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Owner-Reported Problems · NHTSA

2016 Ram 1500 — Problems & Complaints

NHTSA has 1,547 owner complaints on file for this vehicle. Every report below was filed by a real owner with the US government's road-safety agency.

1,547
Complaints
filed with NHTSA
92
Involved a Crash
owner-reported
36
Involved Fire
owner-reported
73 / 5
Injuries / Deaths
across all reports
Years to Avoid

Ram 1500 — Complaints by Model Year

Years flagged AVOID have at least twice this model's average complaint count — the strongest public-data signal of a bad year.

0 complaints

689 complaints

697 complaints

1,277 complaints

1,770 complaints

1,453 complaints

1,547 complaints

880 complaints

662 complaints

1,485 complaints

634 complaints

681 complaints

0 complaints

0 complaints

Problem Areas

What Owners Complain About Most

Steering 311 reports
Engine 291 reports
Service Brakes 280 reports
Power Train 202 reports
Electrical System 192 reports
Fuel/propulsion System 191 reports
Unknown Or Other 126 reports
Vehicle Speed Control 111 reports
In Their Own Words

Recent Owner Reports

Unknown Or Other ODI 11562801 12/31/2023

Approximately five times over six years, my 2016 Ram pickup engine will shut off on its own with no warning. It has always happened on the highway at high speed. This puts others at risk as I must put on hazard lights and coast to a stop with minimal control of the vehicle while other motorists try to avoid hitting me. The instrument lights remain on and once stopped, I can pu…

Engine ODI 11292334 12/31/2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 RAM 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V757000 (ENGINE) EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR REPAIR. THE CONTACT RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTIFICATION ON NOVEMBER 29, 2019. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH FIVE STAR CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM (3068 RIVERSIDE DRIVE, MACON, GA 31210, 478-345-8899) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE…

Electrical System ODI 11633175 12/30/2024

ABS Code C2200-49, anti-lock brake module internal electronic failure. Have not been able to source a new ABS control module for my vehicle. Apparently Dodge/Mopar/Chrysler has stopped producing this part. No ABS makes it dangerous to drive in the snowy/wet conditions prevalent during the winter months, especially in New York State. ABS, traction control, and brake light…

Power Train ODI 11499484 12/30/2022

Traveling at hwy speeds the vehicle lurched as if the brakes were suddenly slammed on then removed. Speed was reduced to 60 mph, no sounds or vibrations noticed so began accelerating back to hwy speeds. RPM kept building but speed was not increasing as normal. Within a few seconds loud banging under the vehicle was heard and half the drive shaft came out the back flipping end…

Fuel System ODI 11499521 12/30/2022

The contact owns a 2016 Ram 1500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V406000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was 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 issu…

Same Vehicle

Recalls & Crash Tests

Complaints are one half of the picture — see the official recalls and NHTSA crash-test stars for the 2016 Ram 1500, or check your exact car by VIN with the free VIN lookup.

Check Another Car

Problems Checker

Any year, make and model: open the Car Problems Checker. Data: NHTSA (US DOT, public domain), cached up to 7 days.

Questions

FAQ

Is the 2016 Ram 1500 reliable?
Owners have filed 1,547 safety complaints with NHTSA for the 2016 Ram 1500, most often about steering. Compare the complaint counts across model years above — a year with far more complaints than the model's average is the strongest 'avoid' signal in public data.
Which Ram 1500 years should I avoid?
The rule of thumb used by analysts: a model year whose complaint count is well above the model's own average (we flag 2× or more) usually had a real manufacturing or design problem — not just noisy reporting. Use the year-by-year strip on this page.
Where do these complaints come from?
Directly from NHTSA, the US government road-safety agency. Any owner can file a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire; NHTSA publishes them as public domain data. We cache each lookup for up to 7 days.
Do complaints mean a recall is coming?
Sometimes. NHTSA opens defect investigations when complaint patterns emerge, and investigations can end in recalls. Check the recalls page for this vehicle to see what has already been recalled.