2021 Ram 1500 Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 26,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

The engine oil pan severely corroded and over 30% of the 18 gauge steel scaled away. For an 18-gauge steel oil pan (nominal thickness of 0.0478 inches or 1.2 mm), the threshold where rust becomes hazardous is remarkably thin, literally and figuratively. Because an oil pan holds hot, chemically active fluid and is subjected to constant…Owner complaint, filed 2026

I own a 2021 Ram 1500 with the 3.0L EcoDiesel Gen 3 engine. The vehicle has experienced diagnostic trouble code P00AF, indicating a turbocharger/variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) boost-control performance problem. I have already taken the vehicle to a Ram dealership for this same issue. The dealership performed a computer/software…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 44,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

I am writing to express my concern about vehicle warranty coverage being provided by RAM (Stellantis NA) on their vehicles. I have a 2021 Ram 1500 which has a motor generator unit (MGU) which has failed due to a defect with the bearings. This has been diagnosed by the dealership and identified as covered under the emissions warranty.…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the instrument panel lights illuminated but the vehicle failed to start. The battery was replaced but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the RF Hub had failed and needed to be replaced. The…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 81,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 28,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

Transmission issues are a known problem in the 2021 Ram 1500 and have been for a while, with no recalls. Slipping of gear. Delay or jerking into reverse. Putting it in reverse and it telling me to put it into park or it auto-correcting itself into park. While driving twice and going from complete stop after the auto correcting went to…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Me and my 2 children and my husband were traveling to Springfield Mo . We had stopped for some snacks at Dollar general . When we all go back in the vehicle . My husband tried to start our truck he was turning the key over and over and it just wasn’t starting . Here it is 95 degrees outside with 2 small children and our truck is our only…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 28,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

My 2021 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel previously had the federal high-pressure fuel pump safety recall completed (Recall Z96 / NHTSA Campaign 22V767000) on February 12, 2024, where remedy part CSSMZ461-AA was installed. Recently, the vehicle suffered a complete loss of motive power due to a sudden, catastrophic internal failure of this replacement…Owner complaint, filed 2026

My 2021 RAM 1500 ecodiesel was subject to an NHTSA recall (23V-263). The recall included a replacement High pressure fuel pump (HPFP) due to a mechanical defect in the Bosch CP4.2 high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) that causes the pump to fail prematurely and destroy itself internally. The HPFP was replaced under the recall over two years…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 36,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

I received recall notification number 24V653000, Stellantis recall 75B. This recall is detailed as a software malfunction in the ABS control module to disable the electronic stability control system. This will cause the vehicle to fail. It was serviced at Don Davis Ram dealership in Arlington, Texas on November 11, 2025 and was advised…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS warning light illuminated. Approximately six months later, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine, ABS, stability control, and brake warning lights illuminated, and the "Auto Park Disabled," "Service Antilock Brake…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 24,000 miles. Parts named most: Automatic emergency braking (46), Warnings (13), Blind spot detection (7).

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

the reverse camera quit working, trailer reverse function inop, service electric throttle light is on. I have had the recall completed. the programing did not completely correct the issue. the vehicle s at the dealership now - has been there for a week now- no word on what the problem is.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Ram continues to refuse to implement a fix for Recall 24V-653. The ABS disabling the Electronic Stability Control is extremely dangerous and renders my truck unfit for its intended purpose. Additionally the failure to implement a fix has made it impossible to sell or trade in my truck fir it's full market value.Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 38,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Purchase vehicle new and report issue with steering vibration and wandering feel after purchasing on multiple occasions when having the vehicle serviced by dealership. No issues found was the response each time, but condition continued. Front tire wear indicated something wasn't right. Replaced tires with OEM Goodyear tires even though…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to turn, and excessive force was needed to turn the steering wheel to the left or the right. The Electronic Power Steering (EPS) warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that while…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 85,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 40,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the HVAC system was activated to defrost the window, and there was a failure with the heater core which caused the windshield to become foggy with chemical steam inside the cabin of the vehicle, severely affecting the visibility. The contact constantly pulled…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 130,000 miles

The contact owns a 2021 RAM 1500. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the high beam headlights failed to illuminate while the button was depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed and determined that the CSSM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 147,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 6,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (29).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

The driver's side sun visor falls out of its anchor point and dangles from its internal wiring above the dashboard height, severely obscuring the driver's vision. This is a very unsafe condition that has happened to me while driving on several occasions. Forward vision required for safety is substantially obscured, and moving the visor…Owner complaint, filed 2026

I took my truck into the dealership for the second time because my tpms module was not functioning correctly. I would get an error about a mile into my travels saying it was unavailable. My second appointment the technician found the rear windshield is leaking water down through the back driver side and dripping water onto the module.…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 2,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

The steering rod from the steering wheel came out of the knuckle under the dash lucky i was going about 30 miles and hour it could have been 2 people killed. i having to pay $1,200 to fix the problem but i think this is something that Dodge needs to help me on cause this could have been a lot worst. I have 68,000 miles on it. i missed a…Owner complaint, filed 2024

When traversing from one hwy to another on an off ramp at 39 mph the truck suddenly accelerated like the pedal was pushed to the floor, speed jumped to 55mph in a flash. I hit the brakes hard once and then again to stop the sudden acceleration. Truck had a mind of its own. Dangerous situation, fortunately no one was in front of me to run…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 49,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

NHTSA Vehicle Safety Complaint I am submitting this complaint to request that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigate a potential safety defect involving the dashboard on my 2021 Ram TRX. The dashboard on my vehicle has developed significant bubbling and delamination in the area of the passenger-side airbag…Owner complaint, filed 2026

I own a 2021 Ram 1500 (“Build to Serve” edition). The airbag/SRS warning light came on around January 2025. The message states that the airbag system needs service. This indicates that the airbags may not deploy properly in the event of a crash, putting my safety and the safety of my passengers at risk. I took the vehicle to the Ram…Owner complaint, filed 2025

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

While undergoing an annual vehicle inspection it was detected that ball joints have failed and are in need of replacement. This is a 2021 Ram 1500 with 77,500 miles. This seems to be a pre-mature failure of a critical component.Owner complaint, filed 2025

The ball joint separated from the upper control arm on the front driver side while the vehicle was in motion in a parking lot. There has never been any abuse or misuse of the vehicle and it only has 31700 miles on it. This could have been much worse had this happened while traveling down the road at much higher speeds.Owner complaint, filed 2023

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

On 12-4-2025 I purchased a set of kumho mavis mountaineers apt tires at the Thomson GA. location. They didn't balance the tires when they were installed. So I had to go back for them to be balanced. After 5 months my truck was still riding really rough and the tires had worn considerably more than they should have so I called Mavis about…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Properly maintained factory installed tire had a no notice sidewall blowout at 50mph. There was no load in the bed. Noticed rough ride and tire pressure system went from properly inflated to 1. Kept the tire after replacing at a Firestone dealership.Owner complaint, filed 2021

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, while attempting to fasten the front passenger’s and driver’s side seat belts, the seat belts failed to retract. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that VIN was not under recall, and no assistance could be provided with the…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 80,000 miles

Driver side seatbelts issues, issues locking the buckle. Also car has engine light come up after emergency braking system error. Goes in to reduced power mode. If shut off and turn back on, truck is fine.Owner complaint, filed 2026

What to check before you buy

• Ask for a hybrid battery health report from a dealer or hybrid shop.
• Watch for warning messages at startup and on the test drive, and confirm the car switches between gas and electric smoothly.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to coast the vehicle to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was restarted and operated normally. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 15,000 miles