Ram 1500 Years to Avoid: Problems by Year (2011-2026)

The Ram 1500’s federal record tells a story in three acts: an older generation whose complaints cluster around steering, the HEMI valve train and TIPM electrical failures; a 2019 redesign whose first year was rough before settling sharply; and a brand-new powertrain era too fresh to judge. Here is what NHTSA’s complaint counts and recall campaigns show, year by year.

The short version

2011-2018 — proceed with caution

Owners filed 8,889 complaints against these eight model years, and STEERING — not the engine — leads the mix at 24%. An electric-power-steering recall (16V167000) lands on this era, alongside a string of automatic-transmission campaigns (13V610000, 14V161000, 18V100000, 18V280000). Within the generation, 2014 is the single roughest year at 1,755 complaints, with volume easing to 654 by 2018.

ENGINE is next at 18%, and it carries the generation’s best-known story. A nationwide class action alleges the Gen III 5.7L HEMI V8’s valve train — the lifters and camshaft tied to the MDS cylinder-deactivation system — can tick, misfire, and in some cases shed metal debris and fail; owners describe the ticking noise as the first warning. On the diesel side, the 3.0L EcoDiesel drew its own campaigns: the crankshaft-position tone wheel (23V411000) and the CP4 high-pressure fuel pump (22V406000).

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM makes up another 17%, dominated by the 2011-2013 trucks’ TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module). Its internal fuel-pump relay can fail and cause stalling or a no-start — one owner reported the engine cutting out while approaching an intersection. That is a single owner’s report, not a measured rate, but the TIPM’s reputation is well established enough that it should be the first question on any 2011-2013 truck.

2019-2024 — proceed with caution

The DT-generation redesign logged 3,547 complaints, led by the ELECTRICAL SYSTEM at 28% — and the first year carries most of the weight: 2019 alone drew 1,464 complaints. The early culprit is the new 48V eTorque mild-hybrid system on 2019-2020 trucks, where owners report motor-generator whine, 48V/12V battery faults and stop-start gremlins — the teething pattern a first-year system tends to show. A large wave of rear-camera display recalls also lands on these years. The encouraging part is the trend: volume falls sharply afterward, down to 194 complaints for 2023.

ENGINE is a close second at 27%, because the same 5.7L HEMI valve-train concern named in the class action carries into the DT trucks. Steering-control-module recalls (23V799000, 24V729000) and a second-row seat-belt-anchor recall spanning 2019-2026 (26V495000) also apply here.

One February 2022 filing describes power steering and brakes failing at 40 mph, followed by unintended acceleration and a crash that totaled the truck. That is one owner’s report, not a measured defect rate — but it is exactly why the steering-control-module recalls above belong on your VIN check before any test drive.

2025-2026 — too new to judge

NHTSA has logged zero owner complaints for the 2025 and 2026 model years so far, which makes them impossible to rank on reliability — and that is the honest verdict: unrated, not endorsed.

The headline change is the powertrain. For 2025, Ram dropped the 5.7L HEMI V8 in favor of the twin-turbocharged 3.0L Hurricane inline-six; after a cool market response, the HEMI returned as an option for 2026, backed by a longer powertrain warranty. The Hurricane remains a relatively unproven platform, so buyers are weighing it against a known-quantity V8 — one whose known quantity includes the valve-train history above.

The only federal signals so far are recalls, and they are electrical and lighting rather than powertrain: headlight wiring (26V421000, parking and daytime-running lights can flicker or fail) and instrument-cluster campaigns (26V225000, 25V826000). Treat these years as wait-and-see until real complaint and long-term data accumulate.

If you’re shopping used

Shop this truck by its known stories. On any 5.7L HEMI, listen for the tick: ask whether the valve train or lifters have ever been repaired, and treat an audible ticking or misfire on the test drive as a walk-away sign. Service records showing regular oil changes are the minimum bar.

On 2011-2013 trucks, ask directly about the TIPM: whether it has been replaced or repaired, and whether the records show repeated stalling or no-start visits. On 2019-2020 trucks, ask about eTorque battery or motor-generator work, and confirm the rear-camera recall is closed. On EcoDiesel trucks, confirm the CP4 fuel-pump recall (22V406000) has been completed.

Across every year, run the VIN against open recalls before the money changes hands — this truck’s history is recall-heavy in exactly the systems (steering, transmission, fuel pump) you least want open when you drive it home.