2018 RAM 3500 Problems: Brakes (790 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2018 RAM 3500 is Brakes (58% of 790 owner reports). There are 11 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Brakes — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 790 complaints · 11 recalls
What problems show up on the 2018 RAM 3500?
456 of 790 filings named Brakes (58% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Electrical (75 reports).
There are 11 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Steering, Transmission / driveline, Electrical, Rear camera / backup safety, Wheels, Brakes, and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2017 has 306 reports on file; this year has 790. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Brakes 456 complaints · 57.7% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 15
- Fires 2
- Injuries 6
- Deaths 1
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 456 | 57.7% | 7 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 75 | 9.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 67 | 8.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) | 53 | 6.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 27 | 3.4% | 3 crashes · 1 fires |
| Wheels (WHEELS) | 20 | 2.5% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 18 | 2.3% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 13 | 1.7% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 9 | 1.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 254 | 32.2% | 5 crashes · 0 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 19V347000 was reported 100 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V398000 was reported 1,003 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 24V896000 was reported 2,288 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 25V010000 was reported 1,120 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 25V592000 was reported 1,358 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 32 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 58 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 48 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 72 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 84 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 64 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 44 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 52 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 37 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 21 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 28 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 41 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V824000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V100000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V332000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V398000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18E096000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V021000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V347000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V398000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V896000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 25V010000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 25V592000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE18016 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA19004 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE22012 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | RQ25003 |
Safety Recalls (11)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Steering, Transmission / driveline, Electrical, Rear camera / backup safety, Wheels, Brakes, and Airbags.
-
Recall campaign 17V824000
Safety recall 17V824000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury in the event of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners instructing them to contact Kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began February 14, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403 or Kidde customer service service toll-free at 1-855-262-3540, or online at www.kidde.com and click on "Product Safety Recall" for more information. Chrysler's number for this recall is T82.
-
Recall campaign 18E096000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- The weakened connection may result in a fractured steering drag link, causing a loss of steering and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Streetcar will notify owners and dealers will inspect and install a new steering knuckle, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2018. Owners may contact AEV customer service at 1-248-926-0256, extension 500.
-
Recall campaign 18V100000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- Being able to shift the transmission without pushing the brake pedal and/or without a key in the ignition can increase the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners and dealers will update the Body Control Module software. Dealers will also test the BTSI operation, replacing the solenoid as necessary. The recall began February 26, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U11.
-
Recall campaign 18V332000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
-
Recall campaign 18V398000
Rear camera / backup safety
- Report date
- Component:
- Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION)
- Consequence:
- A loss of image in the rearview camera while backing up can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rearview mirror, free of charge. The recall began August 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U56.
-
Recall campaign 19V021000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- A drag link separation can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will check the steering linkage jam nut tightness, replacing the drag link assembly or welding the nut to the adjuster sleeve, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V06.
-
Recall campaign 19V347000
Safety recall 19V347000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- If the tailgate opens while the vehicle is being driven, cargo may fall out the vehicle and create a road hazard, increasing the risk of crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will repair the tailgate latch, free of charge. The recall began May 23, 2019. Chrysler is expected to notify owners of the expanded population on October 18, 2019. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US's number for this recall is V44. Note: 2015-2017 MY Ram 1500 pickup trucks with truck beds other than 8 foot, are currently covered under NHTSA recall 18V-486 for this issue.
-
Recall campaign 21V398000
Wheels
- Report date
- Component:
- Wheels (WHEELS)
- Consequence:
- Wheel separation can cause a vehicle crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will update the torque specification in the owner's manual and other published service documents. Dealers will also inspect the vehicle's wheel studs, replacing them if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on November 30, 2021. Campaign Y36 owner notification letters were mailed on November 30, 2021. Campaign Y26 owner notification letters were mailed on December 1, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US's numbers for this recall are Y26 and Y36.
-
Recall campaign 24V896000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- A loss of anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, or traction control can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will replace the brake HCU, or replace the HCU motor, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed January 9, 2025. Some owner notification letters were mailed January 9, 2025. The remaining owner notification letters will be mailed at a future date, anticipated October 2026. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is C4B.
-
Recall campaign 25V010000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator rupture may result in sharp metal fragments striking occupants, resulting in injury.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will replace one or both side curtain air bags, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 13, 2025. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's numbers for this recall are 05C, 09C, and 10C.
-
Recall campaign 25V592000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator rupture may result in sharp metal fragments striking occupants, resulting in injury.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will replace one or both side curtain air bags, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 25, 2025. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's numbers for this recall are 83C, 91C, and 92C. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 18, 2025.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 7 of 790 complaints · page 1 of 32
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact stated that the ABS and the HCU were inoperable while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that it was difficult to pull his trailer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired because parts were on backorder. The dealer informed the contact that the repair could be paid for out-of-pocket and that reimbursement. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds and hauling a trailer, the “Service ABS” message was displayed with an audible chime. The contact stated that the brake was depressed, the vehicle failed to respond as intended, and became difficult to slow down. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to depress the brake pedal. The contact stated that while the cruise control was engaged, the feature was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the hydraulic control unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to another dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the hydraulic control unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact stated that on various occasions while accelerating from a stop or while driving at highway speeds, the vehicle refused to shift gear and the vehicle lost automotive power, with the ABS and traction control warning lights illuminated. The message "Service Electronic Braking System" was displayed. The contact stated that after the failure occurred, the vehicle was restarted. The local dealer was not contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); as a possible cause for failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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 the ABS warning light illuminated with a continuous audible chime while driving. Additionally, the cruise control was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, but the vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that parts were not available, and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The dealer was contacted and diagnosed the vehicle with brake hydraulic control unit failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The dealer performed a temporary fix and replaced the part with the same part that was failing. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,312.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My ABS alarms constantly as I drive. This issue started in September 2024. I cannot use my truck as desired because of constant alarming making traveling, as the truck was purchased for, impossible to enjoy for us. I have contacted my dealership approximately twenty times about repairing. I have been given multiple answers but have received no help. I have contacted customer care, customer service departments at Stellantis/Mopar five times and basically have been given the same answer, we are working on a repair. Please get Stellantis/Mopar/Ram to help customers. Manufacturer Recall Number-C4B NHTSA Recall Number-24V-896 Recall Status Recall: Incomplete, remedy not yet available
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at undisclosed speeds, the ABS message was displayed with an audible alarm. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2018 RAM 3500?
Owners named Brakes most often — 456 of 790 reports (58%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2018 RAM 3500?
NHTSA lists 11 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Steering, Transmission / driveline, Electrical, Rear camera / backup safety, Wheels, Brakes, and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2018 RAM 3500?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.