RAM 1500 Reliability by Year
Based on 2M+ real complaints filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
16,253 NHTSA complaints (2009–2026).Complaint rate: 49.9 per 1,000 vehicles.
Compare RAM 1500 vs:
Should I buy a RAM 1500?
Quick answer from 16,253 NHTSA complaints · 2009–2026
Most RAM 1500 years show comparable, moderate complaint volumes. No specific year stands out as dramatically worse than its siblings. The most commonly reported issue is steering defects. Any year within the data range should perform similarly — focus inspection on the individual VIN history rather than avoiding a specific year.
- 2023 RAM 1500· 289 complaints
- 2010 RAM 1500· 629 complaints
- 2020 RAM 1500· 855 complaints
Keep scrolling for year-by-year complaint trends, recall campaigns, and component breakdowns — or click any year above for a full report.
RAM 1500 Generations
Manufacturer redesigns the car every few years (a “generation”). Each generation has different engineering and common issues. Click a generation to see year-by-year breakdown.
| Generation | Years | Complaints | Crashes | US Sold | Volume | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 2 | 1994–2001 | 0 | 0 | — | Show years | |||
| Gen 3 | 2002–2008 | 0 | 0 | — | Show years | |||
| Gen 4 | 2009–2018 | 10,467 | 661 | — | Hide years | |||
| 2009 | 47 | 0 | — | View 2009View→ | ||||
| 2010 | 629 | 32 | — | View 2010View→ | ||||
| 2013 | 1,540 | 103 | — | View 2013View→ | ||||
| 2014 | 2,340 | 148 | — | View 2014View→ | ||||
| 2015 | 1,910 | 113 | — | View 2015View→ | ||||
| 2016 | 1,999 | 122 | — | View 2016View→ | ||||
| 2017 | 1,130 | 109 | — | View 2017View→ | ||||
| 2018 | 872 | 34 | — | View 2018View→ | ||||
| Gen 5 | 2019–present | 5,786 | 247 | — | Show years |
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Rankings based on raw NHTSA complaint counts. Sales volume data not yet available for this model.
Bottom line: Avoid the 2014–2016 RAM 1500 (383 crash-related complaints). The 2023 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: Steering.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
Too New
Need 3+ years on the road for reliable complaint data.
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common RAM 1500 Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA. Bar length = volume; color = crash-involvement rate.
Show full table
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| Steering Defects | 2,459 | 3.9% |
| Engine Problems | 2,321 | 1.0% |
| Electrical Faults | 2,114 | 2.6% |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 1,538 | 8.2% |
| Fuel System | 1,034 | 1.4% |
| Brakes | 960 | 7.6% |
| Airbags | 554 | 44.9% |
| Unintended Acceleration | 486 | 8.6% |
| Suspension Failures | 422 | 3.1% |
| Body Structure | 355 | 9.9% |
When Each Problem Spiked
Year × component heatmap. Darker cells = more complaints that year. Reveals which model years a specific defect concentrated in — useful for spotting redesign-cycle quality dips.
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009GOOD | Gen 4 | 47 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2010GOOD | Gen 4 | 629 | 32 | 7 | View → |
| 2013 | Gen 4 | 1,540 | 103 | 15 | View → |
| 2014AVOID | Gen 4 | 2,340 | 148 | 38 | View → |
| 2015AVOID | Gen 4 | 1,910 | 113 | 86 | View → |
| 2016AVOID | Gen 4 | 1,999 | 122 | 59 | View → |
| 2017 | Gen 4 | 1,130 | 109 | 20 | View → |
| 2018 | Gen 4 | 872 | 34 | 12 | View → |
| 2019AVOID | Gen 5 | 2,045 | 103 | 17 | View → |
| 2020 | Gen 5 | 855 | 35 | 13 | View → |
| 2021 | Gen 5 | 1,068 | 40 | 4 | View → |
| 2022 | Gen 5 | 933 | 36 | 6 | View → |
| 2023GOOD | Gen 5 | 289 | 19 | — | View → |
| 2024TOO NEW | Gen 5 | 113 | 6 | 1 | View → |
| 2025TOO NEW | Gen 5 | 430 | 8 | 4 | View → |
| 2026TOO NEW | Gen 5 | 53 | 0 | — | View → |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
Tap any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
Data Sources & Methodology
Complaints: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database (16,253 records for this model). Public domain data, updated monthly.
Sales data: Not yet available for this model. Complaint counts are shown as raw numbers.
Rate calculation: Complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold = (complaint count / US annual sales) x 10,000. This normalizes for sales volume so high-volume models like Civic or Camry aren't unfairly penalized.
Year classifications: AVOID = 1.5x+ the model's median complaint count. GOOD = 0.6x or below. Years less than 3 years old are marked TOO NEW (insufficient data).
See also: RAM 1500accident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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