Most common 2017 Ram 3500 problems
Share of the 315 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ram 3500 complaints by model year
Best 3500 years: 2023, 2021, 2013. Years to avoid: 2018, 2017, 2022, 2025, 2014. Compare all years →
2017 Ram 3500 recalls (12)
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.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › Control unit/module
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles. The hydraulic control unit (HCU) may fail, which can cause the anti-lock brake (ABS), electronic stability control (ESC), and traction control systems to fail.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake HCU, or replace the HCU motor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning January 9, 2025. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Wheels › Lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2012-2021 RAM 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Cab Chassis, and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles. Incorrect information in the Service and Owner's Manuals may cause the flanged lug nuts to be over-tightened, which could result in a broken wheel stud and possible wheel separation.
Remedy: Dealers will update the torque specification in the owner's manual and other published service documents. Dealers will also inspect the vehicle's wheel studs, replacing them if necessary, free of charge.
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.
Steering › Linkages › Drag › Link › Connection
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Ram 3500 and 2014-2018 Ram 3500 Chassis Cab and Ram 2500 vehicles. The outboard steering linkage jam nut may loosen, allowing one end of the drag link to separate.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will check the steering linkage jam nut tightness, replacing the drag link assembly or welding the nut to the adjuster sleeve, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2019.
Structure › Body › Tailgate
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2015-2017 RAM 1500, 2500, and 3500 pickup trucks equipped with a power locking tailgate and either a 5 foot, 7 inch or 6 foot, 4 inch bed. The tailgate actuator limiter tab may fracture and cause the tailgate to unlatch and open while driving.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicle, free of charge. The recall began September 17, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Show 6 more recalls
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 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.
Equipment
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling various Dodge, Chrysler, and RAM vehicles equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. A list of the affected trailer models is available at: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17V824-0103.pdf.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners instructing them to contact Kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began February 14, 2018.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Lever and linkage › Column shift
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ram 3500 Cab Chassis with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of less than 10,000 lbs, 2011-2017 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles, 2009-2017 Ram 1500 and 2010-2017 Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks, all equipped with a column shifter.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle software, inspect the BTSI, and, as necessary, replace it, free of charge. The recall began February 26, 2018.
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.
Wheels
Streetcar ORV LLC, dba American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) is recalling certain 2013-2017 RAM 2500 and 3500 heavy duty trucks, modified by AEV to be equipped with cast aluminum Katla 8.5" road wheels. The outer surface of the wheel may fracture, resulting in rapid air loss.
Remedy: AEV will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wheels with wheels of similar value, free of charge. The recall began on August 30, 2017. Owners may contact AEV customer service at 1-248-926-0256 extension 500.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2017 Ram 3500:
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…
Loss of Brake Performance
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation on November 28, 2022, after receiving 134 reports from consumers alleging an intermittent or permanent loss of braking performance in certain 2017-2018 Ram 2500-3500 pickup trucks manufactured by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). The alleged failures continued to occur at a steady rate across both models, at all speeds, with limited detectability.
Steering loss due to linkage separation
On December 17, 2018, NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE) 18-016 to investigate the steering system on model year (MY) 2015 and 2016 Ram 2500 manufactured by FCA US, LLC (FCA). Four complaints were received alleging separation of the drag link, a steering linkage that connects between the right front steering knuckle and the pitman arm on the steering box output shaft.
Steering loss due to linkage separation
On December 17, 2018, NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE18016 to investigate alleged drag link failures in the steering system on model year (MY) 2015 and 2016 Ram 2500 trucks manufactured by FCA US, LLC (FCA).
What 2017 Ram 3500 owners say
Brakes all 194 →
On December 14th, I was driving my 2017 Ram 3500 with 95,000 miles down the road when I encountered a tree completely blocking the roadway. When I applied the brakes I heard a pop and the brake pedal went the the floor. At this point I had no brakes and was forced to hit the tree. Thankfully it was in a rural area and no one was killed because of the failure. My safety was defiantly put at risk because of this failure. Once stopped I was able to look under the hood and found the top bolt that holds the brake master cylinder to the firewall sheared completely off. This caused the brake master cylinder to fall away from the firewall and disabled all braking functions. I had the vehicle towed to a Ram Dealer and then contacted Ram (Stellantis) for a reason and solution to fix the failure. They sent an engineering analysis associate to look at the the truck finally on the January 9th. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 3500. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the traction control, ABS, and several other warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated that a warning chime intermittently sounded while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with a defective HCU (Hydraulic Control Unit), which the contact had repaired by the dealer. The contact stated that approximately 5,000 miles later, the exact failure recurred. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. …
Electrical system all 33 →
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 3500. The contact stated while the vehicle was undergoing DOT inspection, the DOT inspector advised the contact to shift in neutral (N), and to activate and squeeze the brake controller manually. The contact was then advised to shift into drive (D) and to release the brake pedal while squeezing the brake controller. The contact stated that upon following the instructions, the vehicle moved forward. The DOT inspector determined that the brake controller was malfunctioning because the trailer brakes failed to prevent vehicle movement when manually activated. The contact stated that the company's mechanic replaced the 7-way pins, the 7-way pin trailer cable, the 7-way pin wiring harness box, and module, the brake controller assembly, the wiring on the front and rear axles, the brake assemblies; however, the failure persisted. …
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale from Facebook. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 234,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 380,000. A Police report was filed.
Engine & cooling all 32 →
The contact owned a 2017 Ram Promaster 3500. The contact stated that an employee parked the vehicle in front of an apartment complex, went inside the building to finish working; when the employee returned outside the building, the vehicle was on fire. No warning lights illuminated prior to the fire. The employee saw smoke and flames coming from the engine compartment. The Fire Department was contacted, arrived on scene, and extinguished the fire. No injuries were sustained. A Police report was not filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was towed to an undisclosed location. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle. The low coolant warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road and inspected the vehicle. The contact unlatched the hood and noticed fluids spraying and that the fan belt had detached. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with fan clutch failure. The contact was informed that the fan clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer a second time and was diagnosed with fan clutch failure. The contact was informed that the fan clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2017 Ram 3500 a good car?
Based on 315 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2017 3500 rates avoid: 2.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the 3500 at the same age. It is one of the 3500 years we suggest avoiding. 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 2017 Ram 3500?
The brakes — 194 complaints, 62% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › abs warning light. Next are the electrical system (33) and engine & cooling (32).
How many recalls does the 2017 Ram 3500 have?
There are 12 recalls for the 2017 Ram 3500, the most recent from January 16, 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 3500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2023, 2021 and 2013. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2018, 2017, 2022, 2025 and 2014. See the full Ram 3500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2017 Ram 3500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 32,000 miles; 61% 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.