 MPH, the contact heard a clunking noise. Upon inspection, he noticed that the power steering pump made the clunking noise. The contact searched underneath the hood and noticed leakage from the steering gear box. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the steering gear box was leaking and that the vehicle needed to be taken to a chrysler dealer. The vehicle was not repaired.