STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
2020 RAM 3500
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 112 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2020 RAM 3500, most frequently naming the fuel system, engine and powertrain (other) categories. 11 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 2 NHTSA investigations name it; and 759 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2020 | 1 | 1 |
| Sep 2020 | 1 | 2 |
| Oct 2020 | 2 | 4 |
| Nov 2020 | 3 | 7 |
| Dec 2020 | 1 | 8 |
| Jan 2021 | 6 | 14 |
| Feb 2021 | 2 | 16 |
| Mar 2021 | 1 | 17 |
| Apr 2021 | 1 | 18 |
| May 2021 | 4 | 22 |
| Jun 2021 | 3 | 25 |
| Jul 2021 | 1 | 26 |
| Aug 2021 | 2 | 28 |
| Sep 2021 | 1 | 29 |
| Oct 2021 | 12 | 41 |
| Nov 2021 | 2 | 43 |
| Dec 2021 | 2 | 45 |
| Jan 2022 | 2 | 47 |
| Mar 2022 | 2 | 49 |
| Apr 2022 | 1 | 50 |
| May 2022 | 4 | 54 |
| Jun 2022 | 3 | 57 |
| Jul 2022 | 4 | 61 |
| Aug 2022 | 1 | 62 |
| Sep 2022 | 1 | 63 |
| Oct 2022 | 4 | 67 |
| Nov 2022 | 1 | 68 |
| Dec 2022 | 4 | 72 |
| Jan 2023 | 3 | 75 |
| Feb 2023 | 1 | 76 |
| Mar 2023 | 2 | 78 |
| Apr 2023 | 2 | 80 |
| May 2023 | 1 | 81 |
| Jun 2023 | 3 | 84 |
| Jul 2023 | 3 | 87 |
| Aug 2023 | 1 | 88 |
| Sep 2023 | 2 | 90 |
| Dec 2023 | 3 | 93 |
| Jan 2024 | 1 | 94 |
| Mar 2024 | 3 | 97 |
| May 2024 | 1 | 98 |
| Aug 2024 | 1 | 99 |
| Sep 2024 | 2 | 101 |
| Nov 2024 | 1 | 102 |
| Feb 2025 | 1 | 103 |
| May 2025 | 1 | 104 |
| Jun 2025 | 1 | 105 |
| Sep 2025 | 1 | 106 |
| Nov 2025 | 1 | 107 |
| Dec 2025 | 1 | 108 |
| Feb 2026 | 3 | 111 |
| Apr 2026 | 1 | 112 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Fuel system5538.2%
- Engine2819.4%
- Powertrain (other)106.9%
- Electrical96.3%
- Brakes85.6%
- Steering74.9%
- Other / unspecified74.9%
- Driver assistance64.2%
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
11 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.govPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC); SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
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
High pressure fuel pump failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE21-021 on October 14, 2021 to investigate allegations of 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.On November 12, 2021, FCA filed vehicle recall 21V-880 and equipment recall 21E-094 on the subject population, identifying an `internally failed component? of the high pressure fuel pump equipped on the 6.7L Cummins Turbodiesel engine that introduced debris into the fuel system potentially causing fuel starvation and consequently an unexpected loss of motive power. Discussions with FCA identified the high pressure fuel pump equipped on these vehicles as the Bosch-supplied CP4. On December 16, 2021, Bosch filed recall 21E-101, stating the pump failure was a consequence of a manufacturer application-specific fuel system design.NHTSA subsequently identified recall 21V-586 involving loss of motive power due to failed CP4 fuel pumps on certain BMW vehicles.As a result of having received multiple recalls related to a common component, from two separate vehicle manufacturers, NHTSA?s focus shifted to determine if the related defect allegation was limited in scope to the recalled population. In early 2022, information request letters were sent to FCA and BMW to determine the root cause and consequentially identify the proper scope of potentially defective vehicles. After ODI received their information request response, FCA filed recalls 22V-406, 22E-048, 22V-767, and 22E-087. During review of information request response materials, NHTSA determined that sufficient information to identify a comprehensive recall population could not be produced by FCA or BMW. On March 17, 2023, this Preliminary Evaluation was upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA23-001), expanding the scope to include the Tier-one supplier and any manufacturer who equipped or installed similar high pressure fuel pumps subject to the failures observed in the recall population.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID using the following complaint identification numbers: 11351441, 11361603, 11361616, 11365300, 11365426, 11365858, 11366401, 11372337, 11373793, 11374797, 11376793, 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, 11448163, 11458918, 11460558
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
The contact owns a 2020 Ram Promaster 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera displayed an upside-down or distorted image. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
- NHTSA ID
- 11730803
- Incident
- Sep 30, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the engine overheated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the cooling fan module had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 97,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11720681
- Incident
- Feb 26, 2026
- Mileage
- 97,000 mi
The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and turned off, the gear shifter shifted into drive independently, causing the vehicle to roll away. The vehicle stopped before crashing. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11718941
- Incident
- Jan 11, 2026
- Mileage
- 75,000 mi
The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and the engine was turned off, the gear shifter shifted into the drive position when the contact's minor [XXX] child entered the vehicle to retrieve an item using the steering wheel and gear shifter to enter, causing the vehicle to roll down a hill and collide with a tree. The impact resulted in significant damage to the passenger side door, bumper, and truck bed. Although a child was inside the vehicle at the time of the incident, no injuries were reported following the collision. No air bags deployed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it had notyet been inspected. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- NHTSA ID
- 11718937
- Incident
- Jan 12, 2026
- Mileage
- 150,000 mi
The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention); 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
- 11702494
- Incident
- Dec 2, 2025
After normal operation, I shut off the vehicle, and within seconds it caught fire without any external cause. Our insurance company and Look Larson Dodge investigated the incident over approximately 3½ weeks but could not determine a definitive cause of the fire.
- NHTSA ID
- 11698464
- Incident
- Oct 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal ticking sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with high-pressure fuel pump failure, but the vehicle was not repaired at the time. The contact stated that upon pulling into a parking lot, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the high-pressure fuel pump had imploded, causing damage to the fuel system. The dealer related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel), and the vehicle was repaired; however, the contact later became aware that the dealer had replaced the high-pressure fuel pump with the same part. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic to be serviced, the mechanic informed the contact that the high-pressure fuel pump installed on the vehicle was not the recall part, but the same defective part. The mechanic recorded the high-pressure fuel pump and part number, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was confirmed that the recall part had not been installed on the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The contact stated that the dealer delayed performing the recall repair free of charge, which required the contact to pay for the replacement of the high-pressure fuel pump with the correct part. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer failed to complete the recall repair free of charge. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11686066
- Incident
- Dec 31, 2021
- Mileage
- 38,000 mi
The contact owns a 2020 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front wheels became inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle was pulling to one side. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the front wheel studs had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 36,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11666152
- Incident
- Jun 10, 2025
- Mileage
- 36,000 mi
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE
SENSOR - TURBOCHARGER SPEED
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE
SENSOR - TURBOCHARGER SPEED
CORE – HEATER
CORE – HEATER
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; STRUCTURE:BODY
SWITCH – HEADLAMP
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; STRUCTURE:BODY
SWITCH – HEADLAMP
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 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 56.1 |
| 2025 | 36 | 5 | 0 | 55.3 |
| 2024 | 40 | 2 | 0 | 60.7 |
| 2023 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 48.9 |
| 2022 | 187 | 12 | 2 | 61.7 |
| 2021 | 62 | 9 | 1 | 61.0 |
| 2020Viewing | 112 | 11 | 2 | 62.3 |
| 2019 | 134 | 14 | 2 | 63.7 |
| 2018 | 789 | 11 | 4 | 67.6 |
| 2017 | 304 | 13 | 4 | 67.2 |
| 2016 | 133 | 16 | 3 | 67.3 |
| 2015 | 136 | 16 | 4 | 61.0 |
| 2014 | 202 | 17 | 4 | 61.1 |
| 2013 | 114 | 18 | 3 | 60.6 |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
| 2009 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 2008 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 6 | 1 | 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.