Best Ram Years to Buy by Model
The best Ram years to buy: the 2009 1500 and 2023 3500 — the cleanest federal complaint records for each model. Years to skip include the 2018 2500 and 2019 1500. Based on 20,878 NHTSA owner complaints across 6 Ram models, rated model year by model year.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints, recall campaigns & service bulletins · Updated 2026-11-07 · By CarWhere Research · How we rate model years
Best Ram years, model by model
| Model | Best years | Years to skip | Years on record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ram 1500 | 2009 | 201420152016201920212022 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Ram 3500 | 2023 | 201420172018201920202022 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Ram 2500 | No standout year yet | 201720182022 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Ram 4500 | No standout year yet | None rated avoid | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Ram 5500 | No standout year yet | None rated avoid | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Ram ProMaster | No standout year yet | 2019202120222023 | 12 (2014–2025) |
Verdicts are each model’s own, rated against that model’s history; counts behind them are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
The cleanest year for each Ram model
2009 Ram 1500: 37 NHTSA owner complaints on record · Best 1500 years →
2023 Ram 3500: 15 NHTSA owner complaints on record · Best 3500 years →
Years to skip, in detail
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Ram years to buy?
By model: 1500 2009; 3500 2023. Each matches that model's own best-years page, built from NHTSA owner-complaint and recall records.
Which Ram years should I skip?
By model: 1500 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2022; 3500 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022; 2500 2017, 2018 and 2022; ProMaster 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The full breakdown is on the Ram years-to-avoid page.
Which Ram models have no years to avoid?
The 4500 and the 5500 — no model year of these rates "avoid" in current federal data.
How are the best Ram years chosen?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity, converted to a rate per year on the road and compared with the rest of that model's own history; the lowest rates among years with enough road time earn "best". Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.