2026 RAM 1500 Electrical Problems

The electronic door locking and unlocking system on my 2026 Ram 1500 malfunctioned repeatedly beginning in approximately August–September 2026. During one incident, my family and I were unable to exit the vehicle normally for approximately 15 minutes in Las Vegas summer temperatures of approximately 115°F. The doors also repeatedly failed to lock, unlock, or properly secure the vehicle, creating serious safety and security concerns. No warning light was observed before these electrical failures. In October 2026, the vehicle developed additional problems involving repeated check-engine warning lights, multiple-cylinder misfires, and abnormal grinding or dragging engine sensations. Desert 215 Superstore technicians confirmed diagnostic trouble code P0300 and documented cold-start misfires affecting cylinders 1, 3, and 5 under service invoice #171349, dated October 14–19, 2026, at approximately 2,990 miles. The vehicle was returned to the dealership around October 20–21 after the engine symptoms recurred. Stellantis technical assistance was reportedly involved under STAR Technical ID 103007728. The dealership has inspected the vehicle, but I have not received documentation confirming a separate physical inspection by a manufacturer representative. The door-related safety incidents were previously reported to dealership personnel but were not adequately documented in the service records, and I have no written confirmation that those failures were reproduced. The vehicle remains at Desert 215 Superstore in Las Vegas, Nevada, and may be available for inspection through the dealership. I am requesting that NHTSA document and review these recurring electrical and engine-related problems as potential safety defects, particularly because of the risk to vehicle occupants and my family's safety. STAR Case / Technical ID #103007728

NHTSA ID

11776475

Incident

Oct 12, 2026

1. The Active Safety Modules on this vehicle has an ongoing history of dangerous processing lag and failure 2. The Forward Warning system has routinely experienced severe software lag. On multiple occasions, the system completely failed to provide an audible chime or safety warning, and sometimes alerting after. Due to this there was an impact on the front lower bumper. I took it to Normandin and advisor called and mentioned Stellantis ordered to no touch truck. They refused to look into this safety issue under factory warranty. 3. Unresolved Brakes/Suspension- received an email, took it to Normandin Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram on 900 Capitol Expressway Auto Mall San Jose, CA 95136 United States, did not perform a fix. This safety warning remains unresolved in the system. 4. Erratic Towing Indicator Fault- Normandin stated that it can be “just dust” warning remains unresolved in the system 5. Center Screen Freezing- freezes Normandin advisor witnessed it at vehicle repair pickup and told me to restart the screen. I have contacted Stellantis and opened a case on this matter. I have called numerous of times and they keep saying they will call back, and I have not heard anything back in three weeks.

NHTSA ID

11775233

Incident

Oct 10, 2026

The vehicle shut off in the middle of the road while driving without warning. To get it restarted, we needed to activate with remote start on key fob several times before it would allow us to restart. The vehicle also did the same behavior 3 more times in a parking lot where it would immediately halt and shut off while the vehicle was in motion. We have today reported to the dealer and will be transporting the car there today.

NHTSA ID

11772616

Incident

Oct 17, 2026

My 2026 RAM 1500, with approximately 3,900 miles, experienced an unexpected engine shutdown on XXX. After entering the vehicle, fastening my seatbelt, pressing the brake, and starting the engine, the engine ran for approximately one second. When I attempted to shift into Reverse, the engine shut off and the transmission automatically went into Park. The dashboard and electronics remained powered, but the vehicle would not shift into another gear or respond to the start button. After completely shutting down the vehicle’s electronics, I was able to restart the engine, and the truck operated normally. The vehicle has also experienced intermittent infotainment failures, including CarPlay freezing, the radio remaining on after shutdown, and navigation updates failing. These issues began around mid-XXX. I am concerned about the possibility of the engine shutting down unexpectedly again, potentially while driving. This has happened a few times while driving out of my drive way I have a service appointment scheduled XXX at the ram dealership automation in [XXX] off of [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11770923

Incident

Oct 13, 2026

My 2026 RAM 1500, with approximately 3,900 miles, experienced an unexpected engine shutdown on October 13, 2026. After entering the vehicle, fastening my seatbelt, pressing the brake, and starting the engine, the engine ran for approximately one second. When I attempted to shift into Reverse, the engine shut off and the transmission automatically went into Park. The dashboard and electronics remained powered, but the vehicle would not shift into another gear or respond to the start button. After completely shutting down the vehicle’s electronics, I was able to restart the engine, and the truck operated normally. The vehicle has also experienced intermittent infotainment failures, including CarPlay freezing, the radio remaining on after shutdown, and navigation updates failing. These issues began around mid-September 2026. I am concerned about the possibility of the engine shutting down unexpectedly again, potentially while driving.

NHTSA ID

11770919

Incident

Oct 13, 2026

The primary failures involve the central electrical system, computer module architecture, and the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), specifically the automatic rear backup braking. The 2026 Ram 1500 Laramie is currently parked at Lithia Ram in Helena, MT, and remains available for a complete inspection upon request. My safety, my wife's safety, and the lives of others have been put in extreme jeopardy. The truck suffered a terrifying, complete electrical and powertrain blackout directly in the middle of a highly dangerous, busy traffic intersection (Malfunction Junction). I was forced to activate my hazard lights and coast blindly through cross-traffic with zero steering control. The truck has also randomly stalled in parking lots. Furthermore, the computer system experiences severe glitches; the dashboard display repeatedly instructs me to push the start button to start the vehicle, even though the engine is already actively running. Additionally, the reverse backup braking system glitches, causing the rear brakes to randomly engage and violently jerk the truck when no hazard is present. The vehicle was towed to the dealership following the near-fatal intersection failure. The truck has had ongoing computer issues since August 2026. While remote, over-the-air software updates appeared on the center screen claiming to fix the vehicle, they failed to resolve the underlying defects. Despite the towing history and ongoing electrical glitches, the service department at Lithia Ram in Helena claims they "cannot replicate" the defects. No independent, manufacturer, or police inspections have occurred yet; the local dealer has only performed basic diagnostics and is actively refusing to investigate deeper or provide alternative transportation. The safety failures and computer errors happen completely at random with zero advance warning. This is the second truck with the same issues. Lithia transferred me into the Laramie from a 2026 Rebel that died on interstate.

NHTSA ID

11769190

Incident

Oct 1, 2026

While driving on the Interstate approx. 70 MPH the main digital instrument panel completely blacked out and remained dark for 30 to maybe 60 seconds before attempting to reboot. During this time, I lost all access to all critical safety information including the speedometer, gear selection, gauges and safety warning indicators creating an immediate and hazardous driving condition. this vehicle is a 2026 Ram and a daily driver. the total loss of dashboard visibility while traveling at interstate speeds during rush hour traffic poses severe safety risk to me and others on the road. Date of incident: 09/22/2026 Time of incident: Approx 3:10 p.m. CST Mileage at time of incident: Approx. 3309

NHTSA ID

11766846

Incident

Sep 22, 2026

On September 14, 2026, my 2026 Ram 1500 Limited, with approximately 6,000 miles, caught fire while parked and unattended in my workplace parking lot. I had driven the vehicle approximately six minutes to work and parked it at approximately 1:30 PM. I did not notice any warning lights, warning messages, smoke, unusual smells, or other indications of a problem while driving or when I parked the vehicle. At approximately 2:25 PM, a coworker noticed smoke coming from the parked vehicle. He approached the vehicle and then ran inside to alert others. Workplace surveillance cameras captured the incident. Management reviewed the footage, which shows the truck sitting parked and unattended before smoke becomes visible, followed very quickly by visible flames. The fire developed very rapidly. The fire department responded and extinguished the fire, and a fire investigator responded to the scene. There was no collision, the vehicle was unoccupied, and thankfully there were no injuries. The cause of the fire and the component or system responsible are currently UNKNOWN. The vehicle is available for inspection. Because this is a 2026 vehicle with only approximately 6,000 miles that caught fire while parked and turned off shortly after being driven, we are concerned that a vehicle component or system may have malfunctioned and created a serious safety hazard.

NHTSA ID

11764237

Incident

Sep 14, 2026

The charging system does not charge the starting battery at times. On a 2 plus hour drive I got a low voltage warning from my dash camera. the dashcam has the feature to protect not running the battery to low. I was driving at highway speeds and the trucks onboard gauges showed the battery voltage at 12.5 volts. It should show between 13.8 to 14.1 with the engine running. If the battery were to have completely died the truck would have been disabled at speed. Dealer looked at it and charged the battery up. Said batter was good and saw no issues, but I have experienced it again after so they are wrong. Truck has less than 4000 miles on it.

NHTSA ID

11763918

Incident

Aug 22, 2026

On XXX, I leased a 2026 Ram 1500 truck from Enterprise Rent-A-Car ([XXX] branch) with a friend, both of us being young women. While traveling, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic electronic system failure. The truck’s central computer completely desynced from the key fob, locking two female occupants out and leaving us stranded and vulnerable in a remote area. It also began alerting about “ checking tire pressure system despite checking all tires. A passerby stopped (dangerous) and by offered a used AirTag battery, the red light in the fob was working before and after the battery change. It started once, we were forced to sleep in a running vehicle, afraid to turn it off. Eventually the tire pressure alert over rode the key fob alert so we reached a secure location and turned off and locked the truck. After breakfast we were completely locked out and stranded again. We tried a replacement NEW fob battery but still didn’t sync leaving us stranded AND locked out. Because Enterprise corporate actively alters manufacturer safety equipment by stripping the physical, manual emergency backup key blades out of the key fob housings, we had absolutely no physical mechanism to override the locked doors to seek shelter or access the cabin during this system failure.A subsequent VIN search on the official NHTSA database proved that this exact vehicle had an active, unresolved federal safety recall for software defects (NHTSA Recall Campaign #26V-531 / Manufacturer Recall #78D) issued on XXX. Enterprise held this vehicle in its active fleet and rented it to me eleven full days after the federal safety recall went live, violating federal laws governing rental fleet recall compliance. The specific software defect cited in the federal recall matches the exact electrical system crash that disabled our vehicle, locked out our security protocols, and put our physical safety at risk TWICE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11763022

Incident

Sep 7, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V059000 (Exterior Lighting, Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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 contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID

11763018

Incident

Sep 9, 2026

The vehicle has failed to start and left me stranded multiple times. The concerning thing here is, upon jumping the vehicle, there were no concerning lights just a single check engine light. I was driving directly to the dealer for a repair. All was fine for about 10 minutes. Then, I hit the brakes and all warning lights came up and the brakes STOPPED WORKING. The pedal was soft and going nearly to the floor. I very luckily avoided an accident and pulled over, then had the vehicle towed to the dealer. A week and a half later, when trying to start the truck it had another full electrical freakout and was towed to the dealer again.

NHTSA ID

11762807

Incident

Aug 10, 2026

[XXX]. at about [XXX] I put the vehicle on Drive mode after releasing the electronic parking brake. Suddenly the vehicle engine stopped running all power was not available to include power windows and doors. I was trapped inside my vehicle for about 20 minutes. I made a call to the manufacture's roadside assistance at 8667264636 since the vehicle has only 3,000 miles on it. The script reading third world country support team was not very helpful. I managed to exit the vehicle through an open window after releasing the hood latch. My first troubleshooting procedure was to reboot the system by disconnecting the negative of the vehicle power pack, my next step was to confirm volage on the power pack. After I got confirmation that sufficient power was available and reconnected the negative side to the power pack, I used my key fob to unlock the vehicle. I got power to the dash and the 12" cluster screen but the push to start was still disabled. I called back the manufacture's roadside assistance once again only to be informed that I had to pay $200 for towing. I decided to disconnect the power pack once again this time for 30 minutes. Upon reconnecting it back again I was able to restart the vehicle and cautiously drove it to my home. I've noticed glitches since the last software update completed through my ISP as the system is designed to do so. Please investigate, this is a safety concern. People could get trapped for hours in inclement weather (heat) specially the ones with no technical/mechanical background. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11762728

Incident

Sep 7, 2026

My tailgate wont open at all ! I tried the button in the overhead console ,the key fob and manually! Nothing works and I can't get a dealership to get me a loaner to look at it because I can't be with out transportation! It's a little frustrating I have a new truck that was less then 1month old at the time. Not to mention the other electrical issues like (system keep unpairing my phone),my airbag RH rear canister makes a loud bursting noise or the light indicator in the mirror come on and system is froze until I turn the truck off and back on. I'm hoping you will be able to help with the issues I've mention!

NHTSA ID

11761422

Incident

Jul 29, 2026

While actively driving the vehicle on roadways the vehicle began initiating a software update without any approval prompt request to confirm OK to begin the update. The backup camera, radio, SOS and driver assistance features were unavailable during the update, and the update screen stated "Vehicle should not be driven, and should remain in PARK or with parking brake engaged". Problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by dealer as it occurred this morning 8/28/26.

NHTSA ID

11760226

Incident

Aug 28, 2026

At a red light, the truck flashed all lights then refused to move. I tried to put the truck in park and turn it off and back on again but it didn't ever turn on again. The truck was towed to the dealer 13 days ago now. They fixed all safety recalls but it didn't resolve the issue and the truck still will not drive. The manufacturer is refusing to repair what the dealer believes to be the issue.

NHTSA ID

11760150

Incident

Aug 14, 2026

Vehicle auto braking inoperative, lane detection not working, main screen goes completely black. Vehicle went into limp mode while entering the freeway . Main dash flagged yellow, and highlighted check engine, service electric stability control, airbags service, 4 x 4 unavailable, service electronic stability control.

NHTSA ID

11757189

Incident

Aug 15, 2026

Check engine light on 2026 ram RHO Ram Dealerships selling trucks when they know have electrical problems coming off the assembly line.

NHTSA ID

11756396

Incident

Aug 1, 2026

Check engine light was electrical failure truck has been in the shop for a week now .

NHTSA ID

11756395

Incident

Aug 1, 2026

Multiple occurrences of center stack display freezing and then going black. Which made the backup camera display unable to be used. Screen stayed black for entire drive and did not reset until multiple restarts of vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11754434

Incident

Jul 28, 2026

My 2026 Ram 1500 Bighorn Crew Cab After vehicle startup, approximately five seconds, after initiating forward,, the vehicle experience and abrupt engine shut down while in motion. Concurrently the vehicles, electronic parking brake forcefully self engages without driver command due to an automated safety conflict. This severe powertrain, and electrical failure completely strands the vehicle and active traffic, presenting an immediate life-threatening risk of a rear-end collision. This exact failure mode has occurred a total of five separate times, and the authorized dealership is currently attempting a software remedy under an escalated Corporate stare case.

NHTSA ID

11753691

Incident

Jul 17, 2026

Truck went off when braking in traffic. Numerous times. Dealer unable To duplicate. Video was Sent to them. Headlights flash off sometimes at night when applying brakes.

NHTSA ID

11751148

Incident

Jun 27, 2026

Parking sensors and forward sensors used for adaptive cruise control will identify objects that are not there and the car will break. Car with shut off while driving (not the normal engine cutoff with restart) and shift to park suddenly. Backup camera is blanked out and rear sensor will not work. Towing mode with initiate on its own with not trailer hooked up while driving. False low oil lights and no tire pressure sensor connections. The truck has stalled several times while pulling into cross traffic nearly causing accidents 2x Display screen/speedometer will just black out while driving.

NHTSA ID

11751126

Incident

Jun 22, 2026

2026 Ram 1500 Bighorn level 2 package. The Theme Mode button is missing under Display or Profile on the radio display screen, which keeps the widgets on screen black and no back lighting on the instrument console gauges in front of driver during daylight operations keeping them dark also. Some vehicle have the issues with the missing Theme Mode Button others do not. Local dealer can’t figure a solution. Ram customer care states “ we can only make an ointment with the dealer.”

NHTSA ID

11749996

Incident

Jun 15, 2026

The uConnect radio and the gauge cluster in my 2026 RAM 1500 have consistent issues with their performance and do not operate consistently as designed. The gauge cluster will frequently go blank, have the odometer flashing, or stay on when the vehicle has been turned off. The radio will consistently display "connection negotiation failed" which impairs the use of android auto or any of the factory navigation or other radio features. You have to power cycle the vehicle a few times for those issues to resolve themselves.

NHTSA ID

11749800

Incident

Dec 9, 2025