2018 Ram 1500 problems
Owners have filed 926 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Ram 1500. Electrical system is the most reported problem area, at 17% of complaints. Next are engine (17%) and fuel system (15%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 926 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 17% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 34 and 12
- Injuries and deaths
- 43 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 30,000 miles 284 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 | 105 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 60 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 38 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 33 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 17 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 10 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 5 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 11 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 2 |
| 200k+ miles | 2 |
What the data shows
Of the 284 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 30,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 21,000 miles (40 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 34 complaints mention a crash; 12 complaints mention a fire; 43 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2018 ranks 9th most-complained-about out of 15 model years of the Ram 1500 with enough data (608 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 15 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.
I was unable to stop vehicle as I was approaching an intersection on a city street went to press on the brakes all the lights started flashing, brake system flashed, no traction light came on, vehicle turned off. Ended up impacting 3 other vehicles and a school bus. My airbags never deployed, and the vehicle was deemed a total loss by my insurance company. All parties were injured in the accident, almost all are seeking representation from attorneys for their injuries.
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, an abnormal ticking noise was heard. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed that the manifold had warped and damaged the manifold bolts. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 61,174.
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that while the vehicle was inside the garage, the contact noticed an abnormal exhaust odor. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the exhaust manifold bolts were fractured. There were no warning lights illuminated.