Reliable Auto DB

2026 Ram 3500 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2026 Ram 3500 has 27 complaints with NHTSA after 1 year, or 27 per year. It is too early to rank against other 3500 years: a year is compared here only after 3 years on the road. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Instrument cluster and Brake lights.

2012 Ram 3500
Photo by MercurySable99, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

27

Per year

27

Recalls

4

Years on the road

1

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (17 of 27), then Service brakes (9) and Back-over prevention (4). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Next to 2025

The 2025 3500 has 42 complaints, 21 per year.

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 2026 Ram 3500. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (4)

Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2026-04-09 · NHTSA campaign 26V225000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Ram 1500 Pickup, Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Cab Chassis, Ram 4500 Cab Chassis, and Ram 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles. A software error may cause the instrument panel display to fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards numbers 102, "Transmission Shift Position Sequence," 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems," 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment," 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems for Light Vehicles," 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems," 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring System," and/or 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy Dealers will update the instrument panel software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 5, 2026. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 35D. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning April 16, 2026.
Recall exterior lighting, brake lights 2026-02-02 · NHTSA campaign 26V059000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Jeep Wagoneer S, 2025-2026 Ram 1500 Pickup, Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Cab Chassis, Ram 4500 Cab Chassis, Ram 5500 Cab Chassis, and 2026 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. Due to an improperly designed trailer tow module, the trailer lights may fail to illuminate and the trailer brakes may fail.
Remedy Dealers will replace the trailer tow module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning March 17, 2026. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 03D. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 10, 2026.
Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2025-12-01 · NHTSA campaign 25V826000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Ram 1500 Pickup, Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Ram Cab Chassis, and Ram 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles. A software error may cause the instrument panel cluster display to be blank. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems," 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems," and 102, "Transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect."
Remedy Dealers will inspect and update the instrument panel software or replace the instrument panel cluster, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 18, 2025. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's numbers for this recall are B4C and B8C. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning December 4, 2025.
Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2025-08-18 · NHTSA campaign 25V530000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2026 Ram 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis, 2500, 4500 Cab Chassis, and 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles. The instrument panel may display an incorrect brake system warning light. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Control and Displays."
Remedy Dealers will replace the instrument panel cluster, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 9, 2025. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 79C.

Complaints by component (27 total)

Electrical system
17
Service brakes
9
Back-over prevention
4
Forward collision avoidance
4
Powertrain
4
Speed control
4
Engine
3
Exterior lighting
2
Hydraulic brakes
2
Tires
2
Lane departure
1
Show 3 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

12025262026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Trucks ignition system does not work properly; manufacturer has no way to diagnose the problem. possible fire hazard? drive system, was not built to factory standards, dealer advised to not to drive out of fear of…"
    Powertrain, Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2026-09-24
  • "Brand new 2026 Ram 3500 Limited Truck. Front parking sensors goes off when something is 15-25 feet away. Very frustrating as I have to turn off the front parking sensors. Had the same issue on my 2025 Ram 2500. Also,…"
    Unknown or other, Back-over prevention · filed 2026-09-16
  • "On multiple occasions the U-Connect system in the listed 2026 RAM 3500 has gone completely black and was inoperable until a reset was performed. The trailer brake gain control and exhaust brake are accessed and…"
    Electrical system, Service brakes · filed 2026-08-25
  • "The contact owns a 2026 Ram 3500. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The message that the trailer was not connected was displayed. The contact…"
    Electrical system, Exterior lighting · filed 2026-08-20
  • "2026 Ram 3500 with <2700 miles. The trailer brakes are not applied appropriately when using the brake pedal, even though it will brake appropriately (with 1 of 3 trailers) while squeezing the manual override. This…"
    Service brakes, Back-over prevention · filed 2026-08-19

Specs and fitment

Fifth-generation HD, 2019–present
Body styles Pickup
Oil Diesel oil per Cummins CES / API CK-4 (see manual by climate) , 12 qt capacity
Tire size 275/70R18, 285/60R20 (SRW); 235/80R17 (DRW)

Known issues for this generation

2019–2020 Ram 3500 (and sibling 2500/4500/5500) trucks with the 6.7L Cummins are covered by NHTSA campaign 21V-880 (FCA Y78): the Bosch CP4.2 high-pressure fuel pump may fail prematurely, send metal debris through the fuel system, and cause fuel starvation or loss of motive power. The remedy inspects/replaces the HPFP (dealers move affected trucks to a more durable CP3-style pump arrangement) and cleans contaminated fuel systems as needed. Later fifth-gen years leave that CP4 window; still verify 21V-880 completion on any 2019–2020 VIN and watch open emissions and software campaigns that continue on current HD trucks.

Compare

Previous year 2025 Ram 3500 See every Ram 3500 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2026 Ram 3500 reliable?

The 2026 Ram 3500 has 27 complaints with NHTSA after 1 year, or 27 per year. It is too early to rank against other 3500 years: a year is compared here only after 3 years on the road. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Instrument cluster and Brake lights.

What are common problems with a 2026 Ram 3500?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (17 of 27), then Service brakes (9) and Back-over prevention (4). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Is the 2026 Ram 3500 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2025 3500 has 42 complaints, 21 per year.

Has the 2026 Ram 3500 been recalled?

The 2026 Ram 3500 has 4 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 2026 Ram 3500?

Owners have filed 27 complaints about the 2026 Ram 3500 with NHTSA.

What oil does a Ram 3500 Cummins take?

Diesel oil per Cummins CES / API CK-4 (see manual by climate)

What does NHTSA recall 21V-880 cover on the Ram 3500?

2019–2020 Ram 3500 (and sibling 2500/4500/5500) trucks with the 6.7L Cummins are covered by NHTSA campaign 21V-880 (FCA Y78): the Bosch CP4.2 high-pressure fuel pump may fail prematurely, send metal debris through the fuel system, and cause fuel starvation or loss of motive…

What generation is the 2013 Ram 3500?

Fourth-generation HD (2012-2018).