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: engine
280 reports, newest first. Show all
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.
Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 8, 2022
Making a right turn under 20mph and the truck shut off on me . Got the "Shift to P to Start" message, followed by "Shifter Autocorrect Active", then after restarting got the message "Park Brake Auto Engaged Press Brake + Push Switch to Release" and "Safe-Hold Temporarily Disabled" and "AutoPark Disabled".
Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 7, 2022
Vehicle simply turned off while driving at slow speed. Once I pulled over and place it in park and started it back like nothing happened.
Power train, Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 2, 2022
While traveling over a speed bump at approximately 5 mph, truck will stall, "autocorrect shift" and apply emergency brake. Vehicle is a 2021 eTorque.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Engine, Jan 26, 2022
Once again this truck is still having the same issues! I was on the local freeway going 60 and all of a sudden the truck brakes and shuts off while in in the express lane! [XXX]! How was our safety at risk? Really? I don't understand how these trucks haven't been recalled yet RAM recalled and bought back 2022 Rams due to defrosting issues. Apparently trucks breaking and stopping out of nowhere isn't a big deal but lets not make folks wipe their windows...So many of these Ram 1500 have the same issues and what?! STELLANTIS DOES NOT CARE! No warning lights came on yet again but just decides to brake and shut off. This isn't the first incident! Again I was fortunate to no get hit! But my nerves, mental/emotional status, and scares are enough injuries! Please see ram forms, social media, etc there are so many others with these issues that haven't reported to NHTSA! INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
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, 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.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 9, 2022
I was driving on the highway when all of sudden my truck shut down, I coasted to the emergency lane and was unable to restart my truck, I waiting about 10 minutes, restarted my truck and had to keep pumping the throttle to keep it running to get to my destination. I was able to have an OBD reader connected to my truck at a dealership and there were 3 codes stored all relating to fuel. This happened to me in twice in November of 2021 and again twice on January 7th of this year. I also received another code at the dealership on January 8th regarding another recall. These combined total of 4 shut downs have put me and my family in extreme danger, this brand new truck is unreliable and we are hesitant to drive it.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 8, 2022
While driving to the highway out of my neighborhood my truck lost all power, I was able to pull over to the side, read the message, “electronic throttle control”, wait a few minutes and restart my truck and continue on my way, I had lost complete acceleration and my truck shut down, I had no throttle power, again later that night returning home my truck again shut down and showed the message “electronic throttle control”, again I was able to pull off the side of the highway, wait and attempt to restart which I was able to do after about 10 minutes, again I lost complete acceleration again I had no throttle power but was able to put on my emergency flashers and coast to the side of the road, this is the 4th time this has happened to us and the second time our new truck has been in the shop for this and other issues, our local dealership does not understand the severity and life threatening issues associated with this, we could have lost our lives has we not recognized the loss of power and safely coasted to the emergency lane.
Engine, Jan 7, 2022
My 2021 Dodge RAM 1500 eTorque just stalls while driving. It's happened twice in the last 2 weeks. Both times were making a left hand turn going approximately 10-15 miles an hour. The engine just stalls. No power steering and limited brakes. While rolling to a stop, the e-brake comes on automatically causing a violent stop. This is a known issue. It's been in the shop for 2 days now and they can't reproduce it and are giving the truck back today.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jan 1, 2022
When attempting to make a turn on a back street after a partial rolling stop the vehicle stalled out. The engine cut off and I was fortunate enough to be able to coast to the side of the ride without harming anyone else. The vehicle automatically applied hazard lights, engaged the parking brake once I came to a complete stop, and signaled for me to "push to start" the vehicle again. Prior to that occurring no warning signs were given that the vehicle was having any issues. I was able to restart the truck but this is the 2nd time something like this has occurred since owning this brand new vehicle. This created a potentially hazardous situation as the people behind me had no warning and if I were to cut out into a busy street I would have been hit. I'm fearful of this happening in a busy area while with my family. The dealership/manufacturer has not looked at this vehicle since the incident. I am scheduled to bring it in next weekend.
Engine, Dec 29, 2021
While driving the MIL chimed , check engine light is active along with low battery gauge illumination and low battery warning light , in park vehicle idling is erratic in drive or reverse idle is erratic also with spurts of motion, no active or stored codes are present but MIL is active
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Dec 27, 2021
Unknown Failure causing issue. Vehicle's Engine Shutoff while traveling down the road with no warning messages. Then message says to apply breaks and push "start", but it was in the "Run" and still coasting in Drive on the road. After it slowed to about 5-10 mph, the emergency break system engaged and the vehicle went to "Park" causing the vehicle to throw me forward in the seat and objects were thrown as if I had collided with something. My wrist was injured by this, but lucky I had no passengers or my dog with me. The local dealership is looking into it, but say there is nothing wrong. Upon doing some research, I see multiple people have stated this has happened to them as well. This is a significant risk to health and safety of vehicle occupants and other vehicles that may be traveling near them when this happens. Depending on speed it occurs, the outcome could result in death. I did attempt to connect my on-board diagnostic/monitoring system and found that the manufacturer has it block so I cannot see any possible codes or sensor readings of the vehicle. Then they say nothing is wrong when you take it to them to scan. That is also unacceptable.
Engine, Dec 18, 2021
Vehicle stalls when I hit quickly hit the gas pedal halfway down while turning
Engine, Dec 17, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at slow speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. The failure occurred on two separate occasions and nearly caused a collision. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 1,665.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Dec 8, 2021
When I pressed the accelerator after the light turned green, the engine bogged, didn't respond and then stalled. The truck automatically shifted to park and engaged the parking brake. I tried to restart the truck multiple times and it would not start. Thankfully a passing tow truck driver stopped to help me get out of the busy road. After a few minutes, the truck started again and I was able to continue driving. Me being stuck in the middle of a busy road was extremely dangerous and a police officer had to direct traffic around my disabled truck.
Electrical system, Engine, Dec 4, 2021
Truck engine stalls and turns off at unexpected times when traveling under 25 miles per hours, the emergency brake gets engaged and the car just turns off in the middle of driving. It happens whether or not the Auto start feature is activated or not.
Electrical system, Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Dec 3, 2021
On Monday 11/29 around 5:30pm I was on the San Mateo Bridge (92) going eastbound with my children when the truck came too an abrupt stop and shut off! I was going about 65mph as it was the mid time for rush hour. Fortunately no one hit us from behind and I was able to kinda pull over into the emergency lane without going over the bridge and thankful the person behind also pulled over since he seen what happened and wanted to check on us. We did exchange information especially since Ram Customer Care and NHTSH doesn't seem to believe anyone about these problems since there hasn't been any recalls on this safety issue! This isn't the first incident I've had with this truck but so far was the most dangerous especially since my children were in the vehicle Yes I have been in touch with Ram Customer Care and nothing but ok take it back to the dealership uh no I'm done with that. It was already there twice for over a month period each time and they don't know what's going on since there is nothing that comes on the scan. When will something be done? When someone is injured or there's a fatality?
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Nov 22, 2021
While traveling 15 mph across railroad tracks, the throttle stopped responding to the gas pedal and stopped accelerating. The vehicle made it three feet past outer track and began to roll backward, I applied emergency brake and put gear in park but dial would not move. I attempted restart 3 times without success; 4th time worked and was able to move forward to safe position.
Electrical system, Engine, Nov 22, 2021
On two separate occasions while slowing to make a turn or to come to a stop, the truck will shut off the engine, once it slows to below 5mph it will force itself into park and apply the emergency brake while still rolling. This is very unsafe when in traffic, and could cause a wreck. It has been at the dealership for two weeks and there is still no solution, and they have not been able to reproduce it yet. Both times there was no warning it was going to happen.
Engine, Nov 17, 2021
Driving around 25 MPH and slowed to make a left turn into a parking lot. At about 10 MPH the engine shut off. As I came to a stop the parking brake was automatically engaged. I had to put the truck in park, restart the engine and remove the parking brake to drive off. Thank god I wasn't stuck in the middle of the road. As I do my research this same issue has been reported by many etourque ram owners.
Engine, Nov 13, 2021
Engine has stalled multiple times while making turns, left or right. Was able to restart every time. Dealer cannot replicate and has not repaired.
Engine, Nov 13, 2021
Coming up to a T junction where I had to stop and turn left, slowed to about 2 mph and accelerated into a left hand turn when truck's engine died, truck stopped and the parking brake was engaged automatically. The transmission didn't turn to neutral so minimal rolling just stopped in middle of road. Cars around me had to brake to avoid hitting mine.
Engine, Nov 13, 2021
This following has now happened twice, first time 9/7/21- second time 11/12/21. While slowing from approximately 35-40 MPH to make a right hand turn the vehicle shuts off - auto braking engages - must restart the vehicle. As stated, this has now happened twice (truck has 10K miles) - vehicle shutting off in traffic and applying auto braking is highly dangerous and placing myself and my passengers at risk.