SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:ANCHORAGE
2020 RAM 1500
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 628 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2020 RAM 1500, most frequently naming the engine, electrical and fuel system categories. 14 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 1,226 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2021 | 2 | 95 |
| Oct 2021 | 4 | 99 |
| Nov 2021 | 5 | 104 |
| Dec 2021 | 3 | 107 |
| Jan 2022 | 4 | 111 |
| Feb 2022 | 6 | 117 |
| Mar 2022 | 5 | 122 |
| Apr 2022 | 5 | 127 |
| May 2022 | 6 | 133 |
| Jun 2022 | 3 | 136 |
| Jul 2022 | 4 | 140 |
| Sep 2022 | 8 | 148 |
| Oct 2022 | 6 | 154 |
| Nov 2022 | 8 | 162 |
| Dec 2022 | 8 | 170 |
| Jan 2023 | 6 | 176 |
| Feb 2023 | 8 | 184 |
| Mar 2023 | 10 | 194 |
| Apr 2023 | 7 | 201 |
| May 2023 | 9 | 210 |
| Jun 2023 | 13 | 223 |
| Jul 2023 | 12 | 235 |
| Aug 2023 | 13 | 248 |
| Sep 2023 | 8 | 256 |
| Oct 2023 | 14 | 270 |
| Nov 2023 | 4 | 274 |
| Dec 2023 | 10 | 284 |
| Jan 2024 | 10 | 294 |
| Feb 2024 | 11 | 305 |
| Mar 2024 | 11 | 316 |
| Apr 2024 | 12 | 328 |
| May 2024 | 4 | 332 |
| Jun 2024 | 6 | 338 |
| Jul 2024 | 8 | 346 |
| Aug 2024 | 5 | 351 |
| Sep 2024 | 18 | 369 |
| Oct 2024 | 9 | 378 |
| Nov 2024 | 11 | 389 |
| Dec 2024 | 10 | 399 |
| Jan 2025 | 15 | 414 |
| Feb 2025 | 11 | 425 |
| Mar 2025 | 15 | 440 |
| Apr 2025 | 23 | 463 |
| May 2025 | 7 | 470 |
| Jun 2025 | 13 | 483 |
| Jul 2025 | 7 | 490 |
| Aug 2025 | 10 | 500 |
| Sep 2025 | 8 | 508 |
| Oct 2025 | 11 | 519 |
| Nov 2025 | 12 | 531 |
| Dec 2025 | 13 | 544 |
| Jan 2026 | 13 | 557 |
| Feb 2026 | 13 | 570 |
| Mar 2026 | 10 | 580 |
| Apr 2026 | 11 | 591 |
| May 2026 | 4 | 595 |
| Jun 2026 | 8 | 603 |
| Jul 2026 | 12 | 615 |
| Aug 2026 | 7 | 622 |
| Sep 2026 | 6 | 628 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Engine16521.0%
- Electrical16120.5%
- Fuel system759.6%
- Visibility627.9%
- Steering617.8%
- Powertrain (other)597.5%
- Brakes435.5%
- Driver assistance405.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
14 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govAIR BAGS; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
High pressure fuel pump failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE21-021 on October 14, 2021, to investigate incidents alleging a stall/loss of motive power as a result of high-pressure fuel pump failures in certain model year (MY) 2019-2020 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 heavy duty trucks equipped with 6.7L Cummins turbodiesel engines. During the investigation, ODI sought to determine if the related defect allegation was limited in scope to the recalled population. After review of information request response materials from both FCA and BMW, NHTSA determined that sufficient information to identify a comprehensive recall population could not be produced by FCA and BMW.During the investigation FCA filed recalls 22V406, 22E048, 22V767, and 22E087 which include vehicles not identified in the initial subject population by ODI. ODI also received recall 21V586, involving loss of motive power due to failed CP4 fuel pumps on certain BMW manufactured vehicles. An information request letter response received from BMW indicated that failed pumps on their vehicles were caused by an interaction between pump internal components and US market diesel fuel, leading to increased slip and eventual particle-generating wear surface. Additional work will be done to identify whether a similar root cause is associated with the FCA recalled population and if similar wear dynamics occur on pumps supplied to vehicle manufacturers other than those included in the recalled population.ODI has upgraded this investigation to an EA in order to 1) determine engineering specifications of internal pump components that are correlated with pump failure leading to loss of motive power or other safety related hazards, 2) identify vehicle populations equipped with alleged defective pump variants, 3) assess if vehicles equipped with alleged defective pump variants result in an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety and 4) gather and review any other relevant information related to high pressure fuel pump failure associated with the subject populations of recalls 21V586, 21V880, 21E094, 22V406, 22E048, 22V767, and 22E087.Review of the above information will allow NHTSA to confirm root cause and recall remedy viability, and identify and evaluate vehicle populations equipped with pump components that may pose an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID using the following complaint identification numbers: 11257550, 11351441, 11361603, 11361616, 11365300, 11365426, 11365858, 11366401, 11372337, 11373793, 11374797, 11376793, 11377871, 11378173, 11384377, 11386063, 11387018, 11399710, 11402550, 11415339, 11418868, 11418870, 11427075, 11434276, 11436807, 11437226, 11437249, 11437273, 11437292, 11437294, 11437394, 11437399, 11437403, 11437405, 11437423, 11437528, 11437565, 11437579, 11437580, 11437590, 11437679, 11437744, 11437781, 11437842, 11437993, 11438006, 11438008, 11438121, 11438138, 11438155, 11438392, 11438629, 11439359, 11439879, 11440397, 11443030, 11446542, 11448163, 11453556, 11458918, 11460558, 11469337
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
"Factory rear window/brake light leak allowed water to flood the interior cabin, destroying the RF Hub module. This caused the vehicle to dynamically stall at 40 mph in traffic, creating a severe safety hazard."
- NHTSA ID
- 11766583
- Incident
- Sep 15, 2026
As I was driving the cooling fans started roaring. About 30 seconds later the Service power steering light flashed and I lost all power steering. As I was trying to pull over the steering came back intermittently. This almost made me wreck because I would be tugging on the wheel to turn and then all of a sudden have almost no resistance and violently turn.
- NHTSA ID
- 11766149
- Incident
- Sep 11, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2020 Ram 1500. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 95,205, and at the time of reviewing the documents, it was discovered that the mileage was 95,911.
- NHTSA ID
- 11764988
- Incident
- Sep 17, 2026
- Mileage
- 95,911 mi
While traveling at 40mph, total los of steering. Vehicle veered off the road and was uncontrollable. Power steering service light illuminated seconds before steering was inoperable. Turned off vehicle and restarted. Issue was not present after restart. Vehicle was recovered, sent to dealership for diagnostic. Problem could not be replicated at dealership. The next day, vehicle had the same issue. This time in a school zone. Vehicle is now parked and not driven out of fear.
- NHTSA ID
- 11764828
- Incident
- Sep 11, 2026
I bought this used truck with 60K miles on it in 2024. It is a 2020 truck. At 136K the engine failed.........with the infamous [XXX]. I have an excel summary spread sheet on all maintenance I had done since I owned this truck and I did not pull or haul anything. I heard a tick for about 10 days before I took it to my dealer whom I bought it from and they stated after "scoping" that the # 8 cylinder misfired and cylinder wall scored and the lifter pin bearing failed thus cam shaft damaged and exhaust manifold cracked. They had to replace the engine with a remanufactured engine from [XXX] and replaced intake and exhaust Manifold at a cost of $ 15,021 out of my pocket. I was stuck with no options logically. I do not have a problem with the Dealership - [XXX]. I have a problem with Ram Engineering, Stalantis design. To me there is no excuse to have a big cast iron block v-8 fail at 136K miles. There are many more ram owners who have this same problem I just stated that I had. If I knew then what I know now i would have never bought this truck with this 5.7L engine. There were no warnings, messages or anything displayed to alert there was a problem. I expect that there was not enough oil flow to # 8 cylinder ( which is all the way back to the left rear ( passenger side) of the engine ) looking from the front of the truck as I read many Ram forums on line. I changed to oil every 5K miles with Mobil 1 full synthetic oil along with the filter - either Mobil 1 or WIX filters. some of the best on the market. I do not know what I can do now but this is rediculous. I won't get burned again. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- NHTSA ID
- 11764777
- Incident
- Aug 18, 2026
Recall 01A was performed on my vehicle, but the replacement fuel pump failed again, contaminating the entire fuel loop with metal shavings and risking sudden engine stalling in traffic
- NHTSA ID
- 11763389
- Incident
- Sep 4, 2026
While driving on I 75 steam began coming through our vents while we were 50 miles from home. There was also a very strong smell of coolant, which gave everyone headaches and made them feel nauseous. After taking it to a shop. We found that it was the heater core that had began leaking. after doing some research, I found out that this is a common problem, even with vehicles of low mileage. I understand that mechanical failures happen however with a vehicle that only has 80,000 miles on it. This should not happen. I also believe this is a safety concern due to the fact that it causes the driver to become nauseous and possibly disoriented not to mention if enough coolant leaks, it can cause the vehicle to overheat or catch fire.
- NHTSA ID
- 11760389
- Incident
- Aug 14, 2026
Twice in the past two years, the eTorque system had failed will driving on the highest. When the unit fails, you lose all power asks if you're battery is low, you can pose the ability to even steer. The first time, I was on the i87 going north, and barely made it off the road. I was nearly hit by several semi trucks because this was on a blind turn with very little shoulder and I basically had to hide in the woods for safety. Just this past week, less than two years after the replacement, the same issue happened again. This incident was on route 11, which is very busy and I was unable to get my vehicle of the road. An officer came to shield me until the tow truck came, but it was very sketchy. This total cost is over 3000$, and no support from Ram as to why this is happening. This past time the bearings went and there was a lot of smoke coming from the engine area. The smell of burning electronics was choking in the cab; at that point I had to get out of the truck due to the toxic fumes. I did file a complaint with them. With this being such a safety concern, why is there no recall? I can't be the only person having had to deal with this. From what the dealership says, this is happening a lot and there is currently an 8 month wait for the part. Just thought you should be aware of this very serious issue.
- NHTSA ID
- 11757290
- Incident
- Aug 12, 2026
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ENGINE
Engine PNs: MY 24-26 WD/DT (5.7L) Code P00B is being misdiagnosed and incorrect parts are being installed causing over repair. Refer to SOL S2609000006 The IAFM Foam Engine Valley Cover (PN 53013735AB) does not provide sufficient clearance for proper routing of the MDS solenoid jumper harness (PN 05148163AE). As a result, the harness may become compressed by the foam cover. To prevent unnecessary part replacement, the MDS solenoid jumper harness (PN 05148163AE) should be inspected for damage or pinch conditions prior to replacing the following part numbers: Engine PNs: 68409343AA 68409357AA 68450915AA OCV PNs: 53022338AB Phaser PNs: 53022298AA 53022298AB
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
MOTOR - WINDOW REGULATOR
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
MOTOR - WINDOW REGULATOR
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; STRUCTURE:BODY
Cluster Message “To Operate Tailgate Shift to Park” Vehicle is In Park
CORE – HEATER
CORE – HEATER
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2026 | 96 | 7 | 0 | 57.6 |
| 2025 | 351 | 8 | 0 | 57.8 |
| 2024 | 74 | 6 | 0 | 62.4 |
| 2023 | 201 | 11 | 0 | 60.1 |
| 2022 | 612 | 16 | 2 | 65.3 |
| 2021 | 678 | 15 | 1 | 61.7 |
| 2020Viewing | 628 | 14 | 1 | 63.1 |
| 2019 | 1,477 | 30 | 1 | 62.6 |
| 2018 | 661 | 15 | 2 | 64.1 |
| 2017 | 878 | 13 | 3 | 71.7 |
| 2016 | 1,541 | 17 | 4 | 70.1 |
| 2015 | 1,448 | 18 | 5 | 70.0 |
| 2014 | 1,766 | 17 | 5 | 68.1 |
| 2013 | 1,276 | 12 | 4 | 69.1 |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 2009 | 37 | 2 | 1 | 51.5 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1997 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.