Complaint volume
655 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
655 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Ram 1500, grouped by component category.
655 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, electrical system, 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 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 105 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 37,057 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to engine, electrical system, 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 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 127
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 84
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 54
POWER TRAIN 49
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 37
STEERING 28
AIR BAGS 20
SERVICE BRAKES 16
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 14
VISIBILITY/WIPER 14
655 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle had a history of wiring failures and that the air bag wiring harness had been replaced three times; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with electrical wiring failure, and the wires were zip-tied in place. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 70,000 |
| Apr 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed an unusual popping sound. The low battery and check engine warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the battery lost power. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road, and the vehicle was turned off. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 78,900. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 78,900 |
| Apr 2026 | STEERING | Losing power steering intermittently. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ENGINE | The EGR cooler bypass control broke on my pickup. The dealership stated that this is an ongoing issue with these pickups and that the 2019-2020 pickups had a recall on this. This pickup has 77,000 miles on it. This should not be failing. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION | Electrical system shutdown including loss of all safety features (blind spot, emergency braking, abs, traction control, towing), climate control options (AC, Heat, window operations) and user interfaces (U-Connect screen, center gauge cluster). Initial warnings (2) on center cluster on listed- 1. Blind Spot Detection Disabled 2. 115 Volt Cargo Power Outlet On All electronics, controls were then disabled- black screens, inoperable controls. Passenger rear windows, sliding back glass, panoramic sunroof and drivers side mirror are the only working electronics other than speedometer. Upon inspection of all fuses, relays, battery, alternator, and checking all accessible wiring related to blind spot and auxiliary power and finding no defective issues, web searches were performed. Based on numerous other RAM owners on multiple forums on RAM trucks 2020 and newer with blind spot avoidance, we found a likely culprit in the driver's side brake light. Upon inspection of the left rear brake light assembly, a small hairline crack was located with signs of internal moisture/ condensation. After observing the internal moisture the drivers side rear brake housing was removed and disconnected for closer inspection and potential repair. While the driver side brake light assembly was removed, an instance occurred when my wife needed the vehicle. Upon and during the entirety of operation over the next 1.5 hrs driving approximately 63 miles, all electrical options worked as intended minus the blind spot avoidance and a new warning on brake lamps (obvious as tail light had been removed). During this time, the proximity sensor housing was removed from the assembly, water accumulation dried, and allowed to remain open next to a dehumidifier for 4 hours. Epoxy was applied over the hairline Crack, and any area that looked as if could be affected. Unit was reinstalled, however all electronic failure returned. Unit removed again to attempt humidity removal- all electronics res | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | ENGINE | Our alternator is bad in a 2021 Ram. There are 10,000 on back order and up to a 9 -12 month wait list. There is obviously something wrong with this brand and should be recalled. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | ENGINE | Engine malfunction cause low oil pressure and cause a catastrophic failure and lock brakes up multiple people i know have had same issue as me and it due to a manufacturer error on oil gallery bolts backing out and causes rockers not to get proper oil and chews cams up | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Rear drivers side window shattered without any incident or accident. Possibly due to extreme cold but it was not witnessed and truck was parked in driveway. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was parked, and while inspecting the exterior of the vehicle, the contact became aware that the driver's side rear glass had fractured. The contact stated that the driver’s side rear glass fractured without impact. The vehicle was taken to Safelite Auto Glass. The vehicle was being repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 62,000 |
| Mar 2026 | STRUCTURE:BODY | There is water coming into the vehicles cab via the rear window and is getting electrical components under the rear window wet. Took vehicle to a dealer to be diagnosed. Concluded water coming into cab of vehicle from top of rear glass. Frame of window is likely culprit. General concern 05CHZ-01 THIS IS A VERY KNOWN ISSUE | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | POWER TRAIN | RAM's 2023 recall addressed the engine shutdown problem in 131,700 of its half-ton 1500 RAM trucks equipped with the 5.7-liter Hemi eTorque mild hybrid engine. RAM said 1,500 5.7-liter eTorque models built between June 3, 2020, and September 12, 2021, had faulty software and needed a powertrain control module calibration update to fix the problem. Consumer complaints also exist that the RAM eTorque system has caused vehicles to shut down while in motion, which is by far the most dangerous problem attributed to it. My truck was built 08/2021 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Wa driving with cruise on at 60 mph. Truck stalled with no notice, no warning lights or check engine light. All temperatures and pressures seemed okay at time of incident. Could not move electronic shifter into neutral, was stuck in drive. Alarm came up to shift to park, I did not shift due to moving at 55mph at this time. Coasted to a stop on side of the road. At about 2-3 mph, truck automatically shifted to park. I attempted to restart truck but engine just cranked over with no fire. Attempted 3 times and still nothing. Waited 20-30 min and attempted again and same result. Call for tow truck and had towed to dealership. While waiting for tow truck, had full power in truck, no warning lights. Checked fuses for fuel and found no issues. Did hear fuel pump engage when turned ignition to run. Checked oil level, oil was changed 800 miles prior to incident, oil was at full level on dip stick. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The rear running lights go out due to a short in the wire harness from the computer module to the tail lights. The short causes the lights to either flicker or go totally out. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL | Stellantis is recalling over 1.2 million 2019-2024 Ram 1500 pickups, including the 2021 model year, due to a software flaw in the ABS module that can disable the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system My ram vin is not listed, but i am receiving this error. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ENGINE | The oil pan on my 2021 Ram1500 has premature severe corrosion. When the oil pan fails, oil will drain to the roadway causing hazard to other vehicles and cause catastrophic engine damage disabling the vehicle. I tried to contact Ram about the issue to raise concern about this material failure and they would not take my concern/complaint. A quick search reveals this problem is extremely common. The repair quote is slightly over 1500 to replace the oil pan. Something needs to be done. A recall needs issued and a fix provided for all affected vehicles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. While driving 65 MPH in inclement weather and attempting to clean the windshield, the windshield washer fluid failed to spray onto the windshield. The contact was unable to see the road clearly and pulled over to the side of the road to inspect the vehicle. The contact became aware that the windshield washer fluid hose was cracked. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was determined that the windshield washer fluid hose needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 40,000 |
| Feb 2026 | AIR BAGS | My husband went down into a 15 ft embankment fully in the air side bags deployed driver and passenger did not | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ENGINE | MGU unit failure. Truck is less than 5 years old and just hit 60k miles. Noise came on very abruptly and was lucky enough to get it to a dealer nearby where I was traveling. Still was stranded 4 hours from home and needed a rental to get home. I got a battery warning light and auto start/stop malfunction light and 20 minutes later the truck was dead. I have a family of 5 and need a vehicle for work and to transport kids to school/daycare. Technician said it could take upwards of 8 months to get the replacement part. This is absolutely ludacris for something like this to happen and potentially causing financial damages to people. Dealer offered $10k less than the truck is worth because of the issue so I can’t even get a fair trade in value if I wanted to trade it in. Ridiculous! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ENGINE | The Check Engine Light came on and the truck would misfire and stall. We took it to 2 separate mechanics - Mechanic 1 (Certified Sideros Automotive): It was found that the multiple cam shaft lobes were flattened and ground due to a failed lifter, recommendation - replace engine. Mechanic 2 (Stew Hansens Ram): Check Engine Light came on, multiple cylinder miss fire. Using a bore scope inspected cylinder walls, found a very small crak allowing coolant to slowly bleed into the system, recommendation - replace engine We replaced the engine with a rebuilt engine at a cost of $7,677.58. This should not happen to a truck that is only 4 years old. Its a 2021 and the engine was replaced 5/2025. We were not aware of any recalls but we did have the dealership clear all recalls on the new engine such as the engine software update after it was installed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I am submitting this complaint to report a significant and unusual mechanical failure involving my 2021 Ram truck. The vehicle experienced a failure of the heater core assembly, which resulted in engine coolant leaking directly into the passenger compartment. This failure caused coolant odor and fluid intrusion inside the cabin and required extensive disassembly of the dashboard and HVAC system to repair. The total cost of repairs exceeded $5,300, which I believe is disproportionate and unexpected for a vehicle of this age and mileage. Two separate repair visits were required as it was found after the heater core was replaced the actuator on the driver’s side was damaged by the ongoing leak and required repair. The vehicle has been properly maintained and serviced according to manufacturer recommendations. While this incident did not result in an immediate crash or injury, the nature of the failure raises safety and health concerns, including: •Driver distraction due to coolant fumes and loss of defrost capability •Exposure of occupants to engine coolant within the enclosed passenger compartment •Sudden loss of cabin heating and windshield defogging capability in cold weather Given the age of the vehicle and the severity of the failure, this does not appear to be normal wear and tear. I am concerned that this may represent a design, material, or manufacturing defect that could affect other vehicles of the same model year. The odor was present for many months prior to the failure; however, the local dealership could not examine the issue at the time of a prior oil change due to lack of time on that visit. I am submitting this report to document the issue, assist in identifying potential patterns, and ensure appropriate review by the manufacturer and regulatory authorities. Repair invoices and supporting documentation are included. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2021 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving 55-60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who replaced the high-pressure fuel pump under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V767000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine); with the additional repairs on the low-pressure fuel pump at the Owner's expense. The vehicle was partially repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened an investigation. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 102,000 |
| Jan 2026 | POWER TRAIN | There have been several instances where the vehicle appears to lose traction in 4WD. An error message appears "4WD Overheated Performance Temporarily Reduced". When this message appears, the vehicle is unable to gain traction in snow. Even 1" - 2" of snow is enough to prevent forward movement. In this condition, the rear end of the truck tends to fishtail to the right and left. After checking online, there appears to be many other instances associated with this condition. The dealer replaced the fluid in the differential and transfer case hoping to fix the issue, but the problem persisted. They were unable to reproduce the issue on the second service call. Currently, my vehicle in in the driveway and is unable to move given the 1" of snow present. The truck is being towed to the dealer tomorrow, Jan. 28th, 2026, for them to assess it a third time. I believe the failure is related to the light duty Transfer Case & Transfer Case Motor, but that has not yet been determined by the dealer. I'm having the vehicle towed since losing traction on a slippery road can be dangerous and cause the vehicle to slow/stop and/or lose control along with 4WD. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Every time my truck sits for more than 3 days even in the summer the battery dies. I have to jump this truck more than I jumped anything in life. It has less than 30000 miles on it and I’ve had nothing but trouble with the battery staying charged and the air bag system being jimmied to keep the sensor from not going of by the dealer. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | STEERING | No issues with steering on vehicle in about 81,000 miles since new. Yesterday, started vehicle, no power steering at all, alert light on dash stating power steering problem with electric steering. I stopped and restarted vehicle 3 or 4 times, did not resolve issue. I disconnected battery and reconnected it, did not resolve issue. Vehicle is not driveable, steering is next to impossible. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Alt/Gen failure stopped the truck in the middle of an intersection No transmission power steering lights. Had to walk back home to charge the battery in a driving rain storm leaving the truck in the intersection. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |