2021 Ram 1500 Reliability Report

Electric power steering cuts out suddenly, sometimes at highway speed or while towing, leaving the wheel very hard to turn. A "Power Steering Unavailable" message often appears, though some failures come with no warning. Dealers replace the rack and pinion or steering gear, and some trucks lose steering again within a few hundred miles. Failures show up as early as 72 miles. Steering also drops out during the full electrical shutdowns and stalls reported elsewhere. This category includes 5 crashes and 1 injury.

Most of these reports concern recall 24V653000 for the ABS and stability control system, and many say the repair part is unavailable. Symptoms include a pedal that sinks to the floor or feels spongy, longer stopping distances, and much weaker braking at highway speed. ABS and stability control warnings switch off cruise control, traction control, and four-wheel drive. Some trucks keep failing after the recall work. Others describe the parking brake setting harshly while reversing.

Fuel pump failures and the high-pressure fuel pump recall 22V-767 lead this category. Some owners say dealers could not get parts for two years, and an open recall blocks them from trading or selling the truck. Refueling problems are common: the pump nozzle clicks off, fuel spits back out of the filler, or the tank overflows, and one fuel tank was replaced. Other reports describe highway shutdowns with an electronic throttle warning and EcoDiesel timing cover oil leaks that send burning-oil fumes into the cab. One crash and one injury are reported.

Nearly all of these reports concern recall 22V767000 for the high-pressure fuel pump, and many say the part is not available. A large share of the owners have not had a failure yet and are just waiting on parts. When the pump does fail, the truck stalls and loses power at anywhere from 15 to 75 mph, sometimes while towing, and may not restart. Some trucks fail again after the recall repair, or need a low-pressure pump at the owner's cost.

Tailgates pop open while driving or parked, even after recall 22V904000 work, with no warning, and owners lose cargo on the road. Rear window seals leak water into the cab, causing mold under the carpet and dripping onto modules and the 48-volt battery on eTorque trucks. One hood latch let go at 70 mph and the hood shattered the windshield. Other reports include a sunroof that shattered, a cab separating from the bed, and a door panel falling off. Three injuries are reported.

Airbags fail to deploy in serious crashes. This category has 12 crash reports and 11 injuries, including frontal impacts around 42 to 50 mph and side impacts that totaled the truck. Most say no airbag warning appeared beforehand. A second pattern is an airbag warning light that comes back after repair, and in one case the dealer could not get parts for about a year. The occupant classification module also comes up.

Unintended acceleration is the most serious pattern: sudden surges, engine revs that keep climbing with no foot on the pedal, and one truck that sped up harder the more the brake was pressed, causing a crash with an injury. Adaptive cruise control speeds up hard toward stopped traffic, and automatic emergency braking flashes a warning without braking. Other reports describe shutdowns with a "Service Electronic Throttle Control" warning, or trucks that will not go above 30 mph. This category includes 2 crashes and 2 injuries.