Ram 1500 Engine Problems by Year

By CarWhere Research · Updated

Some, but not unusually many. Owners have filed 2,991 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2009–2025 Ram 1500. For the Ram Pickup (all variants), that's 0.6 engine complaints per 1,000 sold across the 2015–2022 cohorts, close to the 0.44 median of the 53 models we can rate. The worst years are 2015, 2016 and 2014.

Engine complaints

2,991

Filed with NHTSA, 2009–2025 models

Per 1,000 sold

0.6

2015–2022 cohorts, Ram Pickup

Share of all complaints

23%

of 13,005 complaints for this model

Engine recalls

4

NHTSA campaigns, all years

Ram 1500 engine complaints by model year

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Engine and Engine Cooling, and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.

Ram 1500 engine complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year
Model yearEngine complaintsPer 1,000 soldShare of all complaintsCrash / fire / injuryEngine recallsEngine TSBs*
20095—13.5%0—43
2011156—22.6%6——
2012170—24.4%3——
2013130—10.1%813V17700057
2014WORST343—19.8%2123V41100020V47500019V757000107
2015WORST3901.0127.4%4723V41100020V47500019V75700088
2016WORST3490.8823.3%3023V41100020V47500019V75700090
20171850.5221.6%1123V41100020V47500019V75700064
20181500.3923.4%523V41100020V47500019V75700062
20192520.4916.8%1023V41100019V757000106
20201660.425.7%6—121
20212820.5740.9%6—112
20222560.6740%3—69
202348—23.2%1—41
202424—30.8%0—41
202585—22.4%3—62
  • Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
  • Sales for the Ram Pickup cover every variant, so the per-1,000 column counts complaints for all of those variants, not just the Ram 1500. The complaint column is the Ram 1500 alone.
  • Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
  • Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
  • No row for 2010: NHTSA's complaints data returned no records for that year under this model's names.
  • *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the engine.

Common Ram 1500 engine problems owners describe

We searched the narratives of all 2,991 engine complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.

Stalling or shutting off while driving758 · 25.3%
Misfire or check-engine light555 · 18.6%
Loss of power or limp mode268 · 9%
Knocking, ticking or rattling266 · 8.9%
Smoke, burning smell or fire246 · 8.2%
Engine failure, seizure or replacement231 · 7.7%
Overheating or coolant loss171 · 5.7%
Oil consumption or oil leaks86 · 2.9%
Timing chain or belt13 · 0.4%

Ram 1500 years to avoid for the engine

2015 Ram 1500

390 engine complaints (27.4% of the year's 1,425), 1.01 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: misfire or check-engine light. Covered by engine recalls 23V411000, 20V475000, 19V757000.

2016 Ram 1500

349 engine complaints (23.3% of the year's 1,501), 0.88 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving. Covered by engine recalls 23V411000, 20V475000, 19V757000.

2014 Ram 1500

343 engine complaints (19.8% of the year's 1,732). Most often described: misfire or check-engine light. Covered by engine recalls 23V411000, 20V475000, 19V757000.

Worst years are those with at least 10 engine complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Ram 1500 years to avoid.

Ram 1500 engine recalls

NHTSA recall campaigns filed under Engine for any Ram 1500 model year. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check a specific car by VIN on NHTSA's site.

  • 23V411000 · 2023-06-08 · 2014–2019 models

    The crankshaft position sensor tone wheel may delaminate, causing the engine to lose its ability to synchronize the fuel injector pulses and cam shaft timing, possibly resulting in an engine stall.

  • 20V475000 · 2020-08-13 · 2014–2018 models

    The crankshaft position sensor tone wheel may delaminate causing the engine to lose its ability to synchronize the fuel injector pulses and cam shaft timing, possibly resulting in an engine stall.

  • 19V757000 · 2019-10-24 · 2014–2019 models

    The Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) cooler may crack and allow pre-heated vaporized coolant to enter the EGR system. This mixture may combust inside the intake manifold.

  • 13V177000 · 2013-05-07 · 2013 models

    In the affected vehicles, the coolant bypass valve may stick in a position that does not allow coolant to flow into the heater core. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Vehicle Motor Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 103,…

Related research

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2015 Ram 1500 have engine problems?

Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 390 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2015 Ram 1500, 27.4% of all 1,425 complaints for that year, or 1.01 per 1,000 sold (Ram Pickup, all variants). The most common description is "misfire or check-engine light" (74 complaints). 3 engine-related recalls cover it: 23V411000, 20V475000, 19V757000. 47 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.

Does the 2016 Ram 1500 have engine problems?

Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 349 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2016 Ram 1500, 23.3% of all 1,501 complaints for that year, or 0.88 per 1,000 sold (Ram Pickup, all variants). The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (55 complaints). 3 engine-related recalls cover it: 23V411000, 20V475000, 19V757000. 30 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.

Does the 2014 Ram 1500 have engine problems?

Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 343 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2014 Ram 1500, 19.8% of all 1,732 complaints for that year. The most common description is "misfire or check-engine light" (70 complaints). 3 engine-related recalls cover it: 23V411000, 20V475000, 19V757000. 21 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.

Which Ram 1500 years have the most engine complaints?

2015 (390), 2016 (349) and 2014 (343), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the engine. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.

What are the most common Ram 1500 engine problems?

In the 2,991 engine complaints, owners most often describe stalling or shutting off while driving (25.3%), misfire or check-engine light (18.6%) and loss of power or limp mode (9%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.

Is this a engine failure rate?

No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.

How we count

Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Ram 1500 model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a engine complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Engine and Engine Cooling.

Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 engine complaints that clears those floors.

These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

Sources

  1. NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  2. NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  3. Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration