2021 Ram 1500
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 679 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 9th highest complaint count among 17 1500 model years with reports.
Of the 2021 reports, 27 involved a crash and 4 involved a fire. 23 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Seat belts, rear/other, anchorageJul 30, 2026
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2026 Ram 1500 vehicles. The second-row center and left-side seat belt buckle anchors may have been improperly installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
An improperly installed seat belt buckle anchor may fail to properly restrain occupants, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Dealers will inspect and attach the seat belt buckle anchor to the body structure as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 18, 2026. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 67D. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 6, 2026.
Campaign 26V495000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontalNov 6, 2025
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Ram 1500, Ram 2500, Ram 3500, Ram 4500, and Ram 5500 vehicles. The steering column control module may cause the driver's side air bag not to deploy as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
A driver's side air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.
Dealers will replace the steering column control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 11, 2025. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 14C. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning November 13, 2025.
Campaign 25V765000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bagsMay 8, 2025
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2024 Ram 1500 vehicles. The driver's side air bag may not be connected properly, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
A driver's side air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.
Dealers secured the connectors for the air bag, free of charge. All vehicles have been remedied. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2025. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 08C.
Campaign 25V298000 on NHTSA.gov
Visibility, rearview mirrors/devicesOct 10, 2024
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Ram 1500 Classic vehicles equipped with heated trailer tow rearview mirrors. The mirror glass may detach from the driver's side heated trailer tow rearview mirror. As such these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Detached mirror glass can reduce driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the mirror glass, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 5, 2024. Owners may contact FCA Customer Service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 86B.
Campaign 24V754000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/moduleSep 5, 2024
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019, 2021-2024 Ram 1500 vehicles. Due to a software malfunction, the anti-lock brake system (ABS) control module may disable the electronic stability control system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Driving with a disabled electronic stability control system can increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will update the ABS control module software, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed October 10, 2024. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning September 26, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 85B.
Campaign 24V653000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)Apr 13, 2023
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Ram 1500 vehicles equipped with 5.7L eTorque engines. The powertrain control module software may cause an incorrect fuel mixture condition in the engine, and result in an engine stall.
An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will update the Powertrain Control Module calibration software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 27, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 37A.
Campaign 23V265000 on NHTSA.gov
Back over prevention, display functionFeb 9, 2023
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Ram 1500 and 2023 Ram 2500 vehicles. The trailer reverse steering control module (TRSCM) may prevent the rearview image from displaying when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
A rearview image that does not display while in reverse decreases the driver's visibility of the rear view, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
Dealers will update the TRSCM software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 1, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 14A. This recall supersedes and expands previous recall numbers 21V-438 and 21V-918. FCA US Recall ID 63A is a vehicle population expansion of FCA US Recall ID 14A (NHTSA Recall ID 23V-059).
Campaign 23V059000 on NHTSA.gov
Structure, body, tailgate, hinge and attachmentsDec 8, 2022
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 pickup trucks. The tailgate may not latch properly due to misaligned tailgate strikers, which could result in the tailgate opening while driving.
An unintended tailgate opening while driving may result in a loss of unsecured cargo, possibly creating a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect the tailgate striker alignment to the box latch and adjust, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 22, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is ZB8.
Campaign 22V904000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpOct 13, 2022
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Jeep Wrangler, Ram 1500, and 2021-2022 Jeep Gladiator vehicles equipped with 3.0L diesel engines. The high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) may fail, causing an engine stall.
An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the HPFP and inspect and replace additional fuel system components, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 17, 2023. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is Z96.
Campaign 22V767000 on NHTSA.gov
Back over prevention, display functionAug 25, 2022
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Jeep Wrangler, RAM 1500 and 2021 Jeep Gladiator vehicles. A radio software error may prevent the rearview image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 6, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA, LLC's number for this recall is Z86.
Campaign 22V638000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, side/window, curtainNov 24, 2021
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Ram 2500, Ram 3500, and 2021 Ram 1500 Classic pickup trucks. The side air bag inflatable curtain (SABIC) assemblies may have been manufactured with the incorrect amount of compressed gas, which can result in an improper air bag deployment.
An air bag that deploys improperly can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Dealers will replace the SABIC assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 17, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Y99.
Campaign 21V925000 on NHTSA.gov
Back over prevention, display functionNov 23, 2021
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Ram 1500 pickup trucks. The Trailer Reverse Steering Control Module (TRSCM) may prevent the rearview image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will update the TRSCM software. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on January 19, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 22, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Y80. This recall was superseded by 23V-059.
Campaign 21V918000 on NHTSA.gov
Tires, temporary/emergency spare tireSep 9, 2021
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Ram 1500 vehicles. The incorrect-size spare tire may have been installed, which does not match the tire size and inflation pressure information on the tire placard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection And Rims."
A driver that relies on the incorrect spare tire inflation pressure on the tire placard label may inflate the spare tire incorrectly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the spare tire assembly, free of charge. The owner notification letter was mailed on September 9, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is Y62.
Campaign 21V698000 on NHTSA.gov
Back over prevention, display functionJun 10, 2021
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Ram 1500 vehicles equipped with a trailer reverse steering module (TRSCM). The rearview camera image may not display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will update the TRSCM software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 24, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA, US, LLC's number for this recall is Y30. This recall was superseded by recall number 21V-918.
Campaign 21V438000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, master cylinderDo not drive until repairedFeb 1, 2021
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Ram 1500 Classic SLT trucks. Certain vehicles were built without the retaining clip that secures the master cylinder push rod to the brake pedal, which can cause the brake pedal to separate from the brake system.
A separated brake pedal can result in the driver being unable to apply the service brakes, increasing the risk of a crash.
Owners are advised to not drive their vehicles until they receive instructions on the inspection and repair, as necessary. FCA US will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and install the push rod clip, free of charge. The recall began February 9, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US number for this recall is Y04.
Campaign 21V037000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: electrical system
197 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Dec 19, 2022
On 12/16/21 with mileage at 10,380 my truck lost power and engine turned off as i was making a left turn at a speed of somewhere between 5-10 MPH. After a complete stop i was able to turn the truck back on and everything seemed normal. I did called FCA the following day and was told to have it checked at a dealership near me but Covid hit my family around that time so i didn’t take it in for service. on 2/27/22 with 14,800 miles the truck stalled again as i was making a left turn at a busy intersection. The truck stalled on me again for the 3rd time but i didn’t document date or mileage. Currently i have a little over 32,000 miles and truck has stalled 3 times and not once did i get a check engine light.
Steering, Electrical system, Engine, Dec 9, 2022
vehicle stalled and shut off while merging into traffic. Dash lit up and ebrake engaged. No check engine light after incident.Extremely unsafe and could have caused an accident on coming traffic had to swerve out the way to avoid an accident. No prior warnings and has happened twice now.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Fuel/propulsion system, Nov 22, 2022
Was making a slow 10-15mph right hand turn out of my neighborhood and the truck stalled. Power was still on, park brake came on while in motion. Had to shift back to park to restart. Once restarted, no caution or warning lights on the dash.
Power train, Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 14, 2022
I was making a right hand turn at about 5-10 mph and the truck stalled. All dash lights were still on. Truck was in Run position, engine just stalled, it put itself in park and emergency brake was engaged. Restarted truck with no warning lights or possible cause of fault. Thankfully there was no traffic or I could’ve been hit.
Electrical system, Engine, Oct 12, 2022
Unknown system is causing the vehicle to stall. Has happened three times, once in traffic. I will be cruising slow and applying slight brake pressure, then when I release the brake the engine will cut off, apply emergency brake and shift to park. I then have to start vehicle, disengage emergency brake and put into drive. This has happened on three different occasions making me doubt the safety of the vehicle. Dealer service state no codes were shown and can not duplicate. This needs to be addressed.
Electrical system, Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Sep 29, 2022
Car was in drive, I was in traffic (0-5 mph) and the auto brake system engaged. My seat belt was buckled and all the doors were closed. The engine turned to neutral unexpectedly. I was lucky to have enough momentum to pull over. The car then auto shifted itself to park and put its e-brake on. I had to disengage e-brake then push the start button. I’m thankful I wasn’t rear-ended. There was no reason the car should have engaged this safety system. I don’t know of a way to manually over ride this. I’m worried it will happen again and I won’t be so lucky to be able to pull over.
Electrical system, Sep 21, 2022
While driving the radio console( a/c, etc) and odometer turned off for 3 minutes while the remained running. This has happened up to 6 times.
Electrical system, Engine, Aug 25, 2022
While driving on the freeway the truck lost all engine power and power steering. I was traveling with the flow of traffic but had to quickly try and get my vehicle onto the shoulder and away from other vehicles still traveling at freeway speeds to attempt to restart the truck. This created a very unsafe situation due to not having any sort of power steering to assist in turning the vehicle off the road. I was able to shift the vehicle into neutral and coast to the shoulder in order to return the shifter to park and restart the vehicle
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Aug 4, 2022
This vehicle has an issue where it will stall. While making a right hand turn about 5 to 8 miles an hour onto a side street near my home the vehicle just shut off and rolled to a stop. It put itself in park and the auto e-brake engaged. At that point the dash info center said to shift into park and release the emergency brake. It started up and I was able to continue. I have also noticed that sometimes during a turn the truck almost stalled but recovered, You could see the rpms drop down to almost 0 but it recovered on its own. This has happened a few times. It is just not safe. 62k for an unsafe truck.
Electrical system, Jul 25, 2022
On three separate occasions within two months, the truck completely shut down without any warning. The first time I was at a stop light, when light turned green, I stepped on gas and truck died. Nothing worked on the vehicle, there were no messages or warnings. The truck was towed to dealership, tried to replace RF hub but "unable to be performed"-swapped star connector cavity to C12 and communication achieved-RF replace procedures passed. Five weeks later, went to start truck in driveway and wouldn't start, truck was completely dead, had mechanic come to home ,test the battery ,and it was fine. He thought the remotes were not communicating; had to be towed to dealership again, truck sat there for a few days, dealership said it started up, they did diagnostics, found nothing wrong and handed truck back to me. One week later, started the truck with remote and as I was walking to the truck, it died, completely shut down and had to be towed again. Truck has been at dealership for 17 days, diagnosed that the RF hub needs to be replaced. This truck is unsafe and unpredictable as it could just shut down at any time, cause an accident where people could get injured or killed.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 22, 2022
I made a right hand turn from a stop sign onto an active roadway when my truck’s engine shut off. The truck rolled to a stop and the dial shifter automatically changed to park and engaged the e-brake. No warning lights were triggered in the dash. Research suggests this is an apparent problem with the 5.7l e-torque engine, however, no information is available from FCA/Ram
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jun 14, 2022
This has happened 3 times at low speed 2-4 mph. I was making a right hand turn and the truck stalled & shut off. Information on the dash told me to put it into park. I stopped & put it into park. The emergency brake automatically engaged. After disengaging the emergency brake, I started my truck up. No issues once I started it back up & resumed driving. It happened twice at a traffic circle in my neighborhood & once as I was turning right at a light. Thank goodness no one was behind me or it would have possibly caused a rear end collision. This issue has not been reproduced by a dealer or independent service center.
Electrical system, Engine, May 5, 2022
The vehicle shut off while in motion, slammed itself into park also while in motion, and applied the emergency brake in the middle of a busy intersection. It is currently at the dealership where they can find nothing wrong It
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 7, 2022
The start/stop system will turn frequently display an error stating the "auto start/stop system in not available" When coming to a traffic stop, the engine will turn off and will not restart for 2-3 minutes while sitting in traffic
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Apr 5, 2022
4-5-22 Came to a full stopped at an intersection, and as I started making a right hand turn , engine just shut off then the beeping started. Stalled in the middle of a turn and oncoming traffic. while panicking and traffic coming i had to ........... Shifted to park started the truck then shifted to drive and the engine revved but not moving. Dash said The E brake had engaged. Shifted to park again pressed the e brake button the back to drive at which point people were swerving to avoid hitting me. I was almost in a sever accident due to this. I have a scheduled an appointment with a dealer on 4-12-2022. There was no indication of anything wrong with the truck......nothing...... it just shut off. This is a very serious issue that Chrysler needs to acknowledge. Someone is going to seriously be injured by this. I looked online to see if there was a recall for it, there was nothing but I did see plenty of other people that this has happened to so it is not just a one and done people. Chrysler has a serious issue they need to address.
Electrical system, Engine, Apr 1, 2022
After decelerating to approximately 5 mph at a traffic circle entrance and then turning slightly right and accelerating to enter the traffic circle, the vehicle's engine suddenly died and the dash indicated the vehicle must be shifted into park to restart. The emergency brake automatically engaged bringing the vehicle to a stop in the traffic circle. The vehicle's electronics were erratic and the vehicle was not able to immediately be shifted into park and the engine restarted. After approximately 30 seconds, the vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was driven to a stop light approximately 100 yards down the road. Upon coming to a stop (before fully stopping), the same issue occurred again. Again, the electronics were erratic. Eventually (30 seconds later) the vehicle was restarted. This is apparently a known issue discussed alot on 5th Gen Forums, a Ram Truck forum.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Mar 18, 2022
I was making a turn at a slow speed and the the truck just stopped. Parking brake went on and basically had to restart my truck. From what Im reading online, this is a very common issue. I was in a very busy intersection and definitely put me at high risk.
Steering, Electrical system, Engine, Feb 17, 2022
I was turning left at a stop sign. As I turned, at a low speed, the enigine shutoff. I lost use of the electric steering and the truck came to a stop. The parking brake automatically engaged. Putting the brakes on, I placed the truck in park and restarted the engine. It started back up. I disengaged the parking brake and took off.
Electrical system, Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 16, 2022
The truck shut off while driving. Driving and taking turns between 5-15mph Truck just shuts down and engages the parking brake.I almost got hit 2 times. The truck is brand new with 4,000 mikes on it. The first time it happened I had 2,000 miles on it. After reading online this is a big problem and someone is going to be killed. This need ti be addressed
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 15, 2022
Within first mile of operation within neighborhood while accelerating through away from stop sign executing a left hand turn traveling below 15 mph the vehicle stalls. Truck immediately automatically engages parking brake forcing sudden stop. Issue has occurred intermittently at least once a month since purchase. Vehicle is not set for auto emergency braking. This issue is a significant safety issue for anyone on roads.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Feb 7, 2022
I almost died, when my truck stalled as I was entering a major thoroughfare. This primarily has to do with the auto start/stop option on my Ram, which if you do not come to a complete stop, and attempt to accelerate with this feature on, the vehicle stalls. This has happened to me several times, and if you go on the online forums it is happening to many other Ram drivers, it is a serious safety issue, as you have no control over the stall due to the computer. Basically, when I am coming to a stop and then accelerate with the vehicle at a slow crawl, 2-3 MHP, the truck stalls. Imagine rolling through a yield sign and your vehicle stalling, with oncoming traffic headed your way, serious safety issue. Extremely lucky to not have been involved in a crash with oncoming traffic headed my way going 55 MPH, I was able to stay in the yield lane.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 23, 2022
While driving my truck at approximately 70MPH on the highway, the truck shut down. I was able to pull off the side of the road and dashboard showed the message of Electronic Throttle Control and the engine light turned on. This is the third report I have filed regarding this truck shutting down while driving and the 7th time this truck has randomly shut down on me since purchasing in July 2021. This has been on the dealership 2 separate times and is going in tomorrow for a third time for this issue, I no longer feel safe driving this truck and feel this incident should be address as soon as possible,
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jan 19, 2022
As I’m preparing to turn on the road the vehicle turns off and leaves me stranded in the middle of the roadway. The parking brake comes on and messages appear on the dash. This has happened multiple times with and without passengers in the vehicle. I’ve reported it to Lithia Ram Jeep in Calallen and was brushed off. I’ve taken pictures of the dash on a few occasions when it occurred. I am the first owner and it happened with less than 3-5 k miles.
Electrical system, Back over prevention, Jan 14, 2022
Truck showed "Service Electronic Throttle"... Truck has 13,000 miles on it. Along with the service code, rear view camera doesn't work, backup sensors don't work, and remote start will not operate. No apparent throttle issues, but concerned for safety with rear view camera and backup sensors not operating. It would be nice to have the remote start as its winter, but only an inconvenience for that matter.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jan 12, 2022
Vehicle has shut off on me a total of 7 time on me while driving since I purchased on Jan 2 2021. The first time this happened was about 2 weeks after I bought the truck. Each time has been about the same conditions. While driving at low speeds “around 5 mph” my truck automatically shut itself off. At this point it automatically engages the emergency brake. I then have to put shifter back in park, put my foot back on the brake to restart my truck then turn off the emergency brake. At this point I am able to shift back to drive and go. Two of the times this happened I was in a high traffic area where I almost got rear-ended. My vehicle does not throw out any codes and the dealership has not been able to duplicate. First time I took it to the dealer they had it for about 2 or 3 days. The second time they had it for 3 1/2 weeks. The 3rd time I took it in to a different dealer and they said they came across a bulletin somewhere that said the needed to change out the MGU, which they replaced yesterday. Hopefully this fixes the issue. A vehicle shutting down randomly is very dangerous. I have been reading a lot of forums and this seems to be a common problem that needs to get fixed or recalled somehow. The date and mileage on the next section are from the last time this happened. But like I said earlier this has been happening since early January 2021.