Complaint volume
635 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2018 Ram 1500 Complaints
635 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Ram 1500, grouped by component category.
635 Total complaints
25 Crash reports
8 Fire reports
14 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are electrical system, steering, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 25 crash reports, 8 fire reports, 14 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 206 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 47,061 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to electrical system, steering, unknown or other?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2018 Ram 1500?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2018 Ram 1500
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2018 Ram 1500 complaints?
25 Crash
8 Fire
14 Injury
0 Fatality
40 Towed
12 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Ram 1500 complaint categories?
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 66
STEERING 54
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 53
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 52
ENGINE 48
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL 33
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 25
POWER TRAIN 22
SERVICE BRAKES 18
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 16
635 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES | DODGE IS NOT SUPPORTING THEIR 2018 RAM 1500 ABS CONTROL MODULE. Once the warning light appeared the vehicle becomes unsafe to operate as the brake fluid distribution is compromised. The Dodge dealers do not have the replacement part and don't expect the part until later in the year. A call to MOPAR resulted in finding out their are 're-engineering' the module and replacement parts are not available until 4th quarter of this year. My vehicle is inoperable and the manufacturer cannot supply the required part, but no RECALL has been issued, although there is a recall for 2019-2022. RAM trucks are non-operable all over America and Dodge is not supporting their customers, nor seem to care. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | My truck only has 89,000 miles on it and yet it sustained a $5,000 engine malfunction. The engine was overheating and it turns out, that the cylinder heads failed. I have found this to be common with the 3.6 L engine that I have. This problem also led to the water pump failing and cylinder heads to need repaired. Basically the entire engine except the engine block is being repaired. The engine overheated multiple times. The first time I had the thermostat replaced. The second time it was low on coolant and topped off. Bu the 3rd time, they were able to diagnose this hiding problem that they said is extremely common in ram trucks with the 3.6 liter engine. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,WHEELS | The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the ABS warning light along with several other unknown warning lights. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed and seized. The vehicle was driven to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the front wheel hubs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 141,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 141,000 |
| Sep 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The UCONNECT touch screen began de-laminating several years ago and was reported to the local dealership that services my vehicle, but they discarded due to warranty status. However now it is randomly detecting a 'touch' on the screen. While this is somewhat just an annoyance when using the radio, nav or apple car play, this is also used to control the vehicle settings including many of the safety features making this a critical component of the safety system of the vehicle. A malfunctioning touch screen should be considered a critical defect in terms of safety in most modern vehicles. I have noticed there are other complaints about this as well in public forums and on the NHTSA site. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that water was leaking into the cabin from the rear center 3rd brake light. In addition, the contact stated that the moisture from the leaking from the 3rd brake light caused the front windshield to fog up and obstruct the view while driving. The contact stated that the screws used to hold the seat down was rusted due to the leak. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 12,000 |
| Sep 2024 | AIR BAGS | With in only a month and a half of buying the vehicle the suspension system goes to exit/entry height and will not increase in height even though the compressor is on | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a cracked particulate filter. The contact was advised that the particulate filter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the part to complete the repair was on backorder. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of coolant. The contact stated that the coolant level was over one gallon low within a two-week period. The vehicle was inspected for leaks, and it was confirmed that there were no leaks found. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired for the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that upon inspection it was discovered that the plastic components inside the headlight housing had melted in the front driver’s and passenger’s side headlight assemblies. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine what caused the components to melt. The contact was informed that the driver's and passenger’s side headlight assemblies needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 50,300. | Crash: No Fire: No | 50,300 |
| Sep 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Infotainment system within the car will randomly touch the screen and make distinctive changes that alter the cars driving state. Has called SOS system multiple times. Changed climate control settings and opens up backup cam while traveling forward and not in a parking state. Causes a distraction within the car for the driver and the passengers, and could potentially have harmful driving effects, including switching transmission settings or changing driving at all. I have a video that shows what is happening. No picture will do it justice. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at speeds above 80 MPH, the vehicle started to shake, the engine overheated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and was diagnosed with a faulty battery. The battery was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to a second dealer, but the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 95,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 95,000 |
| Aug 2024 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | My warranty work is being delayed until my warranty expires. The dealership said I could take my vehicle to another location, but that would mean leaving it there for several weeks just to get it inspected. This other dealership is about an hour away, and I live alone, so this isn't feasible. Am I really expected to accommodate the dealership just to get them to honor my warranty? The engine is ticking at idle, which I understand could indicate a failing engine. My truck also has a transmission issue—it slams into first gear when coming to a stop. The dealership looked at it early this summer but said I’d be without a vehicle for a significant amount of time if I left it, and they didn’t offer a loaner. This truck was originally purchased for $38,000 and came with a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) warranty. Additionally, the headliner leaked within the first few months of ownership. The dealership (Champion Ram of Athens, Alabama) tried to get me to pay a third-party contractor for the repair, but it was clear they were trying to sell me unnecessary services, so I declined. I took it to a body shop friend, who found that the cab seams were leaking due to what seemed to be a manufacturing defect. This issue causes moisture to affect the 10-inch Uconnect system, which malfunctions when exposed to water. My warranty expires very soon, and it feels like they're just trying to avoid fixing these issues. The truck currently has around 93,000 miles on it. Please help in any way you can, because getting help from Ram has been like chasing a chipmunk! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while changing the passenger's side rear wheel, the vehicle was lifted by the jack. The contact stated that the gear shifter independently shifted out of gear, and the vehicle moved forward and fell off the jack. The contact stated that he was underneath the vehicle when the failure occurred. The contact stated that the tire stopped the vehicle from falling to the ground. The contact stated that the vehicle had been parked for two days and sitting on a flat tire. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,130. | Crash: No Fire: No | 77,130 |
| Aug 2024 | STEERING | The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated when he first started the vehicle he observed that a red steering wheel with an exclamation point was flashing on the instrument cluster. The contact stated that when he had shifted the vehicle into drive (D) and was turning the steering wheel to drive onto a street onto the street the steering wheel was locked. The contact turned the vehicle off and on several times and was able to regain power steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was now an ongoing failure. The red steering wheel warning was no longer flashing as was constantly illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the power steering gear and a printed circuit card needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had researched on line and related the failure to manufacturer recall number: VB9 - Electric Power Steering Gear (Steering) The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,825. | Crash: No Fire: No | 77,825 |
| Aug 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | Intermittently loses ABS, traction control, and cruise control. Now throwing multiple error codes but does not "store" any codes. Lights/warnings/chimes are intermittent and random. Windshield wipers will intermittently come on as well. This is a known problem with these vehicles. Most recently randomly throws service shifter codes and vehicle shifts into neutral with no warning. The shifter has been replaced with no remedy to the problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | ENGINE | Our truck only has 70,000 miles on it. My husband is a mechanic and has taken very good care of the truck. While traveling a few weeks ago the truck just started to miss and died. We lost all power. I am still under warranty thankfully. But I have read about all of the engines issues that are happening with this year and model. When is something going to be done about the engine failure? We could have died if we were on a busy highway. This is a very dangerous issue. I won’t know what the issue is until I get it to the dealer. The issue is not coming up on the scanner that is used by the automotive shop that my husband works at. I really think that is an issue within itself also. Does someone have to die to be able to get this resolved? I am now thinking I will sale my vehicle when it gets fixed. I can’t take any chances as we just bought a camping trailer and I can’t imagine breaking down towing that. I’m going to be the big loser in this situation as I will probably lose money selling it. Please step up and help us owners out with the known issues about this vehicle engine issues and issues the proper recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | Intermittently loses ABS, traction control, and cruise control. Now throwing multiple error codes but does not "store" any codes. Lights/warnings/chimes are intermittent and random. Upgraded parts to repair are unavailable. This is a known problem with these vehicles. Most recently randomly throws service shifter codes and vehicle shifts into neutral with no warning. Main vehicle computer has been replaced, did not remedy the problem(s). | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Radio Delamination, safety issue, loss of control features, backup camera turns on, making unwanted phone calls | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Crank no start and vehicle stops running. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | I bought my ram 1500 in January 2019 brand new from the Sahara Dodge in Las Vegas. I have been up to date on my services and have brought the vehicle in to a Dodge dealership if i ever had an issue. It currently has approx 78k miles on it. ON [XXX] I was driving on the freeway going approximate 65MPH and my truck started shaking really bad. While it was shaking I started to see oil spraying from my engine. As I was trying to slow down my truck just shut off in a travel lane and NHP troopers had to push me out of oncoming traffic… thankfully no one was Injured. I had the vehicle towed to desert 215 superstore dealership located at 8030 Rafael Rivera Way, Las Vegas, NV 89113. The service advisor did not call for several days, so I contacted the manager Derek Davis. Derek advised me that my crankshaft had snapped in half, causing a piston rod to snap, which poked a hole through my engine. I need an entire new engine. I do have a recall on my vehicle 66A (reference the crankshaft sensor) which i tried to get repaired but I was told to wait by the prestidge Dodge dealership in Las Vegas because i had two recalls on my vehicle and they had to order the parts. This power train failure is directly related to the recall I had with the crankshaft sensor. With several weeks of me calling for updates, the service advisor asked me to provide service records to provide to “corporate” to see if they will cover the repairs. On 7/23/24, service advisor James Cruz called and told me that they are not going to cover it. I asked “even though I need a repair directly related to the recall” and he said yes. He then provided me the phone number to ram cares to call them directly. On 7/24/23, I received a phone call from Chrysler corporate and provided all the information to them, but they are telling me the dealership knows what to do with “recall repairs” but she is still trying to find out… The dealership is extremely hard to get information or help from. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that while the vehicle was inside the garage, the contact noticed an abnormal exhaust odor. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the exhaust manifold bolts were fractured. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the manifold and bolts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 98,000 |
| Jul 2024 | STEERING | The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and turning the steering wheel to the left or the right, the power steering functionality was inoperable. The contact needed to use both hands to turn the steering wheel. The steering wheel would continuously turn in the opposite direction. The steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn. The service power steering message was displayed. The contact viewed a video regarding the lower steering shaft u joint. The contact used a tester and checked the fuses. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that a diagnostic test was needed and that the repair would be an out-of-pocket expense. Additionally, the contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty and there was no recall associated with the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 99,899. | Crash: No Fire: No | 99,899 |
| Jul 2024 | STEERING | While driving down the highway I lost my power stearing. The power stearing keep going in and out from 10 mph to 50 all speeds. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | STEERING | On 07/11/2024 while driving my 2018 RAM Ecodiesel at highway speeds, a warning light came on that said "Service Power Steering" and my electronic power steering (EPS) completely stopped working. This caused an extremely unsafe situation as I was traveling at roughly 65mph in moderate traffic and had to perform an evasive maneuver to keep from colliding with the vehicle next to me and pull my vehicle to the side of the road. I have an appointment with a local RAM dealer today 07/15/2024. Vehicle available for inspection upon request. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the exhaust manifolds were leaking due to fractured exhaust bolts. The dealer replaced the two exhaust manifold gaskets and bolts. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 99,000 |
| Jun 2024 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL | The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V406000 (Fuel System, Diesel) and 23V411000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |