Reliable Auto DB

2020 Ram 1500 reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 628 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Ram 1500 over 7 years — 57 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most 1500 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 65. NHTSA has 14 recalls on file, including Anchorage, Air bags, and Rearview mirrors.

2013 Ram 1500
Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

628

Per year

57

Recalls

14

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (162 of 628), then Engine (155) and Powertrain (62). Those filings include 24 that report a crash, 6 that report a fire, 11 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 1500 has 1,477 complaints, 157 per year, and the 2021 has 678 complaints, 116 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2021.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2020 Ram 1500. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (14)

Recall seat belts, rear or other, anchorage 2026-07-30 · NHTSA campaign 26V495000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2026 Ram 1500 vehicles. The second-row center and left-side seat belt buckle anchors may have been improperly installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
Remedy Dealers will inspect and attach the seat belt buckle anchor to the body structure as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 18, 2026. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 67D. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 6, 2026.
Recall Air bags 2025-05-08 · NHTSA campaign 25V298000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2024 Ram 1500 vehicles. The driver's side air bag may not be connected properly, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy Dealers secured the connectors for the air bag, free of charge. All vehicles have been remedied. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2025. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 08C.
Recall visibility, rearview mirrors 2024-10-10 · NHTSA campaign 24V754000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Ram 1500 Classic vehicles equipped with heated trailer tow rearview mirrors. The mirror glass may detach from the driver's side heated trailer tow rearview mirror. As such these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy Dealers will replace the mirror glass, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 5, 2024. Owners may contact FCA Customer Service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 86B.
Recall structure, body, tailgate, hinge 2022-12-08 · NHTSA campaign 22V904000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 pickup trucks. The tailgate may not latch properly due to misaligned tailgate strikers, which could result in the tailgate opening while driving.
Remedy Dealers will inspect the tailgate striker alignment to the box latch and adjust, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 22, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is ZB8.
Recall Fuel pump 2022-10-13 · NHTSA campaign 22V767000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Jeep Wrangler, Ram 1500, and 2021-2022 Jeep Gladiator vehicles equipped with 3.0L diesel engines. The high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) may fail, causing an engine stall.
Remedy Dealers will replace the HPFP and inspect and replace additional fuel system components, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 17, 2023. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is Z96.
Recall back-over prevention, display 2022-08-25 · NHTSA campaign 22V638000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Jeep Wrangler, RAM 1500 and 2021 Jeep Gladiator vehicles. A radio software error may prevent the rearview image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy Dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 6, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA, LLC's number for this recall is Z86.
Recall air bags, side and window, curtain, inflator 2021-08-12 · NHTSA campaign 21V632000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Ram 1500 Classic, 2015-2016 Ram 3500, and Ram 2500 vehicles, and 2016 Ram 3500 Cab Chassis with a gross vehicle weight rating less than 10,000 lbs. The side air bag inflatable curtain (SABIC) inflator end cap may detach from the inflator, or the inflator sidewall may rupture.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the SABIC assemblies, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on October 4, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 26, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Y55.
Recall visibility, rearview mirrors, exterior 2020-10-08 · NHTSA campaign 20V622000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Ram 2500 and 1500 vehicles. The driver side mirror glass can detach from the backing plate and no longer provide a reflective surface. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver side mirror glass, free of charge. The recall began November 5, 2020. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W70.
Recall Seat belts 2020-09-24 · NHTSA campaign 20V580000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Wrangler and Ram 2500, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 and 2020 Jeep Gladiator vehicles. In the event of a crash, a front seat belt retractor may not properly slow the occupant's forward movement after locking.
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front seat belt retractors, free of charge. The recall began November 12, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W67.
Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2020-09-10 · NHTSA campaign 20V191000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Jeep Gladiator and Jeep Cherokee, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 Pickup, Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Renegade and 2019 Dodge Challenger vehicles equipped with 8.4" or 12" radio displays. A software error can cause the rearview camera image to remain displayed after the vehicle has been shifted out of reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Remedy Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will update the radio display software, free of charge. Optionally, owners can choose to remotely update their software via an Over-The-Air (OTA) update available as of May 1, 2020. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W30-W37.
Recall speed control, accelerator pedal 2020-08-27 · NHTSA campaign 20V513000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 1500 vehicles equipped with adjustable pedals. In certain accelerator pedal positions, the floormats may prevent the pedal from returning to the normal resting (idle) position.
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will modify the driver's floormat to remove the potential for pedal interference, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W63.
Recall Air bags 2020-06-25 · NHTSA campaign 20V374000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Ram Promaster vans and 1500 pickups. The affected vehicles may have an improperly crimped diffuser in the side curtain airbag which may result in the diffuser detaching from the inflator in the event of an air bag deployment.
Remedy FCA US will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side curtain air bag assemblies, free of charge. The recall began July 16, 2020. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US's number for this recall is W52.
Recall visibility, windshield wiper, linkages 2020-04-09 · NHTSA campaign 20V208000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 1500, 1500 Classic and Jeep Compass vehicles. The windshield wiper arm or arms may loosen, possibly causing the wipers to not operate properly and reduce the driver's visibility in certain weather conditions.
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the wiper nuts, free of charge. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W25.
Recall Air bags 2019-05-31 · NHTSA campaign 19V407000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 1500 vehicles. The flash memory of the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) may become corrupted, disabling the vehicle's air bags and seat belt pretensioners.
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ORC or replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's numbers for this recall are V61 and V71.

Complaints by component (628 total)

Electrical system
162
Engine
155
Powertrain
62
Steering
61
Visibility and wipers
52
Fuel and propulsion system
45
Structure
43
Service brakes
40
Fuel system, gasoline
27
Air bags
20
Exterior lighting
19
Forward collision avoidance
16
Suspension
14
Speed control
12
Back-over prevention
10
Engine and engine cooling
10
Visibility
10
Seat belts
9
Lane departure
8
Latches, locks, and linkages
3
Wheels
3
Diesel fuel system
2
Hydraulic brakes
2
Seats
2
Tires
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Fuel system, other
1
Show 19 more Show less
Crash-flagged

24

Fire-flagged

6

Injury reports

11

Death reports

1

Complaints filed per year

42019492020542021632022114202311520241452025842026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • ""Factory rear window/brake light leak allowed water to flood the interior cabin, destroying the RF Hub module. This caused the vehicle to dynamically stall at 40 mph in traffic, creating a severe safety hazard.""
    Electrical system · filed 2026-09-24
  • "As I was driving the cooling fans started roaring. About 30 seconds later the Service power steering light flashed and I lost all power steering. As I was trying to pull over the steering came back intermittently. This…"
    Steering · filed 2026-09-22
  • "Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2020 Ram 1500. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 95,205, and at the time of…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-09-17
  • "While traveling at 40mph, total los of steering. Vehicle veered off the road and was uncontrollable. Power steering service light illuminated seconds before steering was inoperable. Turned off vehicle and restarted.…"
    Steering, Electrical system · filed 2026-09-16
  • "I bought this used truck with 60K miles on it in 2024. It is a 2020 truck. At 136K the engine failed.........with the infamous [XXX]. I have an excel summary spread sheet on all maintenance I had done since I owned this…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-16

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
1500 two-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 8-speed Rear-wheel drive 20 25 22 MPG $2950
1500 two-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic 8-speed Rear-wheel drive 22 32 26 MPG $3650
1500 two-wheel drive 5.7L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed Rear-wheel drive 15 22 17 MPG $4350
1500 two-wheel drive 5.7L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed Rear-wheel drive 17 23 19 MPG $3900
1500 four-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic 8-speed Four-wheel drive 21 29 24 MPG $3950
1500 four-wheel drive 5.7L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed Four-wheel drive 17 22 19 MPG $3900
1500 four-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 8-speed Four-wheel drive 19 24 21 MPG $3100
1500 four-wheel drive 5.7L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed Four-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $4350
1500 Classic two-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 8-speed Rear-wheel drive 17 25 20 MPG $3250
1500 Classic two-wheel drive 5.7L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed Rear-wheel drive 15 22 17 MPG $4350
1500 Classic four-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 8-speed Four-wheel drive 16 23 19 MPG $3400
1500 Classic four-wheel drive 5.7L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed Four-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $4350
1500 HFE two-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 8-speed Rear-wheel drive 20 26 23 MPG $2800

Specs and fitment

DT generation (fifth gen), 2019–present
Body styles Pickup
Oil FCA MS-6395 0W-20 (V6/V8 per manual) , 7 qt capacity
Tire size 275/55R20, 275/65R18, 265/70R17, 275/60R20 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 12,750 lbs

Known issues for this generation

Early DT years (especially 2019) show the densest NHTSA complaint load on this generation, with electrical and steering filings leading the list. Safety recall 24V-653 covers certain 2019 and 2021-2024 Ram 1500 trucks: ABS control-module software may disable electronic stability control (FMVSS 126); dealers update ABS software. Safety recall 22V-904 covers certain 2019-2022 Ram 1500 trucks whose tailgate strikers may be misaligned so the tailgate can open while driving; dealers inspect and adjust the strikers. Safety recall 25V-298 covers certain 2019-2024 Ram 1500 trucks whose driver air-bag connector may not be secured (FMVSS 208); dealers secure the connectors. Safety recall 24V-199 covers certain 2023-2024 Ram 1500 trucks among other Stellantis models whose steering-column control module may not be welded properly, preventing driver air-bag deployment; dealers inspect and replace that module as needed.

Compare

Previous year 2019 Ram 1500 Next year 2021 Ram 1500 See every Ram 1500 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Ram 1500 reliable?

Owners have filed 628 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Ram 1500 over 7 years — 57 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most 1500 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 65. NHTSA has 14 recalls on file, including Anchorage, Air bags, and Rearview mirrors.

What are common problems with a 2020 Ram 1500?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (162 of 628), then Engine (155) and Powertrain (62). Those filings include 24 that report a crash, 6 that report a fire, 11 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Is the 2020 Ram 1500 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 1500 has 1,477 complaints, 157 per year, and the 2021 has 678 complaints, 116 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2021.

Has the 2020 Ram 1500 been recalled?

The 2020 Ram 1500 has 14 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2020 Ram 1500?

Owners have filed 628 complaints about the 2020 Ram 1500 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 Ram 1500 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 Ram 1500 is 20.1 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Ram 1500 use?

FCA MS-6395 5W-20 (Pentastar V6; see manual for HEMI/diesel)

What does NHTSA recall 15V-459 cover on the Ram 1500?

Safety recall 15V-459 covers certain 2012-2014 Ram 1500 trucks among other Rams with the Electronic Vehicle Information Center: the steering-wheel wiring harness can rub the driver air-bag retainer spring and short so the frontal air bag may deploy unexpectedly; dealers…

What generation is the 2014 Ram 1500?

DS generation (fourth gen) (2013-2018).