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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | Unknown system is causing the vehicle to stall. Has happened three times, once in traffic. I will be cruising slow and applying slight brake pressure, then when I release the brake the engine will cut off, apply emergency brake and shift to park. I then have to start vehicle, disengage emergency brake and put into drive. This has happened on three different occasions making me doubt the safety of the vehicle. Dealer service state no codes were shown and can not duplicate. This needs to be addressed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2022 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Engine fuel pump failed and sent metal shavings throughout the fuel system. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Car was in drive, I was in traffic (0-5 mph) and the auto brake system engaged. My seat belt was buckled and all the doors were closed. The engine turned to neutral unexpectedly. I was lucky to have enough momentum to pull over. The car then auto shifted itself to park and put its e-brake on. I had to disengage e-brake then push the start button. I’m thankful I wasn’t rear-ended. There was no reason the car should have engaged this safety system. I don’t know of a way to manually over ride this. I’m worried it will happen again and I won’t be so lucky to be able to pull over. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | While driving the radio console( a/c, etc) and odometer turned off for 3 minutes while the remained running. This has happened up to 6 times. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 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 into. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | On 8/18/22, I pulled out from a stop sign and as I was moving over to my desired traffic lane, my vehicle shut down, we heard one ding from the dash board, no warnings appeared. I was on a major roadway (north decatur ave at the 215 North Beltway) and was fortunate to be able to move to the far righthand lane. Since there was a sidewalk I wasn't able to get my vehicle out of the roadway. I notified the State Police, activate emergency flashers and we exited vehicle because traffic was traveling through the area at a pretty good speed (45 mph zone). Notified Ram roadside and requested tow to dealership. Attempted several times to restart truck, the starter would only spin but would not fire (sounded like no fuel but I had 1/2 a tank). State Trooper pulled in behind us and activate emergency lights to protect us. Called Ram Service writer who said it sounded like High Pressure Fuel Pump failure. Truck eventually towed to Chapman Ram on Boulder Highway, Las Vegas NV. We were lucky to pull off to right lane, could have been an accident for sure. On 8/20/22, Ram Service Writer messaged me that it was the High Pressure Fuel Pump. On 8/29/22 Service Writer notified me the metal shavings were in the fuel lines and injectors so parts were on order. This failure sounds very similar to the HPFP recall that Ram issued for earlier rams. We were lucky to get out of traffic and were very fortunate the State Trooper was able to stay behind us until we were towed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | While driving on the freeway the truck lost all engine power and power steering. I was traveling with the flow of traffic but had to quickly try and get my vehicle onto the shoulder and away from other vehicles still traveling at freeway speeds to attempt to restart the truck. This created a very unsafe situation due to not having any sort of power steering to assist in turning the vehicle off the road. I was able to shift the vehicle into neutral and coast to the shoulder in order to return the shifter to park and restart the vehicle | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | On 8/13 while driving at low speed through a residential neighborhood my 2021 RAM 1500 suddenly display a warning message and switched from drive into park while the vehicle was still moving. Wheels and steering locked causing me to loose control of the vehicle while it proceeded to skip until it came to a stop in the middle of the road. Luckily I did not hit anything or anyone. Would not restart and had to have it towed to local RAM dealer (J-Star Anaheim CA). They diagnosed a failed fuel pump which resulted in metal in the fuel system, but could not explain why transmission went from drive to park while vehicle was moving. If this failure had occurred while driving at freeway speed the results would have been catastrophic. Vehicle is still at J-Star being repaired. I am fearful of using it even after the fuel system is fixed. Need a software fix that prevents the transmission from switching into park while vehicle is moving. Vehicle needs to allow the operator to maneuver to side of road in the event of a failure. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | ENGINE | While driving the vehicle multiple times the engine has completely shut off and had zero power. The most recent time was traveling down the freeway at the speed limit and the vehicle shut off and lost all power steering. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | POWER TRAIN | The transmission in this vehicle will stick into 3rd gear. I have to pull off the road. Turn it off and then it shifts. Going into 4th gear is lunges and at times I can fell it slip then engine light comes on. Also if I’m sitting idle and put it into reverse it lunges backwards or dosnt engage at all. I turn it off and turn it back on and reverse works. I have noticed on freeway driving it will suddenly downshift and I smell a burning coming through the vents. Dodge has opened a case and I was advised when it was diagnosed that it has Premature 4th gear failure and it would need a updated transmission. I was also advised by the dealership that this is becoming common problem in the 2021 ram with the v6 motor and dodge delivery vans which they had about 15-20 vehicles at this dealership and I was advised it would take 3-4 months before repairs could be completed with the trans work they had. I called other dealerships and they advised the same time frame. Dodge has opened a case on my vehicle and for the past 2 months I have gotten the run around. I was advised by Clarice 3 weeks ago they were going to contact the dealership to order the transmission. I called for a update and was advised no parts were ordered and I would have to bring it in again and leave it until they got to it and they will not give me a loaner to drive. This is become a serious safety issue. If this transmission overheats or fails it could catch on fire or cause a serious accident please help in this matter. It only has 19000 miles on it and Dodge seems like they don’t want to help | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | This vehicle has an issue where it will stall. While making a right hand turn about 5 to 8 miles an hour onto a side street near my home the vehicle just shut off and rolled to a stop. It put itself in park and the auto e-brake engaged. At that point the dash info center said to shift into park and release the emergency brake. It started up and I was able to continue. I have also noticed that sometimes during a turn the truck almost stalled but recovered, You could see the rpms drop down to almost 0 but it recovered on its own. This has happened a few times. It is just not safe. 62k for an unsafe truck. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Sunroof exploded when driving on highway. Safety was put at risk with glass and being startled when driving. Contacted dealer and also FCA, pending contact back. No prior signs that glass was pending failure. Glass blew outwards from the roof. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving or making a turn, the vehicle stalled. The contact had to shift into neutral(N) or park(P) and restart the vehicle. Additionally, while driving, the parking brake engaged without warning. The contact had to manually release the parking brake. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,000 |
| Jul 2022 | ENGINE | Have a exhaust leak during start up ticking really bad... exhaust is coming inside cab with ac on. This truck only has 36000 miles and has already had several issues with this trucks electrical system and now this exhaust issue | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Fuel is pouring out of the lines onto the engine. Not just a leak, but flowing out. This could cause my engine to catch fire. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | On three separate occasions within two months, the truck completely shut down without any warning. The first time I was at a stop light, when light turned green, I stepped on gas and truck died. Nothing worked on the vehicle, there were no messages or warnings. The truck was towed to dealership, tried to replace RF hub but "unable to be performed"-swapped star connector cavity to C12 and communication achieved-RF replace procedures passed. Five weeks later, went to start truck in driveway and wouldn't start, truck was completely dead, had mechanic come to home ,test the battery ,and it was fine. He thought the remotes were not communicating; had to be towed to dealership again, truck sat there for a few days, dealership said it started up, they did diagnostics, found nothing wrong and handed truck back to me. One week later, started the truck with remote and as I was walking to the truck, it died, completely shut down and had to be towed again. Truck has been at dealership for 17 days, diagnosed that the RF hub needs to be replaced. This truck is unsafe and unpredictable as it could just shut down at any time, cause an accident where people could get injured or killed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | STEERING,SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN | While starting to drive forward or backward turning, there is a shutter vibration felt slightly heard. It also has grinding shutter vibration at turn in intersection during the turn. The dealer on the 3 complaint visit replaced a front passenger CV Joint and bearing, upon picking the truck up it did it immediately again. Could not return as it was the service department closing time. There is also vibration grinding around 50 mph and up. Dealer states they can not duplicate issue. This is abnormal and concerns me as in a turn or higher speed, something breaks will put my family's lives and other motorist in danger. Also when using AC defrost vent stays open and will cause dew on the windshield. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | STEERING | While driving my vehicle a message came up stating (service Power steering) at which point I completely lost power steering. This almost caused an accident as I was towing 6500lb boat/trailer and had little to no control with my steering. The power steering lost function twice and after letting truck set for couple of hours the power steering functioned again. Note this is a Electric Power Steering (EPS) I am 2nd owner and vehicle is under mfg warranty but when I dropped it off at Dodge Dealership I found out that the truck was in at 5000 miles due to same issue and the rack and pinion was replaced. This issue has reoccurred at 8885 miles and poses a definite safety issue. . I am waiting for follow up from the service department to advise what the issue is, however after researching on line found this has been a common issue and I have not seen any recalls on the rack and pinon and EPS Power steering. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The Map installed by the factory in my new 2021 Ram truck displays incorrect speed limits at times. This is dangerous as it always shows 55mph even in a 25mph zone when it is malfunctioning. If you are in an unfamiliar area, and have not passed a physical speed limit sign, this incorrect information could cause a wreck if there are sudden curves or other dangers on that road. Ram refuses to fix under warranty saying it is third party software. I contacted the software company and was told that they have no warranty on their defective software and I would have to buy a new map for $149 and see if that fixes the issue. I questioned her further as she had said "see" if it fixes it and she said the speed limits that their software shows are not always correct and should not be relied on. She could not guarantee the new download would be correct. I am not sure how many accidents may have been caused by this defect but I would like this investigated and at the least make them add a prominent warning message that comes up anytime you activate the Navigation screen. At least that way the consumer would know not to rely on the info being presented to them as they drive. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | ENGINE | My truck just stalls while driving. It's happened several times but yesterday was the scariest. I turned left onto a fairly busy road only to notice I had a message on the screen to turn on the truck. Since we were rolling at 3-4mph, I switch into neutral and hit the start button which started the engine. At the next red light, the engine turned off and the emergency brake applied itself. The car behind me almost hit us because we were parked at a green light now. I quickly got it started and pulled over. There were no warning lights or messages. The dealer doesn't know what the issue is. Truthfully I'm a little concerned with my families safety while driving this truck. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | For my 2021 Ram Laramie 1500 the Auto Park engages on its on at random times. This has happened to me twice in the last 2 moths. No doors have been open and any passenger in the car has the seat belt engaged. Once it happened when no one but me was in the vehicle, the second time was with my family in the car. Fortunately it has only happened while leaving the neighbor hood and going less than 25 MPH. Each time, this happens, the AutoPark has been engaged and the light above D is flashing. While this is a neat safety feature it shouldn't happen while I'm driving and belted in. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Engine shuts off while driving 30-35 mph and automatically applies emergency brake | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | I was driving to work and made a right turn (I did not come to a complete stop). As I finished the turn, maybe going 5-7 MPH, I pressed on the gas pedal to accelerate and the truck did not respond. A second later the truck turned off and the parking brake automatically engaged, so I came to a complete stop in the middle of a road with other vehicles around me. I had to put the truck back into park, start the truck, and disengage the parking brake, and then was able to continue my trip to work. There were no Check Engine Lights on before or after it happened. I spoke to the local Ram and multiple other dealerships further away and they said they haven't heard of this happening to any other Rams, and just to watch it and if it continues to happen call them back. A quick google search will show that it happens frequently to other people over the last year or so, some of which are at highway speeds, which is very dangerous. I am fortunate this was at low speed, because your parking brake engaging at highway speeds could obviously be catastrophic. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I made a right hand turn from a stop sign onto an active roadway when my truck’s engine shut off. The truck rolled to a stop and the dial shifter automatically changed to park and engaged the e-brake. No warning lights were triggered in the dash. Research suggests this is an apparent problem with the 5.7l e-torque engine, however, no information is available from FCA/Ram | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | This has happened 3 times at low speed 2-4 mph. I was making a right hand turn and the truck stalled & shut off. Information on the dash told me to put it into park. I stopped & put it into park. The emergency brake automatically engaged. After disengaging the emergency brake, I started my truck up. No issues once I started it back up & resumed driving. It happened twice at a traffic circle in my neighborhood & once as I was turning right at a light. Thank goodness no one was behind me or it would have possibly caused a rear end collision. This issue has not been reproduced by a dealer or independent service center. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |