2012 Dodge 1500 Brakes Problems

The brake line broke on my Dodge truck and all the brake fluid leaked out. Fortunately this didn't happen while driving on the highway. I discovered no brakes when I got in the vehicle to leave. I have a long driveway. As I was driving the slight grade down to the main road, I hit the brakes and they went to the floor. I was able to turn around in my yard before all the brake fluid was gone and get the truck back to my barn. I got under the truck and took a picture. I discovered that the brakes had rusted and leaked out the fluid. No one has inspected it or confirmed it. The truck is not safe to drive and sitting in my barn

NHTSA ID

11674243

Incident

Jul 15, 2025

Unknown this truck was not involved in an accident however it came close with steering /brakes the Engine Faulty Wiring Harness caused major issues it wasn’t until recently I saw a video of how to fix the problem you can view these videos online I will say Dodge is Responsible they did have buybacks this too I had No Knowledge of no recalls either however I recently address it to the dealership who sold me this truck the Service Manager told me it’s my issue not theirs they took care of it years ago this is the reason I am sending my complaint I was informed your department will look into this matter to get a resolution on this serious matter thank you. I have some photos the video would not download you can see it if you put 2012 Dodge Ram Engine Faulty Wire issues . Yes I spent $3000 for a mechanic to wire it this should had been fix by Dodge Chrysler not me and it still needs to be fix.

NHTSA ID

11663405

Incident

Aug 1, 2012

On my way home. Going through in town (slow)traffic all of sudden I notice I had no power steering & no brakes, no please pull out , I noticed if I keep my rpm about 1500, I would get a little power steering & brakes back!, 4 miles to get home , I drove home slowly What happened was I lost my serpentine belt tensioner!!! .MY MAIN Purpose, for my truck is to toe my fifth wheel RV!!, I live in the north west of US, LIKE! in the mountains!! Terrified that it won’t happen again!😳☹️

NHTSA ID

11648222

Incident

Nov 13, 2024

I have had to have the ABS and HCU modules replaced twice. This is a known issue and Fiat Chrysler is only repairing and reimbursing 2017 to 2018 trucks. Both of my repairs were at Dodge dealerships and are documented.

NHTSA ID

11645119

Incident

Jun 21, 2021

In approximately 2019 I received multiple warning lights including "Serv 4WD", TCS disabled, and ABS warning lights. Had it looked at by the dealer who replaced wheel sensors and performed diagnostics. All lights cleared exept TCS disabled warning which is indicationg that the TCS system is not functioning and has a collateral effect of the cruise control not being able to turn on. I have paid to have this remaining indication diagnosed on two different occasions, each leading to a dealership recommendation to replace the Hydraulic Control Unit / ABS Module at a cost of approximately $1500 and a wait for backordered parts exceeding one year - all with no guarantee of this fixing the problem. My truck has been in this condition for about 5 years now. A quick Google search will show that there have been multiple instances of faults of this type affecting the HCU/ABS modules with the problem becoming particularly prevalent in the 2017-2018 model years. Thousands of complaints have been submitted and Class Action Lawsuits started, but it appears FCA has yet to adequately address this potential safety issue caused by a defective part that is known to them.

NHTSA ID

11596489

Incident

Jun 25, 2019

As I was driving and started to come to a stop, my brakes lost all pressure. I was able to safely stop on the side of the road. When I checked the vehicle, I found that the rear driver side brake line had been severed due to it rubbing against the wheel. I checked the passenger side and saw the same mark, but the line has not been severed yet.

NHTSA ID

11582820

Incident

Apr 13, 2024

The brakes don’t work well. The steering sucks And had death wobble.

NHTSA ID

11544605

Incident

Aug 4, 2023

Malfunction of electronic stability control while in 4x4 driving in heavy snow. Almost hit a light pole, could have caused significant harm. Unknown. No. No precursors. Hit a pot hole while on the on ramp unloading the suspension and the truck started to yaw clockwise. Applied throttle to have front end pull truck straight. ESC applied brakes and chopped power inducing a significant yaw rate counterclockwise driving the rear of the truck into the hard snow bank perpendicular to vehicle travel. Another excessive clockwise yaw occurred at this time. NO throttle control and brakes unresponsive. 1. Had the driver been allowed to retain throttle control upon initial yaw this was easily recoverable. 2. Anti-lock brakes, needed to be disabled so the truck could slide across the snow and not into the ditch when the second clockwise yaw started. 3. This caused minor body damage to the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11501101

Incident

Jan 5, 2023

Exiting the freeway the truck vibrated and shut off going 55 mph, no brakes, no power steering going into a curve. I managed to keep it on the road and had it Towed to nearest dealership where they were able to diagnose the problem immediately and I was told that this is a know problem with this truck. $6000 to fix, contacted Ram customer service and a very rude woman put the dealership on the line and berated them for claiming there was an issue while explaining that it is completely normal for an engine to blow at 130k miles regardless of maintenance and as it’s out of warranty they were not responsible. “Normal” for an engine to blow, absolutely ridiculous and someone could have died. There are now 533 cases of this happening and Ram refuses to address it.

NHTSA ID

11443375

Incident

Nov 5, 2021

When driving at parking lot speeds on extremely hot days and/or a lot of in town driving, brakes not responding and brake pedal will go to the floor. Have ran a stop sign and came close to rear ending other vehicles at red lights. Dealer replaced rear brakes (Calipers, Rogers & Pads) Problem still exist and is currently back at Dealership. They can't find anything wrong.

NHTSA ID

11429284

Incident

Jun 12, 2021

DRIVING ALONG AND TRUCK TURNS OFF BY ITSELF 3-5 SECONDS THEN ENGINE RESTARTS BY ITSELF. I'M WORRIED IT'S GONNA CAUSE ME TO GET INTO AND ACCIDENT. DODGE HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM ACROSS A LOT OF YEARS WITH NO RECALL FOR MY TRUCK.

NHTSA ID

11348451

Incident

Aug 8, 2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINES RUSTED THROUGH AND WAS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE REMOVED THE COUPLINGS FROM THE BRAKE LINES AND CONTACTED WHITTEN BROTHERS CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM OF MIDLOTHIAN (10701 MIDLOTHIAN TURNPIKE, RICHMOND, VA 23235) TO PURCHASE NEW COUPLINGS. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REPLACEMENT COUPLINGS WERE NO LONGER BEING MANUFACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE CONTACT GO TO A JUNK YARD TO RETRIEVE THE PARTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 88,000.*DT CONSUMER STATED INSTALLATION OF AIRBAG WAS SCHEDULED AUG 8TH,2020.*JB

NHTSA ID

11331976

Incident

May 23, 2020

Mileage

88,000 mi

AS I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH, AND APPROACHING THE CURVES ON THE ROAD AHEAD OF ME, I LOST CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE BECAUSE I HAD NO POWER STEERING, GAS, OR BRAKES. ALL GAUGES DROPPED TO 0 AND I HAD TO COAST TO BE ABLE TO STOP. HAD I MADE IT TO THE CURVES, BY VEHICLE WOULD OF CRASHED OFF THE SIDE OF ROAD. APPARENTLY THE PCM WENT BAD. THIS IS NOT A PART THAT SHOULD EVER GO BAD. THIS PART MALFUNCTION COULD OF KILLED ME OR SOMEONE ELSE. NONETHELESS IT WAS ALSO $1303, TOWING FEES, AND 5 DAYS OF CAR RENTAL. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE AND I DON'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO ANOTHER DRIVER. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL OF THIS PART. I NOW HAVE A FEAR WHEN I DRIVE THE TRUCK I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED.

NHTSA ID

11207969

Incident

May 10, 2019

Mileage

158,000 mi

BRAKE TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER CANNOT FIX THIS PROBLEM IN A TIMELY MANNER.

NHTSA ID

11166288

Incident

Dec 20, 2018

BRAKE TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK RECALL. RECALL DATE: 12-20-2017 FCA RECALL # T79 NHTSA RECALL # 17V-821 I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET MY TRUCK IN FOR SAFETY RECALL TO MULTIPLE DODGE/RAM DEALERSHIPS AND HAVE BEEN TOLD NUMEROUS TIMES EITHER PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE, PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER, IT COULD TAKE MORE THAN 6-9 MONTHS TO GET THE PARTS, AND NOW, I AM BEING TOLD THAT THE REPAIR SHOPS ARE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO PUT IN ORDERS FOR THE RECALL PARTS AND HAVE A BLOCK ON ORDERING. I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO GET AN ESTIMATED TIME AS TO WHEN I CAN EXPECT PARTS TO BECOME AVAILABLE AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT COULD TAKE UP TO ANOTHER YEAR OR MORE TO GET THE RECALL FIXED. I WAS TOLD BY EVERY SERVICE ADVISER NOT TO COME IN TO MY APPOINTMENTS OR SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT BECAUSE THEY CAN NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME AT THIS TIME AND DO NOT KNOW WHEN THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ORDER PARTS. THEY TOLD ME TO CALL BACK IN 2 MONTHS OR MORE TO CHECK.

NHTSA ID

11144463

Incident

Oct 31, 2018

ON FRIDAY 6/29/2018 AT ABOUT 5:00 PM I WAS DRIVING HOME ON NORTHBOUND I -75 AND M-59 IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WHEN THE TRUCK PULLED TO THE LEFT AND I NOTICED PUFF OF WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I GOT OFF AT THE UNIVERSITY EXIT AND PULLED INTO A PARKING SPOT. I TURNED THE TRUCK OFF AND OPENED THE HOOD. IT WAS A REALLY HOT DAY AND I COULDN'T TELL WHERE TO ODDER OR SMOKE HAD COMING FROM. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT COME ON. I DROVE IT STRAIGHT TO MILOSCH'S PALACE. THEY THOUGHT THE FRONT LEFT CALIBER WAS LOCKED UP.MILEAGE WAS 79,802 ON THE ODOMETER. THEY SAID IT JUST HAPPENS SOMETIMES. THE ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS HAD BEEN REPLACED IN NOVEMBER 2017. MILOSCH'S PALACE REPLACED THE CALIPER, ROTOR, PADS AND ABS SENSOR HARNESS THAT MALTED. THE DIDN'T REPLACE THE BEARING HUB OR CALIPER MOUNTING BRACKET. ON AUGUST 18TH I TOOK IN TO CASEVILLE MICHIGAN AND THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT WHEEL GOT HOT AGAIN. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO TUBBS BROTHER ON AUGUST 21ST. THE MILEAGE WAS 80,507 ON THE ODOMETER. THE REPAIR BILL CAME TO $2,031.73. I PICKED THE TRUCK UP ON SEPTEMBER 6TH.THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE DRIVER'S SIDE BEARING HUB. HE SAID THE BRAKE LINE FAILED (COLLAPSED) AND CAUSED THE BRAKE TO PADS TO STICK. I TOLD HIM TO REPLACE THE BEARING AND CHECK THE OTHER LINES AND FLUSH THE SYSTEM. ON SEPTEMBER 23RD 2018 I WENT TO PULL MY BOAT OUT OF THE LAKE FOR THE SEASON AND DROVE IT 12 MILES AND NOW THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE BRAKE IS OVERHEATING. THE VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 80,600 MILES ON IT.

NHTSA ID

11131690

Incident

Jun 29, 2018

Mileage

80,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 RAM 1500. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, SMOKE WAS PRESENT COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO HALL CHRYSLER/JEEP(15123 NORTH RD, FENTON, MI 48430) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE CALIPER SEIZED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT, APPROXIMATELY FOUR MONTHS LATER, THE REAR DRIVER SIDE BRAKE CALIPER EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE. RECENTLY, THE SAME BRAKE CALIPER FAILURE OCCURRED ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

NHTSA ID

11123626

Incident

May 1, 2018

Mileage

80,000 mi

FAILURE OF DEALER TO TAKE CARE OF A BTSI RECALL IN A TIMELY MANNER. RECALL WAS DEC 2017 AND IT IS NOW END OF JULY 2018 WITH NO FIX IN SITE.

NHTSA ID

11113979

Incident

Jul 26, 2018

I RECEIVED AN URGENT WARNING VIA POST CARD REQUIRING A FIX TO THE BRAKE TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK IN JULY 2018. DEALER CANNOT INSTALL FIX UNTIL JANUARY 2019. THIS IS NOT TIMELY.

NHTSA ID

11112534

Incident

Jul 20, 2018

Mileage

35,000 mi

THE BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED AS I WAS PULLING INTO A HOSPITAL ENTRANCE, AND AGAIN TRYING TO NAVIGATE TO A SAFE PARKING SPACE, AND AGAIN PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE. THE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. THIS WAS AT LOW SPEED AND I CRASHED INTO THE PARKED CAR IN FRONT OF ME.

NHTSA ID

11092672

Incident

May 8, 2018

Mileage

51,000 mi

GOING SLOW AROUND MTN CURVE AND LOST BRAKES AND STEERING.

NHTSA ID

11092046

Incident

May 3, 2018

Mileage

42,000 mi

MY FIANCEE WAS DRIVING AND TRIED TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL AND NEARLY WRECKING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC.

NHTSA ID

11074663

Incident

Feb 17, 2018

NIT A SAFE VEHICLE TO DRIVE. TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES MORE THAN SEVERAL TIMES.WHILE DRIVING ON FRWY SOMETIMES THE BRAKE PEDAL HARDENS MAKING IT IMPOSIBLE TO BRAKE, GOTTA PUM A LIL ON GAS FOR THE PEDAL TO LOOSEN.ONCE IN GEAR DRIVING AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 40MILES SOMETIMES YOU CAN HEAR AS IF YOUVE CHANGED THE GEAR AND VEHICLE DE ACCELERATES OR AS IF YOU WEBT ON NEUTRAL WGILE DRIVING. WHEN SHIFTING EITHER ON REVERSE OR FWD BRAKE HARDENS AND WHILE PRESING GAS PEDAL BEHICLE DOES NOT MOVE NOWHERE, WERE FIGURED OUT MAYBE TURNING THE ENGINE ON AND OFF AFTER A COUPLE OF TIMES IT KINDA RESETS AND THEN IT SWITCHES ON GEAR TRANSMISION ALWAYS NAJES A LOUD NOISE WHEN CHANGING GEAR SUCH AS IF WAS STUCK.. WHILE DRIVING BEHICLE ALWAYS SMELLS LIKE HOT ENGINE OR PLASTIC.THE PROBLEM IS BITHE STATIONARY AND WHIKE DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

11073983

Incident

May 16, 2017

Mileage

60,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V821000 (POWER TRAIN) EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR REPAIR. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE MIGHT EXPERIENCE THE FAILURE BEFORE PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTIFICATION ON FEBRUARY 12, 2018. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

NHTSA ID

11072466

Incident

Feb 12, 2018

I HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE TO LOSE ALL POWER (POWER STEERING, ANTI LOCK BRAKES, AND SEATBELT FUNCTION) DUE TO A BAG IGNITION SWITCH. THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH DOWN THE INTERSTATE. I NOTICED ALL MY DASH LIGHT CAME ON AND MY VEHICLE HAD COMPLETELY POWERED OFF LEAVING ME WITH NO POWER STEERING AND NO ANTI LOCK BRAKES. LUCKILY I WAS ON STRAIGHT ENOUGH ROAD TO ONLY RUN OFF THE ROAD ONCE I SLOWED DOWN. IAFTER HITTING A DITCH I NOTICED MY SEATBELT DID NOT LOCK CAUSING ME TO SLIGHTLY BUMP MY HEAD. I WASN'T HURT BUT THIS HAS TO BE A ISSUE. IT HAS WORKED PROPERLY SINCE THEN BUT DID THE SAME THING ON A LATER DATE WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN.

NHTSA ID

11004996

Incident

Jul 5, 2017

Mileage

130,000 mi