Complaint volume
644 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
2021 Ram 1500 Complaints
644 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Ram 1500, grouped by component category.
644 Total complaints
26 Crash reports
4 Fire reports
17 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 engine, unknown or other, electrical system. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 26 crash reports, 4 fire reports, 17 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 104 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 36,644 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to engine, unknown or other, electrical system?
- 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 2021 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.
2021 Ram 1500
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2021 Ram 1500 complaints?
26 Crash
4 Fire
17 Injury
0 Fatality
36 Towed
14 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Ram 1500 complaint categories?
ENGINE 80
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 47
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 44
POWER TRAIN 41
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 36
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 29
STEERING 24
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE 22
AIR BAGS 17
STRUCTURE 15
644 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2023 | AIR BAGS | The airbags failed to deploy with an offset front end collision going 42 mph. My husband was in an accident and now has a brain injury. The airbags did not go off. The vehicle has been inspected by the body shop but no one will tell me why the airbags did not go off. I have called the manufacturer, a dealership, the body shop, my insurance company everyone just passes the buck to each other and I’m going in circles. They are fixing the truck now and it needs a new frame along with thousands of dollars in damage. No one can tell me whether it is safe to drive my family in at this point We have been through a ton of trauma because of my husbands injury and this just adds to it. There were no warning lamps or symptoms prior to the accident. I first emailed Ram and they said the would need to inspect it. Then I heard nothing so I called and talked to a customer service representative who said my insurance company would contact them and I was told by my insurance co that I needed to contact the manufacturer. Then I was hung up on | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL | The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed as a high pressure fuel pump failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 2021 Dodge Ram Hemi Etorque shuts down while driving. This has happened approximately a dozen times in the last year. On most occasions this has happened within the first 5 minutes of driving. On all but one occasion we were yielding and then pulling into an intersection and the truck shut off in the middle of the intersection. This caused vehicles that were driving at full speed to swerve from hitting us. The vehicle shut off, goes into park, and the emergency brake engages. A message appears on the dashboard indicating autopark engaged, In order to get moving again, we have to start the card, disengage the emergency brake, and put the car in drive. This is a DANGEROUS situation that will result in serious injury or worse. The very last incident the truck has been running a while. We stopped at a location and placed the truck in park. We never shut the motor off. A few minutes later, we put the car in drive and accelerated. Within the first 20 feet the vehicle shut off and came to a stop. Again, the vehicle automatically went into park and the E brake engaged. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V767000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The contact stated that they experienced a failure but was luckily travelling at a low speed in a residential area. There was metal found in the fuel filter and the entire fuel system needs to be replaced but the parts are not available. The contact has deemed the vehicle not usable and the manufacturer has been unable to help. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | When fueling at the gas station the nozzle will not continuously flow. Even manually pressing the trigger to release the fuel from the hose it constantly clicks off after a few seconds. Adjusting the nozzle has no effect and fueling takes an extensive amount of time having to put small amounts over and over | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | After completing a left hand turn, the vehicle stalled while moving. The emergency brake activated. The car would restart but not immediately engage leaving me stuck in traffic. To get going again the emergency brake had to be deactivated and the vehicle restarted. Following the event an internet search brings up dozens of similar events with many being much worse as they happened at highway speeds. This is incredibly dangerous. I booked a service appointment and will have it looked at. However, even with this being a repeat failure with Ram 1500 eTorque as indicated through a simple internet search, that the dealership indicated they were not aware of this problem is surprising. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that on multiple occasions while stopped at a red traffic light, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V767000 (Fuel System, Gasoline; Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 6,700. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The consumer stated the truck was sold back to the dealer due to feeling unsafe in the vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,700 |
| Jan 2023 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V767000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I was driving my new 2021 dodge ram 1500 classic and smoke started to come out from under the hood so I pulled over bc I thought it was overheating and then it caught on fire whilst I was still in it I immediately dialed 911 and by the time they arrived my whole truck was on fire from front to back the truck got totaled and I currently don’t know where it is this happened in September of 2022 and the dealership that sold me the truck are refusing to do anything as it was still under warranty. | Crash: No Fire: Yes | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | ENGINE | While driving down the road my vehicle randomly prompted me to engage the break, then shutdown and abruptly engaged the emergency brake. This could have easily been a life threatening situation for me and other nearby motorists. It is my understanding this is becoming a common occurrence and should be investigated immediately. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Front piece of panoramic sunroof blew out. Going 70 mph on highway. No other vehicles near me. Temp was approx 62F out. Overcast. No overpasses. Blew out without warning and without previous issues. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2022 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated while attempting to use the windshield washer function, there was no washer fluid coming out as needed. The contact parked the vehicle in the garage and notice that due to 5-degree weather, the windshield washer fluid line had burst. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 40,500. | Crash: No Fire: No | 40,500 |
| Dec 2022 | ENGINE | Car has turned off on multiple occasions while driving and emergency brake engages. Very dangerous. Forums show this is a common issue but does not produce an error code. Something must be done. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2022 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I was at service station to get gas, and the nozzle clicks off no matter what speed I try, even though my tank shows being 1/2 full. Gas also runs out getting on my hand, the truck, and the ground. This is my first report of the problem, but it has occurred several times over the past two months. I had wondered if it could have been the nozzle malfunctioning, but I pulled up to the next pump and encountered the same issue. Had we been on a trip and unable to add fuel we could have been stranded. Had we been on an Interstate and got stuck in traffic for an extended time, we could suffer the consequence of running out of fuel. The result could be tragic had the overflowing gas found an ignition source. Finally, the presence and smell of gasoline on me and my clothing is irritating and disguising | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | On 12/16/21 with mileage at 10,380 my truck lost power and engine turned off as i was making a left turn at a speed of somewhere between 5-10 MPH. After a complete stop i was able to turn the truck back on and everything seemed normal. I did called FCA the following day and was told to have it checked at a dealership near me but Covid hit my family around that time so i didn’t take it in for service. on 2/27/22 with 14,800 miles the truck stalled again as i was making a left turn at a busy intersection. The truck stalled on me again for the 3rd time but i didn’t document date or mileage. Currently i have a little over 32,000 miles and truck has stalled 3 times and not once did i get a check engine light. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | - Driver side lock stays locked when unlocking the vehicle. Unable to enter and access the vehicle. It will also stay in the unlocked position when locking the vehicle. Vehicle is accessible to break-in. - The safety of passengers, such as my children, is at risk in the event I need to quickly access the inside of my vehicle's driver side if it's locked. For example, if my vehicle needs to be turned off in an emergency or the truck needs to be quickly driven or the gear be changed (say, if accidently not placed in park and the vehicle begins to move), etc. - Dealer has not confirmed issue. - Vehicle has not been inspected. - No prior warning messages or prior symptoms | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Tailgate Opened by it self while driving down the road. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2022 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | vehicle stalled and shut off while merging into traffic. Dash lit up and ebrake engaged. No check engine light after incident.Extremely unsafe and could have caused an accident on coming traffic had to swerve out the way to avoid an accident. No prior warnings and has happened twice now. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | While making a right turn at 5mph, motor shut down and emergency brake was applied. 22k mile on a ram bighorn. Serious safety issue | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Was making a slow 10-15mph right hand turn out of my neighborhood and the truck stalled. Power was still on, park brake came on while in motion. Had to shift back to park to restart. Once restarted, no caution or warning lights on the dash. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I was making a right hand turn at about 5-10 mph and the truck stalled. All dash lights were still on. Truck was in Run position, engine just stalled, it put itself in park and emergency brake was engaged. Restarted truck with no warning lights or possible cause of fault. Thankfully there was no traffic or I could’ve been hit. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL | The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the fuel system was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but no failure was found. The vehicle was towed to a different dealer for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and case was filed. The failure mileage was 14,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 14,000 |
| Oct 2022 | ENGINE | Pulling into my daughter's school this morning, I made a right, then a left into the parking lot/drop off line and the truck shut off completely. The parking brake came on, locked the truck up and automatically shifted itself to Park. Went to ACC mode. I pushed the start button again and all power went off. Pushed a third time and truck restarted. No codes no lights. Took truck to dealer where they hooked up to the CPU and showed no codes. Service advisor said they are seeing this a lot and there is no known repair from Chrysler/RAM. This is first instance where truck shut off. A month ago I got a parking bake default and it would not disengage. I had to turn the truck off then back on to get the brake to turn off. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I bought my truck brand new with 500 miles on it Oct. 14th 21. I made it to around 70k when the truck would stutter and hesitate to drive. Took it to dealership and said No codes, nothing wrong after 2 days of "checking it". Brought it back at 76k and truck would hardly drive, but yet said they couldn't figure it out and sent me on my way. Was driving home at 85k and truck stalled going 75mph while on a 2 lane highway. The truck rolled to about 30 mph and completely died and locked up steering wheel and activated the E brake as I was almost safely off the road. After trying time and time again, I finally got the truck to start and off the road. Called dealership and was told they wouldn't tow it as it was out of warranty at this point. So I had no choice but to limp it to them 400 miles away. They let it sit over weekend and went to test drive it and drove as it would normally. Sent me back out with it, only for it to happen again at 99k and stall. Same process as before and had to lug it to them out of my pocket. They Finally agreed to replace fuel pump, but out of my pocket conviently since they sent it back numerous times and now out of any warranty. At 105k, I took it back to dealership with same issue as before and was told there was nothing to do and sent me on my way. At 111k it stalled on highway at night and almost caused a major crash as the E brake set it's self while traveling at 45mph in a construction zone. Limped to dealer yet again, and they replaced the EVAP cannister as part of their guessing game. Now today at 115.5k I have dropped it off again for same issue. Stalled while traveling 75 on Interstate and almost caused me to hit a pole as I only have so much room to get off the road before it shuts down. I have since called MOPAR themselves and have yet to hear more as the Dealership has not helped at all. This has ALL transpired over the course of 1 year with brand new 2021 Ram 1500 V6 Penstar. Please help. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | UNKNOWN when driving either Freeway or City there is vibration in vehicle involved often. also the cargo bed slightly shakes and brakes feels like it is tight when releasing you can feel somewhat rubbing the tires. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |