VehicleVerdict

2021 Ram 1500 problems

Verdict · NHTSA data

One of the years to avoid

The 2021 Ram 1500 carries two red flags at once: 1,103 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA and an open NHTSA defect investigation (subject: High pressure fuel pump failure). It is one of the 1500 years to avoid. Complainants reported 41 injuries in total across these filings.

No single system dominates the record — complaints spread across engine (274), electrical system (205), and other (99), which usually points to general build quality rather than one defect. In government crash testing it earned 5 of 5 NCAP stars overall.

1,103

NHTSA complaints

14

Recalls

1

Investigations · 1 open

40

Crash-involved

7

Fires reported

41

Injuries

0

Deaths

5

NCAP overall · of 5 stars

How does 2021 compare to other 1500 years?

See all 1500 years to avoid →

What are the most common 2021 Ram 1500 problems?

ComponentComplaintsShare
Engine27425%
Electrical System20519%
Other999%
Transmission959%
Fuel System949%
Driver Assistance797%
Brakes737%
Steering464%
Body & Structure323%
Speed Control303%
Airbags242%
Visibility & Wipers212%
Lighting121%
Suspension91%
Tires & Wheels50%
Seat Belts30%
Trailer Hitch10%
Latches & Locks10%

Does the 2021 Ram 1500 have recalls?

14 NHTSA recall campaigns on file. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.

25V765000SteeringNovember 6, 2025 · 532 units

Defect

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."

Consequence

A driver's side air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy

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.

25V298000AirbagsMay 8, 2025 · 71 units

Defect

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."

Consequence

A driver's side air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy

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.

24V754000Visibility & WipersOctober 10, 2024 · 31,676 units

Defect

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."

Consequence

Detached mirror glass can reduce driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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.

24V653000Electrical SystemSeptember 5, 2024 · 1,025,432 units

Defect

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."

Consequence

Driving with a disabled electronic stability control system can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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.

23V265000TransmissionApril 13, 2023 · 131,700 units

Defect

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.

Consequence

An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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.

23V059000Driver AssistanceFebruary 9, 2023 · 77,079 units

Defect

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."

Consequence

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.

Remedy

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).

22V904000Body & StructureDecember 8, 2022 · 1,224,078 units

Defect

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.

Consequence

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.

Remedy

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.

22V767000EngineOctober 13, 2022 · 60,413 units

Defect

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.

Consequence

An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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.

22V638000Driver AssistanceAugust 25, 2022 · 7,895 units

Defect

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."

Consequence

A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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.

21V925000AirbagsNovember 24, 2021 · 376 units

Defect

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.

Consequence

An air bag that deploys improperly can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy

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.

21V918000SteeringNovember 23, 2021 · 38,157 units

Defect

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."

Consequence

A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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.

21V698000Tires & WheelsSeptember 9, 2021 · 2 units

Defect

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."

Consequence

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.

Remedy

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.

21V438000Driver AssistanceJune 10, 2021 · 14,096 units

Defect

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."

Consequence

A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy

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.

21V037000BrakesFebruary 1, 2021 · 683 units

Defect

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.

Consequence

A separated brake pedal can result in the driver being unable to apply the service brakes, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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.

Open NHTSA investigations

EA23001

High pressure fuel pump failure

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE21-021 on October 14, 2021, to investigate incidents alleging a stall/loss of motive power as a result of high-pressure fuel pump failures in certain model year (MY) 2019-2020 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 heavy duty trucks equipped with 6.7L Cummins turbodiesel engines. During the investigation, ODI sought to determine if the related defect allegation was limited in scope to the recalled population. After review of information request response materials from both FCA and BMW, NHTSA determined that sufficient information to identify a comprehensive recall population could not be produced by FCA and BMW.During the investigation FCA filed recalls 22V406, 22E048, 22V767, and 22E087 which include vehicles not identified in the initial subject population by ODI. ODI also received recall 21V586, involving loss of motive power due to failed CP4 fuel pumps on certain BMW manufactured vehicles. An information request letter response received from BMW indicated that failed pumps on their vehicles were caused by an interaction between pump internal components and US market diesel fuel, leading to increased slip and eventual particle-generating wear surface. Additional work will be done to identify whether a similar root cause is associated with the FCA recalled population and if similar wear dynamics occur on pumps supplied to vehicle manufacturers other than those included in the recalled population.ODI has upgraded this investigation to an EA in order to 1) determine engineering specifications of internal pump components that are correlated with pump failure leading to loss of motive power or other safety related hazards, 2) identify vehicle populations equipped with alleged defective pump variants, 3) assess if vehicles equipped with alleged defective pump variants result in an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety and 4) gather and review any other relevant information related to high pressure fuel pump failure associated with the subject populations of recalls 21V586, 21V880, 21E094, 22V406, 22E048, 22V767, and 22E087.Review of the above information will allow NHTSA to confirm root cause and recall remedy viability, and identify and evaluate vehicle populations equipped with pump components that may pose an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID using the following complaint identification numbers: 11257550, 11351441, 11361603, 11361616, 11365300, 11365426, 11365858, 11366401, 11372337, 11373793, 11374797, 11376793, 11377871, 11378173, 11384377, 11386063, 11387018, 11399710, 11402550, 11415339, 11418868, 11418870, 11427075, 11434276, 11436807, 11437226, 11437249, 11437273, 11437292, 11437294, 11437394, 11437399, 11437403, 11437405, 11437423, 11437528, 11437565, 11437579, 11437580, 11437590, 11437679, 11437744, 11437781, 11437842, 11437993, 11438006, 11438008, 11438121, 11438138, 11438155, 11438392, 11438629, 11439359, 11439879, 11440397, 11443030, 11446542, 11448163, 11453556, 11458918, 11460558, 11469337

Consumer complaints filed with NHTSA

Representative excerpts, cleaned of personal information. These are consumer statements, not verified defects.

On October 18, 2023, my son was driving the RAM 1500 on the Southern State. While changing lanes to exit, he advised the the engine turned off; was not able to break and hit another vehicle. The vehicle was deemed a total loss and would like this to be investigated by Chrysler. This could have…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · October 18, 2023 · crash

On October 18, 2023, my son was driving the RAM 1500 on the Southern State. While changing lanes to exit, he advised the the engine turned off; was not able to break and hit another vehicle. The vehicle was deemed a total loss and would like this to be investigated by Chrysler. This could have…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Electrical System · October 18, 2023 · crash

While driving, a deer entered the roadway. I applied the brakes to avoid hitting the deer and lost traction due to icy road conditions. The vehicle spun out and struck a utility pole. I later became aware of an open recall involving the ABS and/or electronic stability control (ESC) system for this…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Other · January 20, 2026 · crash

The contact owns a 2021 RAM 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the traction contract warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering and the service brakes did not function as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed, however, the…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Transmission · November 29, 2024 · crash

Change in acceleration since purchasing truck. Discovered recently the fuel pump was causing the problem. Also the air bag light comes on and warning of a safety issue.

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Fuel System · July 4, 2024 · crash

2021 Ram 1500 — common questions

Is the 2021 Ram 1500 reliable?

NHTSA data argues against it: 1,103 complaints put the 2021 model at #7 of 18 1500 years, and a defect investigation remains open. It is one of the 1500 years to avoid.

What are the most common 2021 1500 problems?

According to NHTSA complaint data, the leading problem areas are engine (274 complaints), electrical system (205 complaints), other (99 complaints).

Does the 2021 Ram 1500 have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 14 recall campaigns affecting the 2021 Ram 1500. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers; check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm the work was done.

Is the 2021 Ram 1500 under NHTSA investigation?

Yes — an investigation remains open (High pressure fuel pump failure). An open ODI action means NHTSA is actively assessing a possible defect.

Which Ram 1500 years should you avoid?

Based on complaint rates and open investigations, the 1500 years to avoid are 2014, 2019, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2018, 2020. The cleanest record among 1500 years belongs to 2012.

How safe is the 2021 Ram 1500?

In NHTSA's NCAP crash testing, the 2021 Ram 1500 earned an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.