AIR BAGS:FRONTAL; STEERING:STEERING CONTROL MODULE
2021 RAM 3500
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
NHTSA has issued a “park outside” advisory affecting this model year.
Campaign 23V060000. Confirm whether your specific vehicle is covered using its VIN before acting on this.
Check your VIN on NHTSA.govOverview
Our database contains 62 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2021 RAM 3500, most frequently naming the electrical, engine and powertrain (other) categories. 9 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 582 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2021 | 1 | 1 |
| Aug 2021 | 1 | 2 |
| Sep 2021 | 2 | 4 |
| Oct 2021 | 1 | 5 |
| Jan 2022 | 1 | 6 |
| Mar 2022 | 1 | 7 |
| Apr 2022 | 1 | 8 |
| Jul 2022 | 2 | 10 |
| Sep 2022 | 2 | 12 |
| Nov 2022 | 2 | 14 |
| Jan 2023 | 1 | 15 |
| Apr 2023 | 1 | 16 |
| May 2023 | 3 | 19 |
| Jun 2023 | 1 | 20 |
| Jul 2023 | 1 | 21 |
| Aug 2023 | 1 | 22 |
| Sep 2023 | 2 | 24 |
| Oct 2023 | 3 | 27 |
| Dec 2023 | 2 | 29 |
| Jan 2024 | 1 | 30 |
| Feb 2024 | 1 | 31 |
| Mar 2024 | 1 | 32 |
| Apr 2024 | 2 | 34 |
| May 2024 | 2 | 36 |
| Jun 2024 | 1 | 37 |
| Aug 2024 | 1 | 38 |
| Oct 2024 | 1 | 39 |
| Dec 2024 | 1 | 40 |
| Feb 2025 | 2 | 42 |
| Mar 2025 | 1 | 43 |
| Apr 2025 | 1 | 44 |
| May 2025 | 3 | 47 |
| Jun 2025 | 1 | 48 |
| Aug 2025 | 3 | 51 |
| Sep 2025 | 1 | 52 |
| Nov 2025 | 2 | 54 |
| Dec 2025 | 1 | 55 |
| Jan 2026 | 2 | 57 |
| Mar 2026 | 2 | 59 |
| May 2026 | 1 | 60 |
| Jun 2026 | 1 | 61 |
| Jul 2026 | 1 | 62 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Electrical1721.0%
- Engine1316.0%
- Powertrain (other)1113.6%
- Brakes78.6%
- Other / unspecified78.6%
- Driver assistance56.2%
- Fuel system56.2%
- Body & structure56.2%
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
9 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.govELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:RELAYS/SOLENOIDS
STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
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
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, occasionally while activating the left turn signal to make a turn, the rear driver’s side turn signal failed to operate as intended. The message related to the brake light and turn signal was displayed on the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the rear driver’s side brake light failed to operate as intended while depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, while shifted into reverse(R), the reverse warning light fail to illuminate as intended. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign: 24V197000 (Electrical System, Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11747714
- Incident
- May 16, 2025
- Mileage
- 6,000 mi
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 3500 . The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the remedy parts were not yet available and were on backordered. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.
- NHTSA ID
- 11741292
- Incident
- Jun 1, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 RAM 3500. The contact stated that while driving at 40 mph, the vehicle stalled and could not be restarted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the entire fuel system needed to be replaced due to the high-pressure fuel pump exploding after metal shavings were found throughout the entire system. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11735999
- Incident
- Apr 8, 2026
- Mileage
- 77,000 mi
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V552000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V720000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); 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
- 11727064
- Incident
- Mar 25, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Ram 3500. While the contact's husband was driving at 55 MPH, the driver's rear wheel detached. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while a pickup box trailer was hitched to the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was determined that the wheel bolts had detached. The contact was informed that the rear wheel studs had sheared off into the wheel hub. The contact was informed that the rear wheel studs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V398000 (Wheels); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11724142
- Incident
- Mar 13, 2026
- Mileage
- 92,000 mi
Brake system is not functioning as designed. Rear axle braking is not being fully applied and is most noticeable and concerning during heavy haul usage. Vehicle has to be operated carefully and with an alternate braking method utilized to obtain adequate braking. The problem can be and has been reproduced and verified by dealer but not in writing. Dealer is not wanting to fully diagnose and/or commit to finding/acknowledging a fault. Manufacturer has been notified in writing and unresponsive. There are no messages displayed/stored. Disproportionate brake wear between front and rear axle braking is observed.
- NHTSA ID
- 11713842
- Incident
- Sep 11, 2024
Both front ball joints wore out at 20,000 miles The 3rd break light leaks into the cab at 26,000 miles & won't be warrantied even though there's an active recall for our same truck, same part just different model
- NHTSA ID
- 11708936
- Incident
- Nov 3, 2025
I have had two tires separate in the past couple of months with less than 24000 miles and 5 years old. I filed a complaint with Nexen and they sent a partial payment for the first one but rejected the second claim that happened less than 500 miles of the first claim. They claim the tires are separated because of the low miles on the truck and it is not driven enough. Less than a year ago my brother had the same issue with the same tires and truck with similar mileage and was sent a check for 6 new tires. I have additional photos and photos of the other tire as well as emails with Nexen and XXX Sr. Quality Analyst © [XXX] [XXX] ® [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- NHTSA ID
- 11705984
- Incident
- Sep 21, 2025
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 |
| 2021Viewing | 62 | 9 | 1 | 61.0 |
| 2020 | 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.