Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Ram 3500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I am filing this report to highlight ongoing safety and warranty issues with my 2015 Dodge Ram 3500, which is severely impacted by Recall 67A. This recall was intended to address emissions tampering, involving significant obligations for Stellantis/Cummins Inc. under the emissions extended warranty, termed the "Special Extended Warranty." Since the completion of the recall in January 2024, my vehicle has been inoperable for a total of 148 days due to significant defects. The vehicle has required six service visits to address these issues, with the most recent visit occurring on October 31, 2024, when it was towed back to the dealership. …
I own a 2015 Ram 3500 equipped with the 6.7L Cummins diesel engine. An authorized Ram dealership diagnosed an engine oil leak originating from the timing gear housing-to-engine block/cylinder block gasket. The leak has progressed beyond minor seepage. Engine oil is traveling down onto the chassis/track bar area and is leaving drops on the ground. The dealer estimated the repair at approximately $4,000 because of the extensive labor required to access and reseal the timing gear housing. My concern is that an engine oil leak from this sealed housing may worsen over time and could potentially result in significant oil loss, contamination of nearby chassis components, or oil reaching hot engine/exhaust components depending on the path and severity of the leak. FCA/Stellantis has previously issued technical communications concerning oil leakage from the timing gear housing gasket. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving at night, an orange glow coming from underneath the vehicle and there was odor of smoke in the cabin. The contact stop in the middle of the road because the vehicle was on fire and was able to exit the vehicle with his wife safe but inhaled a little smoke. Medical attention was not required. The contact noticed under the hood was in flame. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police and fire report was filed. The vehicle was towed to umansky Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealer, (960 hilton heights rd, charlottesville, va 22901, [phone]) where the contact was informed what cause fire, which was a faulty transmission cooling line clip. The transmission fluid ignited the exhaust causing the fire. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the awaiting on a part to test everything. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 Ram 3500. While driving at various speeds, smoke appeared under the hood and the engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over, looked under the hood, and noticed that the engine compartment was on fire. The contact was able to extinguish the fire. The contact sustained minor burns that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the motor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 64,900. ..updated 06/08/16 the consumer stated there was an issue with the radio, transmission, catalytic converter, electrical system and interior lighting. Updated 06/29/16.
My Dodge Ram truck was the subject of three safety recalls, two of which were completed December 12, 2018. A third safety recall, t25/NHTSA 17v-302, that, at the time of my fire incident, had not been approved by Chrysler for the work to be done. The two safety recalls were completed by a dealer approximately 80 miles away from my home. On the day after picking up my truck, the truck's engine compartment had a fire during my 1-mile drive home from work. I observed smoke coming from under the hood, turned off the motor, opened the hood and observed flames. My local fire department responded to the scene, but I had already extinguished the fire. I notified Chrysler and they subsequently dispatched an investigator to my home to conduct an evaluation. On January 3, 2018, the investigator met with me and photographed my damaged engine compartment. …
2015 Ram 3500 laramie dually 4x4, 6.7 i6 cummins, aisin transmission. Truck experiences "dead pedal" under hard acceleration or when depressing pedal 3/4 to full throttle suddenly. This happens under all conditions: stopped, rolling, under acceleration. Advancing the pedal suddenly or completely down in emergency situations results in a 3-4 second delay where the truck will not respond, then slowly adds power. This is extremely dangerous as the truck will not respond to the drivers inputs. Possibly resulting in a crash or death. In several cases the truck has responded in the above described manor resulting in emergency action by the driver to avoid a crash or wreck. Problem has been occurring for the past 10 - 15K miles and still continues. As per the dealer servicing the vehicle. We were told nothing is wrong, this was normal and they refused to do anything about it. …
When accelerating (either from a stop or a rolling stop) and then braking and then accelerating again, the engine will hesitate. Some call this "dead pedal" but I feel it's dangerous because it leaves vulnerable in traffic to a collision. It's happened to me numerous times and again today. I was at a 4 way stop and proceeded to accelerate when it was my turn, about 1/3 way into the intersection, a vehicle traffic ignored the stop sign and attempted to cross my line of travel. I had to break and then immediately accelerate and the truck hesitated which left me in the intersection. If the other vehicle had been traveling at a faster rate, it would have t-boned me. As it was, the other driver was able to maneuver his vehicle around me. To me, this isn't a delay in which the turbo spools up to help deliver power. It almost feels like the throttle is dead however the truck is still running. …
In June 2016, towing a 14 foot light trailer up sonora pass on hwy 108 in california, the truck bucked, studdered and shook in first gear, stalled and slipped backward towards a 1000 foot cliff, it then lunged into gear and it was smoking the tires. I let it do that to gain traction and then slowly made my way back up. I cannot tow anything out of first gear without the bucking and studders, and losing forward momentum, anywhere. Almost lost it all that day including my life and nothing has been done to fix the issue. 2 dealerships in 2 states acknowledge the problem, state they have other customers that have the same problem but Dodge cannot seem to understand a fix or the seriousness of this defect. The truck is not safe to tow anything anywhere and that is obsurd for a Ram 3500. This truck is advertised as the number one truck for towing, but it just can't do the job safely. …
Consistently getting a p00af engine code. Pertains to the turbo boost actuator. Apparently this has become a common problem with many of the Ram 6.7l cummins engines. This can lead to poor engine performance and eventually catastrophic engine failure. Currently the repair cost just for the actuator through mopar is $3000. Obviously this is a recurring issue with these trucks, at a substantial cost to the consumer. I began noticing that my engine brake would not engage when descending grades, and then I started getting an intermittent engine light would come on, now it comes on all the time. I had a local parts store look up the engine code for me and it logged a p00af condition. I googled the information and realized that this is a very serious issue that could become a very expensive repair if not addressed in a timely manner. In my opinion, a recall should be issued for this.
The tuck has a horrible lag in the throttle response. When trying to pull out into heavy traffic the truck lags more than it should. This has been happening since the day I bought it new with 16 miles on it. If you press the pedal more than half down from a stop you can count to 30 before it actually starts moving. There have been multiple times where this has almost caused an accident. I have been reading forums about this issues and have come up with 2 causes. 1 the throttle control programing is set extremely conservative which will cause this. 2 the one that almost everyone is reporting is that the DPF regen system is causing too much back pressure. People are reporting that when they delete the exhaust and EGR off the truck it gets its power back. These systems never seem to completely clean out and all wise has high back pressure.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Diesel
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2013-2017 RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Cab Chassis, and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles, equipped with Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel engines that have Concentric-brand water pumps without a vent hole. These water pumps may leak coolant.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water pumps, free of charge. The recall began February 26, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Engine complaints in other 3500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2015 Ram 3500?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2015 Ram 3500, 23% of the model year's 137 complaints. The component named most often is engine › diesel (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Ram 3500 engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 17V-562 (diesel, Sep 12, 2017). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2015 Ram 3500 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 37,000 miles, and 43% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 4 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.