VehicleVerdict

2019 Ram 5500 problems

Verdict · NHTSA data

One of the years to avoid

The 2019 Ram 5500 carries two red flags at once: 12 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA — 2.2× the 5500 norm — and an open NHTSA defect investigation (subject: High pressure fuel pump failure). It is one of the 5500 years to avoid.

12

NHTSA complaints

10

Recalls

2

Investigations · 1 open

0

Crash-involved

1

Fires reported

2

Injuries

0

Deaths

NCAP overall

How does 2019 compare to other 5500 years?

See all 5500 years to avoid →

What are the most common 2019 Ram 5500 problems?

ComponentComplaintsShare
Fuel System542%
Brakes217%
Engine217%
Body & Structure18%
Tires & Wheels18%
Transmission18%

Does the 2019 Ram 5500 have recalls?

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

22V759000BrakesOctober 11, 2022 · 26,961 units

Defect

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles. The rear brake hose inside diameter may be too small, which could cause the hose to rupture. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 106, "Brake Hoses."

Consequence

A brake hose rupture can cause a loss of braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the rear brake hoses, 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 ZA5.

22V035000Visibility & WipersJanuary 27, 2022 · 171,789 units

Defect

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 2500 and Ram 3500 vehicles, Ram 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Cab Chassis, 5500 Cab Chassis and 3500 Cab Chassis with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of less than 10,000 lbs. The windshield wiper arms may loosen, possibly causing the wipers to function improperly and reduce the driver's visibility in certain weather conditions.

Consequence

Reduced visibility increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will tighten the wiper nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 15, 2022. This recall is an expansion of recall number 20V-208. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Z08.

21V880000Fuel SystemNovember 12, 2021 · 222,410 units

Defect

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 2500, 3500 pickup trucks, and Ram 3500, 4500, and 5500 cab chassis vehicles equipped with Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel engines. The High Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP) may fail, resulting in a sudden engine stall without warning.

Consequence

An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the HPFP, update the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software, and inspect and replace additional fuel system components as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters to inform owners of the safety recall were mailed on January 4, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 17, 2022. Phase 2 owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on March 2, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Y78.

21V439000EngineJune 10, 2021 · 32,002 units

Defect

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 3500, 4500, and 5500 cab chassis vehicles equipped with a Cummins 6.7L High Output engine. The engine calibration software may not warn about low oil volume.

Consequence

Low oil can damage the engine, causing an oil leak or a punctured engine block, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy

Dealers will update the engine calibration software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 25, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is Y21.

21V398000Tires & WheelsMay 27, 2021 · 447,985 units

Defect

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2012-2021 RAM 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Cab Chassis, and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles. Incorrect information in the Service and Owner's Manuals may cause the flanged lug nuts to be over-tightened, which could result in a broken wheel stud and possible wheel separation.

Consequence

Wheel separation can cause a vehicle crash.

Remedy

Dealers will update the torque specification in the owner's manual and other published service documents. Dealers will also inspect the vehicle's wheel studs, replacing them if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 30, 2021. Campaign Y36 owner notification letters were mailed on November 30, 2021. Campaign Y26 owner notification letters were mailed on December 1, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US's numbers for this recall are Y26 and Y36.

21V023000BrakesJanuary 26, 2021 · 4 units

Defect

Excellance, Inc (Excellance) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Excellance-modified RAM 4500/5500 vehicles to be equipped with CLASS Suspension Systems. In the affected suspension systems, the rear brake caliper flexible line may have been routed so that it contacts a suspension component, possibly causing excessive wear and a loss of rear brakes.

Consequence

A worn rear brake caliper flexible line may cause brake fluid leakage which may result in a partial or complete loss of the rear brakes, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Excellance will notify owners, and dealers will install a kit to remedy any damage and to prevent any future damage, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a schedule for recall notification. Owners may contact Excellance customer service at 1-800-882-9799.

21V008000BrakesJanuary 13, 2021 · 23 units

Defect

Braun Northwest (Braun Northwest) is recalling certain 2019-2020 RAM 4500/5500 vehicles equipped with Liquid Spring rear suspension systems. In the affected suspension systems, the rear brake caliper flexible line may have been routed so that it contacts a suspension component, possibly causing excessive wear and a loss of rear brakes.

Consequence

A worn rear brake line may leak fluid, resulting in a partial or complete loss of the rear brakes, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Braun Northwest will notify owners, and dealers will install a repair kit to each rear caliper and modify the rear brake caliper flexible line mounting. Any worn rear brake caliper flexible lines will be replaced as needed, free of charge. The recall began June 8, 2020. Owners may contact Braun Northwest customer service at 1-360-748-0195.

20V511000EngineAugust 27, 2020 · 32,318 units

Defect

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 cab chassis built with a Cummins 6.7L High Output engine. Inadequate warmup protection can cause a lack of oil film on the engine connecting rod bearings while the engine is reaching operating temperature. This can result in engine damage and connecting rod failure, which could potentially puncture the engine block.

Consequence

A damaged engine block may leak oil, which can contact hot engine or exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will flash the engine calibration software to enhance the engine warm up protection, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W57.

20E031000BrakesMay 13, 2020 · 397 units

Defect

LiquidSpring LLC (LiquidSpring) is recalling certain Compressible Liquid Adaptive Suspension Systems (C.L.A.S.S.), part numbers DS135RS3A, DS135RS3AF, DS135RS3-DM, sold for use with 2019-2020 RAM 4500 and 5500 vehicles. In the affected suspension systems, the rear brake caliper flexible line may have been routed so that it contacts a suspension component, possibly causing excessive wear and a loss of rear brakes. As such, these parts fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems."

Consequence

A worn rear brake caliper flexible line may cause brake fluid leakage which may result in a partial or complete loss of the rear brakes, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

LiquidSpring has notified the purchasers, and the affected vehicle manufacturers will file recalls to have their dealers inspect the rear brake caliper flexible lines for wear and install a kit to modify the rear brake caliper flexible line mounting, and if necessary, a kit to replace worn brake lines, free of charge. The recall May 13, 2020. Owners may contact LiquidSpring customer service at 1-765-474-7816, extension 1.

19V498000Fuel SystemJune 27, 2019 · 499 units

Defect

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks, and 3500, 4500, and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The fuel lines may leak fuel into the engine compartment.

Consequence

A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy

Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel lines, replacing them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 18, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V76.

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.

HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP WENT OUT CONTAMINATING THE WHOLE FUEL SYSTEM WITH METAL FRAGEMENTS. TRUCK DERATED TO 5MPH. SAT AT DEALERSHIP FOR OVER 3 MONTHS DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO CORRECT PROBLEM.

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Fuel System · March 4, 2021

The contact's husband owns a 2019 Ram 5500. While her husband was driving 45 mph, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine as the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. Her husband pulled over to the side of the road and upon…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · May 4, 2021 · fire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 RAM 5500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED WHILE DRIVING ON WET SURFACES, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SLIDE FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED WHILE DRIVING ON DRY PAVEMENT HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS MORE…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Brakes · October 27, 2020

The contact owns a 2019 Ram 5500. The contact stated that while one of his drivers was driving at an undisclosed speed, the tire tread detached and began to roll down the highway. The driver pulled over to the side of the road. There was no warning light illuminated. There was no injury sustained;…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Tires & Wheels · May 21, 2024

While unloading cargo, I was standing on the flatbed of the truck, leaning over the standing side-gates, without realizing they weren’t locked in place. The gates fell down onto a co-worker and I fell out of the truck. Similar incidents have occurred before and after this accident. These gate…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Body & Structure · July 31, 2024

2019 Ram 5500 — common questions

Is the 2019 Ram 5500 reliable?

NHTSA data argues against it: 12 complaints put the 2019 model at #7 of 18 5500 years, and a defect investigation remains open. It is one of the 5500 years to avoid.

What are the most common 2019 5500 problems?

According to NHTSA complaint data, the leading problem areas are fuel system (5 complaints), brakes (2 complaints), engine (2 complaints).

Does the 2019 Ram 5500 have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns affecting the 2019 Ram 5500. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers; check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm the work was done.

Is the 2019 Ram 5500 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 5500 years should you avoid?

Based on complaint rates and open investigations, the 5500 years to avoid are 2018, 2022, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2013, 2009. The cleanest record among 5500 years belongs to 2026.

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.