2017 RAM Promaster Owner Complaints

COMPONENT FAILED: Left transmission mount bracket and its fasteners on a 2017 RAM ProMaster with 3.6L V6 Pentastar (sales code ERB) and 62TE 6-speed automatic (sales code DG2). At least one bracket-to-transaxle bolt sheared. The bracket separated from the transmission, the powertrain dropped on the driver side, the left front CV axle pulled out of the transaxle, and transmission fluid loss occurred. The transmission case casting also appears cracked at the bracket mounting boss. All failed components are preserved and available for inspection. SAFETY RISK: Failure occurred during LOW-SPEED MANEUVERING. Had it occurred at highway speed, the dropped powertrain and separated front drive axle could have caused loss of vehicle control, sudden disabling of the vehicle in traffic, and roadway debris from dragging components. Industry-published cases describe identical failures at 40+ mph (Certified Transmission, May 2019). Multiple owner reports of the same failure exist for 2015-2021 ProMasters. CONFIRMED BY: Failure confirmed by visual inspection at an independent service facility. The failure mode matches FCA Service Bulletin 23-022-19 (8/27/2019), which warns the bracket fasteners are torque-to-yield, single-stage, one-time use, and that reuse can lead to bracket bolt failure. The TSB is classified Information Only — no recall has been issued. INSPECTED BY: Inspected by the owner and an independent repair technician. Not yet inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance. The vehicle had recent service in the transmission area; whether the one-time-use fasteners specified by the TSB were replaced during that service is under investigation. WARNING SIGNS: None. No warning lamps, messages, or symptoms preceded the failure. Given the documented failure mode, manufacturer service bulletin, and multiple owner reports of identical failures across model years, a formal investigation into a potential safety recall is requested.

NHTSA ID

11738594

Incident

May 18, 2026

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Ram Promaster 1500. The vehicle was purchased on February 16, 2024. The contact stated that at the time of purchase, the mileage was 84,000. The vehicle was taken to Valvoline, where the odometer was reported in 2018 February 2023 at 346,000. The contact purchased a Carfax report, which indicated that the mileage was 346,544 in January 2023. In addition, the dealer was made aware of the discrepancy, and the contact was informed that the vehicle would be collected, and the sale would be voided; however, the down payment would not be returned.

NHTSA ID

11719802

Incident

Feb 16, 2024

Mileage

346,544 mi

The contact owns a 2017 Ram Promaster 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V818000 (Equipment, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were 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 had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11662389

Incident

May 21, 2025

I am the original owner of a 2017 Dodge ProMaster made by Chrysler. My vehicle is currently at a dealership waiting for a complete transmission. I had to have it towed there as this issue happened while I was driving. Luckily, I was not far from home. The van is no longer under warranty at 5 years or100,000 miles. I purchased it new in May 2018. It has only 37000 miles on the odometer. There was a recall unrelated to this problem and fixed. In the beginning I had to Contact Chrysler Customer Service per my dealer who gave me their Customer Care number. I was given a case number by a lower Chrysler representative, who then had me talk to her supervisor. This representative said that there was no forwarding phone contact number for their complaint department and she gave me an address with a US mail PO Box for Chrysler in Auburn Hills, MI. No transmission should go out at 37,000 miles. My dealer is charging me $9000 USD for the transmission repair! A review of social media (Facebook) by various ProMaster owners has lead me to contact you. Groups on Facebook such as ProMaster Owners and Roadtrek ProMaster Class B RV owners have complained about transmissions going out. From what I understand, Chrysler has recalled vehicles from 2019 model years up through maybe 2023, for transmission issues. Why the 2018 model year was not included is beyond me. It is also my understanding that Chrysler is now building a completely new transmission for vehicles built since the current model year. Previous owners like me will have to settle fro re-manufactured transmissions from Chrysler. I am sure the NHTSB has been contacted by people like me. There are hundreds of us with transmission issues which can be considered driving safety issues.

NHTSA ID

11650681

Incident

Mar 3, 2025

The windshield cowl on this vehicle is poorly designed, allowing water intrusion from multiple points. This is not a minor leak but a severe design flaw that creates immediate and dangerous safety hazards while driving, particularly at highway speeds. The most critical issue is water pouring directly onto the serpentine belt and pulley system. While driving at highway speeds in heavy rain, I lost power steering after water intrusion caused the belt to slip. This sudden loss of steering assist made the vehicle extremely difficult to control, especially in traffic and during turns. Another major safety risk is water intrusion onto the engine fuse box. While driving at highway speeds, water poured into the fuse box, causing electrical shorting. This led to severe overheating that burned my windshield wiper wiring, making the wipers inoperable and drastically reducing visibility. Surrounding wires also melted, posing a significant fire hazard. The sudden electrical failure and loss of visibility created an extremely dangerous situation. Additionally, water pooling on the transmission can drain into the breather hole, allowing significant water intrusion into the transmission fluid. This can cause erratic shifting, transmission failure, or complete power loss. At highway speeds, this can lead to sudden deceleration or loss of acceleration, putting drivers and others at serious risk. This issue has been experienced by multiple owners and confirmed by independent service centers. It is not a DIY repair—the defective cowl design allows excessive water ingress. There are no warning lights or messages before failure, only sudden and dangerous symptoms once water intrudes. This is a major safety concern, particularly at highway speeds, where sudden power steering loss, electrical failure, or transmission issues can lead to catastrophic consequences. Immediate investigation and corrective action are necessary to prevent accidents, injuries, or fatalities.

NHTSA ID

11648025

Incident

Feb 3, 2025

Went to use the brakes and they would not work. Had to swerve into a ditch to stop. ABS and Traction issue.

NHTSA ID

11634291

Incident

Jan 3, 2025

There’s already a recall on the engine cooling fans. I was driving on the freeway when the cooling g fans failed causing overheating and major damage to the engine, specifically the head gasket, thermostat, and radiator. I took it to the dealer after finding out about the recall. They replaced the fans but are still not working correctly. They also refused to repair the other damages that were caused due to the recall part failure. I use my vehicle for work and have been unable to work for more than 2 weeks now due to the damages and have had to decline a lot of work in that time. This is affecting my livelihood. So far the dealer and manufacturer have only wanted to charge me for any additional diags or repairs when my vehicle was running great until this incident. The vehicle is unsafe to drive and the recall report stated the engine could catch fire. I took my vehicle to the dealer, a second time to see what they could do for me, Just to find out, they only wanted to charge me for multiple diagnostic diagnosis and would have me wait. At least a week before they could even begin touching my vehicle also refusing to give me a loaner vehicle in the meantime.

NHTSA ID

11614481

Incident

Aug 27, 2024

What happened: While driving on the freeway, the engine cooling fans failed, causing the engine temperature to rise excessively and increasing pressure within the cooling system. This resulted in a hole being blown through the thermostat, and all the coolant leaked out. Only after the coolant was lost did the engine overheating warning lamp come on. I safely pulled over, but the engine had already overheated severely. I was unable to drive the vehicle for a week while waiting for the dealer to replace the cooling fans under the recall. After the recall repair was completed, I picked up my vehicle from the dealer. On my way home, I noticed a loss of power, poor acceleration, and engine shaking, especially after the engine had been off for a few hours. I replaced the thermostat and radiator myself, but I believe the overheating caused internal engine damage, potentially a blown head gasket, cracked, or warped heads. Additionally, before taking the vehicle back to the dealer, I noticed the newly installed cooling fans (replaced under the recall) stopped working again. Despite all these issues clearly being related to the initial fan failure and overheating, the dealer is now charging me for further repairs and is not addressing the underlying problem with the cooling system. The fact that the cooling fans have a recall due to failure and have caused other issues are trying to tell me I’m responsible. They wouldn’t give me a loaner vehicle while they were performing the initial recall repair or now since I’ve taken it back.

NHTSA ID

11614112

Incident

Aug 28, 2024

Both cams need to be replaced. Upon doing internet research and talking with the service advisor this is a very commom problem and recalls have been done on other years but not 2017. Henry Miller Dodge Ram is where my vehicle is currently at and who advised the issues at hand. The check engine light comes on and computer shows misfire.

NHTSA ID

11573013

Incident

Feb 5, 2024

The contact owned a 2017 Ram 2500. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle in the parking lot of a residential building and turning the engine off, approximately 36 hours later the contact was alerted by the property manager that the vehicle was on fire. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. During the failure, the vehicle was destroyed. A fire report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed to a local holding yard. The fire department indicated that the fire originated in the center dashboard of the vehicle. The exact cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The contact referred to the NHTSA campaign number 19V818000 (Equipment, Engine, Engine Cooling) and indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 85,000.

NHTSA ID

11527396

Incident

Jun 16, 2023

Mileage

85,000 mi

2017, 119,000 miles. 8/9/18: maintenance transmission service at 62,651 miles. 6/4/20 Recall WOO shifter cable replaced. 11/11/21 AGM Interstate battery MTX-49 replaced. ISSUE: End of May 2022 (~117,000 miles) had driven from Florida & back 2x without any problems but was slowing down by taking my foot off the gas for exit ramp - the engine started roaring louder & the vehicle apparently had shifted to ?neutral - pulled off the road & shifted to P & then to D & drove on home without any further problem. That was #1 occurrence & I took it to a transmission shop in July (had not had the problem again) to see what they thought. They did road test, fluid check & scan of control modules for trouble codes/errors & analyzed data stream for inconsistencies - found no error codes or inconsistencies. Incidentally, have been having some type of parasitic draw on my new battery for the past year. Occurrence #2: almost a year later April 2023 I am driving up to 55 mph running errands & I slow down to 45 mph & the engine starts to roar & the van is coasting & the light up area of P-R-N-D backlight is not lit up that is normally lit up & no check codes/warnings have appeared - everything else including front drivers light panel all normally lit. I pull off into a parking lot, put in park, turn it off, then turn back on (still with unlit gear display) & I put in drive & it runs normally around the parking lot & the remaining way home.I have driven it locally for 40-60 miles each time with intermittent stops for about 4-5 times since then & can’t replicate the problem again. Incidentally still parasitic draw on battery. 1) could replaced shifter cable be a problem? 2) fuse #38 problem causing loss of power to solenoids? 3) transmission range sensor failing causing it to fall out of gear? 4) transmission control module problem? 5) solenoid problem? 6) worn/broken transmission bands? 7) worn out gears? - some cause putting into “limp mode”? This is dangerous situation?

NHTSA ID

11526688

Incident

May 29, 2022

Was not notified that my Ram Promaster 2017 needed two recalls when purchasing it from an official Ram dealership in 2020 with 35k miles on it. Now, at 90k miles I'm having to replace a radiator and cables that failed as a result of the coolant fan being replaced. Took it to two separate shops (first shop couldn't lift it) which both confirmed that my radiator experienced failure and caused electrical faults including blowing a 60amp fuse because this part was not replaced. I never was notified by Ram over the phone regarding this issue or from the dealership I purchased it from. Now, I'm having to pay a lot out of pocket to repair these parts (because I can't get my vehicle into any Ram dealership in the area for over a month) and having a third party, high quality mechanic do the repairs instead. I had to also pay to have the vehicle towed to the shop at my own expense as the vehicle had the check engine light on and was deemed by the first mechanic to not be safe to drive. I will upload files of the repair costs once the repairs are complete. $315 tow, $300 in diagnosing fees that won't be covered, and $1600 out of pocket for repairs is what I'm looking at. If I didn't have a 3rd party extended warranty, it would cost me close to $5k for repairs.

NHTSA ID

11525077

Incident

May 28, 2023

2017 RAM PROMASTER 2500. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO DEFECTIVE SEATBELT. THE CONSUMER STATED THE RECALL WAS ON BACKORDER AND NOT ABLE TO REPAIRED.

NHTSA ID

11507768

Incident

Feb 17, 2023

2017 RAM PROMASTER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO ENGINE COOLING FAN SAFETY RECALL.

NHTSA ID

11486022

Incident

Sep 23, 2022

Catastrophic flywheel failure. Small noise turned to large noise in a day.

NHTSA ID

11452319

Incident

Feb 1, 2022

The contact owned a 2017 Ram Promaster 3500. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle on the side of his house, he received an alert from a sensor camera attached to his home. When the contact checked the alert, he saw that the vehicle had caught fire. The contact immediately called the fire department and they were able to extinguish the fire once they arrived. No injuries were reported. The contact sustained property damage side of his garage and the siding of the garage had become warped due to the fire. The vehicle had yet to be removed from the property and had been deemed a total loss. The contact posted pictures of his damaged vehicle to an online forum and the manufacturer reached out to him for assistance. The contact was asked if he would like a team to come to his home to investigate the cause of the failure; the contact had yet to make arraignments for the finding. The contact stated that the rear passenger side of the trailer; however, the cause of the failure had yet to be determined. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11452127

Incident

Feb 13, 2022

Mileage

70,000 mi

parking brake did not fully release (with no apparent signs). drove 20 miles, brake warning lights went on about 18 miles in to the drive. Pulled up to gas pump with rear wheels (unknowingly) glowing red. $6000 damage incurred, could have easily been an explosion at the pumps. Dealer purchased extended warrantee says nothing that fails due to "rust" is covered. Manufacturer has changed the design of the failed part but takes no responsibility, or issued advisory statements or recall. I purchased this vehicle brand new, am meticulous on upkeep and keeping it clean. All scheduled maintenance has been with the dealer. There were 3 other Promasters in the dealer lot who had the same issues.

NHTSA ID

11441596

Incident

Nov 19, 2021

We purchased 4 of these Dodge promasters about 4 years ago. During the first year we were replacing headlights about every 2 months. Dodge told us that we needed to use their "heavy duty" bulbs. These bulbs seem to last about 1 year. They have a 2 year warranty on original purchase, so after 2 years we have to pay again. This last time the bulb blew it also melted the housing the bulbs sits in. We were required to replace the assembly and the bulbs. I believe Dodge has a voltage issue causing premature bulb failure and now creating a fire hazard. Headlights should not burn out in a year!

NHTSA ID

11432883

Incident

Aug 25, 2021

The engine has been replaced in the truck with under 95k then the transmission goes down at 105k. Paid over 13k just for those two repairs within 4 months period. Those vans needs to be recalled for many complaints!

NHTSA ID

11424290

Incident

Nov 18, 2020

THE ETC WARMING LIGHT WILL COME ON AND THE VAN WILL DECREASE POWER MOMENTARILY , I USUALLY PULL OVER, TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND THEN BACK ON. THAT LIGHT GOES OUT AND THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON AND STAY ON. AFTER SEVERAL STARTS AND STOPS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES OUT. DEALER FIXED IT LAST WEEK BUT THE RED FLASHING LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN AS WELL AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT.

NHTSA ID

11407080

Incident

Mar 10, 2021

Mileage

134,000 mi

WE HAVE 3 RAM PROMASTERS AND ALL 3 HAVE AN OIL LEAK AT THE OIL COOLER, COSTING OVER $800 EACH TO HAVE REPAIRED. AGAIN, ALL 3 HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE RESULTING IN OVER $2,400 IN REPAIRS.

NHTSA ID

11396757

Incident

Feb 18, 2021

Mileage

81,000 mi

RECALL NHTSA # 19V-818 COOLING FAN MODULE CAN FAIL CAUSING VEHICLE FIRE. RECALL NHTSA # 20V-036 SHIFTER CABLE. UNINTENDED VEHICLE MOVEMENT WHICH CAN CAUSE A CRASH. DEALER AND DODGE ARE NOT WILLING TO CORRECT THE ABOVE. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT SAFE OPERATION OF MY VEHICLE

NHTSA ID

11396420

Incident

Dec 10, 2020

LOCAL DEALER, SUNSR DODGE, NOT RESPONSIVE TO COMPLETING RECALLS. NHTSA RECALL# 19V818 AND 20V-036. ANDREW HODGSON SARASOTA FL [email protected]

NHTSA ID

11378415

Incident

Dec 7, 2020

THE HEADLAMPS HAVE BEEN REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES, WAY MORE THAN THEY SHOULD NEED. WE REPLACED THE DRIVERS SIDE LOW BEAM IN DECEMBER 2019, APRIL 2020 AND NOW IT IS IT OUT AGAIN - NOVEMBER 2020. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE NO WARNING LIGHTS TO LET THE DRIVER KNOW THE LOW BEAM LIGHT IS OUT. OUR VEHICLE ONLY HAS 44800 MILES ON IT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AS HEAD LANPS ARE EXPENSIVE.

NHTSA ID

11376990

Incident

Nov 23, 2020

Mileage

44,800 mi

I HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED UNDER A DIFFERENT RECALL NOTICE AND WHEN IT WAS PICKED UP FROM THE DEALER THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. I TRIED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND IT MADE A LOUD SOUND FROM THE DRIVER SIDE REAR WHEEL AND ON INSPECTION THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT WHEN THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS RELEASED IN THE CAB BUT IT WAS NOT RELEASING AT THE BACK DRUM. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE, DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, OR A WRECK IF THE BRAKE HAD ENGAGED DURING DRIVING OR HAD NOT FULLY DISENGAGED PRIOR TO DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

11374981

Incident

Nov 13, 2020

Mileage

37,000 mi