CSR

Ram · NHTSA safety record

2020 Ram 1500

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 631 safety complaints about the 2020 Ram 1500 with the US government. Of those, 24 describe a crash, 6 mention a fire, 15 people were injured and 1 death is recorded. 14 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 162 complaints, 26% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 23,500 miles, the median across the 182 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers November 2019 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

631 complaints on file

631

Complaints

24

Describe a crash

6

Mention fire

15

People injured

1

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year. A further 1 defect investigation is open and unresolved.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 162 · 26%
ENGINE 155 · 25%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 111 · 18%
POWER TRAIN 62 · 10%
STEERING 61 · 10%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 52 · 8%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 46 · 7%
STRUCTURE 43 · 7%
SERVICE BRAKES 40 · 6%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 27 · 4%
AIR BAGS 20 · 3%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 20 · 3%
0 65 131

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 631.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 145.

156 117 78 39
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2019 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2020 Ram 1500, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test Crew PU/CC 2WD Crew PU/CC 4WD Quad PU/EC 2WD Quad PU/EC 4WD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 19.8% 19.8% 19.8% 19.8%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

14 on file

SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:ANCHORAGE

26V495000 · July 30, 2026

The defect
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2026 Ram 1500 vehicles. The second-row seat belt buckle anchors may have been improperly installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
The risk
An improperly installed seat belt buckle anchor may fail to properly restrain occupants, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and attach the seat belt buckle anchor to the body structure as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 18, 2026. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 67D. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 6, 2026.

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) · up to 1,271,294 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS

25V298000 · May 8, 2025

The defect
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2024 Ram 1500 vehicles. The driver's side air bag may not be connected properly, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
The risk
A driver's side air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.
The remedy
Dealers secured the connectors for the air bag, free of charge. All vehicles have been remedied. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2025. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 08C.

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) · up to 71 vehicles across all model years covered

VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES

24V754000 · October 10, 2024

The defect
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Ram 1500 Classic vehicles equipped with heated trailer tow rearview mirrors. The mirror glass may detach from the driver's side heated trailer tow rearview mirror. As such these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The risk
Detached mirror glass can reduce driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the mirror glass, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 5, 2024. Owners may contact FCA Customer Service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 86B.

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) · up to 31,676 vehicles across all model years covered

STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

22V904000 · December 8, 2022

The defect
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 pickup trucks. The tailgate may not latch properly due to misaligned tailgate strikers, which could result in the tailgate opening while driving.
The risk
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.
The 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.

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) · up to 1,224,078 vehicles across all model years covered

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

22V767000 · October 13, 2022

The defect
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Jeep Wrangler, Ram 1500, and 2021-2022 Jeep Gladiator vehicles equipped with 3.0L diesel engines. The high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) may fail, causing an engine stall.
The risk
An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the HPFP and inspect and replace additional fuel system components, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 17, 2023. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is Z96.

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) · up to 60,413 vehicles across all model years covered

BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION

22V638000 · August 25, 2022

The defect
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Jeep Wrangler, RAM 1500 and 2021 Jeep Gladiator vehicles. A radio software error may prevent the rearview image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The risk
A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 6, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA, LLC's number for this recall is Z86.

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) · up to 7,895 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN:INFLATOR

21V632000 · August 12, 2021

The defect
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Ram 1500 Classic, 2015-2016 Ram 3500, and Ram 2500 vehicles, and 2016 Ram 3500 Cab Chassis with a gross vehicle weight rating less than 10,000 lbs. The side air bag inflatable curtain (SABIC) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator, or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
The risk
A separated inflator end cap or inflator rupture can allow compressed gas to escape, resulting in the end cap or other components being propelled into the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the SABIC assemblies, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on October 4, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 26, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Y55.

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) · up to 212,373 vehicles across all model years covered

VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR

20V622000 · October 8, 2020

The defect
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Ram 2500 and 1500 vehicles. The driver side mirror glass can detach from the backing plate and no longer provide a reflective surface. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The risk
Missing driver side mirror glass reduces visibility and increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver side mirror glass, free of charge. The recall began November 5, 2020. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W70.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) · up to 19,075 vehicles across all model years covered

SEAT BELTS

20V580000 · September 24, 2020

The defect
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Wrangler and Ram 2500, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 and 2020 Jeep Gladiator vehicles. In the event of a crash, a front seat belt retractor may not properly slow the occupant's forward movement after locking.
The risk
In the event of a crash, if the front seat belts fail to lock, there is an increased risk of injury.
The remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front seat belt retractors, free of charge. The recall began November 12, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W67.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) · up to 2,114 vehicles across all model years covered

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

20V191000 · September 10, 2020

The defect
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Jeep Gladiator and Jeep Cherokee, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 Pickup, Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Renegade and 2019 Dodge Challenger vehicles equipped with 8.4" or 12" radio displays. A software error can cause the rearview camera image to remain displayed after the vehicle has been shifted out of reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
The risk
The lingering rearview image can distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.
The 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.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) · up to 319,610 vehicles across all model years covered · fixed by software update

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

20V513000 · August 27, 2020

The defect
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 1500 vehicles equipped with adjustable pedals. In certain accelerator pedal positions, the floormats may prevent the pedal from returning to the normal resting (idle) position.
The risk
A pedal that does not return as expected may affect the vehicle's deceleration, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will modify the driver's floormat to remove the potential for pedal interference, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W63.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) · up to 160,229 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS

20V374000 · June 25, 2020

The defect
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Ram Promaster vans and 1500 pickups. The affected vehicles may have an improperly crimped diffuser in the side curtain airbag which may result in the diffuser detaching from the inflator in the event of an air bag deployment.
The risk
In the event of a crash, if the diffuser detaches from the inflator during air bag deployment, the air bag may not inflate properly, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
FCA US will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side curtain air bag assemblies, free of charge. The recall began July 16, 2020. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US's number for this recall is W52.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) · up to 114 vehicles across all model years covered

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:LINKAGES

20V208000 · April 9, 2020

The defect
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 1500, 1500 Classic and Jeep Compass vehicles. The windshield wiper arm or arms may loosen, possibly causing the wipers to not operate properly and reduce the driver's visibility in certain weather conditions.
The risk
Reduced visibility increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the wiper nuts, free of charge. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W25.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) · up to 425,599 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS

19V407000 · May 31, 2019

The defect
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 1500 vehicles. The flash memory of the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) may become corrupted, disabling the vehicle's air bags and seat belt pretensioners.
The risk
Disabled air bags and seat belt pretensioners increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ORC or replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's numbers for this recall are V61 and V71.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) · up to 295,981 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations

1 on file

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

High pressure fuel pump failure

EA23001

Still open engineering analysis · opened March 17, 2023 · led to recall 24V957

the diesel fuel system

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

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

POWER TRAIN

1 death · crash · towed · 20,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and idling, the vehicle inadvertently rolled forward without warning. The vehicle rolled forward and pinned his brother to the front driver’s side box located at the opening of the garage door. Medical attention was required. The contact’s brother was later declared deceased. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer nor the dealer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000. Manufacturer Safety recall issued NHTSA #22V-904 Recall #ZB8 2019 - 2022 D TRUCK TAILGATE LATCH ALIGNMENT Status:

NHTSA complaint 11496373, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

3 injured · crash · towed

Truck was going at 40 MPH and power steering went out, brakes went out and truck started to accelerate resulting in a serious crash. Vehicle was totaled out but not inspected by Dodge. There was no warning of any problems with truck.

NHTSA complaint 11452810. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed

On Thursday, January 8, 2026, I was operating my vehicle when an oncoming single vehicle traveling in the opposite direction entered a curve at an excessive speed, lost control, and crossed into my lane. I attempted to steer away to avoid the collision; however, the oncoming vehicle struck my vehicle along the driver’s side. The collision caused significant damage to the driver's side and resulted in a failure of the passenger-side rear wheel/tire assembly, complete detachment of the tire from the vehicle. During the collision, none of my vehicle’s airbags deployed, despite the side-impact nature of the crash and the force of the collision. 1. What component or system failed or

NHTSA complaint 11710471, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 5,900 miles

WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35 MPH ON A STRAIGHT ROAD, WAS HIT A BY A VEHICLE WHO SPED OUT OF A SIDE ROAD. I WAS HIT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT FENDER BY THE CAR, THEN I CRASHED HEAD ON INTO THE FUEL TANKS OF A SEMI TRUCK. MY TRUCK HIT THE SEMI SO HARD IT THROUGH MY TRUCK BACKWARDS MORE THAN A TRUCK LENGTH. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.

NHTSA complaint 11337818. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL
The turn signal is malfunctioning in the opposition. It blinks right up. It blinks right down is off

NHTSA complaint 11767552. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I have had repeated problems with this truck, even after repair repairs done by the RAM dealership. Currently, I am experiencing a failure of the high-pressure fuel system. I know it is on recall for other diesel engines, and I believe that this engine should be a part of that recall.

NHTSA complaint 11766913. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT

1 injured · 97,200 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact's [XXX] daughter seated in the rear passenger’s side seat attempted to exit the vehicle and removed the seat belt. The contact’s daughter was holding on to the passenger's side front seat headrest and the headrest snapped forward, and the contact's [XXX] daughter was pinned between the head rest and the roof of the vehicle. The contact stated that upon exiting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the daughter's neck was bruised. The failure mileage was approximately 97,200. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint 11766958. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
"Factory rear window/brake light leak allowed water to flood the interior cabin, destroying the RF Hub module. This caused the vehicle to dynamically stall at 40 mph in traffic, creating a severe safety hazard."

NHTSA complaint 11766583. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING
As I was driving the cooling fans started roaring. About 30 seconds later the Service power steering light flashed and I lost all power steering. As I was trying to pull over the steering came back intermittently. This almost made me wreck because I would be tugging on the wheel to turn and then all of a sudden have almost no resistance and violently turn.

NHTSA complaint 11766149. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER

95,911 miles

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2020 Ram 1500. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 95,205, and at the time of reviewing the documents, it was discovered that the mileage was 95,911.

NHTSA complaint 11764988. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Ram 1500

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 96 7 —
2025 356 8 —
2024 74 6 —
2023 201 11 —
2022 616 16 2
2021 679 15 —
2019 1,481 29 1
2018 662 15 —
2017 880 13 1
2016 1,545 16 5
2015 1,450 17 4
2014 1,766 16 —
2013 1,277 11 —

Other 2020 Ram models

2500 162 3500 116 Promaster 42 5500 8

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Ram on this site — 68 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst