2016 RAM 2500 Engine Problems

Grid heater nut/bolt detached and entered engine, causing catastrophic internal failure and total engine loss while driving.

NHTSA ID

11733046

Incident

Feb 5, 2026

Adding to form 11717793

NHTSA ID

11718528

Incident

Feb 17, 2026

The vgt actuator failed the truck only has 127000 miles on it ram extended the warranty for 2015 trucks but not 2016. The part to replace it from ram has almost doubled in a years time. It is now $2170. For this part whose internal computer components have failed. The files uploaded was just for the part. I can upload the repair cost when done. I am just trying to get everyone to see how corrupt these companies are becoming. They could have saved themselves some problems if they would just paid the $3000 to fix it this is a rough estimate.

NHTSA ID

11717792

Incident

Feb 9, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ram 2500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power and went into LIMP Mode. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but also occurred while towing a 30-foot trailer or a 24-foot trailer. Occasionally, after pulling over, turning off, and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality. On other occasions, the vehicle was towed back to the residence after the failure. The vehicle was taken to an Auto Parts Store and diagnosed using a handheld scanner, and a fault code associated with the turbo actuator for the diesel engine was retrieved. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called a local dealer and was notified of Technical Service Bulletin Number: 09-005-22; however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.

NHTSA ID

11717651

Incident

Jul 12, 2025

Mileage

113,000 mi

Towing my trailer with my 2016 Ram 2500, at 48,000 miles I experienced complete turbo failure in heavy traffic at highway speeds. Power was reduced to minimums causing hazardous conditions. The "check engine" light illuminated. I maintained control and eventually had the codes scanned at both a local auto parts store and Larry Miller Dodge/Ram in Sandy, Utah. The codes identified were for the turbo actuator/turbo. Larry Miller said they could replace the actuator, but I'd be back in three weeks for the turbo replacement as well. They were three weeks out for labor. I contacted a local diesel repair shop who purchased the turbo and actuator from Larry Miller Dodge Ram and had it installed in a day. Subsequent to these repairs ($5,400.00) I have learned that MOPAR issued Warranty Bulletin D-22-06, dated March 16, 2022, for the same make and model as mine, only for the year 2015. My truck was built in 2015 and the parts and computer codes for failure are identical. This published warranty bulletin issued relief of a new extended warranty of 15 years /150,000 miles for the installed turbo actuator/turbo. Since mine failed at 48,000 miles, this could be a continuation of the aforementioned issue with the stated 2015 year failures. I was lucky I didn't create a traffic accident when this turbo system failed since it was sudden and violent when the loss of power occurred without warning. I'm asking you to probe or look at the facts that the issue with these Garrett turbos are still outstanding whether Doge/Ram/Fiat/Mopar wants to include them in their campaign. The danger is real. The costs to retired people, such as myself, is consequential and devastating. It is unfair there is no way of sending queries to the manufacturers to alert them of this condition. The only way to communicate is to talk to a person in India and the communication barrier is tremendously difficult as is the chance of getting any return on the days and weeks of attempts for resolution.

NHTSA ID

11663742

Incident

Mar 25, 2025

It is the Water pump We have the Concentric brand with out a vent hole picture attached ( which is the one under recall but doesn’t come up on our vin) Yes A Mechanic No No

NHTSA ID

11663422

Incident

May 23, 2025

The service engine lamp came on. When the mechanic investigated, it was determined that the problem is identical to the Warranty Bulletin titled Cummins 6.7L Turbocharger Actuator - X99 Warranty Extension that pertains to the 2015 RAM 2500 pickup. My vehicle is a 2016 and there is no warranty extension, even though it is an identical problem. The vehicle was not drivable as is and I had to replace the Turbocharger Actuator. I am assuming that this is a known problem to Cummins and to RAM. There should be a Warranty Bulletin for the 2016 also.

NHTSA ID

11653069

Incident

Apr 2, 2025

It is known that the 2016 Ram crew cab 4x4 has exhaust leak problems. The bolts on the exhaust manifold will break and exhaust will escape the manifold causing extra heat to flow into the engine bay, and fumes to enter the cabin of the vehicle. carbon monoxide is colorless and orderless and causes headaches, nausea, dizziness, and even death if inhaled. The exhaust manifold leaks must be fixed.

NHTSA ID

11591048

Incident

May 1, 2024

We were driving our 2016 Ram in July 20, 2023 to Yakima, WA which is 200 miles away from our home. About 50 miles north of town, our check engine light came on and our power was reduced to a minimal speed. We cautiously drove to the next rest area and turned the engine off. We waited about 30 minutes, restarted the engine and continued to Yakima. We had the code checked and turned off at an Oreily's parts store. We drove it to an Independant diesel service center since the Ram dealership's schedule was 2 months out to look at it. After several hours and troubleshooting, the diesel technician determined that the Cumins Actuator and Turbo were failing. Each time they cleared the code and drove the truck, they could recreate the problem. They told us that it was the same problem that the 2015 Cumins Turbos & actuators were having. They said there is a chance that our truck was manufactured with the same parts as a 2015 Cumins. They were able to repair our truck and said that we should notify the NHTSA, Mopar and our local Ram dealer of the problem. Mopar told me there is no recall for this issue, so they cannot help. The local Ram dealer told me that since they did not do the repair, they cannot report the issue. Please help us as this was an expensive repair, not including the cost of being standed out of town for days. Our Ram only has 39,000 miles and is like new, always garaged and drove for pleasure. How can we get this investigated or reimbursed?

NHTSA ID

11546887

Incident

Jul 20, 2023

6.7L Cummins diesel Known Grid heater bolt broke and could leave people stranded as it causes catastrophic engine failure and or damage leading up to $20 to $30K in engine repairs. Ram knows about this issue and is doing nothing about it. Mine broke and I caught it just before it destroyed my engine. the fix was a $1k kit. This bolt corrodes and and drops down into the intake in which destroys the #6 cylinder, piston, wall and valves. Ram is doing nothing to fix the problem and leaving people stranded who haul trailers and with the big repair bills.

NHTSA ID

11518672

Incident

Apr 1, 2023

The grid heater bolt that is on the bottom side of the grid heater. It fails and the bolt falls off and get sucked into the engine destroying the piston and cylinder causing an over 10,000$ expense.

NHTSA ID

11506481

Incident

Feb 9, 2023

This message is in regards to Static NHTSA Bulletin 09-005-22 / D- 22- 06 Dated March 16, 2022. The above listed warranty extension extends Ram 2500 Cummins Turbo Diesel Model year 2015 to 150,000 miles or 15 years if code U010C is indicated on MIL. My truck meets all above criteria but is a model year 2016. However, there is no changes in mechanicals between the 2015 and 2016 model year. My truck, at 114,000 miles just indicated this issue and the estimated cost of repairs is over 2,000 dollars. Considering that this has already been a widespread notable issue with this truck and engine, my hopes is to include 2016 model years in this extension. Thank you.

NHTSA ID

11505949

Incident

Feb 6, 2023

I was driving my truck on the freeway pulling a loaded stock trailer. The truck suddenly down shifted into fourth gear and the engine RPM’s maxed out! I almost crashed the truck because the momentum of the trailer pushed the truck sideways on the freeway. I had to avoid traffic and get to the shoulder. Truck would not shift out of fourth gear and truck shifted into 4WD low also on its own. Had truck towed to dealers ship and was told a shift solenoid went out. Because of that they now have to change the torque converter and replace the transmission from the damaged it caused. It is unknown if it damaged any of the engine components at this time or any other parts of the drivetrain. Now I’m stuck paying for a transmission because Dodge didn’t put a safety backup into their system to prevent this in case of a failure. I see that I am not the first person it’s happened to by reading the power train comments for this year truck.

NHTSA ID

11466065

Incident

Apr 29, 2022

Engine running rough. I drive daily on the freeway and pull a trailer, it is not safe to drive on a busy freeway or any road ( I am a self-employed contractor who now has to rent a truck). Both I took to an independent service center and authorized Crysler Dealer. Check engine light came on November 30th. P219A - Bank 1 Air-Fuel Ratio Imbalance PERMANENT. It was starting on and off. The truck was purchased from Holz Dealership in 2019 and financed for $35,967.63. Nothing was disclosed about engine issues.

NHTSA ID

11442914

Incident

Nov 30, 2021

Engine Fan / Radiator Shroud. During hot weather and engine temperature, the engine fan engaged. Due to the high ambient, I believe the radiator shroud was hot and the material was soft, it became deformed under the vacuum created by the fan cause it to interfere with the engine fans path of rotation. The interference caused the fan and shroud to shred each other sending shrapnel in all directions, including into the back side of the radiator, engine compartment. Plastic debris was found on top of the valve cover, battery, radiator, exhaust manifold. This problem has been reported by numerus online forms. This failure was inspected by the dealer and I was informed it was not under warranty, but drivable and safe. Their recommendation however was to replace the fan, shroud and radiator. However, they have seen cases with far worse damage causing catastrophic failure of the radiator leaving the vehicle stranded

NHTSA ID

11437306

Incident

Jul 3, 2020

The contact owns a 2016 Dodge Ram 2500. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle started making abnormal sounds. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated he veered to the side of the road for a short while and then drove to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the heater thread bolt had failed and damaged the engine. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact he would be responsible for the cost of the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

NHTSA ID

11429583

Incident

Jul 18, 2021

Mileage

160,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Ram 2500. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. The contact depressed the parking brake pedal and the vehicle stopped. The warning messages "Brake Fluid Low" and "Service Electronic Braking System" appeared on the instrument panel. The check engine warning light, the traction control warning light, and the brake warning light were illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the brake pedal responded while depressed. The vehicle was drivable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 106,500.

NHTSA ID

11428326

Incident

Aug 4, 2021

Mileage

106,500 mi

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE YESTERDAY. TODAY I WAS DRIVING IT IS STALLED AS I WAS PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC I RESTARTED IT IT DROVE FINE ANOTHER TWO MILES. AT WHICH TIME IS STALLED AGAIN WITH NO LIGHTS, NO INDICATIONS ON. SOUNDS LIKE SOME NOISE COMES FROM THE AIR BOX. SOME KIND OF AIR NOISE COMES FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE WHEN IT HAPPENED

NHTSA ID

11337451

Incident

Jul 4, 2020

Mileage

155,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 RAM 2500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V818000 (EQUIPMENT, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND 20V036000 (POWER TRAIN) HOWEVER THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIRS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN THREE TIMES TO LANDMARK DODGE CHRYSLER JEEP RAM, 6850 MT ZION BLVD, MORROW, GA 30260, AND WAS REJECTED TO BE SERVICED DUE TO THE PARTS NOT BEING AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V818000 (EQUIPMENT, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), AND PART DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECTED FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V036000 (POWER TRAIN).

NHTSA ID

11330461

Incident

Dec 20, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 RAM 2500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V818000 (EQUIPMENT, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND 20V036000 (POWER TRAIN) HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED BERGEY'S CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM LOCATED AT (408 HARLEYSVILLE PIKE, SOUDERTON, PA 18964 (215) 721-3470) BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT DID NOT EXPERIENCE A FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED HOWEVER NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

11316993

Incident

Jan 1, 2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 RAM 2500. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND LOST BRAKING AND STEERING ABILITY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT HAD TO SHIFT INTO PARK AND TURN THE IGNITION TO RESTART THE VEHICLE WHILE IT WAS STILL ROLLING. THE CONTACT DROVE TO NATIONAL DODGE CHRYSLER JEEP RAM (2223 N MARINE BLVD, JACKSONVILLE, NC 28546, (910) 347-3777) WHERE A CODE APPEARED THAT WAS UNRELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL FAILURES FROM PAST REPAIRS. THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALER'S SHOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER, BUT NO FAILURE WAS FOUND. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000.

NHTSA ID

11254445

Incident

Sep 4, 2019

Mileage

24,000 mi

"ETC" WARNING LIGHT, ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL , KEEPS COMING ON AND TAKING IT BACK TO THE DEALER MONDAY FOR THE 3RD TIME. THE THROTTLE GETS STUCK AND WON'T IDLE---THE PEDAL WORKS FINE, IT'S AN ELECTRONIC PROBLEM. MY WIFE ALMOST RAN THREW THE GARAGE DOOR. THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING AND IDLING ANYWHERE.

NHTSA ID

11222777

Incident

Jun 24, 2019

Mileage

26,800 mi

INTERMITTENT DIESEL EXHAUST ENTERS VEHICLE WHEN USING HEATER. THIS OCCURS WHEN DRIVING, ENGINE TEMPERATURE NORMAL, DIESEL EXHAUST WILL ENTER THROUGH HEATER VENTS. IT STOPS IF THE HEATER IS TURNED OFF AND DOES NOT OCCUR WHEN HEATER IS TURNED IN A FEW MINUTES NOR MAY IT REOCCUR FOR AN EXTENDED LENGTH OF TIME. IT IS BAD ENOUGH TO CAUSE A HEADACHE. I HAVE TO OPEN THE WINDOWS TO CLEAR THE FUMES. AS IT IS INTERMITTENT I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPRODUCE FOR THE RAM DEALER.

NHTSA ID

11165652

Incident

Dec 20, 2018

Mileage

35,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 RAM 2500. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE REGENERATION PROCESS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED EXTREME HEAT COMING FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MCSWEENEY CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM (2605 DR JOHN HAYNES DR, PELL CITY, AL 35125, (205) 814-7300) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. AT NIGHT, BLUE FLAMES CAME OUT OF THE EXHAUST PIPE WHEN THE REGENERATION PROCESS BEGAN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,775. *TT CONSUMER STATED IT IS NOT A FAILURE BUT A DESIGN OVERSIGHT. UPDATED 11/27/18*JB

NHTSA ID

11128509

Incident

Sep 1, 2016

Mileage

35,775 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V5612000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR REPAIR. THE CONTACT RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTIFICATION IN SEPTEMBER OF 2017. THE DEALER (RALPH SELLERS CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM, 14215 AIRLINE HWY, GONZALES, LA 70737) STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. **TR THE CONSUMER STATED ALL REPAIRS COMPLETED ON 09/19/18. *TR

NHTSA ID

11128120

Incident

Sep 17, 2017