2018 RAM 3500 Electrical Problems

The recall for the brake hydraulic contol unit (C4B/NHTSA 24V-896) has not been addressed in years.....I have no brakes on my trailer from this failure. This needs fixed asap.

NHTSA ID

11755340

Incident

Feb 5, 2026

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Ram 3500. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 78,546 and at the time of a Carfax report check, it was discovered that the mileage was 699,573.

NHTSA ID

11754529

Incident

Feb 24, 2024

Mileage

699,573 mi

The contact owns a 2018 RAM 3500. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the contact noticed an abnormal cracking sound and smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact inspected and used a fire extinguisher to slow the smoke and electrical sparks down. The contact did not notice any fire. The fire department arrived and disconnected the electrical cables to prevent further damage. The contact stated that the vehicle was inoperable. In addition, the contact stated that the failure occurred while the contact was traveling on vacation. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact was informed that the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The vehicle was later towed to an RV service center. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.

NHTSA ID

11748890

Incident

May 28, 2026

Mileage

23,000 mi

ABS/TRACTION CONTROL light and warning alarm goes off continuously. Very dangerous when towing a 15k pound camper.

NHTSA ID

11747675

Incident

Nov 27, 2024

I am the owner of a 2018 Ram 3500 subject to Recall C4B (NHTSA Recall No. 24V-896) involving the Brake Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU). The recall was announced on November 27, 2024. As of June 2026, NHTSA’s website still states that the recall is incomplete and that a remedy is not yet available for my vehicle. The defect causes active symptoms during operation. The vehicle continuously chimes while driving, similar to a seatbelt warning, and cruise control is disabled. These symptoms substantially interfere with normal operation, especially during long trips and towing. I have contacted authorized Ram dealerships and Ram Customer Care multiple times. Dealerships state that no remedy is available and refer me to Ram Customer Care. Ram Customer Care confirms that no remedy is available and provides no repair timeline or meaningful resolution. Most concerning, neither the dealerships nor Ram Customer Care will initiate a repair attempt because no repair procedure or parts exist. Owners are therefore unable to obtain repairs or even establish documented repair attempts despite the existence of an active safety recall. I was also advised that I could rent a vehicle at my own expense and potentially seek reimbursement if approved. Given that this recall has been open for more than 18 months with no available remedy or repair timeline, expecting owners to personally fund rental costs for an unknown period with only the possibility of reimbursement is unrealistic and inadequate. This open safety recall has negatively impacted the vehicle’s usability, resale value, and trade-in value while preventing owners from obtaining a repair. Stellantis acknowledges the safety defect, yet no practical remedy or alternative solution is available. I respectfully request that NHTSA review the continued lack of an available remedy, the extended delay in repairs, and the absence of a meaningful process for affected owners to obtain relief.

NHTSA ID

11743637

Incident

Dec 1, 2025

[XXX] - I have called the Dealer numerous times and even Stelatis for 2 years and I keep getting the SORRY there are no parts to fix your vehicle. PLEASE help me with this non stop run around. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11729825

Incident

Feb 14, 2024

While towing 10,000 lb trailer vehicle displayed indicators that traction control and ABS were failing. I've taken vehicle to dealer 5 times since recall and it's now over 1 year and Chrysler failed to remedy recalled defective part 68143491AA. Chrysler complaint case no. 95672952 filed on 2/16/26. Chrysler HAS in fact produced the replacement part No. 68143491AB - supersedes failed part no. above. Local dealers have qty 9 of part locally in stock and sell to public for $500. After calling many parts dept sources, I learned dealers are lying and telling current owners no remedy available under recall so that Chrysler can prioritize replacing Ram trucks traded in to dealers so they can fix under recall and make those vehicles sellable by dealers as highest priority for parts. However, dealers are also willing to sell the new part to consumers at full msrp at parts counter + labor in service center. So they make eligible customers pay full price up front and fight to get reimbursed later after being out nearly $1000 to fix Chrysler's problem. I get that there may not be enough parts on hand for every recalled unit - yet. But there are enough now at dealers that when a truck comes in to dealer service center with proven HCU failure indicators (traction control and ABS warning lights) those customers should be given the recall part with labor as required of Chrysler. In my case, brake failure warning lights were documented 7 months ago at North Fort Worth Auto Nation dealer service center under invoice #187541. So, there is no excuse why I'm now being lied to and told they don't have new part 68143491AB when parts mgr told me himself they have 8 parts in stock at that dealership alone as of 2/16/26. NHTSA is allowing Chrysler to self-regulate on this without sufficient oversight. After a year plus since first recall notice there is NO excuse why current owners should be denied available parts to fix this known major safety issue.

NHTSA ID

11718468

Incident

Jul 14, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the instrument panel failed to provide the speed. The GPS was used a temporary indicator of the speed. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated, with a warning light that the front bumper parking sensor was inoperable was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the ABS module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,489.

NHTSA ID

11715471

Incident

Nov 15, 2025

Mileage

117,489 mi

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while servicing the vehicle, it was discovered that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the owner had experienced the failure, causing the vehicle to veer to the passenger’s side while braking, and the check engine, ABS, and ESC warning lights remained illuminated, and the speedometer was intermittently inoperable. The failure mileage was 121,407

NHTSA ID

11712030

Incident

Jan 20, 2026

Mileage

121,407 mi

My vehicle is included in safety recall 24V-896 for a defective HCU (Hydraulic Control Unit). I have contacted the dealership multiple times, but the replacement part is never available. This recall affects critical safety systems including ABS and Electronic Stability Control. Despite being a safety recall, there is no estimated timeline for repair due to part unavailability. I am concerned about driving a vehicle with an unresolved safety defect. The manufacturer has been unable to provide the recall repair for an extended period.

NHTSA ID

11709229

Incident

Nov 15, 2025

Recall C4B with known issue and known remedy but “no parts available.” Contacted RAM and with no parts they have no solution. You can rent an auto out of pocket and possibly be reimbursed. No option for buyback or solution. Recall came out 12/5/2024.

NHTSA ID

11707555

Incident

Dec 5, 2024

After stopping at the local dealer monthly concerning this safety recall I am told every time that the part is not available. I am left driving this truck in an unsafe state and am concerned for public safety as well as my own. No assistance is ever offered and there is no eta on when to expect the needed parts. This is a known issue that a safety recall has been issued for but RAM is taking no action to correct.

NHTSA ID

11692245

Incident

Oct 6, 2025

The Hydraulic brake control has been a recall with no replacement part available for over 2 years and this causes many safety functions to not work properly including trailer braking. They have made parts for a 2500 model but neglected to fix the 3500, 4500 and 5500 models. They will fix it with another faulty sensor and still expect owner to pay a 1700 repair bill even though it’s a recall. It’s ridiculous on the time this is taking.

NHTSA ID

11691585

Incident

Jun 3, 2023

My HCU has failed I had a car pull into my lane on the freeway and my truck and fifth wheel slid for a long period of time. After the close call I contacted the dealership and they said they have no parts to fix the recall. I also contacted the FCA customer care 1 800 853 1403. After many calls and lost calls the Indian man told me it was totally safe to drive my truck he has no clue what a fifth wheel trailer is. I now have a 12400 mile truck i only use to pull my trailer sitting in limbo waiting to be repaired. Seems like when the truck goes through all the chimes and flashing lights I lose my cruise control and trailer brake function how is this safe?

NHTSA ID

11682742

Incident

Jul 13, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated there was an abnormal dinging sound coming from the vehicle while driving. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The traction control symbol was displayed. The service ABS message was displayed. The contact stated that the ParkSense rear sensor message was displayed. The local dealer was contacted, but was unable to repair the vehicle due to parts unavailability. The contact called other local dealers, Huffines Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM Lewisville (1024 S Stemmons Fwy, Lewisville, TX 75067( and Klement Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM (3520 US-287, Decatur, TX 76234), but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was called, but there was no answer. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

NHTSA ID

11681811

Incident

Jan 1, 2022

Mileage

65,000 mi

Stellantis is unable to provide a timey remedy for NHTSA Recall Number24V-896. The hydraulic control unit ("HCU") is susceptible to failure or malfunction which may result in a reduction or change of Anti-Lock Brake System ("ABS")/Electronic Stability Control ("ESC") /Traction Control performance. A failing HCU will initially result in the intermittent loss of ABS/Traction control progressing to permanent loss. The loss of ABS/ESC/Traction control may cause a vehicle crash without prior warning. Driving the vehicle is a safety risk to me and the public. The vehicle is garaged at an authorized dealership since 2/13/25 and has resulted in a loss of income totaling $40,000 as the truck was used for transporting heavy loads. Additionally, I have paid $9,000 towards the monthly truck note and insurance for a vehicle that I cannot drive. Stellantis has not provided an adequate solution, and they are ill-equipped to be a manufacturer of vehicles in the United States. Stellantis is actively misrepresenting safety information to the public without any regard for the public’s safety. Out of an abundance of caution, I filed Better Business Bureau complaint case #[XXX] on [XXX] with the Detroit and Eastern Michigan office after Stellantis advised me that the 2018 Ram 3500 was safe to drive even though the recall was not repaired. Stellantis’ response can be viewed by the public at the Better Business Bureau of Detroit and Eastern Michigan’s website. It reads as follows: “We issued this recall out of our commitment to your safety and recommend that you complete the repair as soon as the remedy becomes available. However, please rest assured that you can continue driving your vehicle safely in the meantime." They made 5.5 billion in profit in 2024 and they won't deal fairly regarding a rental vehicle. On 7/17 they told me they would reimburse up to $60 then 8 days later they said up to $50. When I submitted my rental receipts they said their system is down. Stop them INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFO

NHTSA ID

11680288

Incident

Nov 27, 2024

The stereo malfunctioned on several occasions, I have taken it to the dealer and had a new stereo put in. My safety was at risk because the radio started jumping from station to station and calling people in my contact list. All of these increased concerns and my driving was impacted. This made it impossible to drive safely due to this issue. I had to pull over each time and disconnect my Bluetooth and unplug my phone for hands free driving. This issue caused a very unsafe and distracted event. Yes this has been confirmed. It has not been inspected by the police; this is a huge issue with these trucks there are several complaints that have been turned in. There were no warnings. The radio would work fine and then start going off on a tangent, there is no way to even turn off the radio to prevent this from happening. This needs to be covered by Dodge Ram, this issue is unsafe and could cause an accident.

NHTSA ID

11662038

Incident

May 2, 2025

On May 3, 2025, while driving my 2018 RAM 2500 with approximately 46,000 miles, the check engine light came on and the engine immediately experienced a significant loss of power. The vehicle entered a limp mode condition, drastically reducing speed and acceleration. I was forced to pull into a nearby business as the truck could not maintain safe highway speeds, creating a traffic hazard and contributing to congestion. The vehicle was diagnosed by a repair facility as having a failed turbo actuator, a critical component in regulating turbo boost and engine power delivery. After researching this issue, I have found numerous similar complaints and reports from other RAM truck owners on various owner forums and websites, indicating this may be a recurring and potentially widespread defect in these vehicles. Given that this failure occurred at relatively low mileage, caused a hazardous driving condition, and seems to be a commonly reported problem, I believe this issue warrants investigation by NHTSA for potential safety risks and manufacturer accountability. No injuries or property damage occurred, but the incident posed a significant safety risk to myself and other drivers.

NHTSA ID

11659873

Incident

May 3, 2025

On March 3rd, This dealership replaced the stop sale safety recall on our Commercial vehicle (C4B) with a part that was not created for our truck. This resulted in hydraulic brake fluid spewing out of the HCU all over significant areas under the hood, including the ABS Module and wiring. Upon realizing the HCU was spewing hydraulic brake fluid, we brought the truck back on March 7th, and again, the dealership replaced the HCU with the incorrect part (but assuring us it was the actual part for this specific recall) and Sam (service advisor) told us they would also be replacing the ABS Module and the wiring associated, as the ABS module had also been recently replaced and was still covered under warranty. When we received the car back, Sam (service advisor) explained that they would like the truck back at a later date to replace the wiring - that they have already replaced the ABS module so we will still see the ABS light, but only because the wiring needs to be redone.  We picked up our truck on Friday March 8th, and when my fiancé began his route on [XXX] with his trailer attached, he made it about 20 miles before his truck completely shut down mid-drive while on a busy road- forcing him to have to coast over a 4 lane roadway and into a ditch avoiding collision of oncoming traffic with his trailer and equipment attached. We discovered that the mechanics had fraudulently replaced our HCU with another trucks HCU and had to force the recall through Mopar's reimbursement process, as it was rejected multiple times because the remedy is not currently available therefore unable to be completed. I have attached the full story in a PDF document for further information.  Phone: [XXX] Email: [XXX] contact me for any information you may need in addition to this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11649054

Incident

Mar 3, 2025

Constant service electronic braking system and service ABS warning lights, loss of all traction control. It started as a intermittent loss of of these systems and now it is a total loss. There is nothing I can do to make it go away or function correctly. I took it to the dealer to talk about the recall and asked if I could go ahead and pay to have the replacement parts installed and they told me everything was unavailable. This problem has been going on for over two months. It is unsafe, now I don't have any ABS or traction control in the middle of the winter, this is the worst possible time this could happen. How can there not be a alternative solution? Someone is going to crash and get killed.

NHTSA ID

11639952

Incident

Dec 6, 2024

HI, My 2018 RAM 3500, had had a Anti-lock brake control module light on and off about a hundred times a day for the past year, I just spoke to the Ram Service manager at Leith Ram in Wendel NC and she told me that Ram has no fix for this part, and it has been on backorder for over 2.5 years, you can have total brake failure with this part being defective, how has the NTSB not stepped in and put some pressure on them to get this fixed, there are hundreds of thousands of trucks out there with this problem. Why is it being allowed to continue for years and years without a solution??

NHTSA ID

11635259

Incident

Jan 10, 2025

The service electronic braking system and service abs system continues to ding and pop up on screen. Cruise control will not work either.

NHTSA ID

11628378

Incident

Oct 22, 2022

ABS-Hydraulic Control Unit failure, pump motor control electrical failure. Confirmed/ Diagnosed by dealer. Messages on dash info screen: "service electronic braking system", "ABS failure", warning lights : Traction Control and ABS failure. Safety risk when warning message appears: ABS, Traction Control and Cruise Control are non- functional.

NHTSA ID

11626203

Incident

Sep 1, 2024

The service antilock brake system is constantly going off and the dealer says there is nothing they can do and no parts are available. We took it in and they ran a diagnostic and said they didnt know why and will not help us.

NHTSA ID

11624526

Incident

Apr 4, 2024

ABS and Electric Brake failure. Second time this has been fixed. Once at roughly 30,000 miles and now again at 48,000 miles. Paperwork from dealer on both failures is “Internal Pump Failure EL001, Replace HCU. Replace old part SKU with new version…68143491AB” I entered a similar claim with you on this the first time it failed. It seems Chrysler Dodge Ram knows there is an issue based on them using an updated part this time vs last time. Also lots of internet chat forums talking about this issue. Since this is ABS / electric brakes I would think it would be a relatively serious safety concern on their part and with NHTSA. Why is there no recall on this yet? Aside from the obvious of preventing potential fatalities the cost of these pump failures is over $1,000 each time it happens. Thanks in advance for your help

NHTSA ID

11623708

Incident

Oct 30, 2024