2021 Ram 2500 Transmission Problems

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2021 Ram 2500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

In June 2021, this vehicle literally drove away while in the park gear. It was running and accelerated across a state highway, down an embankment and 200 feet into a cornfield while pulling a trailer. I immediately called Ram and they did perform an investigation. They subsequently offered to buy the vehicle back, which I declined. This vehicle has been in for warranty work on the transmission several times with this being the result. They have offered to diagnose and repair it, which it is still under warranty anyway. I have not received a copy of their inspection yet, but this could have been a very deadly situation which has gone unaddressed so far. There was over 10,000 dollars in damages done to the vehicle.

I have attempted to get 2 recalls that require parts completed at my local Ram dealer who has called me both times saying that the parts were in, and they were ready to schedule the appointment to complete the recalls. The first appointment was on September 25th, 2023, and when the vehicle was checked in, I was informed they had no parts to complete 2 of the 3 recalls that existed at that time. They completed the recall that required no parts and said I was put back on the list for the ones that required parts with no answer of why the parts were not available (I had been put on the list for the parts in June). I received another call in the middle of November that the parts were in and scheduled an appointment for the 18th of December. …

I am reporting a serious safety issue with my 2021 Ram 2500 (VIN: [redacted] ). The truck has experienced three separate transmission failures within a few months. Each time the transmission was replaced, the vehicle failed again shortly afterward. At one point, the dealership returned the truck to me without transmission fluid, causing additional internal damage and creating an extreme safety risk. I have also had steering issues since the truck was new, which continue today despite multiple service attempts. Shortly after purchase, the truck developed severe mold and water intrusion after the roof stop lamp was removed or stolen while the vehicle was at the dealership for service. This caused water to leak into the interior and contaminate the carpet. The dealership replaced the carpet but the issues continued. …

There is a known issue with the Ram Power Wagon locking differential system where the electronic locking differential wiring harness will fault one of three ways. The first being that the wiring harness is two short so when the rear axle articulates there isn't enough slack therefore causing the plug in the diff housing to fail. The second is that sensor inside the housing faults due to gear oil build up on the sensor. Finally the third if the locker wiring inside the housing wears out causes the locker to fault. Any of these three issues causes a "Service Axle Locker System" and prevents the front and rear lockers to be used indefinitely. This can cause the truck to become stuck during off pavement driving.

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V835000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact notified the local dealer of the issue and was informed that the dealer only received one part per week to perform the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 2500. The contact received recall notifications for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V835000 (Power Train) and 23V060000 (Electrical System) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The dealer was notified of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V835000 (Power Train) and 23V060000 (Electrical System) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V835000 (Power Train), 22V904000 (Structure), and 23V060000 (Electrical System) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V835000 (Power Train), 22V904000 (Structure), and 23V060000 (Electrical System) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2021 Ram 2500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V835000 (Power Train), 22V904000 (Structure), and 23V060000 (Electrical System) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Related recalls

Transmission complaints in other 2500 years