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 2017 Ram Promaster owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2017 Ram 2500. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle in the parking lot of a residential building and turning the engine off, approximately 36 hours later the contact was alerted by the property manager that the vehicle was on fire. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. During the failure, the vehicle was destroyed. A fire report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed to a local holding yard. The fire department indicated that the fire originated in the center dashboard of the vehicle. The exact cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The contact referred to the NHTSA campaign number 19V818000 (Equipment, Engine, Engine Cooling) and indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. …
Was not notified that my Ram Promaster 2017 needed two recalls when purchasing it from an official Ram dealership in 2020 with 35k miles on it. Now, at 90k miles I'm having to replace a radiator and cables that failed as a result of the coolant fan being replaced. Took it to two separate shops (first shop couldn't lift it) which both confirmed that my radiator experienced failure and caused electrical faults including blowing a 60amp fuse because this part was not replaced. I never was notified by Ram over the phone regarding this issue or from the dealership I purchased it from. Now, I'm having to pay a lot out of pocket to repair these parts (because I can't get my vehicle into any Ram dealership in the area for over a month) and having a third party, high quality mechanic do the repairs instead. …
What happened: While driving on the freeway, the engine cooling fans failed, causing the engine temperature to rise excessively and increasing pressure within the cooling system. This resulted in a hole being blown through the thermostat, and all the coolant leaked out. Only after the coolant was lost did the engine overheating warning lamp come on. I safely pulled over, but the engine had already overheated severely. I was unable to drive the vehicle for a week while waiting for the dealer to replace the cooling fans under the recall. After the recall repair was completed, I picked up my vehicle from the dealer. On my way home, I noticed a loss of power, poor acceleration, and engine shaking, especially after the engine had been off for a few hours. …
There's already a recall on the engine cooling fans. I was driving on the freeway when the cooling g fans failed causing overheating and major damage to the engine, specifically the head gasket, thermostat, and radiator. I took it to the dealer after finding out about the recall. They replaced the fans but are still not working correctly. They also refused to repair the other damages that were caused due to the recall part failure. I use my vehicle for work and have been unable to work for more than 2 weeks now due to the damages and have had to decline a lot of work in that time. This is affecting my livelihood. So far the dealer and manufacturer have only wanted to charge me for any additional diags or repairs when my vehicle was running great until this incident. The vehicle is unsafe to drive and the recall report stated the engine could catch fire. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ram Promaster 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V818000 (Equipment, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Both cams need to be replaced. Upon doing internet research and talking with the service advisor this is a very commom problem and recalls have been done on other years but not 2017. Henry Miller Dodge Ram is where my vehicle is currently at and who advised the issues at hand. The check engine light comes on and computer shows misfire.
The engine has been replaced in the truck with under 95k then the transmission goes down at 105k. Paid over 13k just for those two repairs within 4 months period. Those vans needs to be recalled for many complaints!
2017, 119,000 miles. 8/9/18: maintenance transmission service at 62,651 miles. 6/4/20 Recall WOO shifter cable replaced. 11/11/21 AGM Interstate battery MTX-49 replaced. ISSUE: End of May 2022 (~117,000 miles) had driven from Florida & back 2x without any problems but was slowing down by taking my foot off the gas for exit ramp - the engine started roaring louder & the vehicle apparently had shifted to ?neutral - pulled off the road & shifted to P & then to D & drove on home without any further problem. That was #1 occurrence & I took it to a transmission shop in July (had not had the problem again) to see what they thought. They did road test, fluid check & scan of control modules for trouble codes/errors & analyzed data stream for inconsistencies - found no error codes or inconsistencies. Incidentally, have been having some type of parasitic draw on my new battery for the past year. …
COMPONENT FAILED: Left transmission mount bracket and its fasteners on a 2017 RAM ProMaster with 3.6L V6 Pentastar (sales code ERB) and 62TE 6-speed automatic (sales code DG2). At least one bracket-to-transaxle bolt sheared. The bracket separated from the transmission, the powertrain dropped on the driver side, the left front CV axle pulled out of the transaxle, and transmission fluid loss occurred. The transmission case casting also appears cracked at the bracket mounting boss. All failed components are preserved and available for inspection. SAFETY RISK: Failure occurred during LOW-SPEED MANEUVERING. Had it occurred at highway speed, the dropped powertrain and separated front drive axle could have caused loss of vehicle control, sudden disabling of the vehicle in traffic, and roadway debris from dragging components. …
01/29/2020 sunlight 1 Dodge Promaster with 9000 miles at 9 am pst errupted in flames. A security camera caught the event on camera, 9 am pst. The vehicle smoked white smoke from the engine compartment area for 20 minutes and errupted with engulfing orange flames, and noise that alerted the dog inside the house. 911 was called and firemen worked for 3 hours to put out the flames. Had the campervan been parked nose to the home, the home would have caught fire, the Jeep parked within 3 ft of camper melted the rear panels, not known yet if it is a total loss. The camper had been used only for transport, not camping. 9000 miles. No alterations and an added rear camera. It had sat in place 4 weeks in December in mid 40's degree weather. It was lightly raining when it burnt. The burn landed the engine on the ground. Access to the battery compartment was difficult for firemen. …
Engine complaints in other Promaster years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2017 Ram Promaster?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2017 Ram Promaster, 40% of the model year's 57 complaints. The component named most often is cooling system (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Ram Promaster engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2017 Ram Promaster, though it has 10 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2017 Ram Promaster engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 81,000 miles, and 17% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 0 injuries 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.