2019 RAM 3500 Problems and Recalls (128 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2019 RAM 3500 is Fuel system (34% of 128 owner reports). There are 14 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Fuel system — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 128 complaints · 14 recalls
What problems show up on the 2019 RAM 3500?
44 of 128 filings named Fuel system (34% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Engine (17 reports).
There are 14 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Brakes, Transmission / driveline, Rear camera / backup safety, Electrical, Wheels, Engine, Fuel system, Glass / wipers / cameras, Body / frame, and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2018 has 790 reports on file; this year has 128. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Fuel system 44 complaints · 34.4% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 10
- Fires 5
- Injuries 8
- Deaths 0
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 44 | 34.4% | 2 crashes · 2 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 17 | 13.3% | 0 crashes · 2 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 14 | 10.9% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 9 | 7.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 7 | 5.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 6 | 4.7% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Wheels (WHEELS) | 6 | 4.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 5 | 3.9% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Tires (TIRES) | 5 | 3.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 50 | 39.1% | 3 crashes · 1 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 20V043000 was reported 134 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V398000 was reported 555 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V439000 was reported 548 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V880000 was reported 480 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 22V035000 was reported 343 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 22V904000 was reported 1,115 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 25V010000 was reported 1,620 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 25V824000 was reported 1,939 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V498000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V635000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V043000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V207000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V511000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V191000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V398000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V439000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V880000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 22V035000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 22V140000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 22V904000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 25V010000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 25V824000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE21021 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA23001 |
Safety Recalls (14)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Brakes, Transmission / driveline, Rear camera / backup safety, Electrical, Wheels, Engine, Fuel system, Glass / wipers / cameras, Body / frame, and Airbags.
-
Recall campaign 19V498000
Safety recall 19V498000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel lines, replacing them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 18, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V76.
-
Recall campaign 19V635000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- The swollen seals can cause the brakes to drag, potentially overheating the brakes and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- FCA US will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front brake calipers and brake hoses and bleed the brakes, free of charge. The recall began October 24, 2019. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US' number for this recall is V98.
-
Recall campaign 20V043000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- The leaking transmission fluid may contact the turbocharger or another ignition source within the engine compartment, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission valve body separator plate and reprogram the powertrain control module. The recall began March 2, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W03.
-
Recall campaign 20V191000
Rear camera / backup safety
- Report date
- Component:
- Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION)
- Consequence:
- The lingering rearview image can distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will update the radio display software, free of charge. Optionally, owners can choose to remotely update their software via an Over-The-Air (OTA) update available as of May 1, 2020. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W30-W37.
-
Recall campaign 20V207000
Safety recall 20V207000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- A bed step that unexpectedly fails while in use increases the risk of injury to the user.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the bed step support brace, free of charge. The recall began on July 9, 2020 (RAM 2500) and began on October 6, 2020 (Ram 3500). Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's numbers for this recall are W24 and W44.
-
Recall campaign 20V511000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- A damaged engine block may leak oil, which can contact hot engine or exhaust components, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will flash the engine calibration software to enhance the engine warm up protection, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W57.
-
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 21V439000
Engine
- Report date
- Component:
- Engine (ENGINE)
- Consequence:
- Low oil can damage the engine, causing an oil leak or a punctured engine block, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will update the engine calibration software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 25, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is Y21.
-
Recall campaign 21V880000
Fuel system
- Report date
- Component:
- Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will replace the HPFP, update the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software, and inspect and replace additional fuel system components as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters to inform owners of the safety recall were mailed on January 4, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 17, 2022. Phase 2 owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on March 2, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Y78.
-
Recall campaign 22V035000
Glass / wipers / cameras
- Report date
- Component:
- Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
- Consequence:
- Reduced visibility increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will tighten the wiper nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 15, 2022. This recall is an expansion of recall number 20V-208. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Z08.
-
Recall campaign 22V140000
Safety recall 22V140000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- An ESC malfunction indicator light that fails to illuminate during an electronic stability control problem can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will update the ABS control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Z20.
-
Recall campaign 22V904000
Body / frame
- Report date
- Component:
- Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
- Consequence:
- An unintended tailgate opening while driving may result in a loss of unsecured cargo, possibly creating a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will inspect the tailgate striker alignment to the box latch and adjust, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 22, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is ZB8.
-
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 25V824000
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 December 18, 2025. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's numbers for this recall are C2C, C7C, and C8C. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning December 4, 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 8 of 128 complaints · page 1 of 6
CrashFireInjuryDeath
HAD RECALL FOR HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP COMPLETED IN 12/2022 AND THE NEW PART HAS PREMATURELY FAILED CAUSING DEBRIS TO GO INTO THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE NEW PART WAS TO PREVENT THIS ISSUE FROM HAPPENING AND IT SEEMS THAT FAILURE AFTER ONLY 3 YEARS MEANS THAT A DEFECTIVE PART WAS INSTALLED OR SOME FORM OF IMPROPER INSTALLATION OCCURRED.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
While driving transmission just died would only go in reverse. lucky it happened at midnight so there was no traffic and was able to pull over safely. I drove truck home in reverse has I was only about 1000ft from house. Checked transmission fluid was burnt and all black. there was no warning signs check engine light came on just has it happened. I then ordered a aftermarket transmission and had it installed . When old transmission was sent back for core was told under drive and overdrive clutch packs are welded together. Was not brought to dealer because warranty was already up. didn't think to keep codes that populated when check engine light came on there was about six all seemed to do with shift solenoids. I am filling this out in case others have had same issue and maybe its a defect seems like low miles for this to have happened.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owned a 2019 Dodge Ram 3500 towing an empty container. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being driven uphill at unknown speeds, it unexpectedly caught fire. No warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries, air bag deployment, or police report. The fire department was on the scene, extinguished the fire, and provided a fire report. The fire chief was unable to determine the cause of the fire due to the extensive damage. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Driving along normal and the engine started knocking, then the noise went away and about three miles later the engine started knocking extremely loud as I attempted to get off the road safely the engine locked up, I opened th hood and seen the engine connecting rods broke out of the engine and it now has holes in the block, and needs a total replacememt
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made an abnormal rattling sound. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V475000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, a warning light for the exhaust system illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road, and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, but the vehicle was not repaired. An unknown dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that an unknown recall repair was previously completed on the vehicle. Upon investigating the failure online, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: EA23001(Fuel System, Diesel). The failure mileage was approximately 214,000. The VIN was not available.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
While entering the interstate highway and accelerating to merge into traffic the transmission would not shift properly and check engine light came with code p0871. I could not fully control the speed to keep up with traffic due to the erratic shifting of the transmission and was nearly rear ended by another vehicle also merging into traffic. This could have caused a multi vehicle accident at highway speed of 65 MPH. The p0871 code is transmission fluid pressure sensor / switch c circuit range/performance. There have been previous recalls with this transmission for the same problem but my vin was not listed. Transmission would not shift properly until code is reset with scan tool.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I lost trailer brakes, hydraulic controller not working. traction control light is on along with my airbag and my abs light comes on at times. NO REPAIRS WERE DONE YET. DEALER STATES ORC MODULE NEEDS REPLACEMENT. I believe this is an reoccurring issue.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2019 RAM 3500?
Owners named Fuel system most often — 44 of 128 reports (34%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2019 RAM 3500?
NHTSA lists 14 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Brakes, Transmission / driveline, Rear camera / backup safety, Electrical, Wheels, Engine, Fuel system, Glass / wipers / cameras, Body / frame, 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 2019 RAM 3500?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly. 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.