Is the Ram 1500 high maintenance?
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Somewhat. The Ram 1500 is somewhat above average to maintain. On AAA's 2025 half-ton crew-cab pickup benchmark, it costs about $1,704 a year to maintain and repair at 15,000 miles a year, tires included — about the same as the $1,656 all-vehicle average. Owners filed 0.968 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 1500s sold (2015–2022 sales), #6 of 8 pickup trucks we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.832).
Verdict
Somewhat
somewhat above average to maintain
Per year
$1,704
AAA 2025 benchmark
5 years
$8,520
75,000 miles
NHTSA complaints
0.968 / 1k
Below average for pickup trucks
1500 maintenance cost: 5 and 10 years
| Period | Miles | Estimate | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per year | 15,000 | $1,704 | AAA half-ton crew-cab pickup, 11.36¢/mile |
| 5 years | 75,000 | $8,520 | AAA's own 5-year window |
| 10 years (floor) | 150,000 | $17,040+ | AAA's 5-year per-mile rate, extended in a straight line |
Method: AAA 2025 half-ton crew-cab pickup benchmark: 11.36¢ a mile × 15,000 miles a year. Covers scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, one set of tires and an extended warranty over 5 years. A category average, not a 1500-specific quote. The 10-year figure is a floor: it doesn't add the larger age-related repairs (and later scheduled items such as spark plugs or coolant) that come after year 5.
How the verdict is set: Two inputs. Cost: the estimate against AAA's $1,656 all-vehicle average (more than 3% under counts in the car's favor, more than 3% over against it). Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 sold against the median of every model in our study (0.48); well under the median helps, well over hurts, roughly double or more hurts twice as much. Both low = "No"; both high = "Yes". Models without a dollar estimate get no verdict.
1500 service schedule highlights
From Ram's documents for the 1500:
- Spark plugs: 3.0L every 60,000 mi; 5.7L every 100,000 mi (mileage-based only).
- 3.0L High Output engine uses 0W-40; other engines 0W-20.
- Brake fluid every 24 months regardless of mileage.
Source: 2026 Ram 1500 Owner Handbook — Scheduled Servicing & Fluids
Oil changes
Normal service: Per automatic oil change indicator (duty-cycle based); service within 500 miles of the 'Oil Change Required' message. Never exceed 10,000 miles, 12 months, or 350 hours of engine run time, whichever comes first.
Severe or special conditions: Indicator shortens the interval for short trips, trailer towing, and extreme hot/cold temperatures; no separate fixed severe mileage stated for the 1500 in this handbook.
Oil: 3.0L standard-output, 3.6L and 5.7L: full synthetic SAE 0W-20 (MS-6395, API SP). 3.0L High Output: full synthetic SAE 0W-40 (MS-A0921, API SP).
Source: 2026 Ram 1500 Owner Handbook — Scheduled Servicing & Fluids
Included maintenance
No complimentary scheduled maintenance confirmed for new Ram vehicles.
Ram factory schedule
| Interval | Service items | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Every oil change (per indicator) |
| 2026 Ram 1500 Owner Handbook — Scheduled Servicing & Fluids |
| Every 10,000 miles |
| 2026 Ram 1500 Owner Handbook — Scheduled Servicing & Fluids |
| Every 12,000 miles |
| 2026 Ram 1500 Owner Handbook — Scheduled Servicing & Fluids |
| Every 15,000 miles |
| 2026 Ram 1500 Owner Handbook — Scheduled Servicing & Fluids |
| Every 24 months |
| 2026 Ram 1500 Owner Handbook — Scheduled Servicing & Fluids |
| Every 30,000 miles |
| 2026 Ram 1500 Owner Handbook — Scheduled Servicing & Fluids |
| Every 60,000 miles |
| 2026 Ram 1500 Owner Handbook — Scheduled Servicing & Fluids |
| Every 100,000 miles |
| 2026 Ram 1500 Owner Handbook — Scheduled Servicing & Fluids |
| Every 120,000 miles |
| 2026 Ram 1500 Owner Handbook — Scheduled Servicing & Fluids |
| 10 years or 150,000 miles |
| 2026 Ram 1500 Owner Handbook — Scheduled Servicing & Fluids |
Common 1500 problems (NHTSA data)
Owners filed 0.968 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 1500s sold (2015–2022 sales), #6 of 8 pickup trucks we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.832).
- 12,308 owner complaints on file with NHTSA across all 1500 model years.
- Most-reported systems: electrical system (2,966), structure (1,142).
- Model years flagged in our years-to-avoid analysis: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2022.
- Best-rated years: 2009.
Complaints measure problems owners reported to the government, not repair bills: a high count signals more unscheduled repairs, which AAA's category benchmark doesn't adjust for. 1500 years to avoid →
How the 1500 compares in its AAA category (half-ton crew-cab pickup)
Same AAA category means the same dollar benchmark, so the complaint rate is what separates them. Luxury models aren't priced.
| Model | Est. per year | Complaints / 1,000 sold | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ram 1500 | $1,704 | 0.968 Below average | Somewhat — above average |
| Ford F-150 | $1,704 | 0.427 Best | About average |
| Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | $1,704 | 0.579 Above average | About average |
| GMC Sierra 1500 | $1,704 | 0.922 Average | Somewhat — above average |
| Toyota Tundra | $1,704 | — | About average |
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1500 high maintenance?
Somewhat. The Ram 1500 is somewhat above average to maintain. On AAA's 2025 half-ton crew-cab pickup benchmark, it costs about $1,704 a year to maintain and repair at 15,000 miles a year, tires included — about the same as the $1,656 all-vehicle average. Owners filed 0.968 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 1500s sold (2015–2022 sales), #6 of 8 pickup trucks we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.832).
Is the 1500 expensive to maintain?
Plan on about $1,704 a year, $8,520 over 5 years. AAA 2025 half-ton crew-cab pickup benchmark: 11.36¢ a mile × 15,000 miles a year. Covers scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, one set of tires and an extended warranty over 5 years. A category average, not a 1500-specific quote.
How much does a 1500 cost to maintain over 10 years?
About $17,040 at 15,000 miles a year (150,000 miles), extending the AAA 5-year per-mile rate in a straight line. Treat it as a floor: AAA's rate is measured on a car's first 5 years, and older cars need larger repairs.
How often does the 1500 need an oil change?
Ram's published oil-change interval: per automatic oil change indicator (duty-cycle based); service within 500 miles of the 'Oil Change Required' message. Never exceed 10,000 miles, 12 months, or 350 hours of engine run time, whichever comes first. Check your owner's manual for your engine; severe-service intervals are shorter.
What is the cheapest Ram to maintain?
Of the 1 Ram models we cover, the 1500 has the lowest estimated maintenance cost: about $1,704 a year (AAA 2025 half-ton crew-cab pickup benchmark).
What 1500 years should I avoid?
Our NHTSA years-to-avoid analysis flags 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2022. Owners filed 0.968 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 1500s sold (2015–2022 sales), #6 of 8 pickup trucks we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.832).
Related
Sources and method
Dollar figures: AAA's 2025 Your Driving Costs category benchmark (retail parts and labor for routine maintenance specified by the vehicle manufacturer, a comprehensive extended warranty, repairs to wear-and-tear items that need service during 5 years of operation, and one set of replacement tires). Schedule, oil interval and included maintenance: Ram's own documents, linked by row. Complaints: NHTSA's public complaint database, divided by published U.S. sales (CarWhere analysis).
- Your Driving Costs 2025 (brochure: cost per mile by vehicle category) — AAA (maintenance cents per mile by category)
- Your Driving Costs 2025 fact sheet (methodology) — AAA (what the maintenance line includes)
- NHTSA vehicle owner complaints database — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (complaints per 1,000 sold is a CarWhere calculation)
- 2026 Ram 1500 Owner Handbook — Scheduled Servicing & Fluids — Ram (opened 2026-11-06)