Most common 2018 Ram 1500 problems
Share of the 665 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ram 1500 complaints by model year
Best 1500 years: 2024, 2013, 2023. Years to avoid: 2025, 2019, 2022, 2016. Compare all years →
2018 Ram 1500 recalls (15)
Air bags › Side/window › Curtain › Inflator
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Ram 1500, Ram 2500, and Ram 3500 vehicles. The right and left side curtain air bag inflators may rupture due to a manufacturing defect.
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.
Air bags › Side/window › Curtain › Inflator
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Ram 3500, Ram 1500, 2016-2020 Ram 2500, and 2016 Ram 3500 Cab Chassis vehicles. The right and left side curtain air bag inflators may rupture due to a manufacturing defect.
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.
Engine and engine cooling
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Ram 1500 and 2014-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with 3.0L Diesel engines. The crankshaft position sensor tone wheel may delaminate, causing the engine to lose its ability to synchronize the fuel injector pulses and cam shaft timing, possibly resulting in an…
Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software to maintain vehicle propulsion, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 3, 2023.
Fuel system, diesel › Delivery › Fuel pump
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and 2014-2019 Ram 1500 vehicles equipped with 3.0L diesel engines. A high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failure may introduce internal debris into the fuel system, potentially resulting in fuel starvation.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the HPFP, and inspect and replace, if necessary, additional fuel system components, free of charge. Interim notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed July 21, 2022.
Air bags › Side/window › Curtain › Inflator
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.
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.
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Diesel
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Ram 1500 and 2014-2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with 3.0L diesel engines. The crankshaft position sensor tone wheel may delaminate causing the engine to lose its ability to synchronize the fuel injector pulses and cam shaft timing, possibly resulting in an engine…
Remedy: FCA US will notify owners, and dealers will update the powertrain control module software to maintain vehicle propulsion by reading the camshaft position signal in the event that the crankshaft position signal is lost,…
Show 9 more recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Emission control › Gas recirculation valve (EGR valve)
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Ram 1500 and 1500 Classic Pickup trucks equipped with 3.0L Eco Diesel engines. The Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) cooler may crack and allow pre-heated vaporized coolant to enter the EGR system. This mixture may combust inside the intake manifold.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EGR cooler, free of charge. Dealers will also inspect and, as necessary, replace the intake manifold. The recall began April 16, 2020.
Latches/locks/linkages › Tailgate › Latch
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks equipped with an 8 foot bed and a power locking tailgate. Chrysler is also recalling all 2013-2014 and 2018 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks built before April 1, 2018 with a 6 or 8 foot bed and a power locking tailgate.
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.
Power train › Driveline › Driveshaft
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Ram 1500 pickup trucks. The rear driveshaft may have an incomplete weld fusion between the tube and tube yoke, which may lead to weld cracking or the driveshaft fracturing.
Remedy: FCA US will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began June 13, 2019. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. The FCA US recall number is V48.
Power train › Axle assembly
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 RAM 1500 trucks. The rear differential may have been insufficiently filled, possibly resulting in its failure.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear axle oil level. Rear axles with an insufficient amount of oil will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began September 26, 2018.
Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018…
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Dodge Journey and RAM 1500, 2500, and 3500 vehicles. The backup camera may experience a loss of image display while backing up. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
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.
Electrical system › Software
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab…
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.
Power train › Automatic transmission
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Dodge Charger, Durango and Challenger, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler, Chrysler 300, and RAM 1500 vehicles. An incorrect transmission park lock rod may have been installed in the transmission.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install the correct park lock rod, free of charge. The recall began June 28, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Power train › Automatic transmission
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 RAM 1500, 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Cab Chassis, and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles, all equipped with a column shifter. Pushing the brake pedal for prolonged periods when the vehicle is running and in PARK may cause the Brake Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI) pin to…
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2018 Ram 1500:
Post Recall Remedy Brake Transmission Shift Interlock (BTSI) Failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 14 Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) reports and 6 EWR Death & Injury (D&I) reports describing post recall remedy failures of the brake transmission shift interlock (BTSI) system in certain Model Year (MY) 2013-2018 RAM pickup trucks.The subject vehicle models include 1500, 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks equipped with a column mounted shift lever.The failures…
High pressure fuel pump failure
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.
What 2018 Ram 1500 owners say
Electrical system all 159 →
Traveling on highway, heard noise coming from the engine. I was close to an off ramp and got off the highway. In the process of getting on the off ramp alarms went off. Turned on the flashers, came to a stop partially on the shoulder. Turned off the vehicle, turned it back on and it started right up. Turned to head into town to get some place safe to check the issue and all the alarms went off again. Put the car into neutral and coasted down the road to a local restaurant parking lot. Once safely parked, I opened the hood and my engine was on fire. I ran to the window of the restaurant to get a fire extinguisher and was able to put out the fire quickly. I contacted my insurance carrier and went through the process of repairing the truck. One body shop got it back up and running. Another shop fixed the cosmetic issues. …
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that the U-Connect Command Center, touchscreen navigation, and settings were inoperable. The contact stated that the stereo face plate was delaminated. The contact stated that the screen experienced random phantom touches. The stereo was randomly tuning up loudly and failed to turn off. The vehicle was undrivable. The driver had to restart the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed and determined that the screen needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but informed the contact about disconnecting a fuse. The manufacturer was contacted and provided the contact with a case number, but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000. The VIN was not available.
Engine & cooling all 153 →
The contact's husband owned a 2018 Ram 1500. Two years ago, the contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V757000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts for the repair were unavailable. At the time, the dealer had been notified about the recall and confirmed that parts were not yet available. A year later, the dealer called that contact to inform her and that parts slowly coming to their dealer and that she had been placed on a waiting list for the recall repair. Recently, the contact stated that while her husband was driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate upon depression of the accelerator pedal; two unknown warning lights also appeared on the instrument panel. As her husband pulled over, a white color smoke began to emit from the engine. Upon lifting up the engine's hood, her husband saw flames coming from under the engine. …
Traveling on highway, heard noise coming from the engine. I was close to an off ramp and got off the highway. In the process of getting on the off ramp alarms went off. Turned on the flashers, came to a stop partially on the shoulder. Turned off the vehicle, turned it back on and it started right up. Turned to head into town to get some place safe to check the issue and all the alarms went off again. Put the car into neutral and coasted down the road to a local restaurant parking lot. Once safely parked, I opened the hood and my engine was on fire. I ran to the window of the restaurant to get a fire extinguisher and was able to put out the fire quickly. I contacted my insurance carrier and went through the process of repairing the truck. One body shop got it back up and running. Another shop fixed the cosmetic issues. …
Fuel & propulsion system all 140 →
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH and making a right turn, the vehicle started vibrating and almost stalled. The contact stated that the check engine warning light and a warning light for the throttle body was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle and was able to drive off the roadway; however, the vehicle stalled again. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact raised the hood and there was oil on the engine block and there was the odor of diesel fuel in the engine compartment. The contact had the vehicle was towed to a local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the fuel pump had failed, and that the engine had been contaminated and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. …
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle was accelerating and decelerating unexpectedly. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and a message to shift to park(P) was displayed. The contact pulled to a safe location and parked and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) was fractured, causing metal shavings into the fuel system. The dealer determined that the high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP), the fuel rails, the fuel line, and the fuel injectors needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V406000 (Fuel System, Diesel); however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. …
2018 Ram 1500 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel | 8-speed automatic | RWD | 20 / 27 / 23 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel | 8-speed automatic | 4WD | 19 / 27 / 22 |
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 8-speed automatic | RWD | 17 / 25 / 20 |
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 8-speed automatic | 4WD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
| 5.7L 8-cyl | 8-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 22 / 17 |
| 5.7L 8-cyl | 8-speed automatic | 4WD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 5.7L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 13 / 18 / 14 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2018 Ram 1500 a good car?
Based on 665 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2018 1500 rates average: 22% fewer complaints than a typical year of the 1500 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Ram 1500?
The electrical system — 159 complaints, 24% of all complaints for this model year, most often about 12v/24v/48v battery. Next are the engine & cooling (153) and fuel & propulsion system (140).
How many recalls does the 2018 Ram 1500 have?
There are 15 recalls for the 2018 Ram 1500, the most recent from September 11, 2025 (inflator). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ram 1500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2024, 2013 and 2023. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2025, 2019, 2022 and 2016. See the full Ram 1500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2018 Ram 1500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 33,000 miles; 62% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.